What's yellow, then red, then blue, then used to wipe out an evil city?

 

 rambam

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/maimonides-rambam/

 

ramban

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/nahmanides-ramban/

 

ralbag

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gersonides

 

Kimchi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kimhi

 

sadya gaon

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/saadiah-gaon/

 

rashi

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/who-was-rashi/

 

sampson raphael hirsch

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/samson-raphael-hirsch-the-father-of-neo-orthodoxy/

 

Or Hahchayim

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaim_ibn_Attar

 

Seforno

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obadiah_ben_Jacob_Sforno

 

 

nechama leibovitz

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/nehama-leibowitz-the-paradigm-of-a-torah-teacher/

 

Dr. Aviva Zornberg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avivah_Gottlieb_Zornberg

 

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Sacks,_Baron_Sacks

 

ABRAHAM REMINDS GOD TO BE  RIGHTEOUS FOR THE RIGHTEOUS

When the three men [Abraham had been hosting] got ready to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked part of the way with them. Adonai spoke inwardly, “Should I tell Abraham what I am going to do, since his family will become a great and powerful nation that will be a blessing to all the other nations on earth? I have chosen him to teach his family to obey me forever and to do what is right and fair. If they do, I will give Abraham many descendants, just as I promised.” So Adonai said, “Abraham, I have heard such an outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, that their evil is so heavy! Now I am going down to see for Myself they are acting like that outcry, and I will know if not.”

 

The men turned and started toward Sodom. But Adonai stayed with Abraham. And Abraham asked him, “Adonai, when you destroy the evil people, are you also going to destroy those who are good? What if there are fifty righteous people in it? You surely wouldn't wipe out the city and not forgive it if there are fifty righteous people there. You are the judge of all the earth, and you do what is right!”  Adonai replied, “If I find fifty good people in Sodom, I will save the city to keep them from being killed.”

Abraham answered, “I am nothing more than the dust of the earth. Please forgive me, Adonai, for daring to speak to you like this. But suppose there are only forty-five righteous  people in Sodom. Would you still wipe out the whole city?”

“If I find forty-five Tzadikim,” Adonai replied, “I won't destroy the city.”-

“Suppose there are just forty righteous people?” Abraham asked. “Even for them,” Adonai replied, “I won't destroy the city.”  Abraham said, “Please don't be angry, Adonai, if I ask you what you will do if there are only thirty righteous  people in the city.” “If I find thirty,” God replied, “I still won't destroy it.” Then Abraham said, “I don't have any right to ask you, Adonai, but what would you do if you find only twenty?” “Because of them, I won't destroy the city,” was Adonai's answer.

Finally, Abraham said, “Please don't get angry, God, if I speak just once more. Suppose you find only ten righteous people there.” “For the sake of ten righteous  people,” Adonai told him, “I still won't destroy the city.” After speaking with Abraham, God ascended, and Abraham went back to his home.

 

 

 

1)     This quiz is mostly on Sulfur.  That’s chemistry, not Torah portion. Has Mar Hirsch gone and lost his mind this time?

a)    Yes, he’s flipped his lid. Popped his cork.  Pringled his brainpan.

b)    Maybe he’s  whiffed his wuffle,  it’s hard to tell.  Maybe not.

c)     Obviously he has finally Zippled his zongle. 

d)    It don’t think so, he may just be joking.

e)     I think he’s up to something, dude.

 

2)    How common is sulfur in the universe (by mass)?

a)    Incredibly rare, as it needs water to form.

b)    Rare, but not exceedingly so.

c)     Common-  like tenth most common element.

d)    Super common, right after Hydrogen and Helium.

e)     Sulfur is the single most common element in the universe. Stars are made of sulfur, dude. 

 

3)    What color is solid Sulfur?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep crimson.

e)     Don’t be fooled,  dude, sulfur is a transparent gas.

