Words of Wisdom for Shabbat - Vayera

The beginning of Parshat Vayera tells how Abraham reached out and welcomed visitors to his tent.
The Midrash excerpt below describes how Sarah's tent was also special. My Hebrew School students enjoyed reading and discussing this section of a longer Midrash.

"Sarah had a tent of her own. Every time that the family made camp, Sarah's tent was set up first. Abraham taught the men about the One God. Sarah was the women's teacher. Abraham's tent had doors on all four sides so that everyone who was looking for hospitality could easily find their way in. Sarah's tent was where Shabbat was created. Every week Sarah baked hallah. Every week Sarah lit Shabbat candles. The smell of the hallah lasted from week to week. It was always in the tent. The Shabbat lights burned from one Shabbat until the next set were kindled. The tent always smelled of hallah. It was always a place of light.

The Shekhinah is the part of God that gets close to people. It is the part that can be our neighbor. God was comfortable with Sarah and her tent. God liked the smell and the light and the peace of Shabbat. The Shekhinah would come down in a cloud and rest on Sarah's tent."

This warm, expressive section of a Midrash is taken from the textbook, S'fatai Tiftach Volume 2 by Joel Lurie Grishaver and Jane Golub (Torah Aura Productions www.torahaura.com )

Shabbat Shalom - Rest and Renew