{"id":31593,"date":"2025-09-15T08:31:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T08:31:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/?p=31593"},"modified":"2025-09-10T17:33:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T17:33:36","slug":"sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/","title":{"rendered":"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I.<\/strong> It is infuriating. The incomplete and twisted narrative promoted by many in the media and government casts Israel\u2019s holy and dedicated army and Jewish people everywhere as genocidal, oppressive and hateful. How can they forget who initiated the attack on October 7, including not only the \u201csoldiers\u201d of Hamas but the common Gazans who joined them? How dare they preach about Israel\u2019s humanitarian responsibilities while failing to exert maximum pressure on Hamas to unconditionally and immediately release the hostages? How do they level accusations of genocide against an army that warns its targets before launching attacks? How do they highlight the destruction of homes and hospitals while ignoring the terror infrastructure embedded within and beneath them? Don\u2019t they understand that there is only one army in the entire region that follows a moral code and reviews its actions for compliance with international law; that one side in this conflict sees civilian casualties as a tragedy while the other cynically uses them as a strategy?\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Why is the plain truth so hidden from them?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

II.<\/strong> \u201cThe outcry against Sodom and Amora is great and their sin is very grave. I shall go down now and see if they have really done as much as the outcry that has reached me, and if not, I will know.\u201d<\/span>1<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

The city of Sodom had a reputation of being a terrible place, inhospitable and uncaring to the extreme, where the culture of alienation persisted despite the city\u2019s proximity to Avraham, the world\u2019s greatest model of kindness, and even after his nephew and student Lot came to live among them. Sodom\u2019s treatment of others had reached a boiling point, but before acting to destroy the city, G-d wanted to see it for Himself, so to speak, by sending angels posing as guests to see how they would be treated by Lot and the locals. Made aware of the plan, Avraham prayed and pleaded successfully with G-d to be as forgiving and tolerant as He possibly could and to extend compassion to Sodom if He found even a glimmer of goodness in its midst. That goodness was not to be found. When Lot followed the model of Avraham and welcomed the guests into his home, he and they faced the vicious fury of the entire city, \u201cfrom young to old, all of the people from every quarter.\u201d<\/span>2<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sodom clearly deserved its fate, as it demonstrated its persistent cruelty and its resistance to being influenced by the greatest teachers and role models. Yet even as Sodom was destroyed, G-d plucked Lot from the midst of the devastation such that the righteous would not be destroyed along with the wicked. The destruction of Sodom was done with perfect justice and left no theological questions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sodom\u2019s destruction should therefore presumably serve as a powerful and prominent religious symbol, vividly displaying G-d\u2019s existence and presence and His true and unquestionable justice. Wouldn\u2019t its story be the perfect illustrative Torah reading for the Day of Judgment (Rosh Hashanah)? Shouldn\u2019t its ruins serve as the ultimate monument to G-d\u2019s presence in this world? Yet while we read much of Parashat Vayera on Rosh Hashanah, we disregard this section\u2014and the ruins of Sodom are altogether forgotten, serving neither as the location of G-d\u2019s Temple nor as a place of pilgrimage.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

III. <\/b>The context! Do they not realize that Israel\u2019s occupation of Gaza ended in 2005? Do they not recognize that the checkpoints and sieges were not created to humiliate Palestinians but were a failed attempt to prevent Hamas from building its massive terror infrastructure and arsenal with the goal of destroying Israel? How dare they suggest granting a state to those who remain committed to Israel\u2019s destruction\u2014and do so now, as a reward for the terror of October 7? How can they hypocritically call for two states for two peoples without noting that the Jewish State will always welcome Arabs while the Palestinian territories are Judenrein? How do they call for de-escalation and ceasefires without realizing that one side will use that quiet to resume their quest to create the next revolution in artificial intelligence, medicine or agriculture, while the other will use it to rearm and rebuild its terror tunnels? How do they claim to champion peace and coexistence without noting that it is one side\u2019s dream and the other\u2019s nightmare?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can they consistently ignore the full picture?<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

