The corrupted way of Sodom finally comes to a catastrophic destruction at the behest of G-d.
Although they engaged in many bizarre and cruel acts of punishment against those who defied their barbaric rules, the prophet Yechezkel reports that their demise was attributed to the fact that, יד — the hand of the poor and needy, לא החזיקה — she did not strengthen. (16 49)
Was it merely their lack of support for those in need that warranted their obliteration? Weren't the abusive and violent acts they perpetrated upon their populace and strangers far worse than their simply not having acted kindly to the impoverished?
The term the prophet uses here, 'not strengthening the hand of the needy', seems a bit too subtle for a description of those who selfishly refused to be charitable towards others, even harshly penalizing one for offering salt to a foreigner.
Why do we refer to strengthening the 'hand' of the needy? Is one's hand representative of one's entire personality and essence?
Elsewhere the Torah describes a fellow Jew who has fallen on hard financial times as one who, מטה ידו — his hand falters [loses the ability]. The verse goes on to instruct others, והחזקת בו — you shall strengthen him [provide support]. (ויקרא כה לה)
In this week's reading we find the very first time the Torah utilizes a notion of 'grasping/strengthening another's hand'.
As Lot and his family seek to flee Sodom to escape the inferno, they suddenly linger.
ויחזיקו האנשים — The men grasped, בידו — him [Lot] by his hand, wife's hand, and the hand of his two daughters…
Later in our portion Hagar and Yishmael are expelled from the home of Avraham and Sarah. After wandering in the desert and running out of water Yishmael becomes deathly ill. He cries out to G-d. G-d hears, and dispatches an angel who calls out to Hagar, telling her to lift the child, והחזיקי — and grasp, את ידך — your hand, בידו — by his hand.
Is this merely all coincidental?
The word יד we use to refer to a hand, translates more accurately as extend. It is used in the context of intentionally throwing an object, thus expanding one's influence. The hand is the part of our body that indeed stretches outward, and thus appropriately a יד.
The Zohar connects the letter י — its pronunciation spelled out as יוד, the minutest letter in the alef bais, to דיו — ink, which shares the same three letters as יוד, and finally to ידו — his hand, also possessing those exact letters.
The small letter Yud symbolizes our pure essence, which is purposed to expand, just as when a scribe begins to put on paper his ink, it starts as a dot, a virtual Yud, that expands into a larger letter, words, sentences, and onward. When done the final product represents the full expression of the scribe and his skill.
Our full physical being is likened to a handle of the vessel of our נשמה — our soul.
A handle is called a יד as it is the component that allows us to radiate our soul unto the world, that illuminates all our physical endeavors in this world by the light of G-d's will. (הכתב והקבלה ויקרא טו יא)
Every human being has a need to find its expression of self.
For some, integrating into the world of people surrounding us is merely a means to become part of a social structure that provides security and opportunity.
Others are motivated not merely to benefit socially, but more importantly, to assert dominion over others, feeding their need to be impactful and significant.
Lot sought comfort and success that will provide him with the means to maintain a secure supply of continuous pleasures.
When he couldn't find satisfaction in the company of Avraham, because of a clash of ideals, he discovered an oasis of pleasure in the company of Sodom. When his house of cards collapsed, he was bereft of his Shangri-la, wallowing in self-worthlessness.
His expanded self-image lost all its air. The angel grasped his 'hand', offering Lot a sense that he was there for him, strengthening him, in providing him with an escape to a new social group where he could reestablish his equilibrium.
Yishmael on the other hand craved primacy. His quashed dream of becoming the heir apparent of Avraham, after the birth of Yitzchak, fueled his desire to crush Yitzchok.
When he lay dying hopelessly in the desert, it was insufficient to bring him back to emotional hope by his mother simply offering the warmth of her 'grasping' his hand. He needed to sense that he was needed by others to regain his sense of self.
The late great Gaon, Rav Shlomo Esulin notes the odd syntax in the angel's instruction to Hagar.
והחזיקי — and grasp, את ידך — your hand, בידו — by his hand.
In the literal reading it sounds as if the angel is telling Hagar to have her hand grasped by his [Yishmael's] hand. Were his intention for her to grasp Yishmael's hand it should have simply stated, והחזיקי ידו בידך — and grasp his hand with your hand!
The angel knew that for Yishmael to regain 'consciousness', he would have to feel a sense of the importance of his role to others who need him.
Sodom lacked the most basic ingredient for human survival — a recognition that man needs to cast his presence to survive. Denying that, society collapses from within.
Both Lot and Yishmael pined for 'presence' but both failed to achieve the ultimate expression of self.
Throughout the story of the Akeidah, the Torah repeatedly emphasizes Avraham's יד.
He took בידו — in his hand, the fire and the knife…
Avraham stretched out את ידו — his hand, and took the knife to slaughter his son…
"Do not stretch out ידך — your hand against the lad…
It could have left out the mention of the vehicle — the יד by which he took the knife and merely state 'he took the knife', obviously with his hand.
Perhaps it intimates how Avraham expanded himself solely for the sake of fulfilling G-d's directive. He always 'cast' himself in that life, never with a motivation to be part of something, nor to be vital to anyone else, only with an absolute devotion to the will of G-d.
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
