3 men are warmly welcomed by Avraham KI TEITZEI with lavish hospitality. They announce to him that by this time next year will have a child. She overhears this from the tent and laughs, for her ability to bear a ALIYA-BY-ALIYA child is a thing of the past. G-d protests – is SEDRA SUMMARY anything too much for G-d – this time next year you will have had a child.

Rabbi Reuven This story is a precious glimpse into the Tradburks home of Avraham and Sarah. Running to Director of RCA do kindness. And the whole house is into it Region – Avraham, Sarah, the young helpers. The The beloved stories of the life of Avraham hospitality, concern for others and open are found in our Parsha. Avraham hosts home modeled by Avraham becomes the the angels who have come to tell him of paradigm of chesed for the Jewish people. the birth of Sarah. G-d tells Avraham of Sarah laughs at the news that she will have the impending destruction of Sodom; a child. She is reprimanded for that. But Avraham pleads on their behalf. The City Avraham laughed at the same news at the of Sodom is destroyed, Lot is saved. The end of last week’s parsha. He is not repri- nations of Moav and Amon are born from manded. Rashi comments there: laughter Lot and his daughters. Avraham sojourns comes in 2 forms. Simcha, happy laugh- in Gerar. Sarah gives birth to Yitzchak, ter. And scoffing. Avraham laughed; wow, Hagar and Yishmael are sent away. look at that, me 99, she 90 – and we’ll have Avraham makes a pact with Avimelech. a child! Sarah scoffed, guffawed: what? Me The Parsha concludes with the dramatic at 90 and he at 99? Don’t think so. story of Akeidat Yitzchak, the near death of Yitzchak at the hands of Avraham. She has a point. Sarah is the realist. Avraham the dreamer. Jewish history will st 1 Aliya (18:1-14). G-d appears to Avraham. need the dreamers and the realists. The Avot tend to be the dreamers; the Imahot, the women, the realists.

2nd Aliya (18:15-33). The men leave for Sodom. G-d convinces Himself that He may not withhold from Avraham, the champion of justice, of His plan to destroy Sodom. Avraham challenges Him: How can You destroy the righteous along with the wicked? And how can You destroy the place if there are righteous people present?

6 TORAH TIDBITS / VAYEIRA 5781 Avraham presses his point. Something has changed in the life of “The fabulous sea view; Avraham. When we first met him, he was tthehe tterrificerrific AAnglonglo neighbors;neighbors; promised fame and fortune and family. And the land of Israel. He received fortune tthehe ggreatreat ttermserms – allall addedadded in Egypt, fame in the war of the 5 kings and uupp toto anan oofferffer wwee jjustust the 4 kings. Those were personal promises ccouldn’touldn’t refuse!”refuse!” to him – he would have fame and he would have fortune. said another happy client

The other 2 promises have not yet hap- NOW, before the price increase, is the time to lock down a great deal on your dream vacation home – pened – family and the land of Israel. Those one which offers sun, pleasant sea breezes along are not personal promises. Those are his- with beautiful views in Anglo-populated Ashkelon! toric – the Jewish people will be born from It’s very affordable – from $500,000 with just a 15% down payment, mortgages available as well as bank you and the Jewish people will inherit this guarantees. Rental income often in excess of 3.5%. land of Israel. He has been promised fami- ly – for 25 years. And repeatedly promised L I V E O P P O S I T E T H E S E A the land of Israel. However, all the promis- 0 5 4 4 - 3 3 2 6 2 1 es were in one direction – G-d promising to davidz@A shkelonProperties.com Avraham. Only with Milah was a demand made of Avraham. And no longer an amor- phous promise of a child, but an imminent one – in less than a year.

