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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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God Wants You To Be Seen
Abraham is told to go to the Land of Canaan. The reason is that God wanted the Jews to be seen. That through our actions the world could learn how make the world a better place.
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The Promise to Abraham
When God describes the land He mentions the seven nations dwelling in the land. Missing from the list were the Philistines. About them the Torah that they were then in the land, inferring that they were not native to the land.
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Why We Go To War
Abraham has to go to war for the sake of Lot. He does not go to war for its own sake. He refused any rewards for the victory. So, it is true with us today. We do not go to war unless we have to not because we want to.
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Do It For Yourself
The command to Abraham to leave his home is a strange one. He is commanded to go for himself. This underlines the idea that we do not do the commandments for God but for our benefit.
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God’s Constitution
The Torah is specific in that a government should exist for the safety of society but that it should be a totalitarian regime. This was one of the inspirations for the Framers of the US Constitution.
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Eradicate Evil
The Torah states that Noah was a righteous man in his generation. What add the qualifier? Because he would make excuses for the evil around him even though he was apart from it.