 

4)    How common is sulfur in the earth’s crust?

a)    Incredibly common, with all the water on earth

b)    Really common, like 5^th most common element in the crust.

c)     Common,  like tenth most common element, like in the rest of the universe

d)    Rare,  like platinum or something.

e)     Sulfur is the single most rare element in the universe. It’s millions of dollars an ounce, dude.

 

5)    Sulfur melts at what temperature Celcius?

a)    32 degrees.

b)    100 degrees

c)     115 degrees

d)    200 degrees

e)     1,875.23 degrees.

 

6)    What color is molten sulfur?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep Crimson.

e)     Don’t be fooled,  dude, sulfur never melts, it just burns. 

 

7)    What does it mean if a meteor ends in an Airburst?

a)    It means it was never visible to the human eye

b)    It means the meteor burst up before hitting the ground

c)     It means the meteor bursts up before entering the atmosphere

d)    It means that the meteor made a glittery streak across the sky.

e)     It means the Jewish space lasers have failed.

 

8)    What color is sulfur when it burns?

a)    Periwinkle.

b)    Canary Yellow

c)     Royal Blue

d)    A deep Crimson.

e)     Dude, sulfur doesn’t burn, it explodes.  

 

9)    What famous sushi roll is named for the water sprites featured in Harry Potter?  (nothing to do with sulfur)

a)    Tekka Maki

b)    Hoso maki

c)     Futomaki

d)    Kappa Maki

e)     Hirschen Maki

 

10) Burning sulfur produces SO2,  Sulfur dioxide.  What happens when that reacts with water?

a)    It makes nothing. SO2 does not react with water.

b)    It releases its oxygen back into nature.

c)     It makes carbon disulfide, which is inert and doesn’t do much.

d)    It makes  Hydrogen Sulfide, which stinks so bad it is what you smell in natural gas.

e)     It makes sulfuric acid, dude!  Acid Rain! Lung Damage!  Evil stuff, dude!

 

11)  What the heck does this have to do with the Parsha? Take a guess.

 

 

https://www.timesofisrael.com/evidence-of-sodom-meteor-blast-cause-of-biblical-destruction-say-scientists/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2018/12/04/new-science-suggests-biblical-city-of-sodom-was-smote-by-an-exploding-meteor/?sh=32714b345c67

and here’s my favorite: Sodom and Gomorrah: Fires Created by Ignition of Combustible Gases by Earthquake-Impelled Thermobaric-Hydrothermal Explosions

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/sodom-and-gomorrah-fires-created-by-ignition-of-combustible-gases-byearthquakeimpelled-thermobarichydrothermal-explosions-2329-6755-1000202.pdf

 

 

 

 

THE FALL OF SODOM AND ITS SUBURBS:  BERAYSHEET 19

Two of the angels who visited Abraham and Sarah traveled on to Sodom.  Loht, Avrom’s nephew, is the only one in the town who offers them shelter overnight.  When the rest of the town finds out there are travelers in town, they come to assault the travelers and Loht, but they are driven back by the Sanveirim of the angels. And then…

The two angels said to Loht, “Adonai has heard many terrible things about the people of Sodom, and so has sent us here to destroy the city. Take your family and leave. Take every relative you have in the city, as well as the men your daughters are going to marry.” Loht went to the men who were engaged to his daughters and said, “Hurry up and get out of here! Adonai is going to destroy this city.” But they thought he was joking, and they laughed at him.

 

Early the next morning the two angels tried to make Loht hurry and leave. They said, “Take your wife and your two daughters and get away from here as fast as you can! If you don't, every one of you will be killed when Adonai destroys the city.” Loht ֓hesitated instead of leaving. But Adonai wanted to save him, so the angels took Loht, his wife, and his two daughters by the hand and led them out of the city. When they were outside, one of the angels said, “Run for your lives! Don't even stop to look back. And don't stop in the valley! Run to the hills, only there will you be safe.”

