Often, people claim that the major contribution of the Jews to the civilizations of the world is monotheism – the belief in one God.
The real contribution comes from this week’s Torah reading when Abraham welcomed the presence of God into his tent in the presence of three strangers coming to visit him.
Abraham’s model reminds us that God is not separate from the world or from us – a theme that emerges again later in Deuteronomy (Chapter 30:11-14) when we are reminded that Torah, the central teaching of our people, is not far away. Rather it is close to us, in our mouths, in our hearts, so that we may do it.
Like Abraham, we bring God into the world through our good actions. Hospitality, integrity, righteousness, compassion – these and other qualities that we value bring the divine into our presence, elevating our lives and the lives of those around us.
Wishing all of you a week of acting in a way that manifests holiness right here and right now,
Jonathan