Author: Shlomo Bar-Ayal

  • Know With Whom You Speak

    When Eliezer is negotiating with Rebecca’s family, he doesn’t mention that Abraham and Isaac are spiritual leaders. He mentions their wealth. That is because Rebecca’s family were materialist. They had no spiritual side.

  • Make Your Spouse Happy

    The Torah states that Isaac first married Rebecca and then he lived her. This is to teach us that love for a couple should grow. That we should work to make our spouse happy.

  • Act Against Evil

    In this week’s portion we see that Eleazar, Abraham’s servant is looking for a suitable bride for Isaac. He makes a test to see if she would go above and beyond in caring for others. This is a lesson to us in these trying times.

  • Ownership of the Land

    Abraham bought the burial site for Sarah. He did not have to since he knew that the land had been promised to him. The reason is that he did not want that there should be any questions about ownership in the future.

  • Never Give Up Hope

    Lot’s daughters claimed that they committed incest because the they would not otherwise have husbands. They gave up hope. This is to teach us that we should never give up hope but to carry on in the light of the Torah.

  • Don’t Look Back!

    When Lot left Sodom with his wife and two daughters they were told not to look back. Lot’s wife did and became a pillar of salt. Why did she do it? She missed the “good” life that they had in Sodom.

  • We Need a Community

    Abraham debates God over the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He gets God to say that for sake of 10 He would not destroy the 2 cities. Why did he not go below 10?

  • Stay Away From Evil

    The angels come to Lot to tell him that Sodom will be destroyed. Lot refuses to believe them even though he knows that the people of Sodom are evil. This is a lesson to us. If someone says that they want to murder all Jews, believe them.

  • Your Actions Matter

    During a conversation with God Abraham stops the conversation so that he can take care of three strangers. And God agrees. This shows that God is more interested in our actions.

  • Be Nice But Not Stupid

    Abraham was so named because of his attribute of mercy. He was merciful but he was not stupid. When faced with evil he was not merciful. He would show mercy to those who were proven to be evil.