Parsha Points to Ponder

Parsha Points to Ponder - Vayeira

1) Why does G-D say I WILL SAVE THE ENTIRE PLACE on account of fifty righteous (18:26) people while Avraham asked WILL YOU NOT SAVE THE PLACE ON ACCOUNT OF FIFTY RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE (18:24) without mentioning THE ENTIRE PLACE?
2) Why does the Torah waste the words to tell us that Lot’s sons did not believe that G-D was going to destroy S’dom (19:14)? What relevance does this have to our lives?
3) The Torah states AND IT WAS AT THAT TIME that Avimelech decided to make a pact with Avraham (21:22) indicating that something about that time prompted this pact. Considering the fact that the previous story related to Avraham sending Hagar and Yishmael away from his home, what led Avimelech to do this specifically AT THAT TIME?

Parsha Points to Ponder is prepared by Rabbi Dov Lipman, who teaches at Reishit Yerushalayim and Machon Maayan in Beit Shemesh and is the author of “DISCOVER: Answers for Teenagers (and adults) to Questions about the Jewish Faith” (Feldheim) and “TIMEOUT: Sports Stories as a Game Plan for Spiritual Success” a recent release by Devora Publishing (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Answers - Ponder the questions first and then look here

1) The Netziv explains that Avraham was not sure if G-D would save the entire city on account of the righteous people so he left it open-ended allowing for it to mean the entire city or just the place where the righteous were located. G-D responded that He would save the entire city and not just the immediate location around the righteous people.
2) Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky answers that the Torah is teaching us here that belief in G-D and His involvement in the world or rejection of this reality does not depend on the mind and the intellect but rather on controlling one’s desires. The Torah does so by relating that Lot, who was not completely steeped in the pleasures of S’dom was able to accept this reality, while his sons-in-law, who were consumed by the pleasure of S’dom would not let themselves accept G-D and His involvement in the world.
3) The Meshech Chochma teaches that people always saw Avraham as the beacon of chesed and no one ever feared him. However, once Avimelech saw that Avraham had a harsh and cruel side, the only traits which could lead him to dismiss a son in Avimelech’s mind, then he feared Avraham and possible retribution for what he did to Avraham and Sarah. Thus, AT THAT TIME, he decided to approach Avraham about a pact.

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