מַמְרֵא
Mamre
Avraham's tent
וַיֵּרָא
Torah Portion 4 of 12 · Bereshit (Genesis) 18:1–22:24
Parashat Vayera: the story, then the game.
Three visitors come to Avraham's tent at Mamre, and the portion doesn't slow down from there. Sedom falls, Yitzchak is born, and father and son climb Moriah in one of the Torah's most searching chapters.
Vayera: "And He appeared"
The Story of Parashat Vayera
The tent at Mamre
Avraham sits at his tent door in the heat of the day and runs to greet three strangers. He serves them bread, milk and meat, and they promise that Sarah will have a son. She laughs. Then, as the men look toward Sdom, Avraham stands and pleads for the city: what if there are fifty righteous there, or ten?
Sdom, Gerar and Yitzchak
Lot is brought out of Sdom, and the cities of the plain are destroyed. Avraham goes down to Gerar, where he meets its king, Avimelech. Then Yitzchak is born, as promised, and his name carries Sarah's laughter. Hagar and Yishmael are sent away and are given water in the wilderness. Avraham and Avimelech swear an oath at Be'er Sheva.
The Akeidah
Avraham is told to take his son, his only one, whom he loves, to the land of Moriah. They walk for three days. Yitzchak carries the wood and asks where the lamb is. On the mountain, a voice stops Avraham's hand, and a ram is caught by its horns in the thicket.
Read in synagogues on Shabbat, October 31, 2026.
What You Play
The part of the story we focus on.
The game lets you do the serving and the walking, and it treats the heavy moments with care.
שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים
Three Visitors; Sdom
Bring bread, water and milk to the three visitors, then walk with them toward Sdom and plead for the city.
Bereshit (Genesis) 18–19
גְּרָר
Gerar and the Negev
Travel south into the Negev and meet Avimelech, king of Gerar.
Bereshit (Genesis) 20
יִצְחָק
Yitzchak
Bring food to Yitzchak's weaning feast, swear an oath with Avimelech and plant the tamarisk.
Bereshit (Genesis) 21
עֲקֵדַת יִצְחָק
The Akeidah
Gather wood, fire and the knife, and climb the mountain with Yitzchak.
Bereshit (Genesis) 22
Sdom is told in the text's own words and is not acted out as combat.
This portion at a glance
- Three visitors at the tent in Mamre18:1–15
- Avraham pleads for Sedom18:16–33
- Sedom falls19:1–29
- Yitzchak is born21:1–8
- The Akedah on Moriah22:1–19
Hebrew from Parashat Vayera
סְדֹם
Sedom
Sodom
יִצְחָק
Yitzchak
Isaac
מֹרִיָּה
Moriah
The land of the climb
Talk about it
- What does running to greet strangers tell you about Avraham?
- Why does Avraham argue for a city that isn't his?
- What do you notice about what Yitzchak asks on the way up the mountain?
About Parashat Vayera
What is Parashat Vayera about?
Visitors at Mamre, the fall of Sedom and the climb up Moriah. The name, וַיֵּרָא, means "And He appeared."
Where is Parashat Vayera in the Bible?
It runs from Bereshit 18:1 to Bereshit 22:24, which is Genesis 18:1–22:24 in an English Bible. It's portion 4 of the 12 in the book.
Can I play Parashat Vayera in Gan Eden?
Playable now in Gan Eden, free in your browser.
גַּן עֵדֶן
Be first into the next chapter.
Miketz, Vayigash and Vayechi are still to come. Join the list and hear when new chapters open.
תּוֹדָהTodah. You're on the list.
