בס "ד

Integrar la Torá en la propia vida a través de la reflexión y la conversación puede ser una experiencia increíblemente divertida y atractiva. Es un viaje de descubrimiento, en el que la sabiduría ancestral y las enseñanzas intemporales cobran vida en nuestras experiencias cotidianas. A través de la reflexión, tenemos la oportunidad de sumergirnos en el rico tapiz de la Torá, extrayendo profundas ideas y lecciones que resuenan en nuestras vidas modernas. La alegría reside en los momentos "ajá", aquellos en los que un versículo o una historia de la Torá conectan de repente con nuestros retos, aspiraciones y valores personales. Y cuando participamos en conversaciones sobre la Torá con otras personas, se convierte en una exploración interactiva, en la que diversas perspectivas e interpretaciones mejoran nuestra comprensión. Estos diálogos a menudo despiertan el entusiasmo y la curiosidad intelectual, haciendo que el proceso de aprendizaje sea agradable y satisfactorio. La Torá se convierte en una parte vibrante y dinámica de nuestras vidas, que nos ofrece no sólo orientación, sino también una fuente inagotable de fascinación, conexión y crecimiento.

NOTA: No te sientas obligado a consultar todas las fuentes ni a responder a todas las preguntas, a menos que quieras hacerlo. Incluso una sola fuente o una sola pregunta te dará mucho material para debatir y meditar. Disfrútalo.

Some thoughts from the parsha

The Salt of the Earth

“But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”
(Bereishis 19:26)

Many of us have read this verse dozens of times, yet sometimes a familiar line suddenly shines with new meaning. Why salt? Why was this the form her punishment took? Why not stone, sand, or iron?

Rashi explains that when Lot asked his wife to bring salt for their angelic guests, she refused. In Sodom, hospitality was despised and generosity ridiculed. Her reluctance to share even a little salt revealed not a momentary stinginess but a stuck outlook—a heart turned inward. When she looked back, she wasn’t merely glancing at her home; she was turning back toward the corrupt values she had internalized.

Salt, throughout Scripture, carries a paradoxical meaning. It symbolizes both judgment and preservation, both permanence and covenant. “With all your offerings you shall offer salt” (Leviticus 2:13). Salt makes food flavorful and prevents decay; likewise, covenant and moral integrity preserve human life from corruption.

Our sages teach that without the “salt” of faith and gratitude, the world could not endure its own bitterness. When we forget that all blessing comes from G-d, our labor becomes anxious and harsh—“the rat race.” Salt sweetens the struggle by reminding us that every bit of good in our lives is a gift.

Our Sages tell us: “Salt your money by diminishing it.” We preserve what we have by giving it away—by turning resources into kindness. It seems counterintuitive, but generosity is the truest form of security. Lot’s wife withheld even the smallest gift, and so became the emblem of spiritual stagnation: a pillar of salt, hardened and immovable.

For Noahides, the lesson is timeless. The covenant of salt reflects a universal truth: goodness must be preserved, bitterness must be sweetened, and wealth must be shared. When we give freely, we imitate the Creator, who gives continually. When we cling and refuse, we begin to harden.

May we all become the true salt of the earth—preserving what is good, giving flavor to life through gratitude and generosity, and allowing kindness to keep our hearts alive.

Now, reflect on the following questions

  1. What does it mean to “look back” in your own life? Are there habits, attachments, or ways of thinking that keep you tied to an old version of yourself?
  2. Salt preserves and also adds flavor. What values or actions in your life preserve what is good—and which bring flavor and joy to others?
  3. When has generosity sweetened a difficult or bitter situation for you or someone else?
  4. The saying “Salt your money by diminishing it” teaches that giving preserves wealth. In what ways does giving—of time, care, or resources—enrich your own sense of abundance?
  5. How might you bring more gratitude and openness into your daily routine, so that life’s challenges feel seasoned rather than bitter?

¡Shabbat Shalom!

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Por el rabino Tani Burton

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