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Parshas Vayeira
Why did Lot’s wife turn to salt? Even though the Malach told her not to, Lot’s wife turned around to see the punishment of Sodom. She was nostalgic about Sodom and had a hard time “letting go”. That extra attachment, when she was supposed to be distancing herself, caused her to get caught up in their punishment.
This Parsha includes a few circumstances that include laughter. • Avraham laughed about the נבואה that he would have children. Sara also laughed about that נבואה. She was held responsible but Avraham wasn’t. What was the difference? • When Yitzchock was born, he was named after Sara’s laughter. Why was it appropriate to name him יצחק? • When Lot told his sons-in-law that Sodom was about to be destroyed, the פסוק says that they viewed him as “laughing” (making a joke).
There are two types of laughter. One is at the limitations of the world and the knowledge that Hashem runs the world and can change it. The other type of laughter is disbelief – that something (i.e. the נבואה) can’t possibly be.
Avrohom laughed in delight at the world’s limitation that he and his wife could not have children, knowing that Hashem promised it to him and it would happen. Sara, it would seem, laughed in disbelief at the possibility that she could have children. Similarly, Lot’s sons-in-law, negated the possibility that the punishment could happen. יצחק’s name is celebrating the overcoming of nature.
May our Simchos defy natural limitations and may we be זוכה to the פסוק about Moshiach “then our mouths will be full of laughter”.
“Where is your wife, שרה?"
The מלאכים asked this question of אברהםto make שרה even more beloved to her husband. Since the answer was that שרה was in her tent, the conversation served to highlight שרה’s great צניעות.
R’ Shlomo Wolbe points out that we learn from here the importance of שלום בית, even for great people, and even in old age. Spouses should appreciate each other and express it, both in words and in deeds. For instance: a wife should appreciate that her husband works to support her. If he learns, she should appreciate that he brings spiritual sustenance to the home. The husband should appreciate the wife raising the children and taking care of the domestic necessities. If the wife works in addition to her domestic duties, then the husband has a double obligation to appreciate her.
"שמח תשמח רעים האהובים כשמחך יצירך בגן עדן מקדם" (שבע ברכות)
May we always be only בשמחה and בשלוםwith our spouses.
All learning should be a zechus for a refuah shelaimah for Yosef Ezriel Ben Chaya Michal