Parshat Vayera:

1
Parshat Vayera
Avraham Sdom
Shiur by Menachem Leibtag
Presentation by Ronni Libson
2
Breishit 181 1938 Two topics 1) The news
that Sarah will give birth to Yitzchak 2) The
story of Lots rescue from Sdom
Thematic connection between the two topics
One parshiya
3
Thematic Connection The malachim who tell
Avraham about the birth of Yitzchak are the ones
who destroy Sdom
Why?
4
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??? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????
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?? ???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ????
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???? ?????? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ??????
?????? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ?????
?????? ??? ????-?? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??????
??? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????
?????? ?? ?? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ??? ????
?? ???? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ????
????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ??? ????
???? ?????
5
Sin of Sdom?
Two facts from story so far
Avrahams offspring are to do tzdaka umishpat
Angels that tell of Yitzchaks birth destroy Sdom
Sin of Sdom must relate to lack of tzedek
umishpat
6
Master Plan A model nation is to come from
Avraham
Avrahams Request Entire city should be saved
due to tzadikim
Reflects the purpose for which Avraham was
selected
The same angels assigned to destroy Sdom must
first 'plant the seeds' for the prevention of
future Sdom's.
That model nation will come from Yitzchak
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Sdom Antithesis of everything that Avraham
stands for

• Lot decides to leave Avraham and move to Sdom
  (131-18)

????? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ??? (?????? ????)

• After rescuing Lot from the four kings,
  Avraham refuses to keep any spoils from Sdom
  (1422-23) disassociates himself from Sdom

• Before He destroys Sdom, Hashem states that
  Avraham's mission is to teach "tzedaka umishpat"

Sdom is a society bereft of "tzedaka umishpat."
8
?????? ??? ???-? ??? ????? ????? ???? ???? ???
???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??
??? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ?????
?????? ????? ????? ???
Entire nation protesting No guests allowed!
(??????? ??., ???"? ???)
Warped mishpat, No tzdaka
???? ???? ???? ??? ? ???? ? ???? ???? ???? ?????
??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ???
???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???
???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???
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Nviim Acharonim Sdom is associated with lack
of tzedek umishpat

• ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?????
  ???? ??? ?? ???????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ??????
  ???????? ??????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ????
  ????? ? (?????? ????-?)

• ???? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? ??
  ????... ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????
  ???? ?????... ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????
  ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ?????? (?????? ??-??)

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Nviim Acharonim Tzedek umishpat in Am
Yisrael

• ???? ????? ???? ????? ????? (?????? ???)

• ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???
  ??????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????
  (?????? ??)

• ?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??????
  ??? ??? ?? ???? (????? ??) 

• ??? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???
  ????? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??
  ????? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ????? ?? ?? ?? ??? ???
  ????? ??? ???? (????? ???-??) 

• ?????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ????
  ???? ??? ?????? ???? ?????? (????? ??) 

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Nviim Acharonim Tzedek umishpat for Rulers
of Am Yisrael

• ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ????
  ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ???
  ????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ??? ????? ?????
  ????? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????
  ?????? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ?????
  ????? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ????
  ????? (?????? ???-?)

• ?? ??? ????... ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ???? ??
  ??? ???... ?? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ????
  ??? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ????? ??? ???
  ?? ????? ????? ??? (?????? ???-?)

• ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????
  ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?????
  ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?????
  (?????? ???-?)

• ????? ??? ?? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?????
  ??? ??? (????? ? ???) 

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Nviim Acharonim Tzedek umishpat Knowing
Hashem

• ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???????? ??? ???? ?????
  ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ????
  ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ?????
  ???? ????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ????
  ???? ???? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ??
  ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ????? ????
  ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???
  ?????? ????? (?????? ????-??)

• ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?????
  ??????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ???? ?????
  ?????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????
  ????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ??? ???? (??????
  ???-??) 

Knowing God
Emulating His ways
Acting in accordance with the values of tzedek
u'mishpat
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The Shoresh ?,?,?
?? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?????
????? ??? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??
????? ?? ??? ??? ???? (?????? ????)
???? ?? ????? ??????? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??
???? (?????? ????)
?????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ????
????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? (?????? ???)
??? ?? ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ????
????? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ????
??? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? (?????? ???)
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?????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ??? ????
????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? (?????? ???)
Rashi To know them in the Biblical sense
???? ???
Support Lot offers his two daughters "??? ??
???? ???" instead of his guests
Problem Numbers ????? ???? ???? ??? ???? ??
???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ??? ???? If they are simply
interested in sodomy, how could two guests
'suffice'?
Ramban To 'know' their identity in order to
'kick them out of town,' in accordance with their
city ordinance prohibiting visitors.
Support Psukim from Yechezkel (and Yeshayahu
chapter 1) that clearly identify Sdom's primary
sin as their unwillingness to help the poor and
needy.
Support Direct contrast drawn between Avraham's
devotion to tzedek u'mishpat and the character of
Sdom
Problem How (and why) should this offer of his
two daughters appease this mass crowd who claim
to be interested only in expelling unwanted
guests?
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?????? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ???
??? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???? ????
(?????? ???)
Why such a severe reaction?
"I'd sooner give you my daughters than my two
guests".
Sarcastic offer of his daughters instead of his
guests - moral judgment of their 'no-guest'
policy a reprehension of their unethical social
system.
????? ????
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Sin of Sdom Social injustice
Destruction