Four Points on Vayera

1. Definitely some room for comparing the Sodomites at Lot's door with the story of Migdal Bavel. All the city's men - a unified group - gather to do something bad. Though, by merit of their numbers and unity, they would be able to succeed, a Divine force intervenes by removing a basic human skill.

Also, once again, cities/organized human communities get a bad rap in the Bible.

Essential to this is the mob's line to Lot, הָאֶחָד בָּא-לָגוּר וַיִּשְׁפֹּט שָׁפוֹט "this one comes to sojourn here a while, and he thinks he can play the judge" . . . . something is going on here, as in Babel, that regards questions of authority and community.


2. Every time I read the parsha anew, I'm surprised by the צחק wordplay. Yeah - I expect it in the Sarah and Avraham stories, and its always interesting that they name their son with it . . . but then I'm totally *shocked* to see it appear again in the Sodom episode. Lot tries to warn his sons-in-law about the approaching destruction, but he is in their eyes כִמְצַחֵק, as a jester.

What's the deal!!!

3. Check out my dvar torah on Akeidat Yishmael, at The Drisha Parsha Blog

4. Finally, finally, finally!: I think I know why God scolded Sarah for laughing: He didn't - God scolded Avraham.

In 17:15-17 God tells Avraham that he'll have a child in his old age. Avraham, as we know, laughs in amazement. And, as we know, no immediate negative reaction from God to this laughter. Laughing is a legit reaction to hearing something fantastical for the first time.

Now, let's say you're Avraham and you bear the righteous faith that what God said is actually going to happen. What sort of things do you do? Well, you probably tell Sarah that she's destined have more kids. You probably tell her that you'd like to try to conceive a child together. You would certainly sleep with Sarah or perhaps sleep with her more often than you previously did. But either way, Sarah would understand that a child is a distinct possibility!

So when a few months later, a few fellows come in and say that Sarah will soon be with child, the fact that Sarah laughs is damning - it means this is the first time she heard of the promise! Avraham hasn't been doing any of the aforementioned things! Hasn't told her himself, or slept with her, or said, "hey, let's try to have a child."

It should not surprise us if God would ask Avraham something like - "What the heck, Avraham?! Why is she laughing?! How could you not believe in my promise to you?!". In fact, this is exactly what God does in 18:13-14

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, אֶל-אַבְרָהָם: לָמָּה זֶּה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר, הַאַף אֻמְנָם אֵלֵד--וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי . . . הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵיְהוָה, דָּבָר.

And God said to Avraham, "Why is Sarah laughing? Why is she saying 'Oh, is it really possible I'll give birth so old!!'" You really think anything is too hard for Me to do?!

Note, the "rebuke" is handed out to Avraham - not to Sarah - for it is Sarah's laughter which shows Avraham has not trusted in God's promise.