Weekly Announcements
Ahavat Yisrael of Wesley Hills Announcements
Vayera
Nov 7 – Nov 13
16 Cheshvan – 22 Cheshvan
Refuah Shlaima to Moti Elkobi who's recuperating at home after surgery.
This week’s Kiddush is sponsored by Larry and Millie Levy in honor of the upcoming yahrzeit of Larry’s father Morris Levy, Moshe Ben Ben-Zion.
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY (11/7)
Candle lighting/Mincha: 4:26 PM
SHABBOS (11/8)
Shacharis: 9:00 AM
Latest time for shma: 9:07 AM
Parsha shiur: 3:35 PM
Mincha: 4:15 PM
Shabbos Ends: 5:28 PM
Maariv: 5:34 PM
SUNDAY (11/9)
Shacharis: 8:00 AM
Rabbi’s Gemara Shiur: 8:45 in shul and on zoom: https://zoom.us/j/3812539596
Mincha/Maariv: 4:25 PM
MONDAY – THURSDAY (11/10-11/13)
Maariv: 9:00 PM
Wednesday: Parsha previews on zoom at 8pm https://zoom.us/j/3812539596
Dvar Torah & Thoughts on Vayeira
Rabbi Asher Bush
At first glance chapters י"ח & י"ט of our parsha appear quite similar, as in the first one Avraham sees three men off in the distance and he runs to greet them and extend hospitality to them, and in the second one his nephew Lot see two men and he gets up to greet them and also offer his hospitality. But as is well known, these two accounts go in extremely separate directions, as in the case of Avraham these three came to officially inform Sarah that she would have a baby, thus creating and building the future of the Jewish people, while in the story of Lot they came to rescue him and his family, saving them from the destruction of Sdom. Lot too goes on to father two nations, Amon and Moav, each of whom are a far cry from great, or even good as the culture they represent is based on the corrupt values of Sdom, known for its arrogance, greed, and the unwillingness to help the weaker or less fortunate.
At the same time, it would be both wrong and unfair to ignore the good that Lot did. This is symbolically presented by the Midrash in regard to the pasuk that states he served his guests Matzo; the Midrash explained that he did so because it was Pesach, even though the simple explanation is that his guests showed up just before evening and the only way to quickly serve a meal was by making Matzo since there is no waiting for it to rise, otherwise the meal would have been delayed by many hours (the text actually states that they arrived בערב/here best explained to mean ‘at nightfall’). In this two word explanation the Midrash connects Lot to the lessons and teachings of Avraham, the very uncle whose life he had left behind in favor of moving to Sdom, the place that reminded him the most of the wealth of Egypt (all of which is most ironic as Pesach is all about leaving Egypt and its corrupt values, while Lot fell in love with the place that most closely resembled Egypt in so many ways).
So, who is the “real” Lot? The loyal nephew who risked all for the sake of his guests, or the greedy man who sacrificed his children and their values for the sake of living an opulent lifestyle. The answer is both, as he seems to be a far more complicated and complex person than one might assume at first glance. He had indeed assimilated many of the teachings of Avraham, (although much may be little more than good habit or rote), but he also was in love with wealth and the life that went with it, paying a heavy price in terms of his family and his legacy.
Needless to say, there is no such thing as a perfect person, and while each of us can be quite complicated and even conflicted, the Torah makes it clear that we are to look at Avraham as a role model and example, and not to Lot. In these and many other ways Lot may appear to model or even relive the examples of his holy uncle, but most of that is nothing more than good habits or outward appearances. Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that the Torah devotes so much time on Lot and his story, to demonstrate in the most graphic way that just because something looks a certain way, it may not be the same, not even close to the same. Lot may have thought he was following in the ways of Avraham, but the Torah tells us that certain external similarities notwithstanding, they had little in common. Many outer features of Lot’s life resembled that of Avraham, but none of us would ever think to confuse the holy Avraham with the most profane Lot.
When looking at these two individuals it is easy and clear who is the “real thing” and who is not; but that is only the starting point, as the Torah has given us a far more challenging task, namely, to look at ourselves. We are told to look at ourselves and ask the same question about so much of what we do; are we striving to follow the examples of our great and holy Avos and Imahos, or are we satisfied to go through the motions, kind of sort of looking like them, but missing much of the point of it all. When we put it like that, all of a sudden Lot is no longer a foreigner, he is very likely one of us, maybe even me, and that is a most disturbing prospect. It is for this reason that as much as the Torah felt the need to tell us about Lot, far more time is devoted to the lives and messages of the people whom we should be emulating, Avraham, Sarah and the other special Tzadikim of the Torah.