IV.<\/strong> \u201cTake your son, your only one, the one whom you love\u2014Yitzchak\u2014and go to the land of Moriah and offer him up there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, the one that I will show you.\u201d<\/span>3<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

How could it be? Avraham and Sarah had waited for the birth of this child for decades. Finally, and miraculously, he was born, and it was he who would carry forward the covenant, mission and destiny that G-d had chosen for Avraham, whom He knew \u201cwould teach his children and his household the way of G-d, doing what is right and just.\u201d<\/span>4<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And now G-d is asking his beloved Avraham to sacrifice his future in an act that would contradict every principle of righteousness and justice that he had taught the world! Avraham, who had always walked before G-d,<\/span>5<\/sup><\/span> anticipating<\/span>6<\/sup><\/span> and identifying with<\/span>7<\/sup><\/span> His every command, was being asked to do the incomprehensible. The happy outcome of Yitzchak being spared was certainly welcome, but it did not resolve the overwhelming questions that arose along the way to the mountaintop.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can they consistently ignore the full picture?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If Sodom is where G-d and His judgment are made vividly clear, Moriah is where He and His ways are most hidden and mysterious. Yet it is the place consecrated forever as G-d\u2019s Temple on Earth, where He will be most visible\u2014<\/span>b\u2019har Hashem yeira\u2019eh<\/span><\/i>8<\/sup><\/span>\u2014and it is the story that we read from the Torah on Rosh Hashanah and repeatedly invoke in its prayers and rituals, as the shofar represents the horn of the ram that was offered in place of Yitzchak. We may deeply admire and take pride in our forefather Avraham\u2019s heroic willingness to sacrifice that which was dearest to Him for G-d, but is the <\/span>Akeidah<\/span><\/i> the fitting thing to highlight on G-d\u2019s Day of Judgment? Avraham\u2019s words in praying for Sodom resonate here: \u201cWhat a desecration it would be for You to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous like the wicked. . . . Shall the Judge of all the Earth not do justice?!\u201d<\/span>9<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

V.<\/strong> The Israeli government, army and people are imperfect. Technical mistakes will cause their bombs to kill those they did not target, and the horror and trauma of war will even lead some of their soldiers to commit war crimes. Politicians are always complicated, security cabinets and army chiefs of staff may make poor strategic decisions, and some within the government, army and citizenry who have had enough of Arab intransigence will call for vengeance and population transfer. In the thick of an existential war with an enemy explicitly committed to its destruction, Israel has not made it a priority to clearly explain its actions or address valid issues that others consider pressing. These are the bugs, not the features, of the Israeli war effort. Yet these imperfections are repeated so often that they have become a mantra among Israel\u2019s critics, used to characterize\u2014or, perhaps more accurately, to condemn\u2014Israel and the Jewish people: the nation of goodness that is a source of blessing to the world and its leader in charity, morality and faith.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

It is infuriating and humiliating. The false and incomplete narratives portray the \u201cLight unto the Nations\u201d as a source of darkness. Klal Yisrael is defamed and disgraced. We are so very far from seeing the fulfillment of the Rosh Hashanah prayer of tein kavod Hashem l\u2019amecha, that G-d deliver honor to His people.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

VI.<\/strong> While Rosh Hashanah is the Day of Judgment, it is also the anniversary of Creation, the moment when G-d, in His kindness, created man in His image so that we would benefit from His ultimate goodness.<\/span>10<\/sup><\/span> G-d built the world on kindness,<\/span>11<\/sup><\/span> to offer opportunity and blessing to His creations\u2014<\/span>gomel chasadim tovim v\u2019koneh hakol.<\/span><\/i>12<\/sup><\/span> G-d\u2019s goodness is such that He wants only that which is good for us. \u201cRemember us for life, O King Who desires life, and inscribe us for life.\u201d<\/span>13<\/sup><\/span> Even as we approach Him in Judgment, we are reminded that He \u201cdoes not seek the death of the wicked but their improvement so that they may live.\u201d<\/span>14<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

