Rashi, commenting to the first verse of the story of Migdal Bavel (11:1), writes that the people constructed the tower in an attempt to prevent another flood: “They said: Every 1,656 years, the sky collapses, as it did during the time of the Flood; let us make supports for it.”

 According to Seforno, “walking with God” cannot possibly refer to isolation, but must absolutely refer to active involvement and genuine concern.

Chapter 92 of Tehillim conveys the message that the circumstances we observe at the present do not tell the whole story. Repentance is effective because as long as we are alive, our “story” is still being written.

כאשר חברך או קרוב משפחתך עושה עוול, האם תתייצב לצידו, או תפעל כנגדו להפסקת העוול? 

התורה שבעל פה לא נכתבה בשל חשש מהנוצרים, שישתמשו בה לרעה.

 The Torah in Parashat Lekh-Lekha tells of how Sara had Avraham marry her maidservant, Hagar, in order for her to have children through Hagar, and how Hagar began acting disrespectfully towards Sara upon conceiving.  As Sara was childless, Hagar viewed her pregnancy as heralding her status of superiority in the home.  In response, Sara expressed anger to Avraham: “Sara said to Avraham: My fury is upon you; I placed my maidservant in your bosom, and when she saw she was pregnant, she belittled me” (16:5).

Avraham declared that he diverted his “hand” away from everything else besides his dedication to the Almighty.  When he set out for war, he pledged that his efforts would be exclusively devoted to the lofty purpose of rescuing his kin and defeating evil, and not for any personal gain.  

In the aftermath of his circumcision, Avraham felt lonely and isolated.  He was eager to find people who would enter his tent and his sphere of influence even in his new stage of distinctiveness.  And he thus waited outside, anxiously awaiting the opportunity to invite guests.

 Avraham was not prepared to despair from Sedom as long as the city proved capable of producing a group of pious individuals.  If Avraham refused to discount a generally corrupt city with a few dozen righteous people, then we should certainly be able to identify the goodness within others even if they display negative qualities. 

            The Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 39) tells that Avraham traveled about in his home country of Aram, he saw people “going about recklessly, eating and drinking.”  He then uttered a prayer that he should not have any portion of that land.  Later, upon reaching the border of Canaan, he saw people “engaged in weeding at the time of weeding, and in hoeing at the time of hoeing.”  He then prayed for a share of that land, whereupon God promised that the entirety of Canaan is being given to him and his descendants.  The Midrash here teaches that Avraham was impressed by the sense of respons