𝐕𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐚, 𝐕𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐚 𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐚-𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐚 (וַיֵּרָא — Hebrew for “and He appeared,” the first word in the parashah) is the fourth weekly Torah portion (פָּרָשָׁה, parashah) in the annual cycle of Torah reading. It constitutes Genesis 18:1–22:24. The parashah tells the stories of Abraham’s three visitors, Abraham’s bargaining with Yahweh over Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot’s two visitors, Lot’s flight, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, how Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father, how Abraham once again passed off his wife Sarah as his sister, the birth of Isaac, the expulsion of Hagar, disputes over wells, and the binding of Isaac (הָעֲקֵידָה, the Akedah).
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝟏𝟖:𝟏-𝟐𝟐:𝟐𝟒
𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Genesis 19 strikes me because if you read Genesis 19 and Judges 19 and you will see these passages mirror each other. Genesis 19 shows the injustice, lack of hospitality and chaos of Sodom and Gomorrah and Judges 19 shows the injustice, lack of hospitality and chaos of Israel prior to the Judges.
We must be careful that when Adonai sets us free that we do not become like our oppressors.
𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: Listen to The Vayera Episode of The Practical Torah Podcast for more of my reflections on this week’s Torah portion.
🎧You can listen on Apple iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-torah/id1438926909?i=1000423330576
🎧You Can Also Listen on The Prophetic Whirlwind YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/RZAaepRyYE8
❓❓❓❓ 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: What are the dangers of getting free as an oppressed people and then becoming like your oppressors?
𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤’𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.