Esnoga Bet Emunah - 227 Millset Chase# - San Antonio, Texas 78253

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’ resheet (Genesis) 18:1-33

AND the glory of the Lord was revealed to him in the valley of Mamre; and he, being ill from the pain of circumcision, sat at the door of the tabernacle in the fervor (or strength) of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three angels in the resemblance of men were standing before him; (angels) who had been sent from the necessity of three things;--because it is not possible for a ministering angel to be sent for more than one purpose at a time;--one, then, had come to make known to him that Sarah should bear a man-child; one had come to deliver Lot; and one to overthrow Sedom and Amorah. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of the tent, and bowed himself on the earth.

[JERUSALEM. Three angels were sent to our father Abraham; and the three were sent for three things;--because it is not possible that one of the high angels should be sent for more things than one. The first angel was sent to announce to our father Abraham, that, behold, Sarah would bear Izhak; the second angel was sent to deliver Lot from the midst of the overthrow; the third angel was sent to overthrow Sedom and Amorah, Admah and Zeboim. Therefore was there a word of prophecy from before the Lord unto Abraham the Just, and the Word of the Lord was revealed to him in the valley of vision; and he sat in the door of the tabernacle, comforting himself from his circumcision in the fervor (or strength) of the day.]

And he said, I beseech, by the mercies (that are) before You, O Lord, if now I have found favor before You, that the glory of Your Shekina may not now ascend from Your servant, until I have set forth provisions under the tree. And I will bring food of bread, that you may strengthen your hearts, and give thanks in the Name of the Word of the Lord, and afterwards pass on. For therefore at the time of repast are you come, and have turned aside to your servant to take food. And they said, You have spoken well; do according to your word. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said to her, Hasten three measures of flour-meal, mix and make cakes. And unto the flock ran Abraham, and took a calf, tender and fat, and gave to a young man, and hastened to make prepared meats; and he took rich cream and milk and the calf which the young man had made into prepared meats, and set them before them, according to the way and conduct (hilkath = Halakha) of the creatures of the world; and he served before them, and they sat under the tree; and he quieted himself (to see) whether they would eat.

And they said to him, Where is Sarah your wife? And he said, Behold, she is in the tent. And one of them said, In returning I will return to you in the coming year; and you will be revived, and, behold, Sarah your wife will have a son. And Sarah was hearkening at the door of the tent, and Ishmael stood behind her, and marked what the Angel said.

[JERUSALEM. And He said, In returning I will return to you at that time, to revive you, and, behold, Sarah your wife shall have a male child. And Sarah was hearkening at the door of the tent, and Ishmael stood behind her.]

But Abraham and Sarah were old, they had mounted (alu) in days, and with Sarah the way of women had ceased. And Sarah wondered in her heart, saying, After that I am old will I have conceptions, and my lord Abraham is old? [JERUSALEM. And Sarah derided in her heart, saying, After that I am old, is it possible to return to the days of my youth, for me to have conception, and Abraham old?] And the Lord said to Abraham, Why has Sarah so laughed, saying, Can it be in truth that I shall bear, being old? Is it possible to hide anything from before the Lord? At the gracious time I will return to you, in the time when you will be revived, and Sarah will have a son. And Sarah denied and said, I wondered not; for she was afraid. And the Angel said, Fear not: yet in truth you did laugh.

And the angels, who had the likeness of men, arose from there, and the one who had made known the tidings to Sarah ascended to the high heavens; and two of them looked toward Sedom; and Abraham went with them. [JERUSALEM. And they looked towards.] And the Lord said, with His Word, I cannot hide from Abraham that which I am about to do; and it is right that before I do it, I should make it known to him. For Abraham is to be a great and mighty people, and in him shall all the peoples of the earth be blessed (or grafted in). [JERUSALEM. And the Lord with His Word said, Shall I hide from Abraham, My friend, that which I am about to do? Forasmuch as the town of Sedom is among the gifts that I have given to him, it is just that I should not overthrow it, till I have made it known to him.] Because his holiness (generosity, chasidutha) is manifest before Me, (and) that he will instruct his sons, and the men of his house after him, to keep the ways that are right before the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken concerning him.

