Some years ago there was a TV show named “Joan of Arcadia”. The show revolved around an adolescent girl who encountered God in the daily experiences of cafeteria, Study Hall, boyfriend drama, family issues, and after-school jobs, etc. In every episode, God appeared to Joan in a different human form. When Joan became accustomed to seeing God as a janitor, God appeared as a cab driver or a 4thgrader. God continually appeared differently. The plot invariably involved some element of Tikun Olam expected of Joan who was reluctant to step out of her comfort zone. The show was entertaining and it also buried a question within me which occasionally surfaces; how do we picture God and how often do we adjust our picture of God?
Loss and pain may contribute to one mental image of God; good health, prosperity and reprieve from crisis paint a different portrait. Kids often think of God as a man with long beard sitting on a mountain or floating in the clouds. In your daily experience how do you think of God?
This week’s Parsha (Vayera) describes God as appearing to Abraham. The Hebrew wording is vague. It may be that God appears to Abraham and next to them are 3 stranger/angels/humanoids. Or it might be that God’s voice and presence are felt while 3 figures appear. Perhaps the figures
represent God for Abraham's benefit. Strikingly, Torah allows the possibility of ‘seeing’ God in different ways. What is most evident is that God’s appearance brooks some type of decision by Abraham. The end result is that Abraham must become active in the world around him; in this case he champions the righteous people who may perish along with the wicked people of Sodom. As Jews, our mental image of God changes based upon our daily life, our perspective, our needs and our abilities. What remains constant is God’s expectation of us to take a stand in some way in our world. Our behavior becomes our reply to God’s appearance in our lives.
Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Steve Silberman
P.S. Please mark your calendars for a Rocking Musical Weekend December 18th & 19th – Sammy Rosenbaum will join us for a special Friday night service. There will be a high energy concert Saturday night, December 19th. Time to be announced at later date.
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