Document 6588223

Pine Street Parsha
Parashat
Vayera
PPPParsha
8 November 2014
15 Cheshvan 5775
SIDRA
78
HAFTORAH 1134
1st Aliya: The three angels appear to Avraham
and foretell the birth of Yitzchak. Upon hearing
the news, Sarah laughs to herself.
2nd Aliya: The angels depart to destroy Sodom,
and Hashem [G-d] tells Avraham about His plans
for destroying Sodom. Pasuk 18:18-19 proclaims
G-d's confidence in Avraham to teach the world
the concept of justice. Avraham negotiates,
unsuccessfully, on behalf of Sodom.
3rd Aliya: The story of the destruction of Sodom
is told. Lot's generosity to the "two visitors" is
rewarded and he, his wife, and only two of their
children are saved from Sodom.
4th Aliya: Lot's wife looks back upon the
destruction of Sedom and dies, and Lot and his
two daughters escape into the mountains. Lot's
daughters conspire to rebuild humankind, and
taking advantage of Lot's drunkenness, they
become pregnant from Lot resulting in the birth
of Ammon and Moav. Avraham encounters
Abimelech after which Sarah gives birth to
Yitzchak in the year 2048.
5th Aliya: Yishmael and Hagar are forced out of
Avraham's home, and an angel reassures Hagar
of Yishmael's destiny.
6th Aliya: Abimelech and his general Phichol
resolve their conflict with Avraham over water
rights, and they "sign" a covenant of peace.
7th Aliya: In the year 2085, when Avraham was
137 and Yitzchak was 37, Avraham is
commanded to sacrifice Yitzchak. This amazing
story heralds the end of Avraham and Sarah's
era, and the beginning of Yitzchak and Rivkah's
era.
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We all want to live a meaningful and purposeful
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Some people are always very clear about what
they really want in life. Great people are aware of
a great life purpose. They are clear about their
mission in life. What they think, say, and do is
aligned with their essential values. This is why
their thoughts, words, and actions create a great
person.
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Condolences to:
Samantha Gosher, Lisa Traub and
Gavin Birer on the passing of their
beloved mother Sandra Birer. We wish
the family a long and good life.
Mazeltov to:
Mike and Beverley Bricker and to Hans
and Rina Maurer in Toronto on the birth
of a granddaughter. Mazeltov to new
parents Dale and Nicky and to great
grandmother Edie Meyerowitz.
Mike and Beverley are hosting the
Shabbas morning Brocha in honour of
their granddaughter.
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Rabbi Gerson, Mary Kruger, Dave
Lubner, Martin Herman, Boetie Shifren,
Denise Levitas and Adam Gelman.
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We wish those families commemorating a Yahrzeit a long and good life
Friday 7 November 2014
Doreen Cohen – Father
Shabbas 8 November 2014
Nicole Jammy – Father
Wolfie Lack – Mother
David Lurie – Father
Sunday 9 November 2014
Lesley David – Mother
Sydney Rebe – Uncle
Sharon Lurie – Father
Monday 10 November 2014
Eddie Gerber – Mother
Michael Grevler – Mother
Barbara Fine – Mother
Bernice Britton – Mother
Errol Stein – Brother
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Jennifer Mattes
Ray Lurie - Mother-n-law
Wednesday 12 November 2014
Paula Durbach – Father
Eta Smith – Father
Mike Hellig – Wife
Thursday 13 November 2014
Tony Ellis – Step-father
Lorraine Marcus – Mother
Shabtai Salitan – Malki
Friday 14 November 2014
Denis & Iris Cohen – Hilda Jacobson
Norman Sifris – Father
Eta Smith – Husband
The Haftorah for Parshat Vayeira
The Prophet Elisha Performs Miracles
Melachim Bet (Kings 2),
Ashkenazim 4:1-37
The connection of the Haftorah to the Parsha:
Just like Avraham (Abraham) and Sarah, the
Shunamite women and her husband were old and
childless. In both cases, Hashem miraculously
granted them a child.
The storyline of this week’s Haftorah: A poor
widow complains to Elisha that she has no money to
pay her debt to the Israelite King Achav & his evil
Queen Eyzevel’s (Jezebel) son. Her deceased
husband was the prophet Ovadiah, minister to King
Achav. Ovadia had spent all his money on oil for the
lamps that lit the two caves that hid the last 100
prophets from the evil King Achav and his evil
wife Eyzevel (Jezebel). Elisha asks the widow if she
has anything of value and she replies that the only
thing she has left is a pitcher with a little oil. He
requests that the widow bring as many empty pitchers
as she can to him. Elisha miraculously enables the
small amount of oil in her pitcher to fill many pitchers.
