Dear Friends,
There’s a famous joke about a future father-in-law who decides to have a serious talk with his future son-in-law.
He asks, “How will you provide for your family?” The young man replies, “God will provide.”
He continues, “And how will you pay for your children’s education?” Again, “God will provide.”
“How will you buy a home?” “God will provide.”
Later, his wife asks, “Nu, what do you think of him?” He answers, “He thinks I’m God.”
In this week’s Torah portion, we read about the city of Sodom, a society so morally broken that the Torah describes its people as “evil and sinful.” But the verse adds an extra phrase:
“לַה’ מְאֹד” — “to God, very much.”
What does that mean? Why emphasise that their wrongdoing was “to God”?
One explanation says the people of Sodom had a warped idea of faith.
When they saw someone sick, struggling, or in need, they would shrug and say: “God made him like this. It must be meant to be. Who am I to interfere?”
They used God as an excuse not to act.
But Judaism teaches the opposite.
If someone is hurting, we lift them.
If someone is lonely, we comfort them.
If someone is sick, we visit, we pray, we help, we heal.
Yes, everything is from God.
But kindness, compassion, and action are also from God, and He places them in our hands.
Faith isn’t a reason to stand back. Faith is the reason we step in.
When someone else is suffering or in need, that’s not the time to say “God will provide.” True faith means realizing that God works through us. When someone is sick, hurting, or struggling, it’s our turn to act, to bring comfort, help, and blessing into their life.
God gives us opportunities to make someone’s life a little brighter, and may we never miss that chance.
With love and blessings,
Rabbi Fishel & Ettie Zaklos