Reeling from the attacks in Amsterdam, our parasha has an important lesson to teach. This week, we read about the city of Sodom. An entire city is consumed by wickedness, and despite Abraham’s attempt to save the city by bargaining with God, there is no righteousness there to save.
So when Abraham has to stay in Gerar, he does not trust the King, Abimelech. After all, he has just experienced the complete depravity of Sodom. Why should he believe that the King of another place will be better? Abraham claims that his wife Sarah is his sister, presuming he cannot protect her from the King’s advances. Yet God knows that Abimelech has a “pure heart” (Gen. 20:6) and preserves him from sin.
In other words, although we might be tempted to draw vast generalizations about hatred or wickedness, people differ. This brings me to a beautiful story.
My teacher Elieser Slomovic grew up in the border town of Solotwina in Eastern Europe. He and his family suffered terribly and growing up he was taught that the Christian world was inexorably hostile to Jews. When he came to the United States, he found a teaching position in Los Angeles at what was then the University of Judaism. He taught Midrash to generations of students.
Shortly after arriving, the President of the University asked him to represent the school at an interfaith conference. Professor Slomovic refused – he knew what Christians thought and believed and he wanted no part of it. The President insisted. Reluctantly, he attended the conference. At the opening dinner, the presiding Minister began the meal as follows: “I would like to start this meal as Jesus would have – Baruch atah h’ Elokeinu Melech Ha’olam, hamotzi lechem min ha’aretz” – the Hebrew blessing for bread. Many years later, as Professor Slomovic told me this story, he recounted how he got tears in his eyes, for he never knew that Christians could be so welcoming to the Jewish people. It was truly a different world from the one he left behind.
Perhaps Abraham learned this from Abimelech. When something awful occurs, as in Amsterdam, we need also to remember those who are allies and friends, people of good will, who stand with us to oppose such evil. The world is full of Abimelechs, and if they all stand together, Sodom will be no more.
