In our new sensitive world, here is a sensitive thought that is as old as the Torah.

For many years I embraced the notion that you don’t get credit for doing the right thing.  When you go beyond the letter of the law, that is when your value begins to shine.

This idea put a lot of pressure on me subconsciously and pushed me to really value myself only when pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.

I’ve moved away from this idea as new philosophies about child raising, my children and their journey and the world as a whole has moved towards a more sensitive space.

I was thrilled to bump into this idea in a simple comment that Rashi makes on a verse in this week’s Torah Portion.

As the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gemorah comes to an end, the Torah says that “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and He sent Lot out of the midst of the destruction when He overturned the cities in which Lot had dwelt.”

Rashi says how does Abraham factor into Lot’s salvation, Ie. Why does the Torah say that God remembered Abraham?  What is the connection?

When Abraham and Sara first went down to Egypt, Abraham was concerned that Pharaoh would want to take Sara and he would be killed if it was thought that he was Sara’s husband.  So he told the border guards that Sara was his sister.

The story took some twists and turns and required its own analysis, but it all ended well.

Lot who was adopted by Abraham didn’t divulge the secret.  He did the right thing.  In fact it would have been shocking if he had done otherwise. It would have been murder had he done otherwise.

And yet, the Torah says that he was saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah only in the merit of doing this one right thing.

How liberating to know that just doing the right thing makes you worthy!

I’m going to marinate in that thought and try to show up today and this Shabbos just doing the right thing.

Good Shabbos!