Parshat Lech Lecha
Diving Deeper: The Mitzvah of Hospitality
The Mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim: Hospitality
In this week's portion we read about Abraham and Sarah welcoming guests to their open-sided tent with great warmth and hospitality. We call this mitzvah, hachanatsat orchim - welcoming guests.
Abraham displayed an extraordinary zeal in fulfilling the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim as reflected in the fact that forms of the words “hurry” (מהר) and “run” (רץ) appear five times in these few verses. Did Avraham act in this manner because of the righteousness of his guests, or is this the appropriate standard of hachnasat orchim for all?
Here are some lessons we learn from Abraham's behavior in this scene:
1) One should seek out the opportunity to perform a mitzvah - Among the commandments in the Torah, there are those which one must initiate, and those which one need fulfill only when the opportunity presents itself. It would seem that hachnasat orchim would fall into the second category. It seems that Abraham was driven to go out of his way to perform this mitzvah, remember it was the heat of the day, he had just circumcised himself, and he didn't know who these "guests" were.
2) It is appropriate for one who is doing an act of kindness for others to make it appear that he is receiving a favor from them in that they accept something from him, and not to glorify himself over the kindness that he is doing for them. Notice that Avraham made it appear to these men that they were giving him a present by coming to his house.
3) Say little and do much: From where do we know that righteous people say little and do much? Abraham offered his guests only some bread, but served them a feast that included meat and fine baked goods. One scholar adds that offering less at first makes it more comfortable for the recipient to accept an offer of hospitality or kindness. It also reduces the possibility that one will become haughty as a result of his or her own performance of acts of kindness.
Abraham displayed an extraordinary zeal in fulfilling the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim as reflected in the fact that forms of the words “hurry” (מהר) and “run” (רץ) appear five times in these few verses. Did Avraham act in this manner because of the righteousness of his guests, or is this the appropriate standard of hachnasat orchim for all?
Here are some lessons we learn from Abraham's behavior in this scene:
1) One should seek out the opportunity to perform a mitzvah - Among the commandments in the Torah, there are those which one must initiate, and those which one need fulfill only when the opportunity presents itself. It would seem that hachnasat orchim would fall into the second category. It seems that Abraham was driven to go out of his way to perform this mitzvah, remember it was the heat of the day, he had just circumcised himself, and he didn't know who these "guests" were.
2) It is appropriate for one who is doing an act of kindness for others to make it appear that he is receiving a favor from them in that they accept something from him, and not to glorify himself over the kindness that he is doing for them. Notice that Avraham made it appear to these men that they were giving him a present by coming to his house.
3) Say little and do much: From where do we know that righteous people say little and do much? Abraham offered his guests only some bread, but served them a feast that included meat and fine baked goods. One scholar adds that offering less at first makes it more comfortable for the recipient to accept an offer of hospitality or kindness. It also reduces the possibility that one will become haughty as a result of his or her own performance of acts of kindness.
Ready to learn more? Look at these other pages:
Take 1: Parshat Lech Lecha
Take 2: Smashing the Idols
Mad Libs
Take 1: Parshat Lech Lecha
Take 2: Smashing the Idols
Mad Libs
