Vayeira - 3rd Portion

Join me as we learn for today, the third day of Tuesday parishes vira chapter 19 verse one. And the two angels were walking slowly and they finally arose arrived at Sadom in the evening and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sadom saw them and he got up to greet them and he prostrated himself on the ground. What is the what happened here? If you look there's something interesting in the difference that when they come to Ara they're called men. when they come to Elo they're called angels why is that we also see that the two angels came why two so says one was to destroy stone and one to save lo that's the same angel say that came to heal because every [clears throat] single angel already completed his mission had a certain mission this one completed his mission and saving and healing are part of the same mission. The third one that came to tell Sarah that she was going to have a child. He already did his job. So he went and left and did not take part in the destruction of Sadom Angels. Why over here does he call them angels and by he called them men? Because when a went and by a when the was with them he called them men meaning because the divine presence was there and the malim and the angels in the presence of the divine [clears throat] are insignificant to can be considered as angels because the the divine presence is even greater than them. So therefore in relative to the they were considered men another explanation of why the change of language that he was great and he had angels coming there all the time. So by him they were like men. So therefore he calls them men but by who wasn't accustomed to having angels. It was something that his level was much lower than he calls them angels. But in the evening, did it take them that long to get from to Sodom? Is it that far? They left the middle of the day. What took so long? They're angels of mercy. And they were waiting. They were waiting and waiting and waiting to see. maybe Ara will be able to find a reason some defense on them on some merit that they not should not be destroyed. So they were delaying their mission until maybe something would happen. Was sitting at the gateway of it says it doesn't say with but it says he was sitting meaning it was that day that they just made him. It wasn't that it was all the time that day they made him a uh they appointed him a judge on them. And meaning even though was not the greatest righteous person. Even though light was in the city of stone and he was influenced by the people of the city of Stone. But what he learned in the house of Ara, he never forgot. And he learned that you always have to honor guests. And therefore he went to welcome these individuals that he saw coming into Saddam. And they said to Lot, he said, "Lot said to the angels," now my masters, now my lords, please turn aside and come to my home. Come to your servants home, rest over, wash your feet. You'll get up early. You'll go continue on your way. Even when they responded, we'll spend our night in the square instead in the street. Rashi explains and says as follows. What is the word no? Means now you are important to me. Now that you came, I have the opportunity to have you and to serve you. Please. Another explanation is now you got to be careful from the evil people around there. They should not realize that your guest. Therefore, I'm giving you advice. Therefore, I give you something to do that you should be careful and come over to my home. [snorts] Why does he tell them go to the side? Take like a side road. Do a side street. So therefore it will not bring attention and people shall they shouldn't recognize that you're coming there. Therefore he says come but he us doesn't say come in the word but he says come to the side meaning take the side entrance or take the side row that nobody should recognize where you're there and rest over and wash your feet. Why does he say first sleep over and then wash your feet? says it makes sense that a person first goes to sleep and then they shower and then they wash and even more so he tells them first to wash themselves. What's going on over here? He was afraid of the people of Sodom. This is what Lord said to himself. If the people of Saddam are going to come to me and tell me take out your guest, they'll see that they washed their feet. They'll accuse me. They said ah these people are here for two three days to your house you didn't tell us therefore he said rather let them come into my house with dirty feet like this it look like they just came therefore he tells them first rest over and then afterwards wash yourself but they tell him and they refuse They right away said we're going to come over. We learn here. We learn respect that if it's a small fellow that a very important person, if it's a regular individual, you can say no, you don't want to bother them. But when it comes to an important person telling you something or offering you to come, you should never refuse. Nolan as we learned yesterday can have many different languages, many different interpretations and only because so in this case as well is telling them we're not going going to your house but we're going to stay in the middle of the street. Verse three, he pleaded with them very strongly love and they turned his way when they came to his house and he made for them a meal party a feast and he baked matas for them and they ate. Verse three love. Why does it tell us already says that they're coming to his house? Why does he say love? to tell us that they came through the sideways mata. Why did he bake matz? Because as we mentioned, when did the angels come to home? This was just the next day or later on in the day. So therefore, it was pes verse four. They had not yet gone to sleep. And the people of the city and the people of Saddam gathered around the home surrounded the home from young and old. All the people from every quarter. Verse four. Why does he have to tell us again the people of the city, the people of this is the way it's explained in before they even had a time to lay down the people of the city were already speaking about meaning they were talking about the the angels were talking about it. They were asking what is going on with these people here and he tells them most of them are evil while they're still sitting and talking and chatting about the people of Saddam and it came to fruition what they were talking about the people of Saddam surrounded the house and you can see what happened that's the simple interpretation is the people of the city which is the people of Saddam They were terrible people. They surrounded the home because since these evil people were the people of Sodom and because of their evil they were known the people of Saddam are the evil people. It was well known that the people of Saddam were evil and sinful. What does this mean? All the people from edge to edge. All the people. Nobody stopped. Every single person participated. Meaning that they were all terrible