tag:dreamwidth.org,2009-04-14:58489 Monica Monica 2019-11-11T02:34:14Z tag:dreamwidth.org,2009-04-14:58489:2068657 2019-11-11T02:33:54Z 2019-11-11T02:34:14Z public 3 <p>This shabbat we had our approximately-annual shabbaton, or Shabbat retreat. Because everybody's there for the duration -- nobody has to run home for lunch guests or the like -- we can be more relaxed and have time for conversation. I like that aspect a lot.</p> <p>When my rabbi read the fourth <em>aliyah</em> (Genesis chapter 14) in the morning service, he commented that the passage seems tangential and wondered what it's there to teach us. At lunch afterwards, I told him I could think of four reasons for that chapter to be there:</p> <ul> <li>redemption of captives (Avram had to rescue Lot after the war)</li> <li>we can't always isolate ourselves and sometimes get drawn into others' conflicts</li> <li>tithing</li> <li>Avram superseding Malki-Tzedek, a priest of God according to the text</li> </ul> <p>My rabbi asked if I got that from Mi Yodeya. :-) I know I've asked a question about Malki-Tzedek, but the rest of this was my own reasoning.</p> <p>He then added a fifth: consequences of bad choices. Lot could have gone anywhere when he split from Avram, and he chose S'dom.</p> <br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=cellio&ditemid=2068657" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments