Parashat Vayera

Thoughts for Shabbos

I have given him special attention so that he will command his children and his household after him that they shall keep the way of Hashem, doing charity and justice ... (18:19)

He overturned these cities ... (19:25)

It is apparent from Midrash that the pivotal sin of the Sodomites was their opposition to acts of kindness and charity. (1), (2) Their brutality was not only reserved for strangers but was carried out on their own citizenry and often on their own family members. For their debased culture to succeed it was necessary to implement a new justice system. They established incongruous statutes, unlivable laws and appointed crooked judges who were readily bribed. (3) This pattern has been copied by every barbaric group throughout history.

It seems like yesterday when I first learned about S'dom and Amorah. Even with the detailed and vivid portrayal by Chazal, one found it inconceivable to imagine an entire populace acting so immorally and decadently; to live such a bizarre, queer and grotesque lifestyle. Many students erroneously took this section with a grain of salt, not being able to fathom the tales of corruption, perversion, and depravity that became the norm of that society.

There are continuously new learning techniques being developed to assist in education. Today's environment, unfortunately, is indeed an aid to a better understanding of this period in history. Is it possible to listen to the news without becoming disheartened? Even the most sophisticated newspaper or periodical reads like the narrative from the Sunday Edition of the "S'dom & Amorah Times".

We need not look farther than Wednesday's news for an illustration. David Vienneau, the Star's Ottawa editor, writes a column titled "Inaction On Nazis Called Surprising". (This is putting it mildly, it is a rather shocking and shameful expose.) Jules Deschenes, Chief Justice of Quebec's Supreme Court between 1973 and 1983, who headed the federal inquiry into alleged Nazi war criminals in 1986, made some startling statements in a rare interview with Mr. Vienneau this week. Deschenes personally recommended that Canada take immediate action against 20 alleged Nazi war criminals and that it continue investigations against 218 other suspects. Only one effort at deportation took place until 1995. In the 14 new cases initiated under the Chretien government one suspect has left Canada voluntarily, two have died, but none of the cases have gone to court. "More could have been done; after all, the report is now some eleven years old and the results are rather thin. No doubt about that, even if there was anything that had to be done, it could be done, I think, without too much difficulty," Deschenes insisted. Vienneau concludes, Deschenes, who had personally interrogated the suspects and interviewed many witnesses, said nobody from the Justice Department ever contacted him to discuss his recommendations.

In the very same issue, on the same page (p. 2), their appeared another article written by the Star's correspondent, Ellie Tesher, titled "How Nazi War Criminals Got Into Canada". In it she quotes Alti Rodal, the chief historian for the Deschenes Commission who wrote a 580-page report on how the Nazis were virtually welcomed into Canada. Rodal further says, "As war criminals were being let into Canada, their Jewish victims who barely survived the Nazi Holocaust, were strenuously kept out." Rodal also speaks of the "prominent role Pierre Trudeau played as justice minister and as prime minister in making sure no action was taken against war criminals, all the while promoting a 'Just Society'."

We tend to dismiss the current issues plaguing the world as matters that have no bearing on us. They are happening to other races, creeds and colours, in other countries, in other provinces and states, on other streets, at other schools and in other families.

The Torah views it differently. Immediately preceding this section we read that "Avrohom will become "a great and mighty nation". The next posuk tells us -- "he will command his children ... to do charity and justice". These two areas that S'dom perverted must be a constant reminder to remain alert and maintain our lofty level as children of Avrohom who keep the way of Hashem.

Meshech Chochmo zt"l writes that a decree from Hashem can be changed by repentance. However, once it is given over to angels, the judgement must be carried out. The angels were sent merely as a warning to signal that peril was imminent. Lot understood the message and did t'shuvo, whereas the others thought it was a final edict.

The arsenals of nuclear buildup should not be any less of a deterrent than was the warning of the angels prior to the destruction of S'dom by a combined force of water (4) and fire. (5) These two elements represent the contrast in Sodomite behaviour. They turned from kindness (water) to cruelty and harshness (fire). Therefore, their punishment came from a combination of these two forces. (6) Their land, completely ruined, was turned upside down, denoting their turning from good to bad. The world filled with chaos is on a collision course heading for oblivion. When alternative lifestyles are legitimized and legalized and a president addresses the gay rights movement, then how far behind S'dom is present day society?

Footnotes

(1) Pirkei D'Rabi Eliezer Chap. 25, based on the posuk (Y'chezkel 16:49) "See! This was the sin of S'dom, your sister: pride, a surplus of bread, and undisturbed peace were hers and her daughter's but the hand of the poor and the needy did she not support." See also Tractate Sanhedrin 109.

(2) See Mishnas Rebbi Aharon Vol. 1, Maamar Goel Nafsho Ish Chesed, p. 138.

(3) See the K'li Y'kor in our parsha.

(4) Kindness.

(5) Justice.

(6) They were punished like this as it says "And Hashem rained down on S'dom and Amorah sulphur and fire. Rashi writes that at first it was rain and then it was sulphur.