That is the truth. But is it the prevailing narrative? Already on that first Rosh Hashanah, the snake convinced Chavah that G-d was not giving but rather withholding from them the ultimate good.<\/span>15<\/sup><\/span> And ever since, do we believe G-d\u2019s narrative or the serpent\u2019s? Do Jews come to shul en masse on the High Holidays because they want to greet the King Who desires life\u2014or because they are frightened for their lives? Do we fixate on U\u2019netaneh Tokef because of its imagery of the caring shepherd lovingly tending to each member of its flock\u2014or because of its dramatic and humbling depiction of G-d\u2019s judgment? How many rabbis find their schedules filled with people wondering aloud why G-d has showered them with so much good?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Several years ago, a longtime acquaintance of mine lost his wife, <\/span>Rachmana litzlan<\/span><\/i>, at a young age. She had battled cancer, and one summer, while their younger children were at camp, it returned with a vengeance. The couple decided not to share the news with their children to allow them to enjoy the summer.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the kids came home, they found their mother still very aware, very alive, but very, very sick. Upon seeing her, one of them broke down and cried, \u201cMommy, why does this have to happen to you? Why you?!\u201d She held her child and told her, \u201cYou know, I have had the most wonderful life. I was blessed with you and with your brothers and sisters. I was blessed with wonderful parents, with Daddy, with good friends and many good times. When I had all that, I never questioned, \u2018Why me?\u2019 If I didn\u2019t ask it then, I won\u2019t ask it now.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

No, we, and the world at large, neither appreciate G-d\u2019s goodness nor understand His judgment. The G-d of <\/span>tzedakah u\u2019mishpat <\/span><\/i>stands constantly accused of being uncaring and unjust and making bad things happen to good people. The G-d of goodness, the source of blessing in the world and the source of all that is, Who models every virtuous trait, is demonized as the very opposite.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

During the Yamim Noraim, we seek to restore G-d\u2019s good name. We pray for the day when the world He created will recognize Him and celebrate His goodness, honor His people, and value all those things that will bring the righteous to rejoice. That is the world we pray for\u2014but for now, at best, His presence in our world can only be perceived in its hiddenness. If we search for Him in the ruins of Sodom, in the transparent, perfect exercise of fairness and judgment, we will not find Him. G-d is only visible to those whose vision can pierce the cloudy mystery of the <\/span>Akeidah<\/span><\/i>. The Days of Judgment revolve not around Sodom but around the <\/span>Akeidah<\/span><\/i>\u2014on our belief in the G-d in Whose judgment we trust even as we cannot fully understand, and in the ultimate acknowledgment of the Yom Kippur confessions, \u201c<\/span>V\u2019Atah tzaddik al kol haba aleinu<\/span><\/i>\u2014G-d, You are the righteous one in all that has befallen us.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

VII. <\/span><\/b>The central motif of our prayers on Rosh Hashanah is our hope for the restoration of G-d\u2019s honor and kingdom in His world; on Yom Kippur, our confessions, assumption of responsibility, and pleas for His forgiveness take center stage. It is a season of rebirth\u2014<\/span>hayom harat olam<\/span><\/i>\u2014our opportunity to move from anger to trust. A time to lift ourselves out of the frustration over all the terrible things \u201cthey\u201d have been doing to us and instead reflect on what \u201cwe\u201d can do better: to shift from being plagued by the shame and demonization heaped upon us and focus instead on how we can deepen the world\u2019s honor and love for G-d.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this world, we will find G-d in the clouds hovering over Moriah that we approach in the trusting and committed footsteps of Avraham, leaving there with G-d\u2019s blessing to him: \u201cI will bestow My blessing upon you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands on the seashore; your descendants shall seize the gates of their enemies; and all the nations of the earth shall find blessing through your descendants, because you have heard My voice.\u201d<\/span>16<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Bereishit 18:21.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Bereishit 19:4.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Bereishit 22:2<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Bereishit 18:19.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Bereishit 17:1, 24:38; Rashi 6:9.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Yoma<\/span><\/i> 28a, <\/span>Bereishit Rabbah<\/span><\/i> 95:3.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

7. Rambam, <\/span>Hilchot Teshuvah <\/span><\/i>10:2.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. Bereishit 22:14.<\/span><\/p>\n

9. Bereishit 18:25.<\/span><\/p>\n

10. Derech Hashem <\/span><\/i>1:2:1.<\/span><\/p>\n

11. Tehillim 89:2.<\/span><\/p>\n

12. Opening <\/span>berachah<\/span><\/i> of the Amidah.<\/span><\/p>\n

13. Ibid.<\/span><\/p>\n

14. Yechezkiel 33:11.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

15. Bereishit 3:1\u20135.<\/span><\/p>\n

16. Bereishit 22:17\u201318.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rabbi Moshe Hauer is executive vice president of the Orthodox Union.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":326,"featured_media":28679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[472,16,62,570,333],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer","category-history","category-israel","category-october-7","category-tanach","issues-fall-2025-5786"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection - Jewish Action<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection - Jewish Action\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jewish Action\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JewishAction\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-15T08:31:18+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1243\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rabbi Moshe Hauer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rabbi Moshe Hauer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"10 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Rabbi Moshe Hauer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/cd0982cd38ce0ec54798c07999b9e418\"},\"headline\":\"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-15T08:31:18+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/\"},\"wordCount\":2227,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA\",\"articleSection\":[\"From the Desk of Rabbi Moshe Hauer\",\"History\",\"Israel\",\"October 7\",\"Tanach\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/\",\"name\":\"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection - Jewish Action\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-09-15T08:31:18+00:00\",\"description\":\"Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?\u00a0\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1243},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/\",\"name\":\"Jewish Action\",\"description\":\"Jewish Action | A publication of the Orthodox Union\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Jewish Action\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/jewish-action-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/jewish-action-logo.png\",\"width\":253,\"height\":74,\"caption\":\"Jewish Action\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JewishAction\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jewish_Action\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/cd0982cd38ce0ec54798c07999b9e418\",\"name\":\"Rabbi Moshe Hauer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b6523248b0272dcc069b58023922ddd6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b6523248b0272dcc069b58023922ddd6?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rabbi Moshe Hauer\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/author\/moshe-hauer\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection - Jewish Action","description":"Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?\u00a0","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection - Jewish Action","og_description":"Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?\u00a0","og_url":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/","og_site_name":"Jewish Action","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JewishAction","article_published_time":"2025-09-15T08:31:18+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1243,"url":"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Rabbi Moshe Hauer","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rabbi Moshe Hauer","Est. reading time":"10 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/"},"author":{"name":"Rabbi Moshe Hauer","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/cd0982cd38ce0ec54798c07999b9e418"},"headline":"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection","datePublished":"2025-09-15T08:31:18+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/"},"wordCount":2227,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA","articleSection":["From the Desk of Rabbi Moshe Hauer","History","Israel","October 7","Tanach"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/","url":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/","name":"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection - Jewish Action","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA","datePublished":"2025-09-15T08:31:18+00:00","description":"Why is this rare and vivid display of G-d\u2019s truth virtually ignored?\u00a0","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA","contentUrl":"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/ouwp\/images\/w_2560,h_1243,c_scale\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1726849551\/Jewishaction\/Newsletter_HAUER-1\/Newsletter_HAUER-1.jpg?_i=AA","width":2560,"height":1243},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/from-the-desk-of-rabbi-moshe-hauer\/sodom-akeidat-yitzchak-and-the-new-york-times-a-yamim-noraim-reflection\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sodom, Akeidat Yitzchak and the New York Times: A Yamim Noraim Reflection"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#website","url":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/","name":"Jewish Action","description":"Jewish Action | A publication of the Orthodox Union","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#organization","name":"Jewish Action","url":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/jewish-action-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/jewish-action-logo.png","width":253,"height":74,"caption":"Jewish Action"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/JewishAction","https:\/\/x.com\/Jewish_Action"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/cd0982cd38ce0ec54798c07999b9e418","name":"Rabbi Moshe Hauer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b6523248b0272dcc069b58023922ddd6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/b6523248b0272dcc069b58023922ddd6?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Rabbi Moshe Hauer"},"url":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/author\/moshe-hauer\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31593"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31798,"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31593\/revisions\/31798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jewishaction.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}