Tuesday, October 23, 2007

Va'Yeira: using discretion

Parshas Va'Yeira

In 19:37, after the destruction of S'dom and the surrounding cities, the daughters of Lot decided they were the only survivors and they had to repopulate the world. The problem was the only man left alive was Lot, their father. That makes the relationship incestuous and forbidden. There were not other choices, so they went ahead, got him drunk and got themselves pregnant.

The older daughter named her child Moav, because he was born from her father. The younger daughter named her child Ben Ami.

Rashi says the older daughter was immodest in announcing to the world what she had done and therefore that is why later the Jews are told they can wage battle with Moav. The younger daughter was more modest by hiding the source, and that is why later the Jews are commanded to not fight with Amon.

We see from this story that sometimes you might be in a bind. You might be in a situation in which you have to do something unpleasant and wrong. But you might do it because you have no other choice.

So you do it. You don't have to be proud of it though. Keep it quiet. Keep it private. Don't announce your shameful act, that might even have been justified at the time, to the world.

Use a little discretion.

2 comments:

yingerman said...

I gotta share
There is a sefer, I just dont know which that says the 3 malachim that came to visit Avraham Avinu, were the 3 he created when he did the mitzvah of Milah
We know that every good deed creats a malach, and we know that the mitzvah of milah is comprised of 3 parts
1 cutting
2 prieah (pulling back the membrane revealing the corona)
3 metziza (suctioning out blood - which is a healing action)

So 3 mitzvoh 3 malachim.

Now I realized that this makes perfect sense!
1 The cutting malach was the one destined to cut sodom (both actions caused less sexual desire.)
2 The membrane revealer malach revealed to Sara about her child.
3 The metziza malach healed Avraham and saved Lot's life.

You like?
Thanx

Rafi G. said...

that is a very interesting comparison. thanks