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Parasha Vayera/And He Appeared
by Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber
The Torah and Brit Chadesha readings for the Shabbat of October 26/20 Cheshvan are: Bereshit/Genesis 18:1-22:24; M'lakhim Bet/2 Kings 4:1-37; 1 Korintim/1 Cor. 15:50-57. Abraham and Mashiach One of the most difficult concepts for our Jewish people to accept is the possibility of G-d appearing in the flesh. So I have chosen to devote this d'var Torah to this very subject. Bereshit {18:1} HaSHEM appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. {18:2} He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, {18:3} and said, "My L-RD, if now I have found favor in your sight, please don't go away from your servant. Parasha Vayera begins as follows: Vayera ehliev Ad-nai (Appeared to him G-d). I have left out the o's in both Ad-nai and G-d in respect of His name. However because I need the name Ad-nai as a point to be used in this teaching, I had to include it without the "o" instead of using HaShem, which is normally used as a substitute. From our previous Parasha, Lech Lecha, we know that the L-rd spoke with Avram and instructed him to leave his family and his country. Scripture here does not however tell us exactly how G-d spoke to him, whether by a dream, a vision, an audible voice, an inner voice or a physical appearance. So any assumptions would be exactly that, an assumption. However here in Parasha Vayera we are actually told that HaShem appeared to Avraham however when he lifted up his eyes to see who was speaking to him he saw three men. Esteemed Jewish commentators explain this appearance of G-d not as a physical appearance but rather as a spiritual one, therefore they say when Avraham lifted up his eyes to look, what he saw were three angels appearing to him on behalf of G-d. Hebrew writing is composed of both consonants and vowels. The consonants are the actual letters and the vowels appear as dots and dashes added to the consonants. The Torah however is written without any vowel points. This can create a problem in some cases, because there are Hebrew words which contain the same consonants, however the vowel points, were they present could change the entire meaning of the word, thereby changing the entire meaning of the Scripture. The example in point is the word ynda. It can be read as either Ad-nai referring to G-d or Adonee, which is sir or lord. The difference between the two is simply one vowel point added to the Hebrew letter n. When it appears in the word as n* it means G-d however when it appears in the word as n! it means sir or lord. Remembering that the Torah does not contain vowel points, it is therefore very easy to change the meaning of the word ynda to conform to your theology, whatever it may be. So lets take a closer look into the context of this Parasha, by reading exactly what took place and try to determine how this pivotal Hebrew word should be translated. First of all let us consider what Avraham did after seeing the three men: {18:2} "....... When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth," Consider this. Avram, formerly a pagan who bowed down to idols, is now a believer in the One True G-d. In Parasha Lech Lecha Avram now Avraham has numerous experiences with his G-d and they have, by the context of the verses contained in the Parasha, built a wonderful personal relationship with each other. Would Avraham at this juncture, upon us leaning from Parasha Vayera that G-d appeared to him, bow down before mere mortals? Would he do this especially considering that Jews do not bow down to men (refer to Mordechai and Haman in the book of Esther)? Look also at these verses: Bereshit {18:16} The men rose up from there, and looked toward S'dom. Avraham went with them to see them on their way. {18:17} HaSHEM said, "Will I hide from Avraham what I do, {18:18} seeing that Avraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the goyim (nations) of the earth will be blessed in him? {18:19} For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of HaSHEM, to do tz'dakeh (righteousness) and justice; to the end that HaSHEM may bring on Avraham that which he has spoken of him." {18:20} HaSHEM said, "Because the cry of S'dom and 'Ammorah is great, and because their chat'at (sin) is very grievous, {18:21} I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me. If not, I will know." If we consider that one of the three men were in fact G-d in the flesh (a theophany), the flow of these verses in relation to the ones before them would be understandable and more consistent with the context of the chapter. G-d after having a brief respite with his friend Avraham then proceeds to go on to Sodom with the accompanying two angels, however shortly after leaving He decides to turn back and share what He is about to do with His friend Avraham. Avraham stricken by the fact that his nephew Lot is among the residents of Sodom begins to bargain with the L-rd face to face. There is one final verse I would like us to consider before we make up our minds: Bereshit {19:24} Then HaSHEM rained on S'dom and on 'Ammorah sulfur and fire from HaSHEM out of the sky. This verse is implying that there are two L-rds, one who called down fire and brimstone while on the earth, from the other who was in heaven sending it. Not only would this interpretation be consistent with the context of the Parasha and the word Ad-nai translated L-rd instead of sir or lord, but it would also explain why Avraham was able to look upon the face of G-d and not die. The L-rd Avraham saw was the pre incarnate Yeshua, G-d in the flesh who came to the earth to prepare His nation so that the world might worship the One True G-d. for, "Salvation is of the Jew." (Yochanan (John) 4.22).Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada. Copyright 2002
- Romans 1:16, NIV |