וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ד’ בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח־הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם׃ וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרׇץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה׃ וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל־נָא תַעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ

The LORD appeared to him at the plains of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. He saw them and ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and he bowed to the ground. He said, “My Lord, if I have found favor in your eyes do not go on past your servant.” (18:1-3)

Rashi cites an explanation that “My Lord” is referring to G-d who had appeared to him as stated in verse 1. He was asking G-d not to leave him as he goes to attend to these visitors which he did as depicted in the verses that follow. It seems quite shocking for Avrohom to leave the Almighty to attend to mere humans of flesh and blood!

Because of this the Talmud (Shabbat 127a) makes a startling statement. גְּדוֹלָה הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִין מֵהַקְבָּלַת פְּנֵי שְׁכִינָה – Hospitality toward guests is greater than receiving the Divine Presence!

Here is a contemporary illustration of this principle.

When Rabbi Peretz Steinberg of Queens, New York was a young man he visited Israel and went to the home of Rabbi Eliezer Yehudah Finkel, the Rosh Yeshiva (dean) of Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He noticed that everyone present, including Rabbi Finkel, was about to leave. Rabbi Finkel greeted young Peretz and upon hearing that he was visiting from overseas went into another room and removed his coat.

“If you are going somewhere, I don’t want to hold you up,” said the visitor.

“I was going to the yeshiva for Ma’ariv (evening services) ,” said Rabbi Finkel. ”But now I have a guest to entertain. The Talmud teaches that hospitality is greater than prayer (which is a form of receiving the Divine Presence).”

The young man was very uncomfortable with Rabbi Finkel missing services and he urged him to go. Only after the visitor promised to return afterward did Rabbi Finkel agree. (From Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin)

But how do we explain this? Can there be something greater than receiving the Divine Presence?

Rabbi Noach Weinberg, of blessed memory, explained that we are taught by our sages that G-d created the world to bestow his goodness upon his creations. Therefore, receiving the Divine Presence of G-d is meeting with Him. Being kind to others is emulating Him. When we pray we are speaking to G-d. When we are being kind to others we are being like G-d.

Greater than receiving G-d is being G-dly!

Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak