Hesitation

Vayera
Gen. 18:1-22:24         

Précis: God “appeared” (vayera) to Abraham in the form of three travelers to whom Abraham shows hospitality. They promise the birth of Isaac, overheard by Sarah (who laughs). God reveals His plans for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham argues for its salvation for the sake of any innocents who might dwell there. The scene shifts to Sodom where Lot lives, and he and his daughters are rescued first from an unruly mob and then from the destruction of the city itself. Lot’s wife glances back and turns into the pillar of salt. His daughters, fearing that they are the last females alive, make Lot drunk and engage in sexual relations with him, later giving birth to founders of the tribes of Moab and Ammon (traditional adversaries of the Israelites).

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Back with Abraham, Sarah conceives and gives birth to Isaac. She becomes unhappy with the continued presence of Ishmael and prevails upon Abraham to expel Ishmael and Hagar from the household, which he does (after being promised by God that Ishmael, too, will be the father of a great nation). Thereafter, the story continues with the attempted sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, called “the Akedah” (the Binding of Isaac).

Gen. 19:15-16 “The angels urged Lot on, saying ‘Up. Take your wife and your two remaining daughters, lest you be swept away by the inequity of the city.’ Still he lingered...”

            We chant our Torah text through notations which provide the “trop” (tune). These notations are not written in the actual Torah scroll, but appear in early manuscripts, also serving as important clues to pronunciation and grammar. In this verse, above the word “lingered,” we find a very unusual notational sign, called a “shalshelet” which is chanted with a long series of quivering notes, going higher in frequency until abruptly ending.

            Even the trop signs can give us insight into the text. The shalshelet is found in three Genesis stories which on the surface are unrelated; the first is here, and concerns Lot and the destruction of Sodom. He has been told by angels to leave Sodom because it is about to be destroyed, but “still he lingered.” The implication is that he lingered because he was conflicted about leaving his city and home. Even though it was about to be destroyed, and even though he knew that the destruction was deserved, he lingered before fleeing. The shalshelet emphasizes his hesitation.

            In the second shalshelet story, Eliezer, on the mission from his master Abraham to find a wife for Isaac, decides to pray to God to seek a sign; his first word of prayer “vayomar” (he said) is accompanied by a shalshelet. According to midrash, (Gen. Rabbah 59:12), Eliezer had hopes that his own daughter would be selected to be the wife of Isaac. Should his mission fail, perhaps his daughter would be selected. So he prayed, albeit somewhat reluctantly. The shalshelet emphasizes Eliezer’s hesitation.

            The third shalshelet tale, the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, finds Joseph as the object of seduction. The shalshelet is connected to the

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 “he refused” the advances of his mistress (Genesis 39:8). The rabbis assume that this was a reluctant refusal. After all, a slave boy had become wealthy in his master’s service; a beautiful woman was offering herself to him. He wrestles with this temptation and does the right thing. The shalshelet once again is used to emphasize hesitation.

            The shalshelet shows us that Biblical characters were human. They knew the right thing to do, and they did it, but hesitated.

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Here is the lesson: to be human is to face temptation, and to live a good life is to overcome temptation, even reluctantly. 

​But in the end, we cannot fail to act when we must.​

Shalom Bayit

Lech Lecha

Gen. 12:1 -17:27

Précis: This parasha, “get you up” or “go yourself” (lech lecha) begins with “the call” of Abram to leave his home and depart for a new land. At God’s command, Abram and Sarai journey to Canaan. When famine strikes, they travel to Egypt, where Sarai is taken into Pharaoh’s harem after Abram calls her his “sister,” but she escapes without harm. They then leave Egypt, with Abram now a rich man. To avoid family squabbles, Abram separates himself from his nephew Lot (who moves to Sodom), but Abram is forced to rescue Lot and reaches a negotiated settlement with the locals. God promises him an heir. Because Sarai is barren, she offers Abram her servant (Hagar), and Hagar gives birth to a son, Ishmael. Abram is then promised a son through Sarai, to be his true heir. Abram’s name is changed to Abraham, and Sarai’s to Sarah, in recognition of the new Covenant with God, which is then symbolized by Abraham’s circumcision.

Gen. 13:8-10 “And Abram said to Lot, ‘Let there be no strife between us, and between my herdsmen and yours. Is not the whole land before us? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, I will take the right; if you the right, I will take the left.’"

           

            Abram decides that “shalom bayit” (peaceful family relations) is more important than his right to make the selection of land, and Abram gives the choice to Lot.

          I think the concept of "shalom bayit" is worth considering this week. It appears that we are headed for years of a continuing absence of “shalom bayit” in the American polity. Like Abram, we need to recognize that sometimes where there is disagreement, the parties need space between them: elbow room to lick wounds and reconsider points of view. Perhaps by emotionally separating a bit, we can regain what we have misplaced.

            After Bob Dole's  loss of the presidency to Bill Clinton, someone in the audience suggested to Dole that Clinton was his “enemy.” Dole immediately responded that Clinton was a political opponent, but never an “enemy.” Nixon was castigated by drawing up an “enemies list,” and properly so. During this election season we have all too often heard language of division. It seems unlikely as I pen these words, but I pray for a healing that will allow the United States to find "shalom bayit"  and again be what President Reagan hoped it would be: a shining city on the hill.