And the Lord said to the ministering angels, The cry of Sedom and Amorah, because they oppress the poor, and decree that whosoever gives a morsel to the needy shall be burned with fire, is therefore great, and their guilt exceedingly weighty. I will now appear, and see whether, as the cry of a damsel torn away, which ascends before Me, they have made completion of their sins; (or, whether they have made an end of their sins;) and if they have wrought repentance, shall they not be as (if) innocent before Me? and as if not knowing, I will not punish. [JERUSALEM. Now will I appear and see, according as the cry of the people of Sedom and Amorah has ascended before Me, whether they have made a complete end. It may be, that some among these sinners do not know that their works of evil are manifest before Me. And if they seek to work repentance, behold, they shall be considered before Me as if those works had not been known.]

And the angels who had the likeness of men, turned thence and went towards Sedom. And Abraham now supplicated mercy for Lot, and ministered in prayer before the Lord. And Abraham prayed and said, Will You destroy in Your displeasure the innocent with the guilty? Perhaps there are fifty innocent persons within the city, who pray before You,--ten for every city, of all the five cities of Sedom, Amorah, Admah, Zeboim, and Zoar. Wilt You in Your displeasure destroy and not forgive the country, on account of the fifty innocent ones who are in it? Unholy would it be before You to do according to this word, to slay the innocent with the guilty, and to make the innocent to be as the guilty! That be unholy with You. It cannot be that One who is the Judge of all the earth should not do justice. And the Lord said, If I find in Sedom fifty innocent in the midst of the city who pray before Me, I will forgive all the land on their account. And Abraham responded, and said, I pray for mercy. Behold, now, I have begun to speak before the Lord; I, who am as dust and ashes. Perhaps of the fifty innocent persons, five may be wanting. On account of the five who may be wanting to Zoar, wilt You destroy the whole city? And He said, I will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five. And he added yet to speak before Him, and said, Perhaps there may be forty found there; ten for each city of the four cities, and Zoar, whose guilt is lighter, You forgive for Your mercy's sake. And he said, I will not make an end for the sake of the forty innocent ones. And he said, Let not the displeasure of the Lord, the Lord of all the world, wax strong against me, and I will speak. Perhaps thirty who pray may be found there, ten for each of the three cities, and Zeboim and Zoar forgive them for Your mercy's sake. And He said, I will not make an end if I find thirty there. And he said, Imploring mercy, I have now begun to speak before the Lord, the Lord of all the world. Perhaps twenty who pray may be found; ten in each of the two cities, and the three forgive for Your mercy's sake! And He said, I will not destroy for the sake of the twenty innocent. And he said, I implore mercy before You! Let not the anger of the Lord, the Lord of all the world, grow strong, and I will speak only this time. Perhaps ten may be found there; and they will pray for mercy upon all the land, and You will forgive them. And He said, I will not destroy for the sake of the ten who may be innocent. And the majesty of the Lord went up when He had ceased to speak with Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

Ashlamatah:

Isaiah 33:17-24 + 35:2

17 Your eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they shall behold a land stretching afar.

18 Your heart shall muse on the terror: ‘Where is he that counted, where is he that weighed? Where is he that counted the towers?’

19 You shall not see the fierce people; a people of a deep speech that you can not perceive, of a stammering tongue that you can not understand.

20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemn gatherings; your eyes shall see Jerusalem a peaceful habitation, a tent that shall not be removed, the stakes whereof shall never be plucked up, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

21 But there the LORD will be with us in majesty, in a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

22 For the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King; He will save us.

23 Your tacklings are loosed; they do not hold the stand of their mast, they do not spread the sail; then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

24 And the inhabitant shall not say: ‘I am sick’; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

1 ¶ Come near, you gentiles, to hear, and attend, you peoples; let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof, the world, and all things that come forth of it.

2 For the LORD has indignation against all the gentiles, and fury against all their host; He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter.