The sun was coming up as Loht reached the suburb of Zoar,  and Adonai sent burning sulfur down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah. God destroyed those cities and everyone who lived in them, as well as their land and the trees and grass that grew there. On the way, Loht's wife stopped to look back and became like a pillar of salt.

That same morning Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood and spoken with Adonai. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah and saw smoke rising from all over the land—it was like a flaming furnace. But it was that when God destroyed the cities of the valley where Loht lived, he remembered his promise to Abraham and saved Loht from the terrible destruction.

 

 

 

THE PEOPLE OF SODOM AND THEIR LAWS

  Mishnah, Avot 5:13

אַרְבַּע מִדּוֹת בָּאָדָם. הָאוֹמֵר שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, זוֹ מִדָּה בֵינוֹנִית. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים, זוֹ מִדַּת סְדוֹם. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, עַם הָאָרֶץ. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלְּךָ וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלָּךְ, חָסִיד. שֶׁלִּי שֶׁלִּי וְשֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁלִּי, רָשָׁע:

There are four temperaments among people: the one who says "what is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" -- that's an [average] temperament. And there are some who say that is the temperament of Sodom. [A second type is one who says] "what is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" -- [that's an] am ha'aretz . "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours" -- [that's a] pious person. "What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine" -- [that's a] wicked person. 

Pirke d’Rabbi Eliezer (Midrash)  25

Rabbi Zeira said: “The people of Sodom were the wealthiest people in the world since they were from the richest and best soil of the world and all of their early needs could be derived from it, as it says: “its dust contains gold dust” (Job 28:6). When a person wanted to go out and get for himself vegetables, he would say to his servant, “get for me an issar worth of veggies.” The servant would go and harvest the greens and find gold in the soik, as it says: “its dust contains gold dust.” And silver would come out of it, as it is written: “There is a mine for silver.” (Job 28:1) Precious stones and jewels would come out of it: “Its rocks are a source of sapphire.” (verse 6)….  

 

Rabbi Joshua ben Korha said: Yet they were never concerned with the honor of their Creator and so provide food for guests and strangers;  rather they would cut of the branches of fruit trees above the fruit so as not to provide benefit to birds of the heavens: “No bird of prey knows the path of it.” (Job 28:7)

 

 

 

BAVLI  SANHEDRIN 109b

A) There were four judges in Sodom:   Shak’rai (The Liar) , Sha’kurai (The Lying Liar), Zay’yafi (The Forger), and Matzle-Dina (The Perverter of Justice).

·       If one cut off the ear of his fellow’s donkey, they would order, “Give the donkey to him [the attacker] to make the ear grow back.”

·       If one wounded his fellow they would say to him [the victim], “Give him a fee for making you bleed.”

·       He who crossed over with the ferry had to pay four zuzim, while he who crossed through the water on his own had to pay eight.

·       If one put out rows of bricks out for sale every person came and took one, saying, “I only took one.”  If one spread out garlic or onions [to dry them], every person came and took one, saying, “I only took one.”

 

B) On one occasion, a certain cloth merchant happened to come there. Said they to him, “Give us four zuzim [for the use of the ferry].” But, protested he, “I crossed through the water!” “If so,” said they, “you must give eight zuzim for passing through the water.” He refused to give it, so they beat him severely. He went before the judge, who told the merchant “Give them a fee for bleeding you and eight zuzim for crossing through the water.” 

 

Now Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, happened to be there and had also been beaten. When he went before the judge, the judge said, “Give them a fee for making you bleed.” Thereupon Eliezer took a stone and struck the judge. “What is this?!” the Judge exclaimed. Eliezer replied, “The fee that you now owe me for bloodletting,  give to this man [who attacked me], and my money will remain just as it is.”

 

 C) Now, they had beds upon which travelers slept. If he [the guest] was too long, they shortened him [by lopping off his feet]; if too short, they stretched him out. Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, happened to be there. Said they to him, “Why not get up [off the ground where you are resting] and sleep on this bed!” He replied, “Oh, what a shame! I have vowed since the day of my mother’s death not to sleep in a bed.”