people. Everybody was part of this. Nobody stopped them. Nobody protested. They didn't even have one righteous person amongst them. Verse five, they called out to light. We are the men that came to you tonight. Take them out. bring them out to us then so we can know them. What does it mean we can know them? So Rashi explains this was not just knowing them. They wanted to know them in a uh in a cruel way in an intimate way to sim with them like whenever he uses the terminology of intimacy that a person didn't know the man the person wasn't intimate with them. The Torah now continues with verse 8. I'm sorry, verse six. Lot went out to them by the door and the door closed behind them. And he said to them, I beg you, my brothers, do not commit such wrong. Verse eight, behold, I have two daughters who have never known a man. They have never been intimate with a man. I will bring them out to you and do as you please with them, but only to these men. Do not do anything because they have come under the shelter of my roof. I'm sorry. Verse eight. Do me this favor that they came. Do this favor for me. Because these people came to be with me in my home. So therefore, I have an obligation to care for them. meaning he explains the word under my roof but he also means under that I have to occupy myself with them to deal with them to serve them to be there for them verse 9 and they said to them get out of the way we're not interested in your daughters and they said this guy came as a sjourer And he became now a judge. And now we will deal even worse with you than with them. They pressed hard against the man against light. Very much so. And they tried to break the door down. So Rashi explains in verse 9 meaning they told him get over here come to the side. that he was distancing himself. Anytime you find the word means means distance throw it far that he would throw the incense that we see in the book of numbers it's from here and further come meaning don't go far away come close this is a way of getting angry as screaming at them as screaming at him we don't trust you we're not afraid of you we find someplace else the same terminology come close but don't touch him move to the side before me I will be able to sit next to you so too in our case when he's talking about you're trying to protect and your guest that you brought into your house how do you have the guts how do you have the nerve to be able to bring guest into your home Rashi continues to say is you see over here it says twice and they said why does it say twice because there's two responses what they're giving to load said number one that he was going to give them the daughters and number two that he said they came to stay by me so first of all they say when he said about the daughters they told him come over here like we're not interested in your daughters and this that he said the very fact that he was protecting his guest and saying they came to stay by me. This is when they got angry and they started saying the one guy comes this a journey. He's a stranger. You came from a fare place and you come to sit shabbasa from another side in the river longer and slated to live by uses and you became over all of a sudden like a judge and you start rebuking us that you can have guest when you're telling us what to do and you're not listening to the customs of the place means the door that is like the hinge the place we are is to be able to open up the door which was there to be able to unlock that they should be able to get it. So the angels that came they the men said the men the people so the men stretched out their hands they brought back into the home and they locked the door 11 verse 11 and the people that were outside the home at the entrance of the miraculously were struck with blindness from young and old and therefore they tried in vain to find the door. Verse number 11. There's the actual door which is called delis. That's the opening that you enter and go out from. What is san? This is a plague of blindness which doesn't allow them see clearly what was going on. What is this telling us? The young guys were the ones that started the evil transgression. Therefore, where did the punishment start with the young ones as well? Now the angels start telling Elot to get ready to leave the city and the people told lot as follows. Who else do you have here? Son-in-law your sons your daughters whatever you have in the city you got to take out of here. the simple interpretation of the verses. Who else lives here that's related to you? Besides your wife and daughters that are at home, anybody else have a son-in-law sons bunnies, daughters, you got to take them out. What is your sons? The children of your daughters that are married that may be in the city that don't live in your home. The medish gives another interpretation meaning being that the people of the city act so terribly. Do you even have an excuse to excuse such type of behavior? The whole night was trying to find and defend the people to be able to remove the terrible decree and say they're not so bad and trying to find some type of excuse. He says, "Look what these people are want to do. Look inside. Tell me what else you have here. What else?" The words, "What other excuses can you say for these individuals? Look what you have here." With this, Lot had two married daughters and therefore he went to tell them what was going to happen. Why is he telling them? Why do why do you have to tell them to take out? Because we're destroying this place because the outcry before Hashem became very great. God sent us to destroy it. Therefore, he lo after they told Lot what they're planning to do. salot went to his married daughters to tell them and he spoke to his sons-in-law of the people that married his daughters and his daughter's fiances and he said let's get out of this place because God is destroying the city and it was like a joke in the eyes of his son-in-law he had two daughters married in a two daughters that were married in the city. These two daughters that were living at home, these two daughters that were at home were engaged, had fiances that were not living in the home. And therefore, he went to tell them as well. Verse 15, and his dome was breaking. And the angels urged Lo saying, "Come, come. Take your wife and your two daughters and hear before you be you'll be obliterated in the [snorts] an account of the city's sinfulness 15 what is the word like the which means he pushed them he said let's go we got to get he was hurrying them up the ones that were there those that are here in the to save them. There's a lot of men here. However, this is the simple interpretation according to the verse. The word comes from the word destruction to be destroyed. They also might be killed. The whole generation would be killed. But as the tarum says the all be destroyed. Verse 15. Verse 16, I'm sorry. Verse 16. And she lingered. And the men grabbed her by the hand. She was lingered. She wanted to take all her stuff and the hand of