3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and the stench of their carcasses shall come up, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

4 And all the host of heaven shall moulder away, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig- tree.

5 For My sword hath drunk its fill in heaven; behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people of My ban, to judgment.

6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

7 And the wild-oxen shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be drunken with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

8 For the LORD hath a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the controversy of Zion.

9 ¶ And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

10 It shall not be quenched night nor day, the smoke thereof shall go up for ever; from generation to generation it shall lie waste: none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

11 But the pelican and the bittern shall possess it, and the owl and the raven shall dwell therein; and He shall stretch over it the line of confusion, and the plummet of emptiness.

12 As for her nobles, none shall be there to be called to the kingdom; and all her princes shall be nothing.

13 And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and thistles in the fortresses thereof; and it shall be a habitation of wild-dogs, an enclosure for ostriches.

14 And the wild-cats shall meet with the jackals, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; yea, the night-monster shall repose there, and shall find her a place of rest.

15 There shall the arrow-snake make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and brood under her shadow; yea, there shall the kites be gathered, every one with her mate.

16 Seek out of the book of the LORD, and read; no one of these shall be missing, none shall want her mate; for My mouth it has commanded, and the breath thereof it hath gathered them.

17 And He has cast the lot for them, and His hand hath divided it unto them by line; they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.

1 ¶ The wilderness and the parched land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice, even with joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellence of our God.

Targum

Psalm 13

1. For praise, a hymn of David.

2. How long, O Lord, will You neglect me forever? How long will You hide the splendor of Your face from me?

3. How long will I put warnings in my soul, suffering in my heart daily? How long will my enemy vaunt himself over me?

4. Pay heed and receive my prayer, O Lord my God; illumine my eyes by your Torah, lest I sin and sleep with those who deserve death.

5. Lest the evil impulse should say, “I have taken control of him,” lest my oppressors rejoice because I stray from Your paths.

6. But I have placed my trust in Your goodness, my heart will rejoice in Your redemption; I will give praise in the Lord’s presence because He rewards me with good things.

Pirqe Abot

“All Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is stated: And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in which to glorify Me” (Isaiah 60:21).

Pirqe Abot I:14-15

MISHNA 14. Shammai was in the habit of saying: "Fix a time for study; promise little, and do much receive every one with friendly countenance."

Tosephtha--Aboth of R. Nathan.

"Fix a time for study," etc. It means, when one has heard something from a sage in the college, he shall not treat it as something unessential, but as a standard saying to be studied diligently, and what he learns from the wise he shall teach it to others, as it is written [Deuteronomy 5:1]: "That you may learn them, and that you may observe to do them." And also of Ezra it is first written [7:10]: "For Ezra had directed his heart to inquire in the law of the Lord, and to do it." And immediately after it is written [ibid.]: "And to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances."

"Promise little, and do much." As such is the custom of the righteous, who promise little but do much; the custom of the wicked, however, is to promise much and do nothing. Whence do we know that the upright promise little, and do much? From Abraham our father, who said to the angels: "You will eat with me a morsel of bread," as it is written [Genesis 18:5]: "And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort your heart." But what did he in reality do? He prepared for them three oxen and nine seah of fine meal. And whence do we know that he baked for them nine measures of fine meal? From [18:6]: "And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah and said: Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal." "Three" is literal, "meal" is six, and "fine meal" is nine. And whence is it derived that he roasted for them three oxen? From the following [Genesis 18:7]: "And Abraham ran unto the herd," etc. "The herd" means one, "a calf" one, "tender" one. According to others it was four, because the word "good," which is added, is also counted as one. "And gave it unto a young man" [ibid.]. This means Ishmael his son, to accustom him to religious practice.

Also the Holy One, blessed be He, promised little and did much, as it is written [Genesis 15:13, 14]: "And He said unto Abram, know of a surety that your seed shall be a stranger in a land which is not theirs, and they will make them serve, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also that nation whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they go out with great substance." He promised him with ד and ן the numerical value of which is 54. But when the Lord at last avenged Himself on Israel's enemies, He did so with seventy-two letters (contained in verse 34, Deut. 34): "Or has a god essayed to go to take to himself a nation from the midst of a nation, by proofs, by signs, and by wonders . . . and by great terrors."

