This House is on Fire

2025-04-07

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A midrash presents the idea that the reason Abraham was chosen to be the first Jew could be compared to a person who sees a birah doleket with God inside.  Birah doleket can mean either a palace on fire, or a palace all lit up; regardless, God is inside and Abraham does not choose to walk by.  It’s a matter of perspective, and so too is the way that each of us sees our country after the election.  Regardless, we have to be like Abraham and not pass by. After the election, there was such a complete mix of elation and devastation, it just depended on perspective.  This midrash gives us a sense that whate...

A midrash presents the idea that the reason Abraham was chosen to be the first Jew could be compared to a person who sees a birah doleket with God inside.  Birah doleket can mean either a palace on fire, or a palace all lit up; regardless, God is inside and Abraham does not choose to walk by.  It’s a matter of perspective, and so too is the way that each of us sees our country after the election.  Regardless, we have to be like Abraham and not pass by.

After the election, there was such a complete mix of elation and devastation, it just depended on perspective.  This midrash gives us a sense that whatever our perspective is, as the descendants of Abraham, it is still our role to engage. Sermon originally aired on November 8, 2024.

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