How one young, modern-orthodox woman relates to the weekly Torah portion — Parsha Vayeira

DENVER, COLORADO, USA, November 3, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In one of the most celebrated underdog victories in sports history, the 1980s U.S. Olympics men’s hockey team beat the heavily favored Soviet Union team 4-3 to win the gold medal.

With only seconds remaining in the match, ABC-TV sportscaster Al Michaels uttered the words that have become immortal in sports lore: “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!”

Believing that the impossible is possible is the theme of this week’s edition of “Life’s Cholent,” the weekly series of short videos hosted on YouTube by Avital Chaya, a young, modern-orthodox woman.

In each video, Avital offers her take on how the Torah, commonly referred to as the “Old Testament,” relates to our modern lives.

In Parsha Vayeira, the fourth of the Torah’s 54 instructional chapters, there are three clear instances where, thanks to Divine intervention, the unimaginable comes to pass.

Watch the video here: https://tinyurl.com/LC-Vayeira

At age 90, who would have believed that the biblical matriarch, Sarah, would give birth to her first child? Certainly not Sarah nor her husband, Abraham.

In fact, the couple had struggled with infertility for so many years that Sarah, resigned to being barren, gave her maidservant, Hagar, to Abraham so that he could father a child with her.

As the Torah chapter recounts, the Lord sent three men to Abraham and Sarah to let them know that Sarah would, indeed, give birth to a son. When Sarah heard the news, she couldn’t help but laugh to herself.

“Although Sarah and Abraham couldn’t fathom it, indeed, with G-d’s help, their son Isaac was born as prophesied,” Avital says.

A second miracle that Avital recounts this week in her “Life’s Cholent” episode occurred in the desert. Hagar, the maidservant, had given birth to Abraham’s first son, Ishmael. When he and Isaac were older, Sarah observed the interactions between the half-brothers and concluded that Ishmael wasn’t a positive influence on Isaac.

At Sarah’s request, Abraham turns Hagar and Ishmael out. Soon, the mother and son find themselves in the desert dying of thirst. The situation is hopeless, Avital notes. Hagar, who can’t bear to watch Ishmael suffer and die, leaves him. Mother and son are doomed.

“Once again, however, G-d intervenes,” Avital details. “The Almighty comes to Hagar and reveals a nearby source of water. Hagar and Ishmael are saved, and he grows up to become a patriarch and prophet of Islam.”

G-d subjected Abraham to ten tests of faith. The first, as noted in last week’s Torah portion, was the instruction that Abraham should leave his land and his birthplace for a destination that the Lord would reveal.

The tenth and final test of Abraham’s trust in the Creator was undoubtedly the most wrenching. G-d instructed Abraham to bind his son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice.

“Can you imagine the anguish that Abraham must have experienced, having been granted a son so late in life, and then being asked to kill Isaac with his own hand?” Avital asks. “Despite the devastation he must have felt, Abraham did as he was instructed.”

Known in Hebrew as “Akedat Yitzchak (the Binding of Isaac),” Abraham tied Isaac to the altar and – as almost everyone knows – was commanded at the last minute by an angel the Lord to spare his son.

“In our own lives, we often think the circumstances we face are impossible,” Avital comments. “But clearly, through faith in G-d, and with His help, we are sometimes able to make the impossible possible.”

Anyone who is curious about Judaism but needs help understanding its relevance to our lives today is encouraged to watch the weekly “Life’s Cholent” videos, available on YouTube, and follow Avital on Instagram.

YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/lifescholent

Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/Instagram-LifesCholent

Coming next week, “Chayei Sarah – Go the Extra Mile.”

[About The Name: Cholent is a traditional Jewish stew that dates back to ancient Jewish communities. Typically, the dish is made of meat, potatoes, barley, beans, and kishke (a paprika-spiced stuffing). However, throughout the centuries, when Jews suffered periods of famine, cholent would contain whatever ingredients they could find and combine.

Cholent, most often consumed during Saturday lunch, is prepared on Friday and cooked overnight to avoid transgressing the biblical commandment not to prepare food on the Sabbath. By making it ahead of time and letting the mixture simmer overnight, observant Jews can still enjoy a hot meal the next day.

"Life's Cholent" plays on the notion of cholent being a Jewish dish and a mix of many different ingredients. Similarly, the video series is a savory blend of Jewish topics that are relevant to our modern lives.]

Avital Chaya
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