Whence is it derived that the wicked promise much and do nothing? From Ephron, who said to Abraham [Gen. 23:15]: "A piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that between me and you?" Nevertheless, in the end he accepted the whole sum of the money, as it is written [in v. 16]: "And Abraham understood the meaning of Ephron; and Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver."

"Receive every one with friendly countenance." How so? That means, that even if one presents to his neighbor the most precious things with bad grace, it is accounted to him in Scripture as if he had given nothing; but if one receives his neighbor with a friendly countenance, although he give him nothing, it is accounted to him in Scripture as if he had conferred upon him great favors.

MISHNA 15. Rabban Gamaliel said: "Make to yourself a Master, and free yourself of doubt, and tithe not much by estimation."

Rabban Gamliel was the grandson of Hillel (of Mishnas 12-14), and the "Nasi" - head of the rabbinical academy and spiritual leader of the people during his time. He was known as "Rabban" (lit., "our rabbi") rather than simply Rabbi. This title was reserved for the Nasi. The position of Nasi was almost exclusively held by the descendants of Hillel's family during the period of the Mishna and Talmud.

Rabban Gamliel's first statement, that we make for ourselves a rabbi, appeared above in Mishna 6 (MISHNA F. Joshua b. Pera'hia and Nithai the Arbelite received from them. The former used to say: "Get yourself a wise teacher, acquire a comrade, and judge every one by his good qualities (i.e., from his favorable side)."). We discussed there the importance of rabbis in general and of bringing the Torah's teachings to life and to practical application. Maimonides distinguishes between the message above and the one intended here. Above the focus was on having a teacher for the study of Torah, on having a rabbi who will take our tradition and pass it along to the next generation -- and to you in particular. Here, however, the focus is on a rabbi to decide matters of Jewish law. Rather than using your own guesswork to determine what G-d wants of you, be sure to have someone reliable to deal with all of your questions. It should preferably be someone to whom you relate well, someone who understands your background and the particulars of your life and circumstances.

Equally important, one should adopt a *single* rabbi rather than choosing from an assortment. People are in the bad habit today of "shopping around" for opinions, searching until they find a leniency -- or a stringency. (Takes all kinds, you know.) The ideal, however, is to select a single and proper mentor for yourself -- and to submit yourself to his decisions. Who it is may depend upon your geographical location, schooling, synagogue membership, religious affiliation, or family ties (note I didn't mention favorite website ;-). Regardless, each of us must find his or her rabbi, and faithfully stick with him. And in so doing he will "remove himself from doubt:" his religious practices will be uniform and consistent.

Our mishna continues, one should not give extra tithes due to estimation. One who grows crops in the Land of Israel is obligated to set aside certain portions of the produce to the Priests, the Levites and the poor. A tithe, one tenth of the produce, is set aside for the Levites. And the amount has to be precise. If one sets aside less than a tenth, his own produce is not "fixed." If he gives more - say he gives 12% instead of 10% - the (indeterminate) additional 2% will itself not be tithed: tithe will have never been separated from it. Thus, that which will be given to the Levite will still be forbidden.

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch explains the connection between the earlier part of the mishna and this final point. Rabban Gamliel is adding a crucial new insight here. A person might very well feel he can get along fine without a rabbi. What about his doubts? There is virtually no one among us who knows all the answers himself? Simple: Just be stringent. Not sure if the chicken is kosher? Throw it out. Not sure if an act is forbidden? Just don't do it. Easier to waste a little money or deny yourself a little pleasure here and there than run after a rabbi, opening up your own life and personal affairs to him. Why bring a rabbi into your life? Life is much easier without rabbis (as many of us have noticed :-). Forget it; just be stringent. Life may sometimes require just a bit more asceticism (not counting all those issues you didn't even know were questions in the first place), but most of us would much prefer to be left on our own.

In response to this Rabban Gamliel introduces the case of tithes. It does not always work to just say no or to round things up; here is a case in which it positively backfires. And as we will see below, Rabban Gamliel has far more than tithes alone in mind.

There are two primary reasons why not making for oneself a rabbi is inherently incorrect. First, the more you ask your rabbi for decisions and advice, the more the rabbi will enter your life -- and the more your life will be accordingly enriched. Your life will be forced to bear much closer and healthier scrutiny. And this is invaluable. Is your personal life the sort that will hold up to rabbinic scrutiny? Does your lifestyle involve all sorts of devious and shady behavior which much better the rabbi not know about? Does your life - does your heart - contain dark and secret corners not-illuminated by Torah values? Rabbis *should* be a part of your life. There should be nothing embarrassing about having to share your personal issues with a learned yet understanding human being. An experienced rabbi has heard it all already -- sometimes the most shameful from the most respected. The rabbi who is "yours" - the one you have "made" for yourself, should know who you truly are, what your nature is, what you can be proud of, and what needs improvement. Don't hide your true life behind a flimsy facade of piety. Your rabbi must be a part of your life, for if he is, your life will be enormously enriched.

There is a very different but equally critical reason for making a rabbi a part of your life. It is actually the one more closely implied by our mishna. As we saw above, without rabbinic guidance one may find he at times has to be stringent with himself. A basically-observant individual, when confronted with cases of doubt, will have to forgo some possibly-permitted pleasure here and there. And this is not the point of Judaism -- at all.

G-d does not want us denying ourselves that which is actually permitted. It is unnecessary, and more importantly: it will probably backfire. The Talmud puts it pithily -- and all too well: "The Torah hasn't forbidden enough on you already that you want to add to it?!" (Jerusalem Talmud, Nedarim 9:1).

Forbidding upon ourselves as much as we can - though often confused to be the point of Judaism - in actuality has nothing to do with what Judaism is all about. G-d has no interest that we make ourselves martyrs. We must never feel religion forces us to decide between this world or the next: Deny yourself the pleasures of this world if you want a share in the World to Come. Judaism believes in discipline, that everything have its proper time and place, and that we do not allow the animal within to run loose. But the one-word description of Judaism is harmony, not suppression. We do not see spirituality as the quelling of our natural desires. It is the sublimation of all our Chases towards the spiritual. Everything G-d created in us is purposeful; otherwise G-d would not have created it. This is axiomatic to what Judaism and the belief in a perfect G-d are all about. Our mission is to take all our G-d-given talents, Chases and tendencies and to *use* them - not to ignore or misuse them - in the manner G-d wants. This is a daunting and likely frustrating task. We must find positive outlets for Chases which on the surface appear anything but spiritual. But in the final analysis, there cannot be a more rewarding - and fulfilling - endeavor.

Midrash of Matityahu

(Matthew) 2:19-23

19. ¶ When King Herod the Great died, that the angel of Adonai appeared in a dream to Joseph in Mitsrayim (Egypt).

20. Saying, Arise, take the little boy and his mother and go up to Eretz (the land of) Yisrael, because those who were seeking the boy to kill him are dead.

21. So he arose, took the little boy and his mother, and they returned to Eretz (the land of) Yisrael.

22. Then he heard that Horcanus, his name is Arkhelaus, was reigning over Yehudah in the place of his father Herod the Great, and he feared to go there. So the angel urged him in a dream that he should turn unto the region of the Galil.

23. He came and dwelt in a city called Natzreth in order to complete what the prophet said: “And there shall come forth a shoot out of the trunk of Yishai, and a Netzer (branch) shall grow forth out of his root” (Isaiah 11:1).

Commentary

This week, we find the Kind David the Messiah, speaking prophetically after meditating profoundly on our Torah Seder (B’ resheet (Genesis) 18:1-33). Psalm 13 has the statement “How long” repeated four times, and according to Rashi this is an allusion to the four kingdoms that will occupy or have control over Israel – Babylon, Persia, Greece and Edom (Rome = the West). And so the rhetorical question ensues: “Since you have left me in the hands of my enemies – i.e. these four kingdoms, the Gentiles will say that You G-d have forgotten all about me – “How long, O Adonai, will You forget me for ever? The Prophet Isaiah answers this question when he states:

“For a small moment have I forsaken you; but with great compassion will I gather you. In a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have compassion on you, says Adonai your Redeemer.” (Isaiah 54:7:8).

For us frail human beings, 3,000 years seems like an eternity, and yet here G-d, most blessed be He, calls all this time “a small moment”! Perhaps we need to get a handle on G-d’s sense of timing, rather than this Western idea of “instant” everything!

The Psalmist turns us back to our senses and he states that rather than being preoccupied when the Messiah will come, when G-d will bring real peace on earth, we should instead be worried an pray: “Illumine mine eyes (with the Torah), lest I sleep the sleep of death” (Psalm 13:4). We need to realize that G-d has placed us here on earth to learn Torah and to practice it, and to teach it to others. That should be our priority number one and all else in the end is irrelevant and inconsequential.

The Psalmist ends rather triumphantly: “But as for me, in Your mercy do I trust; my heart shall rejoice in Your Yeshua (salvation). Let me sing unto Adonai, because He has dealt bountifully with me.” There should be no room in a Jewish heart for feelings of despondency, of a sinking of the heart and consequent break-down of endurance. To the contrary, hope which springs forth from a complete trust and faithful obedience to G-d allows the Jewish soul to be invincible that surmounts all the troubles, inequalities and injustices that are an inseparable feature of human existence. The obedient soul to G-d’s commandments, can say with confidence “I have seen you all from birth to death, and yet in G-d’s mercy I have outlived you all.” Israel has seen many kingdoms rise and vanish into the dust bin of history, Israel has seen them all, and Israel, will, by the grace of G-d, and because of its faithful obedience to Torah, will outlive them all!

In our blindness we seek pain and trouble as a “bad thing,” yet G-d, most blessed be He, sees the as good things – for they serve to refine our soul. Growing up is painful. I recall when I was in my early teens how I used to come home and all my bones and muscles would ache – my mother called it “growing pains.” Yet I have never seen a teen-ager wanting to remain for ever at that age, on the contrary all want to be grown-up men and women!

But how, you may ask, is this Psalm related to the Torah Seder for this week? Simple, the Targum interprets that Shekinah (G-d’s Tabernacling Presence) was speaking to Him when Abraham was speaking with regards to Sodom and Gomorrah. And here in this Psalm (v.2) we read: “How long will You hide Your face from me?” which is but another way of saying, “How long will you hide your Shekinah from me?”

And after a while the Psalmist answers this question when He states: “Illumine mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,” and which the Targum renders as: “Illumine my eyes by your Torah, lest I sin and sleep with those who deserve death.” In other words, here was the Psalmist first waiting for some marvelous appearance of G-d’s presence to come in front of him, but when he realized it, he had the Presence of G-d in even a more powerful form in front of him – the TORAH! You see G-d’s presence is inseparable from G-d’s Word. If you have G-d’s Word and pour your mind and heart in trying to understand it and put it into practice, then G-d will illumine your eyes by means of a good Torah Teacher as we read this week in Pirke Abot ("Make to yourself a Master, and free yourself of doubt, and tithe not much by estimation."), and G-d’s Presence will be real and meaningful to you.

We always want to the spectacular, but fail to see that G-d is far away from the spectacular and is closer to the small things that many do not pay real attention to them. Many are the lame that want to physically walk, but how many of the physically lame want to walk in the ways of Torah? Many are the blind that want to physically see, but how many of the spiritually blind want to receive illumination of G-d’s Torah? Many are the ones without hands that would love to have use of them, but how many spiritually without hands, would like to get dirty doing the work of G-d? You see we all naturally want miracles, fantastic, supernatural works, but few want the the unseen miracles in small things, the ability to accept reproof, pain and suffering, the privilege of having our eyes open to to the real meaning of Torah, the ability to mould our hearts in perfect obedience to G-d, the ability to go out of our way to render hospitality and a blessing to others as Abraham did to the three angels whilst in great pain after his circumcision and in the middle of the heat of the day.

