Vayera: Chapter 17

"Will You also destroy the righteous with the wicked?"

Synopsis

A discussion takes place concerning Abraham, Noah, and Moses, specifically their role in protecting mankind. Three distinct levels of selfless love for others are exemplified through these three great spiritual leaders. Noah built the Ark and did all that God had commanded of him, but his efforts and concern ended there, as he did not continue to fight and lobby on behalf of mankind. Abraham took the cause of his fellow man a step further when he argued with the Creator in an effort to save Sodom and Gomorrah. However, once Abraham realized that the argument was lost, he accepted it. Moses, on the other hand, never gave up the fight for his fellow man even when all hope was lost, offering his own life in exchange for saving the entire nation.

Relevance

Spiritual complacency can cause the noblest person to fall to lower levels of being. Therefore, spiritual evolvement may be compared to the endeavor of climbing up a downward moving escalator. One must constantly progress forward against opposing forces. The moment we stand still, anywhere along the journey, we immediately begin to regress. The Light of this passage inspires us to continually grow spiritually so that we evolve a consciousness of true caring, self-sacrifice, and unconditional love for others. Through selfless love we protect all mankind and ourselves.