Hey readers!

What’s up? Hope you all had a fun filled week! I’m so excited to finally have a weekend off of tests, projects, and piles of schoolwork. This week’s parsha is Parshat Vayeira:

–          Avraham has just gotten a bris (circumcision) at 99 years old. It is a very difficult age to go through this, so Hashem makes a very hot sun so that no guests will come to Avraham, and he will be able to rest. But, Avraham is upset that no guests are coming, and stays at one of the entrances of his tent waiting for someone to come. So Hashem send three angels, dressed as humans, to Avraham’s tent. One says that Sarah, Avraham’s wife, will have a baby in one year. Sarah laughs, because she is 89 years old! The others say that the city of Sodom, where Avraham’s nephew Lot lives, will be destroyed because everyone there is wicked. Lot’s family will be saved.

–          The angels go destroy the city of Sodom, and as they are taking Lot’s family away, the angels warn them not to look back. Lot’s wife looks back and turns into a pillar of salt.

–          Avraham and Sarah move to Gerar. Sarah is taken captive by King Avimelech, but Hashem comes to him in a dream and tells him to release her, so he does.

–          Hashem remembers his promise to Avraham and Sarah, and Sarah gives birth to a boy at the age of 90. They name him Yitzchak. When Yitzchak is eight days old, they circumcise him and make a party.

–          Avraham is given a huge test by Hashem. He is told to take his only son, who he waited so many years for, and sacrifice him to Hashem. Yet Avraham was such a tzadik (righteous person), that he did not even argue. He brought up his son on Mount Moriah. As Avraham was about to sacrifice Yitzchak, and angel cried out and told Avraham that it was just a test and he should not sacrifice his son. Avraham sacrifices a ram instead.

–          The parsha ends telling us that Rivka, the daughter of Betuel, is born. (SPOILER ALERT! Rivka will one day marry Yitzchak.)

 

Avraham prepared to sacrifice his only son, whom he loved so much. He did not hesitate, but right away did what Hashem told him to do. This action shows us how much Mesirat Nefesh (self-sacrifice) and Kabalat Ol (acceptance of the yoke of heaven) Avraham had. Yitzchak was so special to him! Yet he did what Hashem asked. We should follow in Avraham’s ways. Sometimes, we may have a challenge in our life that may require us to give something up. But we must never forget that Hashem is behind everything. He always watches over us, and even if we don’t see it, He has a reason for everything.

So have you ever had a situation like that? Have you given up something that you loved? Comment! I love to read the comments!

Have a great shabbos!

<3 Tamar