Skip to main content

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. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow - Rabbi Owen's Operational Dinner Remarks - Monday, September 17, 2018

You may have noticed that we have two new huge street-side banners on White Station Road. One of them says, “Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow”. What do we mean by this? How does learning prepare for leading? The distinctiveness and difference of the Jewish People is a theme that appears regularly and intensely throughout the Yom Kippur prayers. On Yom Kippur afternoon, we read the section of the Torah dealing with immorality. The Torah says, “Do not act in the ways of the land of Egypt in which you lived; and do not act in the ways of the land of Cana’an to which I, Hashem, am taking you – and do not follow their customs. Follow My laws and guard My customs to walk in these ways – I am Hashem your G-d.” The Torah is teaching that Egypt and Cana’an represent spiritually harmful elements of each culture in which the Jewish People will find themselves over the centuries and instructs us to separate from the temptation to assimilate these ideas. The Jewish People dwell alone. Hashe...

Honor and Glory - Parashat Termuah 5780, February 28, 2020

This week’s  parasha , Termuah, and next week’s parasha , Tetzave, introduce Hashem’s command regarding the plans for the  mishkan  and its vessels – including the clothing worn by the  kohanim . One of the vessels that Hashem commands to be built is the  menorah  – the candelabra. The description of the plans for the menorah are described in Parashat Terumah and the description of its service is described in Parashat Tetzave. In Parashat Tetzave, the Torah says, “and they will take for you pure olive oil pressed to be lit to raise an everlasting candle.” Each evening the  kohanim  were obligated to light the candelabra with enough oil to last the night. In the morning, the  kohanim  were obligated to fix and relight the  menorah , as necessary, thus ensuring that the candelabra would constantly be lit. The Rambam – Maimonides – explains, based on a later verse, that the  mitzvah  to light the candelabra in the mishk...

Building Appropriate Fences - Parashat Ki Seitzei 5778, August 24, 2018

Among the many mitzvot described in this week’s parasha , Parashat Ki Tetze, is the law of the ma’ake – a fence. “When you build a new house, you shall make a guard rail for your roof, so that you shall not cause blood to be spilled in your house, that the one who falls should fall from it.” In this verse, the Torah commands us to build a fence around any exposed high area, such as a flat roof or deck, that is commonly used by human beings. Viewing this law as a positive commandment, the Rambam teaches that one must make a blessing when constructing a ma’ake . The law of the ma’ake is one of many Torah laws that teach us to protect human life. Positive commandments such as ve’nishmartem me’od et nafshotechem (and you shall greatly guard your physical life) and ve’rapo yerape (and you shall surely heal) reveal the Torah’s appreciation of man’s vulnerability and the lengths that we must go to foster human safety. Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik extends this concept of bui...