[1] The common perception (p’shat) of what happened at the very beginning of this parashah is that after the heroic fete of circumcising himself along with his son, Yishmael, Avraham, driven as he was for opportunities to extend some form of chessed, was sitting at the opened entrance to his tent awaiting anyone who would pass by so that he could greet the stranger and invite him in to his abode.

 

RaMBaM takes the rather unusual approach of maintaining that whenever G-d would communicate with any prophet – except for Moshe Rabbeinu – the message would come to that individual prophet in a dream-like vision. In his thirteen principles of faith, RaMBAM writes that the difference between the prophecy of Moshe and that of the other prophets was that “all other prophets would receive visions only when asleep” or “they would receive their visions by day after the prophet fell into a trance” (Introduction to Sanhedrin perek Cheilek, seventh principle). Accordingly, this entire scene of the three “people” passing by and Avraham conversing with G-d was a prophetic vision received in a trance.

 

Whichever way you may choose to understand this opening scene of the parashah, be it in the literal sense or in RaMBaM’s prophetic mode, one thing is clear: Avraham is driven – consciously or subconsciously – to find the opportunity to extend his hospitality to passersby. Hachnasat orchim, in fact, was a core of his modus operandi to spread the concept of a monotheistic G-d in a world overwhelmingly, if not totally, dominated by pagan polytheism.

 

This act of chessed, hachnasat orchim, has become, as it were, a fundamental principle of faith in and of itself as a result of the conduct of Avraham Avinu.  Welcoming guests is an expression of gemilut chassadim which, in a technical sense, is rabbinically mandated (mi-d’rabbanan). Nonetheless, its observance is subsumed under the Torah’s mandate of “ve-ahavta le-reacha kamocha,” which is one of the 613 mitzvot without question.

 

The Talmud (Shabbat 127a) records several opinions to demonstrate the weightiness of hachnassat orchim as a value. It is equal to the value of arriving early in the Bet haMidrash, according to Rabbi Yochanan. Rav Dimi of Neharde’a, we are told, maintains that receiving guests is even greater than early arrival in the Bet ha-Midrash. Then there is the opinion of Rav Yehudah who quotes Rav that from the conversation that Avraham had with HaKadosh Baruch Hu, it is evident that welcoming guests is even greater than greeting the Divine Presence. This is learned from Avraham requesting of G-d to please wait with any further conversation so that he, Avraham, may welcome the three passersby before they leave his area (Bereishit 18:3).

 

And, it is this third opinion that is most often quoted to teach the cardinal importance of being able to welcome guests. For an authority as compelling as R. Menachem haMeiri in his commentary to these three opinions, he explains that hachnasat orchim among all other mitzvot is supreme (Beit haBechirah to Shabbat).The details that the parashah offers as to Avraham’s encounter with the three “people” has been the source for deriving a corpus of halachic details, instruction for all times to be followed when a Jew engages in hachnasat orchim. Here are some highlights:

 

• The manner in which a guest is greeted is of paramount importance and a vital part of the mitzvah (Avot 1:15; Rabbeinu Yonah in Sefer haYir’ah).
• Show guests to their accommodations immediately upon arrival and offer them something to eat. Let them decide which they prefer first – to eat or rest (Based on Rabbeinu Yonah’s Kad haKemach s.v. “orchim” and Zohar Be-shalach).
• Avraham actively sought to invite guests to his home. This quality ought to be emulated by all (Kad haKemach ibid.)
• Children of the household should be educated to participate in hachnasat orchim and be taught its value (RaSHI to 18:7 quoting Midrash Rabbah.).
• To accompany guests on their way so that they continue on in the right direction, is possibly more essential than all other aspects of hachnasat orchim (RaMBaM Hilchot Avel 14:2). Since these days the manner and extent to which Avraham practiced this may be impractical, there are those who accomplish this by accompanying their guests to the door and beyond until they depart in an automobile. Having accompanied the guest at least four amot fulfills this aspect of Avraham’s model of accompanying his guests (Chafetz Chaim’s Ahavat Chessed 3:2). If the guest departs in a group there is no longer a requirement of accompanying that person since every person in the group is accompanying another (quoted in the name of Chazon Ish).
  
  

[2] While our celebration of Sukkot is a month behind us, nonetheless, I believe it is appropriate within these shared lines to recall a symbolic spiritual minhag that has been practiced since the days of Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the ARI.

The practice of inviting the seven ushpizin (guests) to our sukkah on each day of the holiday is not only a prayer-like passage to be perfunctorily rattled off each day. We are asked to focus upon this aspect of sukkah observances with all earnestness. The day’s guest has to be verbally invited and a setting at the table with a chair should be placed for that guest (CHiDA in his Avodat ha-Kodesh based on the Zohar).

I have heard recently that this symbolic gesture has influenced some to always set an additional place at the table even on Shabbat and over yamim tovim. All this to maintain a year-long focus on the virtue of the mitzvah even though there isn’t an authoritative source for it.

[3] Elsewhere in the Torah (Devarim  21:1-9) we learn about the mitzvah of eglah arufah, an atonement offering unto G-d when a stranger is found dead on the wayside between two cities. The elders of the closest city have to offer this sin offering because a person, unknown to them, had passed through their town unnoticed and on the road he may have been molested and killed. If the community were greeted, fed and escorted, claims the MaHaRaL, the victim may not have been murdered.

These days, as with all other korbanot that are not practiced, we can still derive a deeply meaningful lesson from this mitzvah. In the not too distant past when a stranger would show up in shul, say on the evening of Shabbat, residents of the town and members of that shul would fight over who would be the one to host the passerby. In Europe, before the advent of hotels and motels, there are stories told about men coming home despondent over the fact that they had no guest to welcome. Today there are hotels and motels but there are also times when, due to emergencies, a stranger could show up unexpectedly in shul. How many of you would greet them and quickly find out if they have accommodations? 

In many congregations there can be found one particular member who will make it their personal duty to greet strangers and quickly befriend them just in case they are alone and could use a Shabbat meal with a family who would extend hospitality. In certain congregations there are rotating volunteers who serve as the hospitality committee and are ready, at a moment’s notice, to accommodate anyone in need of hospitality.

At times, I have seen where members of a shul come to believe that it should be the duty of the congregation’s rabbi to take care of all guests. If you feel that way, I wonder how thrilled Avraham Avinu would be with you, claiming to be one of his descendants.

 Shabbat Shalom.