Parshah Vayeira

Parshah Vayeira

• Parshah Vayeira is the fourth parshah in the Torah. The text of this parshah is Genesis 18:1- 22:24.

• We begin reading “And the LORD appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day...” The parshah is named vayeira after the first distinct word of this parshah which means “and [He] appeared.”

• This parshah can be broken into the following segments: appearance of the angels; Abraham’s plea for the cities; Lot and the visitors; destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot and his daughters; Abimelech; Isaac and Ishmael; covenant with Abimelech; akeidah, and Nahor’s descendants.

• While God spoke to Abraham, three strangers appeared. Abraham received them with great hospitality. God tells him that Sarah will shortly bear a son, and Sarah, overhearing, laughed and said: “After I have become worn out, will I have smooth flesh? And also, my master is old.”

• God told Abraham that he will punish Sodom and Gomorrah, “since the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has become great, and since their sin has become very grave.” The three strangers departed from Abraham heading toward Sodom.

• Abraham protests that it is not just to “destroy the righteous with the wicked.” Abraham asked God if He would spare the cities if 50, 45, 40, 30, 20, and finally if even ten righteous men are found there. God replied: “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

• The two angels arrived in Sodom and were hospitably received by Lot. The men of Sodom surround the house and called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, and let us be intimate with them.” Lot offerd his two virgin daughters in place of the angels, but the men refused them.

• Lot and his family were led out of Sodom, and Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed by fire-and- brimstone; but Lot's wife, looking back, is turned to a pillar of salt. Lot's daughters, fearing that they will not find husbands and that Lot's line will die out, make their father drunk and lie with him; their children become the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites.

• Abraham and Sarah traveled to Gerar where Abraham represented Sarah as his sister before Abimelech. Abimelech took Sarah into his household. God visited a curse of barrenness upon Abimelech and his household and warns the king that Sarah is Abraham's wife, not his sister. Abimelech restored Sarah to Abraham and gave them both gifts. Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household for the curse to be lifted. Abraham and Sarah were told they could dwell wherever they wished in the lands of Abimelech.

Please note: this text may not be shared or reproduced without the written permission of the Darshan Yeshiva. • Sarah gave birth to Isaac, saying, “God has made joy for me; whoever hears will rejoice over me.” Abraham circumcised Isaac at eight-days-old as commanded by God. When Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast. During this time it was noticed that Ishmael was making sport with Isaac.

• At Sarah's insistence Ishmael and his mother Hagar are driven out into the wilderness. When Ishmael was near death, an angel spoke to Hagar and promised that God would not forget them but Ishmael will become a great nation; “And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the pouch with water and gave the lad to drink, ... And God was with the lad, and he grew...”

• Recognizing that God was with Abraham, Abimelech entered into a covenant with Abraham. Abraham approached Abimelech about the well that was violently taken from him by Abimelech’s servants. Abimelech denied knowing about this incident. Abraham gave Abimelech sheep and oxen and a covenant was forged between them. Abraham set aside seven ewe-lambs as a sign to Abimelech that he did indeed dig this well. Abimelech accepted the ewe-lambs and confirmed Abraham’s right to the well of Beer-sheba.

• God tested Abraham by commanding that he offer up Isaac as a burnt offering at a place God would show to Abraham. Abraham took two young men and Isaac with him and on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place where God was leading him. Abraham commanded the two young men to stay behind with the ass while he and Isaac went to worship. Isaac carried the wood while Abraham carried the fire and the knife. Questioning what they were going to sacrifice, Abraham told Isaac “God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.” Abraham binds Isaac at the place where God chose and placed him upon the wood. As he was about to lay the knife upon his son, the angel of God restrains him. In the thicket Abraham saw a ram, which he took and offered as a sacrifice. As a blessing for his obedience to God, Abraham is promised numberless descendants. Abraham, Isaac, and the two young men returned to Beer- sheba and dwelt there.

• It was told to Abraham that Milcah bore eight sons to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. Bethuel had a daughter named Rebekah. In addition, a concubine bore four more children.

Please note: this text may not be shared or reproduced without the written permission of the Darshan Yeshiva.