 

 

 

B’REYSHEET  18:20-21

 (כ) וַיֹּאמֶר יְקֹוָק זַעֲקַת סְדֹם וַעֲמֹרָה כִּי רָבָּה וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי כָבְדָה מְאֹד:

(כא) אֵרֲדָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה:

20 And the LORD said: ‘Verily, the cry ( זעקת ) of Sodom and Gomorrah is great ( רבה ), and, verily, their sin is exceeding grievous. 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it ( הכצעקתה ), which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.’ 22

B’REYSHEET RABBAH 49:6--  I WILL GO DOWN NOW (XVIII, 21).  Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught: This is one of the ten descents mentioned in the Torah. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them the opportunity of repenting. For it says, “I will go down now, and see whether they have done according to the cry of it, then it is an end –“ they must be completely destroyed; and if not, I -will know, i.e. I will teach them that the Attribute of Justice exists in the world.  Rabbi Levi said: “God said ‘Even if I wished to keep silent, justice for a certain young woman (ribah) does not permit Me to keep silent.’  

For it once happened that two girls in Sodom went down to draw water from a well. One said to the other, ‘Why are you so pale?’  ‘We have no more food left and are ready to die,’ replied the second. What did the first girl  do? She filled her pitcher with flour and they exchanged [their pitchers], each taking the other’s. When they [the Sodomites] discovered this, they took and burnt her alive for violating the law: “what is yours is yours”. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘Even if I desired to be silent, justice for that young girl does not permit Me to keep silent. Hence it does not say, whether they have done according to their cry [namely, the cry of the Sodomites]; but ACCORDING TO HER CRY ‘- the cry of that maidenha.

 

 

 

When Grandpa Abe Went To War

List of Big Bible moments

1.    Moses smashes the 10 commandments when he sees the golden calf being worshipped.

2.    Elijah the prophet is taken up in a chariot of fire

3.    All Israel comes to Devorah the Judge for justice where she holds court her special tree.

4.    Jacob wrestles with a stranger in the dark by the river, demanding a blessing

5.    Miriam leads the people in song after the splitting of the Reed Sea.

6.    Solomon finishes building  the Temple and holds an 8 day festival.

7.    David brings the ark up to Jerusalem.

8.    Moses carves a second set of tablets for the 10 commandments

9.    Moses blesses and ordains Joshua to be the next leader.

10.  The plague of hail strikes Egypt.

 

BERESHEET/GENESIS 14: WHEN GRANDPA ABE WENT TO WAR

[The invading kings coming south] seized all the wealth of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions, and went their way.  They also took Loht, the son of Avram’s brother, and his possessions, and departed; for he had settled in Sodom.  A fugitive brought the news to Avram the Ivri, (who was dwelling among the terebinth trees of Mamre the Amorite, kinsman of Eshkol and Aner, these being Avram’s allies). When Avram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he mustered his chanichim*, born into his household, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

*”retainers,”  members of his camp,  employees or servants capable of bearing arms.

He and his servants split up at night, and defeated them; and he pursued them as far as Hobah, which is north of Damascus.  He brought back all the possessions; he also brought back his relative Loht and his possessions, and the female captives and everyone else. 

GOOGLE MAPS?  LET'S SEE! 

When he [Avram] returned from defeating Khadar’la-omer and the kings with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet Avram in the Valley of Shaveh, which is the Valley of the King.   And [at the same time] King Melchi-Zedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of El Elyon/God Most High.  He blessed him [Avram], saying, “Blessed be Avram of God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.  And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your foes into your hand.” And [Avram] gave him a tenth of everything [he had captured].

Then the king of Sodom said to Avram, “Give me the people, and you take the stuff for yourself.”  But Avram said to the king of Sodom, “I swear to Adonai,  El Elyon/God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth:   I will not take so much as a shoelace or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, ‘It is I who made Avram rich.’ For me, nothing but what my servants have used up; as for the share of the men who went with me—Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre—let them take their share.”

