This week I had the great privilege of joining New Yorkers of every stripe to come together and address the profound, human needs left by Hurricane Sandy's aftermath. As we carried supplies to stranded residents, I carried with me images from this week's Torah portion.

After the natural disaster, begins the race among readers of holy texts to say something stupid regarding the "reason" for the suffering. This is especially tempting when the weekly Torah portion, Vayera, is the tale of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Abraham, the humble servant, approaches God to make a deal: "For 50 righteous men, you'll still destroy the city? How can you bring death to the righteous in the same breath as the wicked?"