Vayeira

In the Torah portion Vaera we learn how Abraham pleads for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  After G-d informs him that He is going to destroy these two cities, Abraham approaches G-d and says, "Will You destroy the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty righteous people in the city.  Far be it from You to do something like this; to kill the righteous with the wicked.  Will the judge of all the earth not do justice?"  G-d listens to his plea and says that if fifty righteous people will be found in the city, G-d will forgive the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Abraham is not satisfied.  He says, "Behold, I desire to speak to my Lord, and I am dust and ashes.  Perhaps there will be only forty-five. Will You destroy the city for only forty-five?"  G-d says, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five." G-d does not say that He will forgive the cities, just that He will not destroy them.  Abraham continues and says, "Perhaps there are forty," and G-d said, "I will not do for the sake of the forty," indicating that He is going to remain passive.  Abraham then pleads for thirty and G-d gives him the same reply, "I will not do for thirty." Abraham then continues and says, "Perhaps there are twenty," and G-d says, "I will not destroy for the sake of twenty." Abraham then asks about ten and G-d says He will not destroy for the sake of ten.  The text then says that G-d went when he finished to speak to Abraham and Abraham went to his place.
What is going on here? Why did Abraham argue with G-d about these different numbers, and why did he stop at ten? Anti-Semitic Christian Biblical commentaries, especially in the 1930fs which were sympathetic to the Nazis said, see, Abraham is displaying the true Jewish characteristics: haggling, bartering.  We, of course, know that this is absurd.  Abraham was

pleading for a people who were not his own.  He was not going to get anything out of this. This was a purely altruistic act.  The rabbis explain that there were five cities that were about to be destroyed when Abraham first said to G-d, "What if there are fifty righteous people," and G-d said that He would forgive the cities. Why? Because there was a community in each city.  There was a minyan.  If you have a community, a minyan you can change the problems of the city.  You can combat the moral decay.  Groups of people who band together can change society.
That’s why it is so important that we all have the right of free association.  Abraham then said, "What happens if there are only forty-five?" and before that he prefaced his remark with the statement, "I am dust and ashes." Why? Because he knew that although individuals can do some good, they cannot really change a community, cannot really change a city.  He proclaimed G-d’s oneness and the necessity for moral behavior and was cast into the fiery furnace by Nimrod.  He also would risk his life for Lot and had risked his life in the past and knows that he is only dust.  Individuals need a community in order to accomplish things.  If there are only nine in each city there was not a community.  G-d said that He would not destroy the city if there were forty-five, but He would punish the cities.  Perhaps by His punishing them, He would awaken others to join the embryonic communities, righteous groups, in each city so they could form a community.  Abraham then said, "What if there are forty?" and then thirty.  To each of these requests G-d said, "I will not do." What that meant was that three or four of the five cities had a community within them who were

striving to rectify the abuses.  G-d was not sure that these groups in the three or four cities could accomplish the job, but He said He would not do anything.  He would wait and see. Perhaps they could effect a moral revolution in these five cities.  Abraham then pleaded, what if there were twenty and then ten? G-d said that He would not destroy but He would punish.  Why? Because now only a minority of the cities had righteous communities.  It would be very difficult for them to change all these five cities who formed one state.  He would punish the people hoping that they would turn to the example of these communities and change their ways.
It is very important that we all mobilize as communities.  It is only through communities that we can effect the necessary changes in society.  Today in America you hear only about government and individuals.  If it would not be for government, individuals would be able to choose and do anything they wanted.  We all know this is false.  Individuals are prey to all sorts of other powerful people if you would not have government helping them.  Employers could set any work hours and safety conditions they wanted.  It is true that government can be oppressive, too, and has to be checked.  That's why free association is so important. Society must have within it the ability to form groups.  We know that it is important that there are labor unions so workers1 wages and safety conditions can be safeguarded.  On the other hand, labor unions can become too powerful, too, and try to interfere with things that are not within their sphere.  We must have the ability to organize groups who will fight for different programs.  That's why free association is so important.  As long as you have groups

who are fighting for social justice and economic opportunity and equal access to education, etc., society can right its wrongs. We all know that tyranny can be local as well as national. We know that when people were subject to the whims of local noblemen and barons, they were much worse off than when they were subject to the whims of local government.  That's what Thomas Hobbs wrote about several hundred years ago in his book, The Leviathon. how it is much better to serve the local government than be subject to the whims of the local dukes and noblemen.
We all know that we are not free to choose any path we want because of all sorts of pressures on us and these pressures just do not come from the government. Someone asked me the other day, "Aren't you glad the government didn't take over the health industry because now you can still choose your doctor."  I said, "What are you talking about? I have to choose whoever is on my HMO or PPO list." Society is not just a struggle between whether the government will control you or you will control yourself.  The government must make sure that other people and other groups do not take away all my freedom and give me a fair shake.  Government too, can be too powerful and must be checked by the ability of its citizens to freely associate and combat any of its abuses.
G-d told Abraham if there are groups of people who are banded together to promote justice and goodness, they can save the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and He would forgive these cities. We must remember that even in our community we must band together to accomplish

things. We must work for community* We must make sure that we just do not turn out to be individuals going their own way.  If we work together in a community, we can strengthen Judaism and overcome all obstacles and make an orthodox lifestyle not only possible and pleasant in America but also desirable.  Let’s be sure, though, that our choices are preserved. Business must allow us to practice our religion. Maybe a government has to pass laws to make sure that this is so. We also have to make sure that we work together.  Unfortunately even in our community there are many people who want to pull apart instead of working together. Every person has a right to form their own groups, but let's make sure we are working together for positive goals.  Let's make sure that together we can overcome all the problems which can prevent us from leading a Jewish life in America and elsewhere.
I am reminded of the story they tell about the head of an HMO, who was known to be very unyielding.  No sob story ever got to him.  There were never any exceptions made. You were allowed three days in the hospital and that was it. At the end of three days, you had to leave.  His one hundred and twenty years were up, and he went up to the Pearly Gates and stood before Gabriel.  He looked at Gabriel and said, "Do I get to come into heaven?" Gabriel said, "Enter/ He look at Gabriel, very relieved, and said, "On earth they said that I was unyielding, rigid, uncaring, and not compassionate, and here you're letting me into heaven." Gabriel looked at him and said, "Yes, but only for three days."
Let's hope and pray that all of us will realize the importance of preserving the right of free

association and that we will always join groups that wish to improve society and right its wrongs.  In this way we will be assured that we will build just societies so the Mashiach will come quickly in our day.  Amen.