Parashat Vayera (Engl.)

B"H

This week's Parasha is full of important events such as the coming of the three angels to Avraham, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the incident with Lot and his two daughters, the birth of Itzchak, Avraham is sending away Hagar and Ishmael and finally the Binding of Itzchak.

First we read about Avraham sitting in front of his tent where G-d appeared unto him. The Gemara in Talmud, Tractate Bava Metzia 86b teaches us that this day was the third day after Avraham's circumcision and that G-d came to visit him (see also Rashi). Avraham, still weak from his Brit, was sitting in front of the tent and desperately waiting for travellers who he could invite into his home. The day was Erev Pessach and G-d had brought the sun out so that Avraham might not be troubled by travellers. Suddenly three men appeared and Avraham invited them anxiously for a meal, not knowing that they were angels. The Talmud Bava Metzia 86b continues by telling us that those three men were the angels Michael, Gabriel and Rafael. All three of them had a special reason to come: Michael came to announce that Sarah would have a child. Afterwards he got a new task which was saving Lot. Rafael came to heal Avraham and Gabriel came to overturn Sodom and Gomorrah. At that time, Avraham was 99 years old.

After the angels had left, G-d G-d told Avraham about His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sins are heavy and I heard the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah.
What does G-d mean here by the outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah ?
The Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin 109b and the Zohar mention a certain event: In Sodom it was strictly forbidden to donate anything to the poor. Once a maiden, according to some sources she was a relative of Lot, used to give bread to the poor. The matter was eventually dicovered and the maiden was punished in a horrible way. The Sodomites smeared her with honey and placed her on top of the city wall. G-d heard the outcry of the maiden and their doom was sealed (Maharsha).

In the evening, the two angels (the third one Rafael had disappeared, as he had carried out his mission) arrived at Sodom. Today we know the area around the Dead Sea as a desert. A stony region and hardly any vegetation. Nevertheless, in the days of Avraham and Lot, Sodom used to be a wealthy green city. Nature only changed with the destruction.

Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom and invited the two angels into his home. Although everybody in Sodom was wicked, Lof had learned to invite visitors from Avraham (Rashi, Shem Mi Shmuel). The angels eventually agreed. According to the Midrash Rabbah, Lot's wife Idit went to the neighbours to borrow salt. This way, she let the neighbours know that they are having guests. Soon the whole city would know and, later on, Idit got punished for her mistake.

G-d had decided to destroy the five cities - Sodom, Gomorrah, Adamah, Zevuiah and Eretz Kikar because of their evil deeds. Stealing from wayfarers, not having fair courts and being too greedy. As former generations, they worshipped idols (sun and moon), killed and participated in sexual perversion.

Lot had four daughters but only two of them were willing to escape with him. The other two married ones stayed with their spouses and died.
When they escaped Sodom, Idit turned around and became a pillar of salt. The salt was a punishment for telling the neighbours about the guests.

G-d punished the Sodomites early in the morning, i.e. the time when the moon and the sun were together in the sky. This was a punishment for worshipping the sun and the moon. First it started raining and it was then turned into brimstone and fire (Rashi, Mechilta - Beshalach). The destruction of Sodom took place 52 years after the Dispersion.

Why were only five cities destroyed and not other evil places as well ? The Torah commentator Rabbeinu Bachya says because the cities were in Eretz Israel and not abroad.
And why was Lot saved when he was evil ?
When Avraham was in Egypt and told Paraoh that Sarah was his sister and not his wife, Lot kept quiete. Therefore, he was saved from Sodom (Midrash Rabbah).

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Rashi - Rabbi Shlomo Itzchaki, 1040 - 1105. He lived in France and was one of the most famous Talmud and Torah commentators.

Maharsha - Rabbi Samuel Eidels, 1555 - 1631. Famous for his commentary on the Talmud. Born in Krakow / Poland. His mother Gitel was a cousin of the Maharal of Prague.

Shem Mi Shmuel - Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein, 1856 - 1926. Chassidic commentator.

Rabbeinu Bachya - Rabbi Bachya ben Asher. Born about the middle of thirteenth century in Saragossa and died in 1340, famous commentator