It never fails to amaze me how much our sacred texts, written thousands of years ago in a completely different cultural context, still speak to our present moment. This week’s Torah portion, Vayeira, is particularly relevant and important to our current reality. It includes lessons on hospitality and the importance of treating the stranger in our midst with dignity and respect (Gn. 18:1-8); it speaks to the need for peace between peoples and nations (Gn. 20:22-34); and it teaches us we have no right to sacrifice others on the altar of our own beliefs (Gn. 22).
It also teaches us the importance of speaking truth to power, standing up for our values, and speaking out for the inherent worth of every human being, even those who do not share our values or beliefs. In chapter 18:16-33, we read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. God tells Abraham that God intends to destroy these two cities for their lawlessness. Abraham does not know anyone in these two cities besides his nephew Lot. Yet, Abraham does not say to God, ‘go ahead with your plans, just please spare my nephew’. On the contrary, Abraham argues and bargains with God to spare everyone in both cities. Abraham’s argument is clear – do not demonize or destroy an entire group of people just because some are not behaving properly.
We learn three important lessons from this story. First and foremost, is the imperative for us to stand up and speak out wherever and whenever we see injustice, even when it is difficult, even when we feel powerless to effect change. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail: “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” Let us not be complicit in staying silent in the face of injustice.
Second – we must stay true to our values as Jews, to work to restore reproductive justice, to stand as allies with our LGBTQ+ siblings, to protect the rights of immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers, to protect the environment, and to protect the rights and freedoms of all, regardless of ethnicity, gender identity, religion, or national origin.
Third, and perhaps the most challenging lesson of all, we must honor the inherent worth and dignity of every human being created in the image of God, even those who do not share our values, even those with whom we have fundamental disagreements.
The Torah tells us that even after God’s messengers have already left for Sodom, Abraham remains standing in God’s presence. The 16th century commentator, Ovadiah Sforno, commenting on this verse, tells us “Even though the destroying Angels had already arrived in Sodom, Abraham continued to seek mercy and to defend the innocent. As our sages say, even if a sharp blade has reached a person’s throat, one should never stop seeking mercy.”
Let us remember the teachings of our ancestors and never stop seeking for mercy, justice, and peace.
-Rabbi Bonnie Margulis
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