Vayeirah Excerpts

וירא

Shabbat Shalom

(21:22-24) Avimelech tells Avraham to treat him well, as he sees that Avraham has H' on his side. Things seem to go well for Avraham in life and in business. H' is on the side of the other shul...their congregants pay dues, Bernie.

He brings up how he did kindness to Avraham and how Avraham should repay that kindness by dealing honestly with him.

Avraham swears to it. He was kind, unlike the Goldarzmin family.

(21:25) Then Avraham tells Avimelech about the wells that his servants stole from Avraham.

No apologees. Avimelech goes on about how he had no idea. Sounds familiar. Like the time the Ferbergs started mowing the strip of grass on the Kilzberg's lawn. They claimed they were not taking it over. They were not over their border. I was there, I saw the strip. Like Dr. Ferberg didn't know....

(21:28-30) They make a pact and Avraham then gives Avimelech 7 sheep, to which Avimelech asks 'why.' Avraham says they are 'testimony for me that I dug these wells.'

He got no apology. He realized he had to stamp his own approval. Which is why I was happy to see the Kilzbergs double down and take two strips of grass from the Ferbergs. Like Avraham, they too let it be known that it was their grass, and there was agreement, not just words, that it would be

Business relationships are based on honesty, not the signed agreement. There is a pact upon shaking of the hands. They shook, they agreed. I am not sure if Avraham shook hands. However, giving something also shows there was an understanding, and to go back on that word, like Dr. Ferberg, and Bernie's friends who don't pay their dues...It also showed Mrs. Kilzberg's commitment to Yiddishkeit when she placed all the animals and 7 sheep on the Ferberg's lawn...A righteous woman. A Tzadeiket....

(21:31) Therefore they call the place Be'er Sheva, because there, they swore. 

Commentaries also say it was for the seven wells. Same Hebrew word meaning 'seven' and to 'swear.' This does not mean that they cursed on Shabbat. There is no Mitzvah in that.

Swearing meant something different then. It meant a covenant. You didn't say you are a piece of vomit to somebody then, because you would have had to have puked on them. They were people of their word, Bernie.

(21:34) And Avraham lives in the land of the Philistines many years...You can live when there is understanding. When there is agreement. When you don't have...It's like a debate today. A debate with people who keep on trying to take away what is somebody else's...Not living up to the covenant of mankind. This is my sermon. When you become a rabbi...