Chavarah- Jewish Community Learning

A blog of Jewish study and traditions. Notes from classes: Torah Study with Rabbi Marder, Toledot and Shabbaton as well as other details found of interest.

IF you want to be part of our Chavarah email group let me know at carol@traditionsrenewed.com

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

What to think of Lot & Family!



Dr. Dvora Weisberg from Hebrew Union College -
Los Angeles
A visiting scholar to Congregation Beth Am



An exploration of the story of Lot and his daughters and the rollercoaster of opinions about him and the situation. Was Lot saved because he really was righteous or was it because he is related to Abraham?

To decide if Lot is “righteous” or “wicked” takes exploring what we know about him from his traveling with Abraham and their split to different directions. The choice he makes of where to settle and also the choice he makes when guests arrive in Soddom.

As we reviewed the scenes we are not sure whether to be outraged or to think of Lot as a truly honorable person who protects his guests at a terrible cost.

And as the story progresses to the scene of Lot’s incest with his daughters, it becomes even more of a dichotomy. There is a blur between right and wrong here. Did the daughters truly think that they were alone in the world and the only option to have children was to lie with their father? And in that situation and in their time, was that an ethical choice?

And then what to make of their descendents, the Ammonites and the Moabites, who were later the enemies of the Israelites. However it again becomes blurry when you continue to focus on the genealogy to discover that Ruth and thus David fall in this lineage. And according to the teachings this is the same genealogy that will lead to the Messiah.

What does this tell us about ourselves and what happens in in genealogy. Do the children truly reflect the parents?

An excellent session with a wonderful scholar!

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