An interesting concept we learn from this week’s parashah, Vayera, is mindfulness, a popular meditation technique that works on centring oneself by focusing on the immediate present.

One of the many stories in Vayera recounts the annihilation of the sinning cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Before destroying the cities, angels save Lot and his family, instructing them to flee toward the mountains and not look back. Famously, Lot’s wife does look back and turns into a pillar of salt.

This story teaches about the dangers of living in the past. Lot’s wife can’t let go of how her life used to be, preventing her from effectively dealing with her new reality. We should learn to be aware of our thoughts and avoid the dangerous game of what might have been, which keeps us stuck in the past and prevents us from moving forward.

Meanwhile, the story of Ishmael in the desert, also found in Vayera, cautions against getting too caught up in the future. Ishmael, Abraham’s son by Hagar, is dying in the desert after his mother abandoned him, and he cries out to God. The angels argue that he should not be saved because, in the future, he and his children will be enemies of the Jewish people. God does not listen to the angels and saves Ishmael on the basis that, at that moment, he did not deserve to die. Similarly, God chooses to judge all of us based on who we are in the moment. It is important not to get too caught up in what might happen in the future, which is just another version of the what-if game.

Our job is to focus on the present and act according to our present reality. Being caught up in thoughts of the past or future prevents us from living in the moment and interferes with our ability to act and be mindful in the present.