Weekly Sidra: Vayera (And he appeared)
Torah Portion: Bereshit / Genesis 18:1-22:24
Haftorah: Melachim Bet / Kings II 4:1-4:23

22 The men went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham came forward and said, "Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty? 24 What if there should be fifty innocent within the city; will You then wipe out the place and not forgive it for the sake of the innocent fifty who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?" 26 And the Lord answered, "If I find within the city of Sodom fifty innocent ones, I will forgive the whole place for their sake." 27 Abraham spoke up, saying, "Here I venture to speak to my Lord, I who am but dust and ashes: 28 What if the fifty innocent should lack five? Will You destroy the whole city for want of the five?" And He answered, "I will not destroy if I find forty-five there." 29 But he spoke to Him again, and said, "What if forty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it, for the sake of the forty." 30 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I go on: What if thirty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31 And he said, "I venture again to speak to my Lord: What if twenty should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the twenty." 32 And he said, "Let not my Lord be angry if I speak but this last time: What if ten should be found there?" And He answered, "I will not destroy, for the sake of the ten."  (Bereshit 18:22-32)

In this week’s Parasha Abraham learns of HaShem’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.

It would have been easy for Abraham to sit back and say Oh well, that is the will of HaShem (too bad – so sad) nothing I can do.  However, he does not do that, instead he discusses the situation with HaShem.  He talks to HaShem and negotiates that even if there are only ten (10) righteous souls the city will be saved.  This is where we get the concept of the minion of 10 righteous Jews in order to read the Torah.

Our Maran Yeshua alludes to this concept in the Besorah HaTova (Good News).  Yaakov (James) 4:2 states “2 You want something you don’t have, and you will do anything to get it. You will even kill! But you still cannot get what you want, and you won’t get it by fighting and arguing. You should pray for it.”  Many translations will state the last part of the verse as you have not because you ask not.  We have all heard the passage in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find”

The problem is that many of us don’t pray because we do not believe in the power of prayer.  We resign ourselves to the belief that HaShem works in a vacuum and we don’t have the ability to influence HaShem.

Is HaShem in control of the universe?  Absolutely!!  However, we are created in the image of HaShem in order to have fellowship with Him.  HaShem’s desire is for us to take an active role in shaping our lives and the lives of others.

HaShem gives us the ability to get up and go to work, but we must take that ability and actually get up, get dressed and go to work.

It is this partnership that allows us to ask HaShem to guide us in everything we do, while realizing that is only by His power that we can do it.

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