"Vayera" portion is a collection of stories that hold the tension between the threatening end without continuity and without hope versus the war for life, hope and continuity against all odds.
The portion begins with the verb "vayera", which heralds that the act of seeing has the basic ability to see and change reality, thereby healing it. If we change the place of the Hebrew letter Yod Y, the verb R.A.Y will become Y.R.A. The two symbolize opposite ends: our weakness and at the same time our strength. The all-consuming, unbearable pain is in carrying it alone in secret. Contrary to that, when a hand is extended and our pain gets a place and resonance, a little of this great pain is released, leaving room for healing and a new creation of life.
Thus, after many years of pain experienced by Abraham and Sarah over a relationship barren from the fruit of the womb, a ray of light of hope is revealed. The story opens with the action of God and his messengers witnessing the plight of the couple "And the LORD appeared unto him" (Genesis 18:1), and ends with the deep fear expressed by Sarah "Then Sarah denied, saying: 'I laughed not'; for she was afraid" (Genesis 18:15). Abraham and Sarah in their extreme old age are told that life and continuity are stronger than death.
At the same time, as God protects the birth of Isaac, so he protects the life of Ishmael. God sees and hears Hagar's anxiety about death "For she said: 'Let me not look upon the death of the child'" (ibid. 21:16) and does not bring about their death.
The prayer of the mothers who carry Sarah and Hagar on both sides of the fence, who wish for fertility and life, is an eternal testimony that the preservation of life and its sanctity constitutes a universally human shared destiny, cutting across religions and traditions, and that they must be protected in every way: "And and said unto her: 'What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not […] And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, […] and gave the lad drink." (ibid. 21:17-19).
Even more so, the book of Genesis opposes every ideal and idea that seeks to reject the sanctity of life, because the fear of God is the protection of life "'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou art a God-fearing man'" (Ibid. 22:12).
In a wake-up call that shakes earth and heaven, God's voice commands that the lives of our children are more important than ideals or religious traditions, and that these must be flexible according to the needs of life and serve the preservation of life and not lead to their destruction "And Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-jireh" (Ibid. 22:14).
In addition, in the Genesis stories we find God's breaking points and pain from human wickedness. Contrary to that, God wants to eliminate humanity in its evil and start anew to create an opportunity for a better world. Meanwhile, God requires man, who was created in the divine image, to act and correct himself, with his own power and the might of his hand. The person must go out into the city square to save the good and not wait for external salvations "I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know" (ibid. 18:21).
This is exactly how Abraham's test is described, who sees the fall of Sodom, and demands from God to save the shred of goodness and humanity in the city, as little and small as it is. This is from the knowledge that it is in the power of goodness to grow and influence and herald the continuation of life for all. This is our commitment, and this is our leadership "That they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice" (ibid. 18:19), out of a real fear that if we don't fight for the good, maybe there won't be any left for us or within us, and our good will also be destroyed "And Abraham drew near, and said: 'Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" (ibid. 18:23).
Like our war these very days, when it seems that wickedness covers every good spot and hatred is increasing in the world, we will fight even more to illuminate the good, emphasize and increase it. To cry out for the sanctity of life, to fight for it with all vigilance, to protect it with unnecessary showmanship sacrifices. We must go to the city square, see and be seen, and act together for those who choose to do good and peace on all sides of the battle. As the prayer of Sarah and Hagar, we ask to protect and spare the lives of our children. As those who were created in God's image, we will see our brothers and sisters in their pain, and offer them hope and life. This is how a worldwide interfaith prayer will be heard from the depths of the human heart to increase the good and shine the light, Arabs and Jews and all the inhabitants of the world together.
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9:1)
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Rabbi Sivan Navon-Shoval lives in Jerusalem with Oren and their three daughters. Sivan is involved in project management and rabbinic-educational work in the field of Jewish renewal and leads life cycle ceremonies.
The portion begins with the verb "vayera", which heralds that the act of seeing has the basic ability to see and change reality, thereby healing it. If we change the place of the Hebrew letter Yod Y, the verb R.A.Y will become Y.R.A. The two symbolize opposite ends: our weakness and at the same time our strength. The all-consuming, unbearable pain is in carrying it alone in secret. Contrary to that, when a hand is extended and our pain gets a place and resonance, a little of this great pain is released, leaving room for healing and a new creation of life.
Thus, after many years of pain experienced by Abraham and Sarah over a relationship barren from the fruit of the womb, a ray of light of hope is revealed. The story opens with the action of God and his messengers witnessing the plight of the couple "And the LORD appeared unto him" (Genesis 18:1), and ends with the deep fear expressed by Sarah "Then Sarah denied, saying: 'I laughed not'; for she was afraid" (Genesis 18:15). Abraham and Sarah in their extreme old age are told that life and continuity are stronger than death.
At the same time, as God protects the birth of Isaac, so he protects the life of Ishmael. God sees and hears Hagar's anxiety about death "For she said: 'Let me not look upon the death of the child'" (ibid. 21:16) and does not bring about their death.
The prayer of the mothers who carry Sarah and Hagar on both sides of the fence, who wish for fertility and life, is an eternal testimony that the preservation of life and its sanctity constitutes a universally human shared destiny, cutting across religions and traditions, and that they must be protected in every way: "And and said unto her: 'What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not […] And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, […] and gave the lad drink." (ibid. 21:17-19).
Even more so, the book of Genesis opposes every ideal and idea that seeks to reject the sanctity of life, because the fear of God is the protection of life "'Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou art a God-fearing man'" (Ibid. 22:12).
In a wake-up call that shakes earth and heaven, God's voice commands that the lives of our children are more important than ideals or religious traditions, and that these must be flexible according to the needs of life and serve the preservation of life and not lead to their destruction "And Abraham called the name of that place Adonai-jireh" (Ibid. 22:14).
In addition, in the Genesis stories we find God's breaking points and pain from human wickedness. Contrary to that, God wants to eliminate humanity in its evil and start anew to create an opportunity for a better world. Meanwhile, God requires man, who was created in the divine image, to act and correct himself, with his own power and the might of his hand. The person must go out into the city square to save the good and not wait for external salvations "I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know" (ibid. 18:21).
This is exactly how Abraham's test is described, who sees the fall of Sodom, and demands from God to save the shred of goodness and humanity in the city, as little and small as it is. This is from the knowledge that it is in the power of goodness to grow and influence and herald the continuation of life for all. This is our commitment, and this is our leadership "That they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice" (ibid. 18:19), out of a real fear that if we don't fight for the good, maybe there won't be any left for us or within us, and our good will also be destroyed "And Abraham drew near, and said: 'Wilt Thou indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?" (ibid. 18:23).
Like our war these very days, when it seems that wickedness covers every good spot and hatred is increasing in the world, we will fight even more to illuminate the good, emphasize and increase it. To cry out for the sanctity of life, to fight for it with all vigilance, to protect it with unnecessary showmanship sacrifices. We must go to the city square, see and be seen, and act together for those who choose to do good and peace on all sides of the battle. As the prayer of Sarah and Hagar, we ask to protect and spare the lives of our children. As those who were created in God's image, we will see our brothers and sisters in their pain, and offer them hope and life. This is how a worldwide interfaith prayer will be heard from the depths of the human heart to increase the good and shine the light, Arabs and Jews and all the inhabitants of the world together.
"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah 9:1)
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Rabbi Sivan Navon-Shoval lives in Jerusalem with Oren and their three daughters. Sivan is involved in project management and rabbinic-educational work in the field of Jewish renewal and leads life cycle ceremonies.