Torah Portion

We Must Be Involved
With Our Fellow Man

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Shabbat Vayera: Genesis
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S

I

n this week's Torah portion, we
have the famous negotiations
between Abraham, the progeni-
:tor of the Jewish people, and
God for the survival of the inhabi-
tants of the wicked cities of Sodom
and Gemora.
God reveals to Abraham His plan
to destroy these
degenerate, sinful
cities; and
Abraham begs
and haggles with
God to dissuade
Him. God's reve-
lation of the
planned destruc-
tion is prefaced
by the following: RABBI ELIEZER
COHEN
... shall I hide
Special
to The
from Abraham
:Jewish.
News
that which I am
doing? And
Abraham will
certainly become a great and mighty
nation and in him will be blessed all
the nations of the earth. Because I
have known him in order that he
command his children and his
household after him to keep the way
of the Lord to do righteousness and
justice in order that the Lord bring
upon Abraham that which He spoke
to him." (Genesis 18:17-19)
Abraham responds by questioning,
"Will you destroy the righteous with
the wicked?" (Genesis 18:23),
Abraham suggests that surely if there
are 50 righteous in the city that it be
spared. When God accedes to this
suggestion, Abraham continues to
negotiate from 50 to 45 and then to
the possibility of finding 10 right-
eous.
Abraham continues to question
whether God would destroy "the
righteous together with the wicked,
for is the righteous like the wicked?"
(Genesis 18:25) he seems to be
attempting to save only the righteous
while granting the propriety of
destroying the wicked. What God in
return agrees to each time is to "for-
give the entire place because of them
(the righteous)." (Genesis 18:26) The

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point God is trying to make to
Abraham is that even the wicked can
be saved because of the righteous
among them.
This point is emphasized when
the Torah declares these righteous be
"in the midst of the city." (Genesis
18:24-26) If these righteous people
are actually part of the citizenry,
active in the community and are tol-
erated by the majority and can thus
possibly influence the wicked and be
role models for the general popula-
tion, then the entire city will be
saved. The commentary of Abraham
Ibn Ezra (1092-1167) explains "in
the midst of the city: They are God-
fearing in public."
This then is the lesson that God
wants to impress upon Abraham: A
few righteous can influence, save and
bring a blessing upon the many. This
is the meaning of the introduction to
the revelation "in him will be blessed
all'the nations of the earth. Th i s i s
role.ofAbraham's descendants in
the world.
The Jetusalem•Talmud says as
inuch when it declare-S: "Rabbi
Nachman said in the name of Rabbi
Mina: 'The world requires at least 30
tighteous people like our father
Abraham' = the.reason is that it says
And Abraham will certainly be The
letters in 'will certainly be' have the
numerical equivalent of 30."
It is the Jew who lives a righteous
life of fear of God and love of his fel-
low man as an active member of
society who can influence his associ-
ates and bring upon them the bless-
ing promised to Abraham.
This emphasis on communal
influence and responsibility can also
be seen in the Pirkei Avot: "One who
says 'What is mine is mine and what
is yours is yours' ... there are those
who say this is the characteristic of ;--)
the people of Sodom." Those that
refuse to take responsibility for their
fellow citizens, who simply say "You
do your thing and I'll do mine," are
in the character of the wicked of
Sodom.
If each person selfishly pursues his
own goals and is not concerned
about his fellow man nor his welfare,
then such a society will be evil and ir
will ultimately perish.
If there are righteous people
whose concern for others makes
them actively involved with their fel-
low man, then there is no limit to
the possible influence, improvement
and blessing for the entire communi-
ty. II