Friday, October 29, 2004

Don’t Make Me Laugh!

Parshat Vayera

Torah – Annual: Genesis 18:1-22:24
Torah Reading – Genesis 18:1–18:33
(1) 18:1-5 (2) 18:6-8 (3) 18:9-14 (4) 18:15-19 (5) 18:20-22 (6) 18:23-26 (7)
18:27-33
Maftir: Genesis 22:20-24
Haftarah: II Kings 4:1-37
When is it OK to lie?

In the opening section of the portion of Vayera, God lies to Abraham. Is this justified? Would it be justified if we were to do it?

Sarah, at the age of 90, is now pregnant. She laughs at the prospect of
being a mother at this advanced age. How would other post-menopausal women
react to such news?

God announces to Abraham that He is going to destroy the cities of Sodom
and Gemmora (‘Amora in Hebrew). Abraham then gets into a bargaining match
with God. It sounds like he is trying to get the best price on a used car.
Do you think that this whole episode is a bit unseemly?

The most famous line in this section is found in verse 18:25 – “...Shall
not the Judge of all the earth do justly?” What does this verse tell us
about God? What does it tell us about Abraham.

Take a look at one of the verses in today’s Haftarah – II Kings IV:34 - Does this look like an example of ancient CPR?


Wednesday, October 13, 2004

What Floats Your Boat?

Parshat Noach

Torah – Annual: Genesis 6:9 – 11:32 (pages 26–40)
Torah Reading: Genesis 6:9 – 7:24 (pages 26-29)
(1) 6:9-16 (2) 6:17-19 (3) 6:20-22 (4) 7:1-5
(5) 7:6-12 (6) 7:13-16 (7)7:17-24
Maftir: Numbers 28:9-15 (page 695)
Haftarah: Isaiah 66:1-24 (pages 944-947)
Rabbi Sandberg (his Bar Mitzvah Haftarah)
This week we read the story of Noah. It is well known that the Flood story
was told in many cultures of the ancient world. Perhaps there were periods
of great floods (something we know all too well!) whose stories were retold
from generation to generation. [Take a look at the Hertz Humash, pages
197-198 for a reference to the Babylonian version of the flood story.]
The most important elements in understanding the Torah’s account of the
Flood are the reason that Noah was selected (his righteousness) and the lack
of any steering mechanism for the Ark (it was a big box). What moral lessons
are to be drawn from these details?

The Rabbis expand on the Noah story. Noah tries to convince others to join
him on the Ark and to be saved. Only his family listened. Why?
Take a look at the structure of the Genesis stories. How many generations
were there from Adam to Noah? How many generations are there from Noah to
Abraham? What are we being told by this?

Look at the ages of the people from these generations. One scholar explains
that these numbers are to be taken seriously, but not literally. What does
that mean?


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