VaYera - A continuation of our study of the life of Avinu Avraham

Shabbat Shalom Kol Yisrael. It is our pleasure to present this week's Torah Parsha commentary by Nazarene Yisraelite Rabbi T. (Mordecai) Mitchell, Rabbi and Rosh Zaken of B'nai Yeshurun Nazarene Yisraelite Synagogue, Kittanning, Pa., and board member of the Union of Nazarene Yisraelite Congregations. It is our sincere hope and prayer that these commentaries encourage, inspire, and strengthen the body of Messiah in Kol Yisrael. This week our Parsha is VaYera (And He Appeared) Bereshith 18:1 – 22:24. Our Haftarah portion is Melakim Bet (2 Kings) 4:1-37. Our suggested Brit Chadasha readings are: Luke 17:26-37; Romans 9:6-9. Also please read Tehillim (Psalms) 105.

Bereshith 18:1 And YHWH appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, while he was sitting in his tent door in the heat of day.

This Parsha begins as Avraham was 99 years old and had been circumcised for only a few days. The rabbis say it was the third day of his circumcision, therefore the most painful.

In verse 2, Avraham sees three visitors approach his camp and he runs to meet them and immediately bows to them.

In these two verses we have a number of lessons. The most obvious lesson is that Avraham forgets his own pain and discomfort to welcome visitors. Here, Avinu Avraham teaches us by example, the true meaning of hospitality. He sets aside his own pain and discomfort to make others, complete strangers, comfortable. Most of us today are geared to thinking of ourselves first and others second. Of course, his visitors turn out to be more than mere mortals, and Avraham is able to recognize them for what they are and therefore, pays them proper respect by bowing to them.

How many times in a given day or week do we encounter angels in human form? Perhaps more than we realize. However, because we are unable to rise above our own circumstances, we fail to recognize them for what they really are.

Other lessons from these verses may not be so apparent. As we have taught many times before, many words and phrases in the Bible are metaphors, codes if you will, and paying attention to these codes gives us a greater and deeper understanding.

Abraham was “...sitting in the tent door...” There are several words that are translated “door,” from the Hebrew, but in this case, the word is “Pethach,” Strong's number 6607, from 6605, “Pathach.” By fully defining this word it can be seen that it carries a connotation other than that of a mere door or doorway. Some of the definitions of “Pathach” are: “To open wide,” “to loosen,” “break forth,” “draw out,” and, “an entering in,” and so forth.

If we will have it, from these definitions we can understand that Avraham was not simply sitting in the entrance way of a mere tent. He was sitting in an entrance to the upper realms, a earthly portal to a spiritual realm if you will. This is one way he was able to so readily forget his pain and also able to recognize that the men who stood before him were not mortals, but heavenly visitors. In other words, Avraham's selflessness made him able to disconnect from the physical and connect to the spiritual. In order for us to make a stronger connection to spiritual things, a stronger connection to Almighty Yahweh, we must learn to break the physical connections that keep us bound or tuned into our own egos. We must break the connection that feeds our desire to receive for self alone. We must also consider that Avraham was able to ascend to the upper realms because of his obedience to and acceptance of the covenant of circumcision.

We also have the phrase, “... in the heat of the day.” This is a code for the “heat” of the Spiritual Light that enveloped Avraham. This same heat can destroy the wicked (as we see later in this Parsha concerning the destruction of the wicked people of Sedom and Amorah). But this same Light is a Light of healing and protection to the righteous. Not only was Avraham healed of the physical pain of circumcision, but healing was also extended to his wife Sarah so that she could bear children. When we are given a healing of any kind, our entire family may benefit. It is important to realize that the most important people Avraham taught were members of his own household.

Bereshith 18:19 “For I have known him, so that he commands his children and his household after him, to guard the way of YHWH, to do righteousness and right ruling, so that YHWH brings to Avraham what He as spoken to him.”

What a strange verse, for here Yahweh says that Avraham “...commands his children,” when as yet he had only one child, and that by Hagar. Why would the Scripture, the very Words of Yahweh, say that Avraham commands his children (plural) and his household.

Here we have a clue, in “children” as a plural, as to Avraham's far reaching influence. Avraham's household was of course, his immediate family, his earthly family, including those who may not have been directly related to him but who worked for him as herdsmen. (Those who are close to us and tuned in to what we believe and teach may also share in our blessings). However, “children” in this case implies future generations. We said last week that Avinu Avraham was a great teacher who taught by example. Avraham is still teaching us by his example today through the word of Yahweh.

No doubt, Avraham was the greatest teacher of his age. However, one even greater would and did come, and that was Yahshua our Messiah.

We have said that Avraham's teachings transcend time. Yet, in Yohanan (John) 8:58 we read: Yahshua said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Avraham came to be, I am.”

We must pay attention to tense here. Yahshua said “...before Avraham came to be...” or before he “was,” (past tense) “...I Am.” (present tense). There is no time, no past, present or future with Yahweh. Therefore, He “...knows the end from the beginning.” The phrase “...his children,” gives us a peek into what we know as the future. It was revealed in the long distant past to Avraham, that we, our generation today, would be his seed (descendants).

However, our lineage to Avinu Avraham need not necessarily be physical. We are not talking about DNA or bloodlines here. Bloodlines do not save. In Luke 3:8 we read the words of Yahshua: “Therefore bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Avraham as our father.' For I say to you that Elohim is able to raise up children to Avraham from these stones.”

Numerous times in Scripture we have phrases such as “...seed of Avraham,” “...Avraham your father,” “...our father Avraham,” “...son (and daughter) of Avraham,” etc. etc. Another such example is found in Tehillim (Psalms) 105:6 O seed of Avraham His servant, Children of Ya'aqob, His chosen ones.

Just who are the seed of Avraham today? They are the ones who follow the teaching of Avinu Avraham. “...to guard the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and right ruling...”

The seed, or children of Avraham today are those who not only follow and seek righteousness, as Avraham did, but those who practice hospitality and show due respect for all men, those who are willing to put the needs of others before their own, and those who also look well to the spiritual upbringing of their respective households. They are those who put the desire to share above the desire to receive for self alone.

In closing we shall consider an analogy. We said the “heat” that surrounded Avraham was The Light, and indeed I believe it is so. Yahshua Messiah said in MattithYahu 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, so that they see your good works and praise your father Who is in the heavens.”

With that thought in mind, let us consider the sun that illuminates and warms our planet. In the blackness of space there is no real light. Space is a vacuum and cannot carry light. The only way we can see and have light, is for the earth to catch the sun's rays. The rays can reflect light, but only once they enter the earth's atmosphere. In order for the light to serve its intended purpose, it must have a “vessel” to receive it. In this case, the earth is the sun's vessel. So it is with The Light of Yahweh. We serve as the vessels in which The Light can be seen -- through our works. Likewise, The Light we are given can only be seen by and through others if we make them vessels to receive a share of The Light we were so freely given. The Light cannot illuminate unless it is shared. However, we must keep in mind that our “good works” and not for self aggrandizement, but for the glory of Yahweh.

May almighty Yahweh bless us all as we seek to share The Light He has seen fit to give us. We continue to encourage everyone to follow the weekly Parashot, Haftarah and Brit Chadasha readings. We believe they will bring understanding, Light, and unity to Kol Yisrael.

Comments or questions regarding this week's commentary may be addressed to Rabbi Mitchell via e-mail: yoel@arm-tek.net

Next week's Parsha is Chayei Sarah (The Life of Sarah) Bereshith 23:1 to 25:18.

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