1) Why does  Avram (soon to be Abraham) want to make sure nobody will say the King of Sodom made Avram rich? Is it something the king says, believes or does? Or is it something else? (Hint: what happens to the city of Sodom?)

 

 

 

2)   Give an explanation for Avram’s donations to the King of Shalem, because a tenth of what you capture in battle is a good sized chunk.   

 

 

 

3)  If Avram can pull 318 chanicnhim (retainers or soldiers) from his camp,  just how many people does he and Sarai  have working for them?    

 

4)Why does Avram, who lives south in Mamre, east of the Salt Sea, peruse his enemies past where he finds them at Dan, to the other (northern) side of Damascus (see map)?

 

5)Where did Avram learn millitary tactics like a night attack?  Make a short midrash-  tell us your theory or story.  possibility .

 

 

6) Are any elements of the story in this parsha still an issue today,  such as kidnapping, war, or political alliances?  If so, which ones? Or is this story too old to have any connection to our lives today?

 

 

What’s Bothering Rashi  in Parshat Lech Lecha?

Rashi,  known in his time as Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki (1040-1105 CE),  is known as the greatest of Jewish commentators, both for his commentary on Torah and on almost the entire 2,711 pages of the Talmud Bavli.  Rashi was a wine maker or merchant as well as a Rosh Yeshiva who lived in Troyes, France, in the heart of Champagne wine growing region.   Unlike so many others,  Rashi’s community was not wiped out by Crusaders. Students from all over  France and Germany to study Torah with him.

 

What question, conflict, problem or issue is bothering Rashi such that he makes his comment?   Rashi is giving us an answer- so what is his question?

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GENESIS 17: (THE LAST CHAPTER IN LECH LECHA)

And God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sa’rai, you shall not call her Sarai, but her name shall be Sa’rah. I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she shall give rise to nations; rulers of peoples shall issue from her.” Abraham bowed with his face to the ground  and laughed, as he said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old, or can Sarah bear a child at ninety?”

And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live by Your favor!” God said, “Nevertheless, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall name him Yitzhak; and I will maintain My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring to come.  As for Ishmael, I have heeded you. I hereby bless him. I will make him fertile and exceedingly numerous. He shall be the father of twelve chieftains, and I will make of him a great nation. But My covenant I will maintain with Yitzhak, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year.”

לא תקרא את שמה שרי YOU SHALL SHALL NOT CALL HER NAME SARAI which means “my princess”— a princess to me and not to others — BUT SARAH, in a more general sense, SHALL BE HER NAME: she shall be princess over all (Talmud, Berakhot 13a).

1) What’s bothering Rashi about Sarah’s name?

 

 

 

וברבתי אותה AND I WILL BLESS HER — And in what did the blessing consist? In that she resumed her youthfulness, as it is said, (Genesis 18:12) “shall I have the pleasure of youth again?” (Midrash, Genesis Rabbah 47:2)

2) What’s bothering Rashi about God blessing Sarah?

 

 

אם שרה הבת תשעים שנה OR SHALL SARAH, WHO IS NINETY YEARS OLD be worthy to bear a son? Although the previous generations used to have children at the age of five hundred years, yet in Abraham’s days the length of life had already become shorter and a diminishment of strength had come upon people. Go and learn this from the ten generations from Noah to Abraham who begot their children at the then early age of sixty or seventy.

3) What’s bothering Rashi about Sarah? 

 

 

 

 

קראת את שמו יצחק AND YOU SHALL NAME HIM YITZHAK  — with reference to his laughter. Some say the name has reference to the ten (י) trials, the ninety (צ) years of Sarah’s age, the eight (ח) days of the circumcision and the hundred (ק) years of Abraham’s age (Genesis Rabbah 53:7).

4) What’s bothering Rashi about Yitzhak’s name?