In this week's parashat, we read, among other subjects, about the miraculous salvation of Lot and his family from Sodom's destruction by the merits of our Patriarch Abraham.  One of G-d's messengers  tells Lot:  "Escape for thy life;  look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the Plain" (Genesis 19:17).  As you will recall, Lot's wife - with or without the knowledge of G-d's envoy's advice (the text does not inform us) -  feels a great impulse to look back, and the story tells that she becomes a pillar of salt.  Somehow this noble woman is the reflection of our attitude during moments of change and of approaching a new challenge.  It is natural and expectable that we resist a little to change.  But in no way should we get to the point of paralysis, turning our face to the future and becoming pillars of salt that produce neither life nor see ahead.  It is not easy, but it is ideal, to see toward the horizon with some fear and concern, but also with the hope of being able to be flexible toward the new and not become hardened as pillars of salt.  It was hard for Lot's wife to overcome this challenge, but perhaps we can accomplish it.

        Shabbat Shalom

SERMON  -  by Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky

            In this week’s Parashah, Vayera, we learn the well known story of Sodom and Gomorrah.  The only survivors were Abraham’s nephew Lot, his wife, and his daughters.  Lot’s wife ends her days when they tried to escape, by looking behind her and disobeying G-d’s command, she is turned into a pillar of salt.  Thereafter, only Lot and his two daughters are left and they hide in a cave, although it is not clear why.

            Lot’s older daughter believed her mission was to give birth.  An objective reading of the text seems to point out that her concern was to provide the continuity of her father Lot’s descendants, so that her family’s memory would not disappear.  Nevertheless, the vast majority of commentators understand that she believed they were the only survivors over the earth’s face, and that the future of humankind depended on them.

            Lot’s older daughter told the younger:  “Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth” (Genesis 19:31).  As I said, many commentators believe that the intention of this verse is that Lot’s daughters really believed there were no more men on earth, other than their father.  Nevertheless, commentator Radak explains they thought they would find a man reluctant to take them, given everyone would despise the survivors of cities destroyed for their wickedness and depravation.

            Although we don’t know details of this story, the end is known:  Lot’s daughters got their father drunk and laid with him, each one for one night.  They got pregnant and gave birth to two sons:  Moab and Ben-Ammi, fathers of the Moabites and Ammonites

            It is not my intention to discuss the legitimacy of the action committed by Lot’s children.  Some might say that it is justifiable, given they thought they were perpetuating their father’s name, or even trying to save the future of humankind.  Others may condemn them for concurring in adultery.  The subject in which I am interested today is the feeling of Lot’s daughters of sensing they were the only ones who could accomplish the mission.  Why didn’t try to investigate if there were other men outside of the cave?  Were they sure that men living further away wouldn’t take them for wives?  Why didn't they look and investigate a little more?

            My understanding is that one of the biggest failures of Lot’s daughters was their own arrogance which blinded them and made them believe that they had to save humankind.  They did not even look around to verify that they were alone.

            Few things in life can be done with one person only.  Nevertheless, sometimes our own arrogance deceives us and makes us believe that we are the only one who can do something, and we don’t give an opportunity to others to grow and evolve.  Sometimes the contrary occurs, and it seems that only a specific person is able to do something, and we delegate all the responsibility to him or her because of our own cowardice or laziness.

            This happens often in our families, at our jobs, in our friends group and in our congregation, too.

            As a congregation, each one of us must give up our pride and arrogance on one hand thinking that you are the only one who can do a certain job, and on the other hand you should get rid of your laziness and cowardice which makes you believe that only someone else can do a specific job.  Very few actions can be done only by a specific person.

            As a congregation it is our duty to make room, to invite others to participate, and to participate ourselves.  Most of us are able to fulfill different functions, it’s only a matter of having a little patience and a desire to learn.

            If we believe we are alone in the world, we will finally end alone.  If we believe others are alone in the world, in the end we will abandon them.

            As a congregation, we are not alone, we are together.

            Shabbat Shalom.