The Midrash Tanchuma Yelammedenu approaches this same subject in a different but coincidental way. It opens its first homily by stating:

“May it please our Master to teach us: How many benedictions must a man pray each day? Thus do our masters teach us: A man must pray eighteen benedictions (of the Amidah) each day. Why eighteen? R. Samuel the son of Nahman stated: This number corresponds to the eighteen instances in which the names of the Patriarchs are mentioned simultaneously in the Torah (cf. Babli Berakhot 84c, Yerushalmi Ta’anit 82b). The first being: And God will surely remember you, and bring you out of this land to the land which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Genesis 50:24), and the last: The LORD said to me: This is the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob (Deuteronomy 34:4). However, if someone should insist that the Patriarchs are actually mentioned nineteen times, since it is written: God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac; the land whereon you lie, to you will I give it (Genesis 28:13), inform him that this verse is not counted, since Jacob’s name is not included (in the verse).

R. Yohanan maintained: The eighteen benedictions correspond to the eighteen injunctions concerning the erection of the Sanctuary that are contained at the conclusion of the Book of Exodus. The words As the Lord commanded Moses are repeated eighteen times in this section of the Torah. R. Simcon held: The eighteen benedictions correspond to the eighteen vertebrae in a man’s spinal column. When a man prays and genuflects, he is required to bow down until all the vertebrae in his spinal column ar loosened, as it is said: All my bone shall say, O LORD, who is like unto You (Psalm 35:10).”

And so we read this week in our Seder:

“And Ha-Shem appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent opening in the heat of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent opening to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your eyes, do not pass on by Your servant.” Genesis 18:1-3.

There is nothing more majestic, there is no sight more sublime than the sight of a congregation of men and women, young and old, praying the Amidah, and bowing at various time before G-d the Almighty, most blessed be He! Bowing before G-d, whether the week was good or not so good, whether in tears of sorrow or joy, whether tired or rested. And knowing that for thousands of years all of our most noble people have done the same, and recited the same ancient prayers. Yes, we are people that are thankful for G-d’s providence whether apparently good or apparently bad, for in the end we all know that as Hakham Shaul puts it:

“And we know that all things (whether apparently good or apparently bad) work together for good to those who love G-d, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Our Father Abraham, as our Targum states:

“AND the glory of the Lord was revealed to him in the valley of Mamre; and he, being ill from the pain of circumcision, sat at the door of the tabernacle in the fervor (or strength) of the day. And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three angels in the resemblance of men were standing before him;”

And his reaction was:

“And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the door of the tent, and bowed himself on the earth.”

He bowed down to earth not to worship the angels, but he bowed before G-d, even when he was “ill from the pain of circumcision” in gratitude for another great opportunity to serve G-d. As our Sages teach us, a G-dly person is always looking for opportunities to do good and to perform a Mitzvah (a commandment). And it is exactly this attitude that the Torah Seder for this week as well as all of the other readings are asking us to adopt. May G-d’s mercy be with us all in helpings us to be obedient to His word and to our Torah teachers.

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וירא
“Vayera”	Reader 1 – B’resheet 18:1-5	Reader 1 – B’resheet 19:1-3
“And appeared”	Reader 2 – B’resheet 18:6-8	Reader 2 – B’resheet 19:4-6
“Y se apareció”	Reader 3 – B’resheet 18:9-14	Reader 3 – B’resheet 19:7-9
B’ resheet (Genesis) 18:1-33	Reader 4 – B’resheet 18:15-19
Isaiah 33:17-24 + 35:2	Reader 5 – B’resheet 18:20-22
	Reader 6 – B’resheet 18:23-25	Reader 1 – B’resheet 19:10-12
Psalm 13	Reader 7 – B’resheet 18:26-33	Reader 2 – B’resheet 19:13-15
Pirke Abot I:14-15	Maftir – B’resheet 18:31-33	Reader 3 – B’resheet 19:14-17
N.C.: Matityahu 2:19-23	Isaiah 33:17-24 + 35:2