BS”D
HONING
HOSPITALITY: PARSHAT VEYEIRA
Shira Smiles shiur
– 2020/5781
Adapted by Channie
Koplowitz Stein
Avraham Avinu had undergone his bris
milah three days earlier. One would expect him to be resting and
recuperating. Instead, he was sitting in the opening of his tent hoping to
greet some wayfarers and extend them hospitality. Knowing that Avraham must be
in pain, Hakodosh Boruch Hu stops by to visit. Just then, Avraham sees three
Arabs coming down the road. Avraham is determined to provide hospitality, so he
turns and pleads, “My Lord/lord, do not to pass away from me,” and he runs to
provide all he can for these travelers, work that will be intense and time
consuming.
Our commentators are all concerned with
one question: Hashem had come directly to Avraham; how could Avraham leave
God’s sacred presence to tend to these idol worshipers? Was this not a disgrace
to Hashem’s honor? It is specifically from this event that our Sages state that
the mitzvah of hospitality is so great that it even supersedes greeting the
Divine Presence. But can we deduce that therefore every mitzvah performance
takes precedence over greeting the Divine Presence, or is it only hospitality?
After all, the goal of mitzvah performance is to form a connection to Hakodosh
Boruch Hu. It would seem that Avraham had now already reached that goal, writes
Rabbi Mintzberg in Ben Melech. However, that ultimate goal is to be
achieved in olam habo/the next world. In this world we must continue to
act. As long as we are alive, we must continue to perform mitzvoth, for
that is how we greet the Divine Presence in this world, adds Daas Torah.
When we realize this fact, adds Rabbi Goldstein, we begin to appreciate every
opportunity to do a mitzvah, for these opportunities will no longer be
available to us in the next world.
The streets are lined with mitzvoth if we
but open our eyes to see, writes Rabbi Wolbe. And it is not how important or
minor we perceive a mitzvah to be, but that we train ourselves by doing more
and more “small” mitzvoth to develop a mitzvah mentality. Each mitzvah brings
down some of Hashem’s presence, whether one is asking a confused stranger if he
needs some help or giving a small donation to tzedakah. Just as nature, to be
productive, must follow the rules Hashem set, so must we perform the mitzvoth
as Hashem intended, with intent and love, in order to bring down His Presence.
While Hashem came to Avraham to “visit the
sick” after Avraham’s circumcision, Avraham wanted to earn Hashem’s presence
through his own effort in performing a mitzvah rather than through Hashem’s
kindness, writes Rav Scheinerman in Ohel Moshe, for the mitzvah itself
would bring down Hashem’s presence. It is said similarly of the Vilna Gaon
that, although an angel offered to teach the Gaon the entire Torah through
Divine revelation, the Vilna Gaon refused the offer, preferring to gain Torah
wisdom through his own effort and study. With this perspective, we can
understand that leaving Hashem’s presence to work on a mitzvah was not at all
disrespectful to Hashem. We can also see from this episode that when one is
involved in performing one mitzvah, he is exempt from performing another
mitzvah, continues Rabbi Scheinerman. After all, you are already bringing down
Hashem’s presence with the current mitzvah.
Rabbi Scheinerman notes that the word
mitzvah is related to a word meaning connection. Mitzvah performance surrounds
us with an aura of God’s presence, as we testify with the blessing that
introduces so many of our mitzvoth: “He has sanctified us through His
mitzvoth…” Let us therefore strive to give every mitzvah the reverence it
deserves.
While we understand this connection
through the teachings of our Sages and through our tradition, how did Avraham
Avinu arrive at this understanding?
Avraham knew his mission was to spread
belief in and closeness to Hashem among the people. However, now having been
circumcised, he was different from others not only philosophically and
spiritually, but also physically. Avraham was afraid that this difference would
keep others away from him, thus making it impossible for him to communicate
with others and actualize his mission, writes Rabbi Miller in Shabbat
Shiurim. So, Hashem sent him these strangers to raise Avraham’s spirits, to
show Avraham that he could still communicate his message to others.
While Avraham was sitting, Hashem (so to
speak) was standing nearby, teaching Avraham that although God is always
present in a Jewish court of law, the judges are nevertheless seated, giving
their full attention to rendering proper judgment and not being distracted by
the awe of God’s presence. Hashem’s presence among us, as awesome as it is, is
not meant to distract us from proper performance of mitzvoth. Avraham thus
understood that he was not disrespecting Hashem by going out to perform one of
His mitzvoth, even while Hakodosh boruch Hu was actually standing by in his
presence.
From a different but beautiful
perspective, Rabbi Scheinerman quotes Rav Shach, who notes that since
every human being was created in God’s image, we are not disrespecting God when
we do acts of chesed to another, but respecting His image within the other
human being and further honoring Hashem by emulating Hashem’s chesed to us,
following in His ways. In fact, adds Rabbi Beyfus, the obligation to emulate
Hashem is a continuous obligation, and we are not putting Hashem on hold, but
clinging to Him. In fact, adds Rav Aaron Kotler, because we ourselves are
created in God’s image, we must emulate Him. Just as the world was created
through Hashem’s chesed, so must we continue to uphold the world through
continuing acts of chesed. As is stated in Tehillim, “Olam chesed
yiboneh/The world was created [and will continue to be created] through
chesed.” When we perform acts of chesed, we are actualizing the image of God
within ourselves. When Avraham Avinu was greeting these guests, he was
emulating Hashem and creating an even closer connection to Hashem.
