Parashat Vayera

Today’s Torah portion was Parashat Vayera (Genesis 18:1-22:24). It’s filled with action, including the Binding of Isaac and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, but that wasn’t what caught the eye of the person giving the drash today. Instead, she talked about the meaning of hospitality, pointing out that the sin which really sealed the doom of Sodom was the lack of hospitality, and talking about how Abram’s hospitality to the three strangers led to the birth of Isaac. And the Haftorah follows through on the same theme.

After my unfortunate experience Thursday at the Iron Cactus (followed, fortunately, by the great treatment I received at Taco Cabana), I wish that people in the hospitality industry would read the Torah!

United Airlines keeps trying to make good for their summer problems; today’s mail said that I could have my choice of 15,000 miles or two confirmable domestic upgrades as yet another apology for any inconvenience I might have suffered during the summer (this is on top of double mileage for my travel since May and a reduced mileage level to requalify for Premier). I’d really prefer it if they spread out the seats throughout the cabin, not just in the first few rows of Coach, and if they’d serve food on any flight over two hours, not just those which fit their definition of “mealtime”. But since they’re not likely to take those measures, which actually cost money, I guess I should be happy that they want my business enough to try to bribe me for it.