Vayeira וַיֵּרָא - And He Appeared
Torah Portion: Genesis 18:1-22:24
Genesis 19:1–20
19 The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, 2 and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.”
They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.”
3 He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. 5 They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.”
6 Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself. 7 He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly. 8 See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.”
9 They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now we will deal worse with you than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door. 10 But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. 11 They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.
12 The men said to Lot, “Do you have anybody else here? Sons-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place: 13 for we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown so great before Hashem that Hashem has sent us to destroy it.”
14 Lot went out, and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters, and said, “Get up! Get out of this place, for Hashem will destroy the city!”
But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking. 15 When the morning came, the angels hurried Lot, saying, “Get up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the iniquity of the city.” 16 But he lingered; and the men grabbed his hand, his wife’s hand, and his two daughters’ hands, Hashem being merciful to him; and they took him out, and set him outside the city. 17 It came to pass, when they had taken them out, that he said, “Escape for your life! Don’t look behind you, and don’t stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be consumed!”
18 Lot said to them, “Oh, not so, my lord. 19 See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can’t escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die. 20 See now, this city is near to flee to, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape there (isn’t it a little one?), and my soul will live.”
Today’s Meditation:
Lot warned his future son-in-laws to leave Sodom, that Hashem was going to destroy the city. But Scripture says they thought Lot was joking. They didn’t go. The city burned, and they were killed. How sad, because they were told ahead of time, and they doubted him. It makes me think about good people in our lives who try to warn us of pending disasters. But do we heed their warnings or just jump into what could be sinking sand? I recall the times people warned me, but I ignored them out of stubbornness. Then something bad happens, and they were right. We need to learn to listen well to those around us who love and care for us and want us to be safe.
Today’s Challenge:
Think of something in your life that you are doing or have done that you know is wrong. I challenge you today to correct it. Even seek advice from someone wise that you know, share your concern, and see how they instruct you in the situation. Pray and seek Hashem. Then do what they say. Whether it's something you've done or are contemplating, correct it today. You will be glad, and you will avert what would have been a negative outcome.