In Einei Yisroel, Rabbi Belsky
notes that Hashem appeared to Avraham Avinu specifically through an act of
chesed, to inquire after Avraham’s health after his circumcision. Hashem showed
Avraham Avinu that Hashem was personally involved with him as an individual.
This appearance taught Avraham that we bring Hashem’s presence to the world through
our acts of chesed. Every time Avraham extended hospitality, he would bring
recognition of Hashem to his guests’ consciousness. He would impress upon them
that everything he offered them was actually not his, but gifts from Hashem
Himself.
Rabbi Belsky cites the Chovos Halevovos
in recognizing three different levels of chesed. First, there is universal
chesed that Hashem extends to every living creature from conception on. Then
Hashem extends national chesed to the Jewish people through continuous miracles
beginning with our redemption from Egypt. Finally, Hashem provides individual
kindness, providing for each of us according to our personal needs. Avraham
Avinu reflected all these levels. He brought others closer to Hashem’s existed,
he taught his household Hashem’s ways, and he showed his concern for each
individual.
We would think that when Hashem talks to
us, we have attained the greatest connection to Him. The reality, however,
writes Rabbi Scheinerman, is that the greatest connection occurs when we
interact with others. This was the reality of Avraham’s existence. Avraham kept
Lot with him for so many years even though during all that time Hashem did not
speak to him.
After his bris, Avraham became a
human receptacle of Divine holiness writes the Tosher Rebbe. That’s why Hashem
initially kept impure people away from him. But Avraham was extremely
distressed. He wanted to bring other people closer to Hashem. By bringing
others to recognize Hashem through being the emissary of Hashem’s chesed, he would
be coronating Hashem as King. When one can bring others to recognize their
Creator as King, one is increasing Hashem’s presence in the world. That’s why
one can take time from one’s personal spiritual activities for the mitzvah of
bringing others closer to Hashem. However, Chochmat Hamatzpun posts a
caveat that you can take time from your personal spiritual growth when no one
else can perform that task.
The Ner Uziel, Rabbi Milevsky,
expands on this idea. After his circumcision, Avraham’s bond with Hakodosh
boruch Hu intensified as he sensed Hashem’s presence most keenly, basking in
the joy of Hashem’s presence. However, when the three strangers appeared,
Avraham knew that the right thing to do was to care for these individuals.
Avraham understood that it was more important to do that which was right than
to do that which felt good. Avraham understood that one’s relationship with his
fellow man is not separate from, but an integral part of his relationship to
God.
With Avraham’s heightened spiritual sensibility,
he would see only that which was relevant to his spiritual growth, as he “saw”
Hashem beside him, adds the Bobover Rebbe, the Kedushas Zion. If Avraham
saw the men approaching, surely Hashem meant for him to approach them and offer
them hospitality. Avraham understood that Hashem was teaching him how important
it was to care for these Arabs, and by extension, for others.
Was Avraham leaving Hashem to tend to
these travelers? Rav Dovid Hofstedter doesn’t think so. In Drash Dovid,
he notes that before Avraham’s bris, Hashem appeared to him only to give
him specific instructions. After the bris, however, Hashem came to stay, as if
Avraham’s tent was His abode on earth, the Mishkan/Tabernacle. When
Avraham arose and went out to greet these men, he was not leaving Hashem
behind, but was actually taking Hashem with him, since Hashem’s presence was
constantly surrounding him. When one leaves the Beis Medrash one must
not leave Hashem behind, but one must take Hashem with him, notes the Tiferes
Shimshon. Avraham did not go to do this mitzvah alone, but brought Hashem
with him as if it were a conference call between all the participants. This is
what Avraham meant, posits the Netivot Shalom, when Avraham asks, “Please don’t
pass away from me;” Avraham is asking Hashem to remain with him constantly,
throughout his life.
The Oshover Rebbe, citing the Shla”h
Hakadosh, offers a profound insight into Avraham’s motivation to perform
this mitzvah, and indeed into the mitzvah of hachnosat orchim in
general. Avraham Avinu was having a tremendously elevated experience with
Hashem. Avraham felt a danger that he would become haughty as a result. Taking
care of guests in the most mundane ways, washing their feet for example, would
remind him that he himself was merely a guest in Hashem’s house, living in
Hashem’s world through Hashem’s chesed. In fact, this is truly the lesson for
all of us. We are all guests of Hashem, and the best way to feel the love and
concern of our Host is to emulate His graciousness and love, and extend chesed
to all who were created in His image. Avraham Avinu personified this ideal, and
we, his descendants, are meant to follow his example in our lives.