I am so glad that the hard part is over and I can do this part in English!

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Scarlett Holt
5 years ago
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1 Dvar Torah Hi Everyone! I am so glad that the hard part is over and I can do this part in English! Thank you all for being here. Robin and I are so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives. Special thanks to Robin for sharing this day with me, and all of my teachers. And thanks to all of you who helped me dress for the part, today: my husband and adult children who gave me my tallit, tallit bag, and kippah; my sister who brought my Yad all the way back from Prague; my dear friends Barry and Linda who had a necklace made for me using the name I was called to the Torah with, Sima Chaya. It brings back warm memories of my parents and grandparents to be called Sima Chaya. And last but not least, thanks to my grandchildren who baked the challah with me that we will share later on the bima. Now, for the serious part. Our Torah Portion today, is Vayeira (Va YEAH Ra) from the book of Genesis. Many wonderful and familiar stories are told in this portion. It starts with Abraham welcoming strangers into his home and ends with the binding of Isaac. But in between a great deal happens, including God s messengers promising Sarah and Abraham a son, Abraham finding out he will be the father of a great nation, Abraham negotiating with God over Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot s wife turning into a pillar of salt. We learn more about the relationships between Lot and his daughters And Abi-melech s desire for Sarah,

2 Finally, we come to the birth of Isaac and the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael. I have often thought about these stories. I have wondered about the relationship between Abraham, and Isaac. I have been absolutely sure I would turn into a pillar of salt if I were Lot s wife. However, in the last months, I have been studying this Parashah in great detail with my fellow Bnai Mitzvah students and teachers. I am in awe of the complexity of these well known stories, and I am amazed how much we can learn as we struggle to understand their meaning. And after I was assigned the specific lines of the Parashah that I read aloud in Hebrew from the Torah today, I began to think more about Sarah. Today, I read Genesis, Chapter 21, verses 1 through 5. In those 5 verses: The Eternal remembered Sarah; Sarah bore a son to Abraham who was named Isaac by Abraham. Abraham circumcised Isaac as God commanded, And we are told, that Abraham was 100 years old. We are not told how old Sarah was in that section, but it is said elsewhere that she was 90. How amazing to have a child at age 90. Or probably age 91 because it happened a year after she heard the news at age 90. What a blessing from God after wanting a baby for so many years. Sarah waited almost as long as the CUBs waited to win the World Series! Sarah was blessed with a child at age 91, and I am blessed to become a Bat Mitzvah, in my senior years. Sarah laughed when she heard the news of a baby. People laughed when I told them I was going to become a Bat Mitzvah. Will you have a DJ? They asked. I laughed, myself, when I was told I would have to do a social service project. I have been a Social Worker for 40 years! I said, I have done social service all of my life. Becoming a mother changed Sarah s life. Becoming a Bat Mitzvah is changing mine. Sarah had to learn new skills and navigate her way through

3 new and old relationships, as have I. Sarah had to understand God s presence in her life, as have I. I have always felt connected to women named Sarah. My husband s mother, of blessed memory, was named Sarah. I never met her. Unfortunately, she died at age 26 from causes related to the Holocaust. We named our own daughter Sarah in her memory. Sarah is certainly an honorable name. The Biblical Sarah is the first of the 4 Matriarchs in the Torah. She is the mother of all of Israel. She is a symbol of righteousness, beauty and grace. She was kind to strangers and a helpmate to her husband. Yet, in our portion today we hear that she seemed to experience many of the same emotions that we ordinary people often feel: nervous laughter, doubt, embarrassment, shame, jealousy, competitive feelings, and protective feelings towards her child. Several times in this portion, Sarah s emotions are expressed by laughter. Sarah laughs inwardly when she hears the news that she will bear Abraham a son. Nachmanides said that Sarah should not have laughed. Nachmanides believed the proper response should be to say Amen, which means so shall it be because this was a blessing and Amen is what you say after a blessing. Yes it was a blessing, but it came as astounding news from a mysterious source. God was not even talking to Sarah, but was talking to Abraham, when Sarah heard that she would have a child. I imagine that Sarah might have been frightened and confused, as well as joyous and hopeful. So, Sarah laughed inwardly. But then, Sarah overhears God telling Abraham that God had heard her laugh. God assures Abraham, There is no wonder too difficult for the eternal. Sarah might have wondered, Who is this being that can hear my inner thoughts? What power does God hold? She tries to cover up by saying, I did not laugh. God then speaks directly to

4 Sarah and says; Ah but you did laugh. Did Sarah feel fear? Was she finally convinced of the presence and power of God? Was she reassured that she really would have a child at age of 91? We can only wonder. A year later God remembered Sarah and Sarah bore a son to Abraham. Again, Sarah uses laughter to express her feelings. Sarah exclaims God has brought me laughter; all who hear will laugh with me. Sarah s laughter could have many meanings. Sarah could have been delighted with her child and at the same time, concerned about raising a child at the age of 90, or 91. I believe that God LIKED hearing Sarah s laughter BECAUSE Abraham was told to name his new son Isaac, (or Yitzchak in Hebrew). In Hebrew, the name Yitzchak comes from the root word to laugh. Perhaps laughter is another blessing that God gave to all of us. Later in the portion we read that Sarah saw her young son playing with Ishmael, the son of Hagar. Sarah is so disturbed by what she saw when the two boys were playing together, that she asks Abraham to cast Ishmael and Hagar out of her house. The word used for playing in this portion (mi tza heck ) is also a derivative of the word laughter. It is unclear exactly what kind of playing the two boys were involved in. Some commentaries suggest that Ishmael, who was much older than Yitzhak, played at being Yitzhak. They also question if there was sexual play or abuse. Perhaps Sarah was afraid of serious rivalry from Ishmael that would threaten Yitzhak s, position as the first born son in the family. So Sarah tells Abraham: Cast this slave woman out of my house! For he will not inherit with my son Yitzhak. At this difficult moment, God appears, and gives an instruction to Abraham: Everything that Sarah is saying to you, listen to her voice. The next morning Abraham sends them into the desert with only bread and water.

5 I find Sarah s wish to protect her child understandable, but her solution to the problem quite harsh. Some say it was the only way to insure the growth of the nation of Israel and that separating the brothers allowed each one to develop into a nation that would reflect on the greatness of Abraham. On the suggestion of my daughter, Sarah, I read an interesting Dvar Torah written by Rabbi Ari Hart from the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale. Rabbi Hart shares a translation of what God said to Abraham after Sarah told him to cast out Hagar and Ishmael. According to this translation, God really did not say Do whatever Sarah wants you to do, instead, God said Everything that Sarah is saying to you, listen to her voice. To me, listening to her voice means recognizing that she was upset, talking to her about her feelings, and empathizing with her feelings. Rabbi Hart says that the rules for listening to another person are not unlike the rules for blowing the Shofar: Free yourself of distraction; don t interrupt; Treat the sound you are hearing as if it is the most important thing in the world. Perhaps if Abraham listened to Sarah in that way, a new solution would have been found that was not so harsh. Even though that would have changed Jewish history, there is a lesson to be learned here. We do need to listen to one another rather than cast away those who are disagreeable to us. This is particularly important in the world we live in today. Sarah was known for being kind and welcoming, but when she was concerned about the safety of her child, she was cruel. If someone had listened to her concerns, she might not have been. I will always think of Sarah as a strong woman who lived in difficult times and tried to do what was best in many confusing situations. At least once, when she was overwhelmed, she became cruel. At other times she was able to use laughter to release her tension. More often, she was kind, welcoming, and and helpful. We all have the capacity to be cruel as well as kind. We need to listen to each other s feelings and perspectives and try to solve problems rather

6 than harm or turn away those we do not agree with. We need to emulate the welcoming Sarah. My Bat Mitzvah social service project is giving me an opportunity to be welcoming to others in a way that is new and exciting, even after many years of being a social worker. In fact, it is another blessing for me in my senior years. At the suggestion of my sister, I have become a volunteer for the Special Gifts Theatre. This wonderful program works with youngsters who have disabilities to help them to put on a theatre production. This year it is The Lion King. I have had the pleasure of seeing these children, some of whom are withdrawn, silent, in wheelchairs, or constantly agitated, come together as a group, respond to music, and dance -because of the attentive care they receive by the warm hearted professionals and other volunteers who listen to their feelings, even when they are not able to speak. In conclusion, what are some of the things I have learned in the process of becoming a Bat Mitzvah? Be welcoming to other people and to the presence of God in your life Listen to one another, especially when tensions mount Laugh a lot Continue to accept new challenges at every stage of life And continue to learn from everyone around you

Torah Time.

Torah Time. Torah Time PARASHA Vayeira TORAH TIME Vayeira YHWH are the first two words found in this week s Torah parasha. The phrase simply means YHWH appeared. In this portion, YHWH reveals Himself to Abraham three