Making sense of the sedra: Vayeira
The light that never dies
This week’s parsha, Vayeira, opens with Abraham sitting at the entrance of his tent, recovering from his bris milah, when three strangers appear on the horizon. Despite his pain, Abraham runs to greet them. The Torah describes in detail how he offers food, shade, and rest — not because they were angels, but because this is what it means to be a Jew. To see the world not as ‘them and us’ but as one family, bound by kindness, faith, and courage.
A few weeks ago, that same spirit was felt in an extraordinary way — not in the desert, but in Madison Square Garden. Over 20,000 Jews gathered for the Omer Adam concert, and as he sang Vehi She’amdah — “In every generation they rise up to destroy us, and Hashem saves us from their hands” — the entire crowd rose with him, hands raised, voices joined, tears flowing. It was one of those moments that transcended the stage; a moment that said: “We are still here”.
In the year since October 7, the Jewish people have faced darkness that few could have imagined. Yet through the grief and confusion, something remarkable has emerged — a fierce, unapologetic pride in who we are. Whether in Tel Aviv, London, or New York, Jews are standing taller, prouder and more united than we have in decades.
That is the message of Vayeira. Abraham’s tent wasn’t simply a place of hospitality; it was a declaration of faith in humanity and in Hashem. Surrounded by a pagan world that mocked his values, Abraham refused to retreat. He opened his tent wider. He believed that light, not fear, changes the world.
When Omer Adam sang Vehi She’amdah, 20,000 voices echoed that same conviction. The words Abraham lived by — to believe in Hashem even when the world doesn’t — became alive again. In that arena, filled with Jews of every type and background, we felt what Abraham must have felt under his tent: that no matter the threats, the mockery, or the pain, Am Yisrael Chai.
The Torah tells us that immediately after welcoming his guests, Abraham is told that his prayers for Sodom will not be answered — yet he prays anyway. He never gives up on humanity, because he knows that despair is not a Jewish trait. The Jewish answer to darkness has always been light; to hate, love; to fear, faith.
In every generation, they rise up — and in every generation, we rise higher. From Abraham’s tent to Madison Square Garden, the message has never changed: our faith is our survival. Our unity is our strength. Our song is eternal.
Rabbi Benjy Morgan is at JLE
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