Issy owned a small deli in Stamford Hill, in London. One day, a tax inspector knocked on his door and questioned him about his recent tax return. Issy had reported a net profit of $250.000 for the year and he wanted to know all about it. "It’s like this," said Issy. "I work like a maniac all year round and all of my family helps me out whenever they can. My deli is closed only five days a year. That’s how I made $250,000."
"It's not your income that bothers us," said the taxman. "It's the business travel deductions of $80,000 that worries us. You entered on the tax return that you and your wife made 28 business trips to Israel, Italy, Switzerland, France, the US, Hawaii, and the Caribbean Islands. What are all these business trips about?"
"Oh," said Issy, smiling. "I forgot to tell you that we also deliver!"
In this portion Vayeira it says, "G-d appeared to Abraham, as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day."
“And Abraham lifted his eyes and saw, three men were standing beside him, Abraham is speaking to G-d: “Please G-d, do not leave. Stay while I serve the visitors”
Only then does the encounter between G-d and Abraham resume.
The Talmud teaches us from here that “Greater is hospitality toward guests than welcoming the Divine presence.”
What is the logic behind this principle? Why would tending to ordinary men, be greater than welcoming the Creator of heaven and earth?
All this time G-d had to wait for Abraham? Is this not truly disrespectful and perhaps even an act of treason?
The answer is there is G-d as we meet Him in a vision, there is G-d as we meet Him in prayer, but there is also G-d as we see His trace in another person, Abraham ran to meet them and bring them rest, shelter, food and drink. Greater is the person who sees G-d in the face of a stranger than one who sees G-d as G-d in a vision. The Jewish task since the days of Abraham is not to ascend to heaven but to bring heaven down to earth in simple deeds of kindness and hospitality.
By welcoming the Divine, Abraham would have been connected and close to G-d. By tending to the travelers, Abraham became G-d-like: Granting life and sustenance to humanity. Now he was not only linked to G-d, but he was transformed into a G-dly person. He was notwelcoming G-d; rather he himself became G-d like, acting like G-d, doing G-d’s work.
The Rabbi of Brisk, one of the great Jewish sages of the 19th century, once lodged in an inn. The innkeeper did not know who he was, and he treated him rudely. When people came to greet the distinguished guest in the inn and the innkeeper discovered the identity of his guest, he apologized and explained he did not realize that he was the famous Rabbi. The man went on to say that he would be here to tend to his every need and would make his stay comfortable and prosperous.
Rabbi Soloveitchik responded with this powerful insight: The Torah recounts Abraham’s hospitality at great length, and Abraham became the icon of hospitality. This seems unfair. As the Torah continues to relate, Abraham’s nephew Lot living in the wicked city of Sodom was equally hospitable to the same guests, and under extremely dangerous circumstances, far more hazardous than Abraham’s. Lot risked his life to host these guests, as the Sodomites panelized anyone who hosted guests on Sodom. Yet Lot’s hospitality is not accorded the same prestige, nor did he go down in history as a paradigm of kindness and hospitality, when in face his act of hospitality seemingly supersedes the one of Abraham!
The Rabbi explained: When the Torah describes the guests traveling near Abraham’s tent they are described as Men.” In the story of Lot, on the other hand, the Torah describes them as angels. Why the difference? Because Abraham saw human beings, not angels, yet he ran to greet them and feed them. Lot saw angles, not men, that is why he went to greet them. He thought of the honor he would gain by hosting them and that is why he went to greet them. He also knew he would be protected from Sodom’s wrath. Abraham was there for the simple people; Lot was there only for the angels.
“You,” concludes the Rabbi “remind me of Lot, not of Abraham. Yesterday I was just a simple guy, so you were rude to me. Today you heard that I am prominent, I am an “angel,” and you are so kind and generous to me. That is not the Jewish way.”
Let us open our heart, like Abraham our father, to every Jew and every human being in need. Prayer, meditation and spiritual growth are vital; but above everything else is seeing the trace of G-d in every human being and embracing them with love and kindness.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky