And Hashem revealed Himself to him...  as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day [18:1]

It was the third day from Avraham's circumcision and HaShem came to inquire after Avraham's health. The Gemara in Bava Metzia 86b says that HaShem drew the sun out of its sheath so that Avraham should not be troubled with wayfarers. Nevertheless, Avraham sent Eliezer out to seek travelers, but he found none. So Avraham himself went out, and saw G-d standing at the door. He raised his eyes and looked, and three men stood by him [18:]). And he said: “My Lord! If now I have found favor in your eyes, do not go away, I beg you, from your servant” [18:4]. This verse has two meanings. One meaning is that Avraham is addressing the most prominent of the three guests; he asked him and the others not to pass by his tent without benefiting from his hospitality. Another meaning is that Abraham is addressing G-d, asking Him to stand by while he attends to his guests.

 

Rabbi Judah said, in the name of Rav, that this is to teach us that taking in guests is greater than receiving the Shachina (Divine Presence) [Rashi on verse; Gemara, Shevuot 35b].

We see how much Avraham cherished the mitzvah of Hachnosat Orchim. Although there was a dreadful scorching heat wave outside, and Avraham was recuperating from a Brit at the age of 99, he still persevered.

The Medrash tells us a very important lesson. Avraham was not only interested in the physical needs of the guests, he also wanted to uplift them spiritually and to share his monotheistic beliefs with the masses. He erected a tent in the middle of the desert and would serve a sumptuous meal to any traveler that entered. The meal included bread, meat, wines and other delicacies. When a guest was ready to continue on his journey, Avraham would ask him to thank the Creator for the food he had just eaten. If the guest couldn't formulate a blessing on his own, Avraham would teach him to say: "Blessed be the Master of the World, whose food we have eaten."

Occasionally, a pagan would refuse Abraham's request. At this point, the Medrash says, Avraham would provide his guest with a bill for all the food that had been served, for example: Pita, $150; Soup de jour, $300; Entrée, $500; Beverage, $100. In response to the protests of the horrified guest, Abraham would patiently explain that in a free-market society prices are determined by supply and demand. Such outrageous food prices are justified in a desert, where such provisions are extremely scarce. "However," Avraham graciously concluded, "I will gladly waive all charges if you consent to thank the A-Mighty for the meal!"

Even the most ardent pagan was hard pressed to refuse such a proposal...

Although this story demonstrates our Patriarch's ingenuity and is a testament to his commitment to his mission of publicizing G-d's holy name among the population, it begs the question: what was Abraham accomplishing by extracting "forced blessings" from reluctant idol worshippers? The enlightened world has long eschewed employing coercive tactics to obtain verbal statements, realizing that declarations made under duress are utterly worthless. Why, then, did Abraham attach any value to blessings which were obviously uttered out of desperation?

Our sages tell us that "actions affect the heart." Abraham understood that the most effective way to influence a person, to nudge him in a spiritual direction, is to actually get him to do a mitzvah.

Often, a person who lives in a spiritual void needs some prodding, and when that person is persuaded to do a mitzvah, the simple beauty of submitting to the authority of a Higher Being becomes highly addictive. For the person who is completely engrossed in mundane activities, the moment when they are given the opportunity to connect with G-d is a breath of fresh air. This is something that must be experienced. No amount of explanation can replace the feeling that is experienced when doing a mitzvah.

Undoubtedly, every person is endowed with Free Choice, and can therefore choose to ignore the effect of the mitzvah, but inducing another Jew to actually do a mitzvah is the best weapon we have in our holy mission of bringing Jews closer to their Father in Heaven.

In today’s time we all have to use everything in our arsenal to promote Torah and Mitzvot. Avraham saw an opportunity to promote monotheistic belief to the masses, and he used it to the fullest. We have great opportunities every day. We just have to open our eyes. 

Shabbat Shalom.