B"H
Friday, Mar-Cheshvan 17, 5779 / October 26, 2018
Q. In this week’s Parsha, Vayeira, three angels in the form of people came to Abraham. Why three?
A. The three angels were messengers from G-d. Each of them had their individual function. One came to heal Abraham after his circumcision. One came to tell Sarah that she was going to have a son. The third one later went on to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Q. Why did three angels come to Abraham but only two of them came to Lot in Sodom?
A. The angel who came to notify Sarah that she was having a son, finished his mission and had no reason to go to Lot. The other two angels went to Sodom. The angel who healed Abraham went to save Lot and his family. The second one came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.
Q. The Torah tells us that when the angels came to Lot, he baked Matzot for them to eat. Why Matzot?
A. This story took place on Pesach (Passover). Although the story of Pesach and the Giving of the Torah, took place 400 years later, our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (and their families) observed many of the Torah laws even before they were given to the children of Israel. They knew the Torah through Divine inspiration.
Even Noach knew the Torah. This is how he knew to distinguish between the kosher and non-kosher animals, when G-d told him to bring into the ark two of the non kosher and seven of the kosher ones.
Q. When the angels took Lot, his wife and two daughters out of Sodom, they warned them not to look back. When Lot’s wife looked back she turned into a pillar of salt. Why weren’t they permitted to look back?
A. Lot and his family didn’t deserve to be saved, they were in the merit of his uncle, Abraham. For this reason they were not allowed to watch how the people of Sodom were punished.
Q. Why was her punishment to turn into a pillar of salt?
A. Our sages say that when Lot invited the two angels into his home and served them food, he asked his wife for salt, but she refused to give it. Thus, she was punished measure for measure.
It is customary that before reciting the Grace-after-Meal, we wash our fingertips, to wash off the “Sodomite salt” from our fingers. “Sodomite salt” also refers to the stinginess of the people of Sodom. This is to remind us to be kind and generous to those who are hungry and in need.
SHABBAT SHALOM
Montrealcandle lighting time: 5:32 / Shabbat ends: 6:34