Parashah (Weekly Scripture Portion) Vayera (Name of Parashah) B’resheet (Genesis) 18:1-22:24 Parashat Vayera (and he appeared) begins with the visit of three men to Abraham. He welcomes them with generous hospitality, and they promise that Sarah will soon bear a son. When the men depart for the city of Sodom, God appears to Abraham and tells him that the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are about to be destroyed because of the sinful behavior of their residents. Abraham protests, asking God not to destroy innocent people along with the guilty ones. God promises that, if there are as few as even ten innocent people in the cities, they will not be destroyed. Afterwards, two men-angels arrive in Sodom and are offered hospitality by Lot. He protects them from the Sodomites, who threaten to harm them. The men-angels warn Lot to leave Sodom. He escapes the next morning as fire rains down upon the cities, but his wife looks back and is turned into a pillar of salt. Abraham travels to the Negev, where Abimelech, king of Gerar, sees Sarah and wants her for a wife. Fearing the king, Abraham claims that Sarah is his sister. The king takes her as a wife, but God appears to him and reveals Sarahs real identity. Abimelech returns her to Abraham along with a great bounty. As the visitors to Abraham had predicted, Sarah bears a son whom they name Isaac. After a few years, Sarah persuades Abraham to send Hagar and Ishmael away, claiming that only Isaac should inherit Abrahams wealth and position. Abraham agrees when God tells him that I will make a nation of him [Ishmael]. Several years later, God tests Abrahams faith by ordering him to sacrifice Isaacon Mount Moriah. Isaac is saved at the last moment when God praises Abrahams loyalty and tells him to sacrifice a ram in Isaacs place. Shabbat Readings Torah: B’resheet 22:1-8 Writings of the Apostles: Romans 9:6-9 Tehillim (Psalm): 62
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 09:27:46 +0000
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