Parshat Vayera – 10/31/2026

By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields

In Parashat Vayera, we encounter moments of profound dialogue between heaven and earth—Avraham pleading for Sodom, Hagar crying out in the wilderness, and Sarah receiving the promise of a child. Each of these episodes is marked by a human voice reaching out in vulnerability and uncertainty, and a divine response that reshapes reality.

This dynamic lies at the heart of Shema Koleinu—“hear our voice.” In prayer, we stand in a similar posture to Avraham, Hagar, and Sarah: speaking from places of hope, fear, confusion, and longing. Shema Koleinu is the affirmation that those voices matter, even when they emerge from difficult or hidden places.

Hagar’s story is especially powerful. In the wilderness, seemingly abandoned, she cries out, and “God hears the voice of the boy.” Her experience embodies the essence of Shema Koleinu: that even when human beings feel unseen, they are still heard by God. Avraham’s negotiation for Sodom also reflects this relationship—he speaks boldly, trusting that dialogue with the Divine is possible.

Together, Parashat Vayera and Shema Koleinu teach that prayer is not one-directional. It is a living conversation in which human voices shape the moral landscape and divine listening affirms human dignity. When we call out, we are not speaking into emptiness—we are entering into a relationship, where every voice has meaning and every cry is received.