took his handish in the hand of his wife. The hand of his daughters with the compassion that Hashem had on him. He took him out and he placed them and he led them outside the city. Why was he lingering? And interestingly enough, if you look at the trump, the canellation that's on the only very few times they have this canellation which is called the shell, it's a zigzag going back and forth. And this is always used when there was hesitation. You find this here, you find it later. For example, when Yoseph was being seduced by the wife of every time there's a little hesitation or questioning, you have this this long chall because there was a hesitation. What was the hesitation? He wanted his money. [snorts] What does it mean? one was there as a messenger to help them to save them and the other messenger to turn over Saddam. Therefore, he uses a singular ter terminology doesn't say and they said because only one of them was saving them. Verse 17 was while they were taking them out and he said, "Run for your life. Run for your life. Do not look back and do not stop in any of the plain. Run towards the mountains. Runs towards the hills. Be safe. So you should not be obliterated with them. Rashi 17. What does it mean on your soul? was because Lo wanted to save all this money and all this stuff. So therefore, the angel was telling him it's enough that your life is being saved. Don't worry about getting money. Don't look back. Why truthfully you sinned and you were evil just like them and you should be punished with them. Only reason you're being saved is only in the merit of being saved. Therefore, you don't have the right. You're not worthy enough to see how they're being punished and you're being saved. And therefore, do not look back or you will be destroyed with them. What is the whole plane? This was the area of the area of the Jordan, which Saddam was in its territory where Lot lived. go towards the mountains meaning to the mountain toward that he's in the mountain that we learned previously in the verse that he moved to the mountain even in the time of being saved was still there as it says he went to the place where his tent was there to begin with even though that it says later on that moved and he was an elen Abraham had a lot of real estate. He had places all over the place and it went all the way until he what does it mean to be saved? The way you should be able to get out of it that if you run out of the territory you'll be able to be saved and therefore you will not be consumed with the city. Call anytime you see the word in the verse it means in old French to be saved slipping out for example as the fetus comes out of the womb or as a bird slips moves and continues also they weren't able to the idolatry were not able to carry the waste that was with them and they therefore it's they they had to get rid of it. All different terminologies in the verse where he uses the word. Verse 18 said to them, "Oh God, no." Verse 19. Verse 18, Rashi said this is God's name wasn't referring to the Malik because he says afterwards that I shall be saved so the one who has the power to give life and to take away life says he was asking as a request from God please [snorts] a lightly Please don't tell me to run to the mountain. No. The word no means please don't force me to go to the mountain. Verse 19. Your servant has found favor in your eyes and you were bound in kindness that you did with me to save my life. But I cannot go towards the mountains. I can't escape towards the mountains. Lest the evil cling to me and I will die. What does he mean by this? Rashi says as follows. Text number n verse 19. What does it mean that the the evil will cling to me? And he explains lot was concerned when I was by the people of God saw the actions my actions and the actions of the people of the city and I was considered a righteous person. Therefore I was worthy of being saved. But the problem is now that when I'm going to come to Ara who's a righteous person and I then will look like a bad guy. So therefore I don't want to go there until now when I'm by the bad guys I look like a good guy. But when I'm by the good guys I'm going to look like a bad guy. We see a similar thing where this similar thing they said to Elijah did you come to me to mention my sins? you came to me and I was considered righteous amongst them now you're coming to me I'm considered a equal evil person that means when I'm amongst evil people I'm great but now that you come to me Elijah I look like a bad person what is then the angel respond therefore please well I'm sorry the lo tells the angel please there is a town called Bella it's very close by that I should be able to run there and I and I can escape there it's smaller it is less let me escape there it is smaller and I can survive meaning that there. People haven't settled there yet. It's new. It's a new settlement. Therefore, the anger of Hashem may not be against it that much. They haven't sinned that much. What does it mean? How close? It's only from the generation of that people split all over and they were building new cities and this was one of them. And each person was settling in their places. And this was in the city in the year that Pelleg died from that time until the stone was destroyed was about 52 years because Pel died when Ara was 48 years old and now Ara when stone was being turned over and destroyed Ara was 99 comes out was only 52 years old. Narashi continues. Kate said, "How is it possible that Pel that Pel should live for 29 years after he gave birth to samehem if you're going to count the amount of times B is 32 years when was born and from was born is another 30 years. You have 30 plus 30 is 62 was born 29. So you have 62 + 29 you have 91 and then from when there from when was born until was born is another 70 years left with now 161. So you have that means from when Abra was born was 161 years until Ru then had another 48 years of Abra's life. So you have now 209 years of after was born that year was the year when everything split up was the year that they built the tower and everything happened when was destroyed was 99 years old because that's when the angels came to him. It was right after his circumcision. What do we see from here? What's Rash's point? That means from the generation of the people that built the tower and God split them all over the world until now until the destruction of Saddam was only 52 years and delayed in people getting settled here. One year let me run away there please. No, it's 51 years. What we're seeing from over here is that stone was only 51 years old. And how terrible the people became in 51 years and has very few sins. Therefore, you can leave me there and I'll be able to live there. The simple interpretation means it's just a very small city. Very few people. You don't have to worry to leave it. You don't have to kill the people there. You can leave it and I will be able to survive there as well. This concludes the third Torah reading of Paras Viraa.