A Shabbat Nugget: Parashat Vayeira

This week’s Torah portion begins with telling us how G-d revealed himself to Abraham after his circumcision in order to make him feel better from after he had undergone the circumcision at the age of 99 years.  The Torah tells us that although it was a very hot day and Abraham was still sick because of his circumcision,  Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent looking for travelers to host.

The Torah continues that in midst of the divine revelation Abraham noticed three travelers and he asks G-d to wait a bit until he goes and invites the travelers to be his guests.

The commentaries tell us that the fact that Abraham noticed the guest in midst of a divine revelation, shows his extraordinary sensitivity to others, since we find many times when people are very preoccupied they are oblivious to their surroundings and surely, we would expect that to be the case when one is experiencing a revelation from G-d Almighty.

We can learn an important lesson from the story that even when we are involved in matters that we deem most important, we can never lose attention of the needs of others.

About Chany Scheiner

Co - Director of Boulder Center for Judaism. Any successful organization needs a heart and that is what Chany provides, along with organization, marketing, innovative programming, and countless Shabbat dinners. Some of her accomplishments are large and public like the annual menorah lighting on Pearl Street and the matzo and shofar factories, while others are quiet and private like the time she spends counseling individuals and sharing the wisdom that comes from study.

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