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Jews for Justice

Written by Leo Mercer

In this week’s parshah, we see something remarkable. Avraham argues with G-d. Yes, you read it right. Avraham, who calls himself ‘but dust and ash, is arguing with the Almighty, the Eternal, the all-Knowing, the Supreme Good. “Will you also stamp out the righteous along with the wicked?”, asks Avraham, “Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?”.
Avraham’s got a point here. Isn’t it really unfair that G-d is going to destroy a city without saving those who deserve to be saved? Is G-d not doing something… wrong? In last week’s parshah, G-d saves Noach, because he sees that he deserves to stay alive. Why this week does G-d save nobody. Why does He, as Sforno, a commentator on the Torah, says, seem to be judging them collectively not individually.
Let me suggest one answer. G-d wants Avraham to challenge Him. G-d wants Avraham to ask argue with Him. before He tells Avraham, Hashem asks “Shall I conceal from Avraham what I do?” (ie. Should I not tell him that I am going to destroy Sodom)… and He says no, I am going to tell him – because G-d wants Avraham to challenge Him. He wants Avraham to say that it’s not just. What is G-d doing? He is making Avraham stand up for justice.
Our world has problems: so much of what happens in the world just is not just. How should we react? We should learn from Avraham. We should say, “No. It’s not just. It’s not fair”.
Lots of people have a problem with the question: “If G-d is Good, how can he let evil happen in the world”. And one answer is exactly this. We have to say, “No. It’s not just. It’s not fair” and we have to go out there and do what we can to make the world more just, more fair. If we see something that isn’t right, we don’t just accept it; we argue against it. (Now we know where Jews get their famous trait of arguing from! We just have to make sure that we are arguing on behalf of something worthwile!)
Avraham hears about injustice, and fights it. When we hear about it, so must we.

Short Vort for Thought:
When G-d tells Avraham that he is going to destroy a whole city, he objects, saying that it is not fair for the innocent.
When G-d tells Avraham that he must offer up his own son, which surely is not fair for the innocent Yitzchak, he does not object.
Why?.

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