The name of our Torah portion this week, Vayera, means “and he saw.” Perhaps this is a reminder that really seeing each other is more than a visual cue. The real value of human connection is to see when someone is in need.
An Israeli election in which a far-right demagogue gains power. Upcoming American and local elections which will redraw assumptions. Fear of crime and homelessness. Skyrocketing gas and food prices. A regional war in Ukraine that is spreading its impact to all corners of the globe. Kyrie Irving, Kanye West, and the rising tide of antisemitism.
It feels like as the kids get older and our lives get busier, we accumulate more and more stuff. This feeling certainly isn’t unique to our family. In fact, Avraham and Lot teach us about some of this in our Torah portion this week.
Ye, the rap musician formerly known as Kanye West, has been in the news recently after a long and continuous slew of antisemitic diatribes. His vitriolic hatred encouraged others, as shown by a banner that hung over a Los Angeles freeway that stated, “Kanye West is right about the Jews.” The banner hangers accompanied their action with a Nazi salute.
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Promises are made more challenging than necessary if we’re not cognizant of all the possible ramifications. What Parshat Noach teaches us is that as difficult as they may be to keep sometimes, promises hold us accountable and remind us that words matter.
Judaism usefully distinguishes between the values of tzedakah and gemilut chasidim. Tzedakah refers to our requirement to provide materially for others; many Jews are familiar with Maimonides’ famous ladder of tzedakah. In Rambam’s golden ladder, the lowest rung occurs when we give unwillingly, while the seventh and highest level consists of an anonymous donor and recipient.
