A Quick Torah Thought

 I had a conversation with my mother this past week that left me with an unexpected insight into this week's parsha. Avraham, in Parshat Vayeira, is lauded for his zeal in performing mitzvot. A man of 99 years old, who had just been circumcised, he runs to greet his guests, runs to tell his wife to make delicacies, speeding along in a way that would put the roadrunner to shame.  Avraham's qualities are seen as unique to him, something special that he possessed, the attribute of a righteous man. Yet, it would seem that at the same time, the only reason that Avraham possessed these qualities was that he cultivated them day in and day out.  And this brings me to the topic of aging. My mother told me that she's unique in the following respect: her friends, with whom she speaks, all say that they want to relive their lives, return to the times of their youth. Have the vigor, the energy, the vitality. She said, "Not me. I've gained a lot of wisdom, and life experience, a...

 Very interestingly, we'll note that Hashem's covenant with Avraham is coupled with the statement, " hithalech lefanai ," or walk before me. That would connote that part of the Jew's pact with Hashem, a pact that circumscribes us being the chosen nation, and exclusively guaranteed stewardship over the land of Israel, is the willingness of each and every Jew to "step up to the plate" and maximize his or her abilities for the betterment of the world. Hashem's words to Avraham came at a very sensitive time; things were not looing up for him. His wife, Sarah, had not been able to bear child; she had given Hagar, her maidservant to Avraham in turn. Avraham at that point was certainly at an ebb; things did not seem crystal clear - and, as such, it was precisely at that time that Hashem called on Avraham to foster, or conjure up leadership, making in the namesake of our people, a national treasure and responsibility, to see through the darkness, to walk bef...

 Two small matters, perhaps not related.  Noach's fall from grace seems to have no apparent explanation. He certainly struggled with the trauma of the destruction of the world as he knew it. He struggled to enter the ark, and to leave it; for both, he needed prompting. He knew he would be the forbearer of a new world, something very intimidating, especially after he saw what happened to the world he had known so intimately, and Adam's world, which also ceased to be ever so suddenly. Yet, I still find it perplexing as to the lack of apparent impetus/catalyst for Noach's sudden downfall. If Noach had simply gotten drunk, and nobody witnessed it, then perhaps our world could have been different. It seems to be something exogenous, from the outside, imposed on Noah that led him to cease to function as the leader of mankind. He could never save face in his sons' eyes after having been disgraced by Cham. That brings me to a second matter, that I also struggle with comprehendi...