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Abraham's World War
Manhigut Yehudit--The Jewish Leadership Movement ^ | 11/10/'11 | Moshe Feiglin

Posted on 11/10/2011 8:03:54 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator

"And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening and Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom." (From this week's Torah portion, Vayerah, Genesis 19:1)

Hold on a minute! Didn't Lot learn anything from his previous misadventure? Just in last week's Torah portion, Abraham endangered himself and his entire family in a World War to save Lot from captivity after he made his bad decision to move to Sodom. After Abraham redeems him, Lot disregards everything that transpired and goes right back to Sin City as if nothing had happened, at all.

In order to understand this psychosis, all we have to do look at all the Israelis applying for citizenship in the countries that brought us Auschwitz. Lot probably told himself that his capture at the hands of the kings was nothing more than a historic accident. If the four kings had not warred with the five kings, it would never have happened. The Israelis lining up outside the Polish and German embassies share the same line of thinking: If there hadn't been a war, the Holocaust would never have happened. Wars, however, are not the reason for holocausts; they are simply the opportunity to perpetrate them. Even after the war, the Polish continued to slaughter the Jews who dared return home from the death camps.

The question is not why Lot returned to Sodom, but why Abraham endangered his entire historic mission and set out on an illogical war to save him. After all, he had enough money to redeem him from captivity. In no place in the Torah does G-d command Abraham to fight this war. Did Abraham exercise poor judgment? Why put his years of building and effort on the line for his rebellious nephew who knowingly went to live in Sin City?

The answer is that Abraham did not go to war to save only Lot; he went to war to save his mission. Lot's capture placed his entire destiny on the scales. Everybody knew that Lot was Abraham's nephew, and they waited to see how Abraham would react. Abraham understood that if he would not be willing to endanger himself and fight for his relatives, he would no longer be respected. Worse than that, he would lose the legitimacy for his very existence. From here on in, he would be dependant on the kindness of others.

This war is listed by our Sages as one of Abrahams' ten trials. Abraham had to overcome his personal considerations and respond to the affront to his sovereignty like a free nation - making him worthy to establish the Nation of Israel.

After Abraham successfully traverses this trial and wins the war against the kings of the north, G-d makes a covenant (the Covenant of Pieces) with him and promises him the Land of Israel. Sounds strange? G-d "sides with" the winner? Not at all. G-d chooses the man who is willing to fight for his destiny, and not just for his existence.

Shabbat Shalom,

Moshe Feiglin


TOPICS: Apologetics; Current Events; History; Judaism
KEYWORDS: abraham; jewishmission; lot; torah

1 posted on 11/10/2011 8:03:57 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator
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To: Alouette; hlmencken3; rmlew; Nachum; dervish; Yehuda; Ancesthntr; TorahTrueJew; Yomin Postelnik; ...

Ping.


2 posted on 11/10/2011 8:05:09 AM PST by Zionist Conspirator (Ki-hagoy vehamamlakhah 'asher lo'-ya`avdukh yove'du; vehagoyim charov yecheravu.)
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To: Zionist Conspirator
Perhaps it is a metaphor for our understanding.
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

3 posted on 11/10/2011 8:10:50 AM PST by Uri’el-2012 (Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, YHvH, Your law is my delight.)
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To: UriÂ’el-2012
Perhaps it is a metaphor for our understanding.

I'm still trying to understand why at least 60% of the Children of Israel in America will vote to reelect a man who has more in common with the thought processes of the Nazi guards at Auschwitz than with the American armies which liberated the camp.

4 posted on 11/10/2011 8:28:59 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Obama: Fake black man. Fake Messiah. Fake American. How many fakes can you fit in one Zer0?)
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To: Zionist Conspirator

I’m no historian. This was the first I’d heard that the Poles continued to slaughter the Jews after the war.


5 posted on 11/10/2011 8:30:18 AM PST by moonhawk (Broken Heart(less) Hobbit for Sarah...Now for Newt)
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To: Vigilanteman
I'm still trying to understand why at least 60% of the Children of Israel in America will vote to reelect a man who has more in common with the thought processes of the Nazi guards at Auschwitz than with the American armies which liberated the camp.

They may have the chosen DNA,
however they serve a different master.
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
6 posted on 11/10/2011 8:41:12 AM PST by Uri’el-2012 (Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, YHvH, Your law is my delight.)
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To: UriÂ’el-2012

Remember Moses had similer problems when he was leading the future “Children of Isreal” out of Egypt. There were quite a few who wanted to go back to Egypt and “enjoy” the Leeks and Onions. Also there were alot of them who “hoodwinked” Aaron into building the Golden Calf at the base of “Jebel Al Laws” in W/ Saudi Arabia(Mt Sinai). Yhis has been going on for a LONG, LONG time.


7 posted on 11/10/2011 9:03:17 AM PST by US Navy Vet (Go Packers! Go Rockies! Go Boston Bruins! See, I'm "Diverse"!)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

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