Vayera Themes Conversation

Theme 1—Welcoming guests

Discussion

1. To what extent do you like having guests in your home? To what extent do you like being a guest in other people’s homes?
2. Who are your favorite guests? Who do you like to visit? Why?
3. What are things you or your parents do to make guests feel welcome in your home?

Text

1. Who were Avraham’s guests and what did he know about them?
2. What are 3 extraordinary things that Avraham did to make his guests feel welcome?

Quotes

1. “אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְאֵלוּ הֵן: כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְהַשְׁכָּמַת בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ שַׁחֲרִית וְעַרְבִית, וְהַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים…” (משנה פאה א,א).
2. “גְּדוֹלָה הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים כְּהַשְׁכָּמַת בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ… וְרַב דִּימִי מִנְּהַרְדְּעָא אָמַר: יוֹתֵר מֵהַשְׁכָּמַת בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ” (שבת קכז ע”א).
3. גְּדוֹלָה הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים מֵהַקְבָּלַת פְּנֵי שְׁכִינָה” (שבת קכז ע”א).
4. “A smile is the universal welcome” (Max Eastman).
5. “May all who enter as guests leave as friends” (unknown).

Theme 2—Laughter

Discussion

1. What are some of the things that make you laugh?
2. Are there circumstances or occasions in which it may be inappropriate to laugh? If so, what are they and why?

Text

1. Who is laughing in the parasha and why?
2. How did God react to this laughter? Why?
3. What does the name Yitzchak mean? Would you want such a name? Why or why not?

Quotes

1. “שִׁ֗יר הַֽמַּ֫עֲל֥וֹת בְּשׁ֣וּב יְ֭הֹוָה אֶת־שִׁיבַ֣ת צִיּ֑וֹן הָ֝יִ֗ינוּ כְּחֹלְמִֽים׃ אָ֤ז יִמָּלֵ֪א שְׂח֡וֹק פִּינוּ֮ וּלְשׁוֹנֵ֢נוּ רִ֫נָּ֥ה” (תהילים קכו).
2. “These two (brothers) also have a share in the World-to-Come… Rabbi Beroka went over to the men, “What is your occupation?” They said to him: “We are jesters, and we cheer up the depressed” (Ta’anit 22a).
3. “Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine” (Lord Byron).
4. “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people” (Victor Borge).
5. “Laughter is magic that dispenses clouds and creates sunshine in the soul” (Richelle E. Goodrich).

Theme 3—Fighting for justice

Discussion

1. What are some things going on today in the country and the world that you think are unjust? How are these things being addressed?
2. Describe an injustice that you or someone you know addressed and describe how you/they addressed it.

Text

1. What is the injustice that Avraham is concerned about in our parasha?
2. What do you think of Avraham’s appeal to God and of God’s response?
3. If you could challenge God’s justice today what would be your challenge?

Quotes

1. “צדק צדק תרדוף” (דברים ז, כ).
2. “לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה כִּי בָא כִּי בָא לִשְׁפֹּט הָאָרֶץ יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק וְעַמִּים בֶּאֱמוּנָתו” (תהילים צו, יג).
3. “חֶסֶד־וֶאֱמֶ֥ת נִפְגָּ֑שׁוּ צֶ֖דֶק וְשָׁל֣וֹם נָשָֽׁקוּ׃ אֱ֭מֶת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ תִּצְמָ֑ח וְ֝צֶ֗דֶק מִשָּׁמַ֥יִם נִשְׁקָֽף” (תהילים פה, יא-יב).
4. “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest” (Elie Wiesel).
5. “It is better to risk saving a guilty person than to condemn an innocent one” (Voltaire).

Theme 4—Cruelty

Discussion

1. Describe some acts of cruelty you have seen or read about in the news.
2. Do you think that people who are cruel should be given the opportunity to change or do you think they simply need to be punished? Why?

Text

1. Compare Avraham’s welcoming of the guests to his home to Lot’s welcoming of his.
2. What is the cruelty that the people of Sodom want to perpetrate against Lot’s guests?
3. What did Lot propose to the people of Sodom to prevent the cruelty against his guests? What do you think of his proposal?

Quotes

1. “זֶבַח רְשָׁעִים תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה וּתְפִלַּת יְשָׁרִים רְצוֹנו”ֹ) משלי טו, ח(.
2. “הרחק משכן רע ואל תתחבר לרשע” (אבות א, ז’).
3. “המגביה יד על חברו נקרא רשע) “סנהדרין נח ע”א).
4. “All cruelty springs from weakness” (Seneca). 
5. “It’s much easier to be cruel than one might think” (Jonathan Safran Foer)

Theme 5—Telling lies

Discussion

1. Have you recently been lied to? About what?
2. Are there ever occasions when you think lying may be permissible? When and why?

Text

1. What was Avraham’s lie? Why did he tell this lie?
2. Explain Avimelekh’s response when he realized that Avraham had lied to him.
3. Do you think Avraham’s lie was justified? Why or why not?

Quotes

1. תּוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה, שִׂפְתֵי-שָׁקֶר וְעֹשֵׂי אֱמוּנָה רְצוֹנו” (משלי יב, כב).
2. “אמר רבי אילעא משום רבי אלעזר ברבי שמעון: מותר לו לאדם לשנות בדבר השלום” (יבמות סה ע”א).
3. “Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies” (Dorothy Allison).
4. “A lie that is half-truth is the darkest of all lies” (Alfred Tennyson).
5. “He who permits himself to tell a lie once, finds it much easier to do it the second time” (Thomas Jefferson).