Parshas Vayera

Note: The Shabbos Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section
is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one
person "goes up" to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading.

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1st Aliya: The three angels appear to Avraham and foretell the birth of
Yitzchak. Upon hearing the news, Sarah laughs to herself.

2nd Aliya: The angels depart to destroy Sodom, and Hashem [G-d] tells
Avraham about His plans for destroying Sodom. Pasuk 18:18-19 proclaims G-
d's confidence in Avraham to teach the world the concept of justice.
Avraham negotiates, unsuccessfully, on behalf of Sodom.

3rd Aliya: The story of the destruction of Sodom is told. Lot's generosity
to the "two visitors" is rewarded and he, his wife, and only two of their
children are saved from Sodom.

4th Aliya: Lot's wife looks back upon the destruction of Sedom and dies,
and Lot and his two daughters escape into the mountains. Lot's daughters
conspire to rebuild humankind, and taking advantage of Lot's drunkenness,
they become pregnant from Lot resulting in the birth of Ammon and Moav.
Avraham encounters Abimelech after which Sarah gives birth to Yitzchak in
the year 2048.

5th Aliya: Yishmael and Hagar are forced out of Avraham's home, and an
angel reassures Hagar of Yishmael's destiny.

6th Aliya: Abimelech and his general Phichol resolve their conflict with
Avraham over water rights, and they "sign" a covenant of peace.

7th Aliya: In the year 2085, when Avraham was 137 and Yitzchak was 37,
Avraham is commanded to sacrifice Yitzchak. This amazing story heralds the
end of Avraham and Sarah's era, and the beginning of Yitzchak and Rivkah's
era.

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Haftorah Vayera

Sometime around the year 3043 - 705 b.c.e., Elisha took over the mantle of
prophecy from Eliyahu. Elisha served the Jewish people as their mentor and
protector, and this week's Haftorah relates two of the miraculous
incidents that he performed. The first story is of Ovadya's widow and the
pitcher of oil that continued to pour until she had enough oil to pay off
all her debts and make a decent living.

The second is the Shunamis who was unable to conceive children. After
being blessed with a son, the child dies and Elisha performs the miracle
of resurrecting the boy's life. In both instances, basic human needs were
satisfied through the righteous individuals trust in the Navi and in
Hashem's providence. The widow's husband was the great Ovadya who risked
his own life and fortune to protect 100 prophets from the murderous purge
of Achav and Ezevel. The Shunamis and her husband were wealthy, G-d
fearing people who generously provided for all who needed. Both women
could have expected that their basic needs for income and family be
deservedly provided by G-d.

The theme of Vayera is trusting Hashem beyond the limits of rational and
assumed justice. As with Sarah and Avraham, the trust that Ovadya's widow
and the Shunamis had in Hashem was unrelated to their limited human
expectations. They trusted Hashem to provide as He saw fit, without any
strings attached.

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