Wealth - The Value of Hashem As A Friend!

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Wealth - The Value of Hashem As A Friend! ©

By Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Parshat Vayeira

 Bereisheit [Genesis] 18.1 - 22.24

Our Devri Torah is in the loving Memory of Mrs Ethel Channah Sakash Belk, may she rest in peace.

Our Parshat begins with the word ar:yEwæ {and He Appeared [spiritually]. 

Who appeared?  Hashem, Who is the Creator of everything.  

Who did Hashem Appear to? Avraham.  

Why did Hashem Appear to Avraham?  It was the third day after Avraham's Brit Milah, Circumcision.  Hashem Was Making a house call on his friend, Avraham.  Hashem was checking on Avraham to see how he was.

How is it that Avraham is known as the Friend of Hashem?  

Our sages teach that certain Letters in Ha Torah maybe interchange with each other Letters.  The Aleph [ a] the first Letter  of the Aleph Bet {the Hebrew Alphabet} and Ayin [[] the sixteenth Letter maybe interchanged with each other.   Let's consider the word Vayeira. The word Vayeira  is an abbreviated spelling of Raw Awh [ha;r:].

Raw Awh means to see, to look, to view, to appear, etc.    Abbreviated spellings are common in Ha Torah.    When the Letter Aleph [ a] is exchanged with the Letter Ayin [[] the word becomes Ray Eh [h[≤re].  Ray Eh means friend or companion.   So by exchanging the Letters  Aleph [ a]  with Ayin [[] we learn that Hashem was a friend of Avraham.  Hashem Created everything that was created.  Hashem is wealthy!  Hashem is owner of everything.  Yet, Hashem Appears to Avraham.  Hashem Honors Avraham.  What does this say?  Hashem is truly a Friend.  Why do we say Hashem is Truly a Friend?  Avraham is a very wealthy by earths standards yet in the shadow of Hashem. Avraham is extremely poor.  Hashem Has much to attend too.  Why would Hashem concern Himself with Avraham?  It is to teach us that Hashem is NOT like humans who are wealthy.  Hashem Stands by us rather we are rich or poor. Shlomo Ha Malech [King Solomon] said, Wealth brings many friends, but a poor man's friends dessert him. Proverbs 19.4  Hashem Does Not dessert us even in our time of sickness.  In fact Hashem Pays more attention to us when we are sick... when we have troubles... when we stumble...  It is Hashem that picks us up!  So who can estimate the value of Hashem's Friendship?  A truly wealth person is one who has Hashem as a Friend.

We began by saying He Appeared Spiritually.  What does it mean to appear Spiritually?  What is Spiritual?  We know that Hashem is Spirit.  We know that His Spirit can be felt.  We know His Spirit can be heard. We know His Spirit cannot be seen. {see Bereisheit 6.3  Hashem Said, My Spirit...; Shoftim [Judges] 3.10 The Spirit of Hashem  Came Upon him...   Shemot [Exodus] 6.13 Hashem Spoke to Moshe and Aaron... [Adam and Chavah / Eve heard the Voice of Hashem G-d moving / walking  in the Garden of Eden... Bereisheit 3.8 }

So How Did Hashem Appear to Avraham?  The Gematria of  Raw Awh [ha;r:] and Daw Vawr  [rb;d...] are each 206. 

Daw Vawr [rb;d...] means Word, Speech.  Hashem Appeared to Avraham spiritually through words through speech.

206 = h5 a1 r200 

206 = r200 b2 d4

Blessings and peace,

Dr. Akiva Gamliel