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Naomi Graetz: In Shakespeare's Hamlet, when Marcellus says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," he is speaking of political corruption. The house of Denmark is in a state of rot. I see the rotting house as a metaphor for both sinning Israel and its leaders — then and today. The plague is manifested both without and within. If the rot settles too deeply to be purged, as in Hamlet, heads will fall and there will be collateral damage.
Michael Barclay: This week's Torah portion of Vayera (Gen. 18:1-22:24) has one of the most important teachings found in Judaism, or any authentic faith tradition. From this we learn that hospitality can lead to miracles and blessings, while rejecting hospitable behavior can lead to death and destruction.
Ephraim Mirvis: In the parsha of Metzora, we are introduced to the fascinating subject of צָרַעַת הַבַּיִת - leprosy of houses. So why did such an awful scenario take place? The Midrash, and the Gemara Masechet Arakhin, suggest that this came as a punishment for people who didn't engage in the mitzvah of הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים, of hospitality.