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OU ISRAEL CENTER 7 3rd Aliya (10:1-20). The men journey to broader family unit? Sodom. Lot prevails on them to stay with Well, one person we can see is not going to him. The men of the city object to the pres- be a part of Jewish history: Lot. Lot writes ence of these foreigners. It turns violent. himself out of that possibility with his as- The visitors tell Lot that Sodom is to be sociation with Sodom. destroyed and he must leave quickly. His sons in law refuse. The morning dawns 4th Aliya (19:21-21:4). Lot is told to flee and Lot, his wife and daughters leave Sodom. The cities of Sodom and Gemora Sodom, told not to look back. (Amora in Hebrew) are destroyed. Lot’s wife looks back and turns to a pillar of salt. Lot is Avraham’s closest relative. He seems Avraham looks out from the hills and sees to follow in the footsteps of Avraham. He the destruction. Lot flees to the hills. The 2 welcomes the strangers, gives them a place daughters of Lot play him with wine and in his home, serves them food. A parallel become pregnant from him, reasoning story to Avraham’s kindness to them. But, that they are the only ones left in the world. the lesson lies not in the similarities but They name their children Moav and Amon. in the differences. Lot is living in Sodom. Avraham goes to Gerar, Avimelech is told That makes all the difference. by G-d not to touch Sarah, Avimelech con- This story is the beginning of the theme fronts Avraham as to why he hid Sarah’s that will dominate the rest of the book of identity from him. Avraham responds: I Genesis: who of Avraham’s family is in? saw there is no fear of G-d here. G-d ful- And who is out? Avraham’s family will in- fills what he promised to Sarah. She gives herit the covenant of the Jewish people – birth to Yitzchak. Avraham circumcises but who in his family? With the imminent him as G-d commanded. birth of Yitzchak, the question as to who There is a lot of “seeing”: Lot should not will inherit the land of Israel becomes ur- look back, while Avraham is looking over gent. Will it be all of Avraham’s entourage? the plain. The daughters see themselves Lot, Yishmael, Yitzchak? Will Avraham’s as and family – the sole survivors. generosity of spirit extend to the promise Avraham sees there is no fear of G-d. of the Land – will he want to include his Lot did not see, or take to heart that he lived May the Torah learned from this issue of TT amongst sinners. What Lot did not see לע"נ be in loving memory of and around him, Avraham perceived immedi- .ately in Gerar; there is no fear of G-d here ע"ה SHARON (RUBIN) PREISER On her fth yahrzeit The story with Lot’s daughters is a bitter ט"ז מרחשון Parents: Blossom and Israel Rubin irony – as Rav Hershel Schachter likes to Sister: Eileen Polly point out – did they really think, of all the Husband: Uriel Preiser people in the world, they are the most Children and Grandchildren righteous to be saved? There is no one else

8 TORAH TIDBITS / VAYEIRA 5781 in the entire world except them? Really? What about Avraham? How did they feel www.DailyMitzvot.org the next day when they walked down the Mitzvot from the Torah applicable in our times street and saw a whole world of people? based on the Chofetz Chaim

5th Aliya (21:5-21). Yitzchak grows and is Shabbat weaned. Sarah sees Yishmael playing with Sanctify the Shabbos day with words Yitzchak. She tells Avraham to banish this Rest and do not work on Shabbos boy, for he will not inherit on a par with Do not go out beyond the Shabbat limit Yitzchak. This troubles Avraham but G-d SIGN UP FOR A DAILY MITZVAH tells him to listen to Sarah. Avraham arises early, sends away Hagar and Yishmael. NACHI REALTY 054-461-3943 They go to the desert of Beersheva. The Great Value in Rechavia - border of Shaarei Chessed! Quiet Abarbanel street. 4 rooms, 90sqm, water runs out. Hagar cannot bear to see 2 floors up, great shape, 2 full bathrooms. Private the death of her child and cries. An angel Land. 3.29m NIS calls to her. Her eyes are opened, she sees a Bustan Baka - 3 rooms, 75sqm, 2 full bathrooms, 1 floor up with Shabbat Elevator, private parking and well and gives water to Yishmael. storage room. Move in shape. 2.75m NIS 5, 3, and 2 rooms for rent in new upscale building The next generation of the Jewish people in Baka. 5 room with garden- 9,300. 3 room- has now been born. Who will be part of 5900nis. 2 room- 4,200 NIS. Shabbat Elevators and Private Parking. the covenant? Lot is out, but he is not a child of Avraham, albeit a nephew. Sarah tells Avraham that Yishmael, although a Talbieh: 4 rooms, good For Sale exposures elevator, parking. child of Avraham is not the next genera- Katamon: 5 room apt. 130 sq. duplex tion of the Jewish people. Yishmael’s ban- with roof terrace, Car park, Quiet st. 4.5 ishment is a parallel story to the Akeida million nis. that we are about to read. In both stories Talbieh: 5 rooms. Luxury apt. in a small building, renovated, 4 exposures, succa, Avraham arises early, a child walks with a parking, elevator. parent, the child’s life is in danger, an an- Katamon: Garden apt. 5 rooms 3 baths. gel calls, the parent sees what they did not renovated, parking, Centrally located to shops, transportation. see before, the child is saved. Similar sto- Rechavia Wolfson towers: 5 rooms 2.5 baths ries teach that G-d cares and saves the one Renovated. Shabbat elevator, Knesset view. in distress. But similarities are only similar Pinsker building: 3.5 – they are not the same. Yishmael will not rooms, views, terrace, For Rent be Yitzchak’s equal in the next generation For Rent parking, long term. of the Jewish people. Talbieh: 5 rooms Well kept Shabbat elevator, Dedicated L’iluy Nishmat parking, Immediate. SHIFFY SHNELLER REAL ESTATE חיה בת ר' יצחק הכהן ע"ה Helen Schiffmiller a”h 052-2639702 | www.shneller.co.il כ"ו מרחשון whose 2nd Yahrtzeit is on

OU ISRAEL CENTER 9 6th Aliya (21:22-34). Avimelech initiates prepared to take the life of his son. The a pact with Avraham in Beersheva. They one who challenged the injustice of the name the place Beersheva from the word impending destruction of Sodom, now has to swear. Avraham calls out in G-d’s name no voice. And the most obvious – the one in Beersheva. who waited patiently for 25 years for the promise of a child – and a future – now Avraham’s fame has prompted a pact. prepared to destroy it all. But the lesson lies in what is missing. While Avraham is now famous, he holds A story that can be thought about and only great moral suasion; but no political studied for a lifetime. Perhaps, one ele- standing. He has no land, no army, no ment of the story pertains to the promises. political presence. The promise that he will While the promise to Avraham of fame, possess this land remains but a dream. family and fortune have been granted by G-d. And the promise of his family inher- 7th Aliya (22:1-24). Akeidat Yitzchak, the iting the Land of Israel is now able to take binding of . Avraham is told to take shape. Do not think G-d’s reach for man Yitzchak and offer him as an offering. and for the Jewish people will be without On the way, Yitzchak questions Avraham. it’s complexity, it’s sacrifices, it’s mysteries They arrive at the mountain. At the last in trying to understand the ineffable ways moment, the angel calls to Avraham. of G-d. While an intimate bond is being Avraham has proven his loyalty to G-d’s created of G-d’s love for the Jewish peo- command. He sees a ram caught in the ple, and while we are increasingly being bush andIn offers loving it inmemory the place of ofour Yitzchak. drawn to Him, He remains opaque, inscru- They returnparents/grandparents to Beersheva. Bennie & Florence Klein z”l table, mysterious, beyond our grasp. The most dramatic story in the Torah. on their 14th Yahrzeits A story of absolute loyalty to the Divine STATS and ברוך בן pathos פרץ of ז“ל but also one י“ב חשוןcommand pleaded 4th of the 54 sedras; 4th of 12 sedras in B’reishitפריידל בת who חנן ראובן ,of generosity ע“ה man כ“ה The חשון.irony Written on 252 lines in a Torah, rank: 5 6 Parshiyot; 4 for theJanet lives and of Gordon the wicked Berkley of and Sodom family now open, 2 closed 147 p’sukim - ranks 7th (4th in B’reishit) 2085 words - ranks 2nd (1st in B’reishit) 7862 letters - rank: 3rd With great sadness we announce (2nd in B’reishit) .Vayeira is actually the 2nd largest sedra in the Torah בשיבה טובה the passing (Naso, is #1 with no rival - Bamidbar, Pinchas, and of our dear mother R’ei all take up more lines than Vayeira, but those sedras each have many parshiyot, which means a Ruth Sudwarts (Ramm) a"h lot of blank space between parshiyot, which adds to Who will be greatly missed the line-count.) by her children Louis, Pnina and Debby and her MITZVOT grandchildren and great grandchildren None of Taryag (the 613 mitzvot) are found in Vayeira (one of 17 sedras without entries on the list of 613) - .however, there are Midot and values and other lessons יהיה זכרה ברוך

10 TORAH TIDBITS / VAYEIRA 5781 HAFTORAH 2 KINGS, 4:1-37

This week’s parsha famously tells us ARNONA HaTSEIRA - Great opportunity, 3 rooms, that although Avraham and Sarah were 73sqm, modern building, Shabbat elevator, balcony, large advanced in age they miraculously living room, good shape, storageroom, parking, Exclusive, 2,080,00NIS bear a child. Along these same lines the BAYIT VEGAN - Nice, 3 rooms, modern building, Shabbat haftorah this Shabbat describes a similar elevator, Sukkah balcony, master bedroom, good shape, spacious, quiet, storageroom, parking, 2,200,000NIS incident in which the navi Elisha assures an elderly childless woman that she will bear a child. ARNONA CLOSE TO BAKA - Large 4 rooms, 98sqm, tabu, stone building, Sukkah balcony with view, spacious, There are a number of miracles that are quiet, parking, storage, 2,480,000NIS performed by the navi Elisha. The first OLD KATAMON CLOSE TO THE SAN SIMON PARK - miracle is regarding a widow who is Large 3 rooms, stone building with Shabbat elevator, sukkah balcony, spacious, bright, quiet, storageroom, impoverished and has been threatened parking, Rare! 2,700,000NIS by her creditors that her two sons will be OLD KATAMON - new project, 3/4/5 rooms, great location, garden or Sukkah balcony, luxurious, quiet, taken as slaves. Elisha tells her to gather storage, parking empty containers and then pour oil into 28, Kovshei Katamon Street, Jerusalem the empty containers. She did so and a Tel: 02.5633008 - www.ben-zimra.com miracle occurs. The oil continued to flow until the last empty jug was filled. The woman was able to sell the oil and was able to repay her debts.

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OU ISRAEL CENTER 11