Then, by selling the oil she is able to repay her debt
and still have money to live on.
Elisha, traveling with his servant Gaichazi, lodges in
the home of a woman in Shunem known for her
hospitality. The Shunamite women and her husband
show Elisha great hospitality, and kindness; they gave
him a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp in a room of
his own. She insured that he always has a place to sit
and learn when he came in to town. On Rosh
Hashanah, Elisha sends his servant to ask the
women how he can repay her. She does not ask for
anything. Elisha does not want to accept that and
Gaichazi tells him that she does not have any
children. Elisha calls for her to come to him and he
promises her that she will have a son. She does have
a son, however tragedy strikes when a few years
later, the child is playing out in the field has a heat
stroke. His mother comes running out into the field to
hold her son as he dies in her arms. The Shunamite
woman travels to find Elisha to tell him of her tragedy.
Elisha, with much compassion, sends Gaichazi to
revive the child. Gaichazi's attempt at performing the
miracle is unsuccessful. Elisha comes to Shunem to
perform this great miracle himself. He puts his mouth
on the child and says Hashem's name. The child
sneezes seven times and awakens.
I met with the Barmitzvah boys
on Monday. We had an
interesting discussion on Tefilin
and other subjects. PG we will
continue this coming week.
I have had to undergo a sinus
operation on Thursday. B’H all
well. I hope to be up and about
soon.
It sounds like the Matrics are well
into the thick of exams. Not long
to go, pace it.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Gerson
Havdalah 7.02 pm
SHIURIM – ON HOLD
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Rabbi Gerson – Gemora Shiur Brachot
Friday Morning:
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Rabbi Gerson – Gemora Shiur Brachot
Rabbi Berel Wein on Parshas Vayera
For the Jewish people, one of the hallmarks of our great founding parents was their ability to
maintain communication with their Creator. God, so to speak, was a constant living presence
in their lives, thoughts and actions. And they were able to hear God’s voice, though God has
no voice, and to visualize God even though God has no physical appearance. God spoke to
them through the inner voice of their own souls which was always longing to reunite with the
source of life from which it came.
When the stranger/angel guest informs Avraham and Sarah about the forthcoming birth of their
son, this serves to confirm to Avraham the promise that he heard from God earlier regarding
the same event. Previously Avraham heard it through his own inner voice of faith and
attachment to God and now he and Sarah hear it in a literal sense, from the lips of the
stranger/angel who stands before them in their tent.
Midrash explains and reinforces this idea of hearing God through one's own soul and spirit.
When Moshe was sent on his mission to redeem Israel from Egypt and to teach them Torah,
he heard that call emanate from Heaven in the voice of his father Amram.
We hear God, so to speak, through familiar voices that reverberate within our soul and heart.
First, Avraham himself believes that he will have a son with Sarah and later he has no doubts
when that message is communicated to him by the stranger/angel.
Sarah, on the other hand, who did not spiritually “hear” these tidings beforehand, casts doubt
and wonderment at the words of the stranger/angel. Avraham is made aware of this and
explains to Sarah the source of her consternation.
I feel that many times in our lives we sense within ourselves a divine message and voice. It is
this combination of soul and intellect that drives all human hopes forward. But, since we are
not at the level of constant communication with our soul and our Creator, we do not always
hearken to that voice nor do we attribute it to its correct source.
Jewish tradition teaches us that somehow the prophet Elijah appears regularly and constantly
to human beings. He comes in different guises, forms and costumes. The truly righteous are
able to identify him when he appears while we ordinary human beings are mostly unaware of
his presence even as he stands before us.
Avraham, in his righteousness and faith, is constantly prepared for such encounters with God.
Ordinary human beings, to whom God is at best an abstract idea, certainly are unable to truly
sense His presence. That is what the great rebbe of Kotzk meant when he said that when God
said: “Go forth from your land and home and family” any human being had the potential to hear
that message, not just Avraham. But unless one is attuned to “hear” God regularly through
one's own inner soul, all heavenly messages will fall on deaf ears.