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Justice and the Perception of Justice - Parashat Vayera 5777 - November 18, 2016

This week’s parasha, Vayera, presents the destruction of Sedom and its sister cities. Prior to the destruction, Hashem declares to Avraham that He wants him to understand His decision to destroy Sedom. After all, Avraham’s offspring will be the guardians of the path of righteousness – they should properly understand the message of the event.

After Hashem tells Avraham that he plans to destroy Sodom and Amora and after Hashem sends His two messengers to Sedom to save Lot and his family, Avraham remains in Hashem’s presence to pray. Avraham asks the Almighty, “Is it appropriate for Hashem’s anger - אף - to destroy the tzadik with the rasha?” Avraham argues that G-d’s Providence should protect the righteous and the city along with them. Avraham says, “chalila lecha – it would be a disgrace to You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the righteous along with the wicked; so the righteous will be like the wicked.” Avraham further questions the appropriateness of Hashem – the Judge of the world - doing this act of destroying righteous and wicked together. He says, “chalila lecha – it would be a disgrace to You! Should the Judge of all the earth not do justice?”


What is the difference between the two questions? They sound identical. In both questions, Avraham seems to question the appropriateness of the destruction of Sedom.

In reality, the quality that makes the two questions sound identical is the inclusion of the uncommon word, chalila, disgrace. Chalila comes from the root chalal – to profane – as in, chilul Hashem. Avraham argues to Hashem that through His destruction of Sedom, He would be creating a chilul Hashem, a desecration of Hashem’s Name. Through his initial argument, Avraham raises the point that by destroying tzadikim together with the evil people, Hashem is conveying that His justice is only universal and not particularistic. Through his second argument, Avraham suggests that there will be another secondary effect of this punishment on the world stage – the world will misinterpret the Judge Himself as being evil. They will say that Hashem, the Judge and Protector of the world, does not discriminate between good and evil. Each of these misunderstandings will pervert the knowledge that the world has of Hashem. Through His destruction of Sedom, Hashem pronounces His decision that the destruction of Sedom was worth the misunderstanding that the world might have about Hashem and His justice.


This incident is troubling. It seems that the Almighty is bound by two choices – each with adverse consequences. Either destroy Sedom and compromise the understanding that the world has of Hashem or leave Sedom alone and allow wickedness to continue. Hashem is all-powerful! He seems constrained!


In creating mankind and in creating a covenant with Noach, Hashem commits to ensuring its survival. Apparently, Hashem also commits to working within the system of the world that He created. One of the fundamental elements of the world in man’s ability to use free will – to be the source of his own decision-making. Avraham argues that in addition to Divine justice there is the perception of Divine justice - Hashem’s actions are always viewed through the lens of man’s perception. Avraham’s argument teaches that, while in this case, Hashem decided to destroy Sedom, He is also concerned about our perception of His justice.


Shabbat Shalom. 

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