Dear TBZ Community:
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח־הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם
Adonai appeared to him (to Abraham) by the terebinths of Mamre;
he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot
These are the first words of this week’s Torah portion, Vayera. After the journey that began in last week’s parasha (Torah portion), Lech Lecha, and some challenges along the way, Abraham has settled in a place and is literally sitting (yoshev) at the entrance of his tent. As he sits in this place he is visited by three anashim (people, figures) who are understood as people of God or angels. And they have a message for Abraham.
This moment is understood in our tradition as one of welcoming and opening to guests, as well as a moment of the fulfillment of the mitzvah (commandment) of bikkur cholim (visiting the sick): the 99-year-old Abraham sits in the doorway of his tent, on what the biblical commentators tell us was day three after his brit mila (circumcision). Three “people” then come to visit him as he heals, fulfilling the obligation of bikkur cholim, the Jewish value of visiting the sick. We also know that Abraham and Sarah become an example of welcoming guests (hachnasat orchim): they welcome these strangers, even before knowing who they were, before knowing the message they have to give, in the heat of the day (kechom hayom, which isn’t the most comfortable time). Despite all of this, Abraham welcomes them.
Rabbi Natan of Breslov, the main disciple of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, in his book Likutei Halachot (a commentary on the Shulchan Arukh [Code of Torah Law] inspired by the teachings of R’ Nachman of Breslov) reads this verse (Hilchot Ishut 4:19) in a way that can be meaningful and important to us at this moment and at every moment:
R’ Natan understands the moment of Adonai appearing to Abraham in the entrance of the tent as a moment of God’s revelation to Abraham, of course, but he adds that the way to experience God’s revelation is to sit in this place called היכלי התמורת . Perhaps we can translate it as the place of confusion, the place of exchanges. It is in that place where the confusion happens, where the complexity exists, where things are not easy, that the work of separating the kedusha (holiness) happens. It is also a place known as Alonei Mamre (Oaks of Mamre), a spot where one lone tree has grown since… forever. R’Natan’s text plays with the meaning of these words and the many names given to this important place. R’ Natan suggests that the place where Abraham sits is a hard place, a place where kechom hayom is the capacity to overcome the heat of that which is bad and wrong, the capacity to overcome the yetzer (evil inclinations). In R’ Natan’s interpretation of this text (or in my understanding of it), sitting in a place of challenge is an opportunity to separate and lift up that which is holy, that which can guide us to encounter the Divine. The place of petach (the entrance) is a place of opening, but it is also a difficult place.
And sitting in that place, as hard as it is, is part of the practice of finding Divine sparks. R’ Natan adds another image that may be helpful:
To the verse in Exodus 14:10:
וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־יְהֹוָה
As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites caught sight of the Egyptians advancing upon them. Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried out to Adonai.
R’ Natan suggests that instead of reading it literally, as the moment of Pharaoh getting physically closer to the people of Israel as they run away from him, that the הִקְרִיב (drew near), means that in that moment of danger, of facing evil, challenges, and fears, they were drawn closer to God.
So how can this teaching speak to us? Especially this week after the elections in our country, and even though we don’t yet know the full results, we know there will be challenges for the future.
R’ Natan invites us to remember that in the places where we encounter challenges, fear, and even evil, we can find kedusha (holiness). The work of finding holiness, openings and possibilities from redemption, comes from the hard work of sitting in the places where things are not always easy and that, like Abraham, we need to sit, sometimes still, facing that which we encounter and not run away. The entrance of the tent, the place of היכלי התמורת, the places of confusion, are places that we do not run away from, but stay in it, even when it gets hot and uncomfortable. And from that place, we continue the work of separating the holiness that exists.
I like to call that not giving up, resilience, and hope.
Reading both the traditional interpretations of this moment with Abraham as a moment of the fulfillments of the mitzvot of bikkur cholim and hachnasat orchim, together with the teaching of R’ Natan of Breslov, reminds me that the entrance of the tent is a place of opportunity for good, for blessing, for welcoming, and for comforting – even when that entrance, that place that we sit on is a difficult place.
May we find the courage to sit in difficult places, in difficult realities, and not run away, but stay committed to the work of finding holiness, not losing hope, not giving up.
May this Shabbat bring renewal and blessings to all of you and your loved ones.
May we find strength, courage, and patience, and open our hearts with generosity.
May all those who are ill find healing. And may we have a joyful, sweet, and peaceful Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rav Claudia