Questions tagged [vayera]
The weekly Torah portion of Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24)
20
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
7
votes
2answers
307 views
Did Avraham invite the angels into his house?
Avraham sits at the entrance to his tent waiting for guests. When the three angels arrive he runs out to greet them and pleads that they stay. He then tells them (Bereishit 18:4):
יֻקַּח-נָא מְעַט-...
7
votes
2answers
357 views
Why did God destroy Sodom in such a strange way?
Why does it rain both fire and brimstone (gafris - 19:24) on Sodom surely one or the other was enough? Furthermore, if the whole city is 'turned upside down' (19:25) why was there a need to rain ...
5
votes
1answer
123 views
Why is the name of mercy YHWH is mentioned exclusively in the story of Sodom?
The name YHWH is associated with mercy whereas the name Elokim is associated with justice (Refer to Rashi on Devarim 3:24 quoting the Sifrei here).
I noticed that the name of YHWH is used exclusively ...
4
votes
0answers
105 views
Angels visiting Abraham during Pesach
I start it from the end: regarding Lot it is written (Bereishit 19:3):
וַיִּפְצַר־בָּ֣ם מְאֹ֔ד וַיָּסֻ֣רוּ אֵלָ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וַיַּ֤עַשׂ לָהֶם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה וּמַצּ֥וֹת אָפָ֖ה וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃...
4
votes
0answers
86 views
Why would G-d let angels speak on His behalf?
In regards to this question of mine I would like to ask:
In Genesis/Bereshit 18:10 it seems that one of the men/angels visiting Avraham is saying that Sarah will give birth to a son, while in Genesis ...
3
votes
0answers
52 views
Why does Rashi say Avraham thought the angels were wayfarers?
Rashi on Breishis 18:16
And the men arose from there, and they looked upon Sodom, and Abraham went with them to escort them,
says
to escort them: Heb. לְשַׁלְּחָם, to escort them. He thought ...
2
votes
1answer
91 views
Why didn't Abraham ask straight how many Tzaddikim are there in Sodom?
Maurice asked "why didn't Abraham ask "How many righteous people do there have to be in that place for you not to destroy it?"
From Rasi it is clear that Abraham knew that 10 Tzaddikim ...
2
votes
0answers
39 views
Avraham Adon shel Sarah?
Why does Sarah refers to Avraham as אדני Adoni (Genesis 18:12)? Why not say Ishi אישי or Ba'ali בעלי if she is refering to him as her husband? Why would she call him her master/lord?
2
votes
0answers
46 views
To what degree and under what conditions can the righteous influence God's judgement of a population?
When Noah was told of the flood's coming, he did not pray for mercy on behalf of the world.
When God told Abraham that he was about to assess S'dom and Amorrah, Abraham continually questioned God ...
2
votes
0answers
57 views
Questions on the Netziv's understanding of Isaac's birth
Haamek Davar to Vayera 18:12 (and, to a lesser extent, the surrounding verses) and Harchev Davar (by the same author) to Vayera 21:3 explain Sarah's laughter on learning that she and Abraham would ...
2
votes
1answer
152 views
Are women less generous with guests than men?
Bava Metzia 87a:
The verse states: “Make ready quickly three measures of flour, fine flour” (Genesis 18:6). The Gemara questions the apparent redundancy. It is written: “Flour,” and it is also ...
1
vote
0answers
55 views
The angels who accused Yishmoel – what action were they suggesting?
Beraishis 21 (17)
Hashem judges Yishmoel “בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם " - “in that condition in which he now is”. The ministering angels according to the Medrash said, “Master of the Universe, for him ...
1
vote
1answer
142 views
One visitor healed Avraham
From were was the idea derived that one of the angels/messengers who visited Avraham healed him?
Although tradition teaches us that Avraham had just been circumcised, the text in itself doesn’t ...
1
vote
0answers
25 views
Forty and five, not five and forty
In Bereishis 18:28, when Hashem says that He will not destroy Sedom if there are 45 righteous people there, the number is spelled out "forty and five." However, most times a number between twenty and ...
1
vote
0answers
83 views
Uncomfortable Discussions Around Guests
Why doesn't Avraham wait until escorting the angelic "men" out of the tent before having the conversation with Sarah about "laughing" - the pesukim (Bereishis 18:15-16) follow one after the other.
...
1
vote
0answers
53 views
Avraham: Two different groups of people blessed on two different pieces of ground? Or maybe not
In Bereshit 12:3 HaShem tells Avram:
וַאֲבָֽרְכָה֙ מְבָ֣רְכֶ֔יךָ וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ֖ אָאֹ֑ר וְנִבְרְכ֣וּ בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל מִשְׁפְּחֹ֥ת הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃
And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth ...
0
votes
2answers
237 views
Genesis 18:21 then I will know?
I find it strange that Genesis/Bereshit 18:21 seems to imply that G-d has limited knowledge of what's going on in Sodom and Amorah, so I wondered if the word eda'ah (אֵדָעָה) could be translated as: ...
0
votes
1answer
148 views
Have known him OR to have made him known
Bereshit 18:19 starts with the words 'For I have known him (כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו)', the Sefaria website translates these words as 'For I have singled him out', Rashi as 'I know him intimately'. In line ...
0
votes
0answers
48 views
La'asot meaning "to prepare food"
In parshat Vayera, Bereishit 18:7, the text relates that
וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃
Avraham ran, ...
0
votes
1answer
158 views
Lot's Reason for Marriage
Based on the fact that Lot was such a giving person (Bereishis 19:2) that he was willing to risk his life for kindliness
וַיִּפְצַר־בָּם מְאֹד וַיָּסֻרוּ אֵלָיו וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־בֵּיתוֹ
וַיַּעַשׂ ...