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November 7, 2025 |
Coming to this week’s Torah portion, I am struck by how strongly I am enveloped by my parents and what they stood for and believed in. This is particularly true in light of the 30th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination and the observance of Kristallnacht. Unlike other survivors of the Shoah, my parents shared their traumatic experiences so that we, the next generation, would not be faced with the same situations again. They were the embodiment of hospitality. It almost seemed as if my parents’ generous hospitality was a way to heal the wounds of the past without hiding or forgetting them. As we commemorate the past, we find ourselves at a moment where the vision for peace embodied by Rabin and that sense of welcoming others in has been fractured almost beyond repair.
This week’s Torah portion, Vayera, and the Divine appeared (Genesis 18:1 - 22:24), has the Divine appearing over and over again in what may be interpreted as many guises. But it is the first and the last appearances that resonate most deeply.
The first appearance comes at the very beginning of the Torah portion as Abraham is sitting outside his tent recovering from his circumcision at an advanced age. Out of nowhere, three figures appear. Abraham’s response is to actively greet them and make them comfortable, even going so far as to wash their feet. He feeds them and provides them with gracious hospitality. He goes out of his way, despite his condition, to make them welcome.
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Having completed the third week of our class with members of Riverdale Presbyterian Church, I am struck by the deep and trusting conversation that has emerged as we come from our different faith communities and grapple with text together. Finding the capacity to hear one another when we hold different beliefs and come from different backgrounds can be challenging.The conversation has been spirited as we struggle to find meaning in texts that we have in common, but which we have read through a wide variety of lenses and points of view.
It has been a deep lesson for me as to what is possible when we are present for one another. We all knw that this is not always easy or simple. Our experience can be understood as one of curiosity, inquiry, mutual respect, and willingness to learn something we had never considered before.
I invite all of us to take these lessons with us as we continue to be in a world where there are multiple world views. It is crucial to remember that we honor multiple truths and “we seek to build bridges where others seek to build walls.” Let our community continue to be one that is caring, kind, and there for one another.
| Oseh shalom bimromav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu ve'al kol Israel, ve'imru, Amen. |
| May the One who makes peace in the heavens, make peace for us all and all the people of Israel. |
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