We don’t do the Almighty any favors by looking to find fault in people and disparaging and berating sinners. The story of Avraham and Sedom teaches that to the contrary, God Himself wants us to defend those who sin – even the people of Sedom.

God cannot judge the world based upon His perfect conceptions of right and wrong; He takes into account our inherent weaknesses and limitations, and the way these affect conventional and accepted standards. In making our assessments, we must take example from the Almighty who “goes down” when rendering judgment, evaluating people based on their frame of reference.

When we are too worried about their stature and prestige, this concern gets in the way of constructive effort.   It is devastating for somebody to see a subordinate rise above him or her, and yet Sara put herself in a position to experience this kind of humiliation. The Midrash saw in Sara’s decision to have Avraham marry Hagar an extreme model of sacrificing stature for the sake of producing desired results.

Avraham did not receive any commands until the end of Parashat Lekh-Lekha, when he was commanded to perform berit mila.  Until that point, his relationship with God was a “one-way street,” with God promising wealth and greatness and demanding nothing. But God’s plan was for Avraham to create a nation that would represent Him in the world.  And for a nation, voluntary service of God does not suffice. 

Enough “minor” wrongs can create major tensions. We must endeavor to avoid even minor tensions in our relationships with other people, if for no other reason than to ensure that they do not combine to create major tensions.

 Our innocence does not prove another’s guilt.  Adversity is part of life, and, very often, there is not necessarily anyone to blame.

Admirable ends do not justify unjust means, and even when waging legitimate “battles,” working to achieve important and valuable goals, we are to ensure not to cause people harm in the process.

The contrast between Malkitzedek and the king of Sedom should remind us to try, as much as possible, to view the people and events around us in a positive light, and to retain our belief in the “Avrahams” of the world despite the negativity we see around us.

Like Hagar, we sometimes magnify our successes so we can inflate our feelings of accomplishment and superiority.  Our best course of action is to see ourselves as how we really are, rather than fabricate a self-image to satisfy the cravings of our ego.  That way, we will be able to make the most of our situation and of the gifts and talents given to us by God to fulfill our unique, individual mission.

        Many commentators raised the question of why, as we read in Parashat Lekh-Lekha, Avraham received lavish gifts during his brief sojourn in Egypt (12:16), but vehemently refused to accept the property of Sedom offered to him by the city’s king (14:23).  Why was Avraham ready to accept gifts in one instance, but not in the other?