4. VA'YEIRA

When Abraham Sees God in Oak Trees

Dear Friends,

The Torah portion Vayeira (Gen. 18:1 through 22: 24) itakes its name" from its first word. This word is usually translated "appeared," but it comes from the root for "see," and the same root appears in a different form right afterwards.

The second word is "YHWH." That is usually translated "the Lord," but since this sacred unpronounceable Name with no vowels can only be "pronounced" by breathing --- "Yyyyhhhhwwwwhhhh" - I translate it as "the Breath of Life" or "the Wind/ Breath/ Spirit of the world."

The first sentence says "YHWH brought-about-being-SEEN to [Abraham] in [b'] the oaks of Mamre."

Rabbi Arthur Waskow

ESTHER TICKTIN'S DRUSH ON THE AKEDAH

The best contemporary drush on the Akedah that I know is by Esther Ticktin of Fabrangen in Washington, DC:

The two strongest imperatives of Torah are : 1) Rear children; 2) Break idol

Esther Ticktin, 10/27/2004

Our Rabbis ordained for us to read what is now named Genesis Chapter 21 on the first day of Rosh Hashanah and chapter 22 on the second day. If you read along with the
layners, you may have been shocked by the terse styl

Poems by Rabbi Arthur Waskow, 11/22/2004

I

Bony Abraham,
vibrating bone on bone
to wails and screams all night from Isaac's tent,
heard echo finally
inside his skull
the call: "Just kill the kid,

Thank God!"

Never slept that night —
Ran mor

Rabbi Phyllis Berman, 10/27/2004

[This story appears in the book TALES OF TIKKUN: NEW JEWISH STORIES TO HEAL THE WOUNDED WORLD, written by Rabbis Phyllis Berman and Arthur Waskow. Published by Rpwman & Littlefield.]

Long ago and far away is whe

Rabbi Arthur Waskow

Seeing God through the eyes of Va'yeira
by Rabbi Arthur Waskow

This Torah portion begins:
"Y*WH (I translate this not "the Lord" but "the Breath of Life") made-himself-SEEN to him in [b'] the oaks of Mamre," ("Vayeira" is from the root for "see," and it's important not to miss the fact that the same root appears in a different form right afterwards) ". . . and he lifted up his eyes and SAW [va'yar] and here! -- three men were standing upon him, and he SAW [va'yar] and ran . . .[to bring-them-near and then to feed them]."