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“GOD, PLEASE WAIT FOR ME!” IS THAT A WAY TO SPEAK TO GOD? BY R A B B I H AS K E L L O O KS T E I N
Originally delivered as a lecture on Zoom, November 5, 2020, at the Leah Modlin Annual Lecture on Caring and Community Service.
The opening eight verses of Parashat Vayera articulate a fundamental message of Judaism.
said: ‘So do, as thou hast said.’ 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: ‘Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.’ 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress it. 8 And he took curd, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
This lecture will attempt to develop the principles of that message by first analyzing the Biblical text in depth with the help of Rashi, the Talmud and the Midrash and I will then present the larger implications of the text through the eyes of Rabbi Moshe Avigdor Amiel (the late Chief Rabbi of Antwerp and, later, Tel Aviv) in his sefer Hegyonot El Ami.
מצ ָאתִי חֵן ָ נ ָא- אִם,ֲדֹנ ָי- א:ג וַּיֹ אמַר ב ֶּדָך ְ ַ מע ַל ע ֵ ,תעֲבֹר ַ נ ָא-אַל--ּבע ֵינ ֶיָך ְ
First: Please read through the text. Genesis Chapter 18
בראשית פרק יח
1 And the LORD appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed down to the earth, 3 and said: ‘My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant. 4 Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves under the tree. 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on; forasmuch as ye are come to your servant.’ And they
ממְרֵ א ַ ּבאֵל ֹנ ֵי ְ ,הו ָה-ְ ;א וַּי ֵרָ א אֵלָיו י ּכְחֹם הַּיֹום,ה ֹאהֶל ָ -ו ְהּוא ֹיׁשֵב ּפֶתַח. ׁשלֹׁשָה אֲנ ָׁשִים ְ וְהִּנ ֵה, וַּי ַרְ א,ב וַּיִּׂשָא ע ֵינ ָיו, מ ּפֶתַח ִ וַּי ָרָ ץ לִקְרָ אתָם,נִּצָבִים עָלָיו; וַּי ַרְ א אָרְ צ ָה,ׁשּתַחּו ְ ִ וַּי,ה ֹאהֶל ָ
; ו ְרַ חֲצּו רַ גְלֵיכ ֶם,מַי ִם-מע ַט ְ נ ָא-ד י ֻ ַּקח לֶחֶם- ה וְאֶ ְקחָה פַת.הע ֵץ ָ ּת חַת ַ ,ּׁשע ֲנּו ָ ה ִ ְו ּכ ֵן-ע ַל-ּכ ִי--ּתעֲבֹרּו ַ אַ חַר,ּבכ ֶם ְ ִסע ֲדּו ל ַ ְו ּת ע ֲׂשֶה ַ ּכ ֵן,ב ְּדכ ֶם; וַּיֹ אמְרּו ְ ַ ע- ע ַל,עֲבַרְ ּתֶם ,ה לָה ֱ ה ֹא ָ מהֵר אַבְרָ הָם ַ ְ ו ו ַי.ָׁשר ִּד ּבַרְ ּת ֶ א ֲ ַ ּכ סאִים ֶק מַח ְ ׁשל ֹׁש ְ מהֲרִ י ַ ,ׂשרָ ה; וַּיֹ אמֶר ָ -אֶל רָ ץ,ּבקָר ָ ה ַ - ז וְאֶל.ׂשי עֻגֹות ִ ֲ וַע,ׁשי ִ לּו--סלֶת ֹ - ו ַּי ִּתֵן אֶל,ּב ָקר רַ ְך ו ָטֹוב ָ -אַבְרָ הָם; וַּי ִ ַּקח ּבֶן מאָה ְ ֶ ח וַּי ִּקַח ח. לַע ֲׂשֹות אֹתֹו,מהֵר ַ ְ ו ַי,הַּנַע ַר ; לִפְנ ֵיהֶם, וַּיִּתֵן,אׁשֶר עָׂשָה ֲ ּבקָר ָ ה ַ - ּובֶן,חלָב ָ ְו ו ַֹּיאכ ֵלּו,הע ֵץ ָ ּתחַת ַ ֹעמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם-ו ְהּוא There are some general observations which can be seen on the story’s surface. 1. It is all about the mitzvah of Hachnasat or’chim – hospitality. 2. It demonstrates some of the principles of the mitzvah, such as: A. Hachnasat or’chim is not just for family and friends. It is especially for strangers.
B. Even strangers whose feet are dusty – a little unkempt. C. Even people who think differently from us. The Talmud, in Bava Metzi’ah, 86b, identifies these strangers as nomads, who worship the dust on their feet, i.e. the dirtiest and lowliest of idolaters. D. Hachnasat or’chim means serving your choicest foods (v’el ha-bakar…). We don’t serve leftovers to our guests! E. We demonstrate enthusiasm, passion and energy in the mitzvah of welcoming guests. Note all the verbs describing rushing, running, even energizing Sarah (I have often observed that in bringing guests home, the husband often does the inviting, but the wife ends up doing the heavy lifting). F. We involve our children in the mitzvah (vayitain el ha-na’ar – Avraham gave some responsibility to Ishmael). G. He served the guests personally – v’hu omaid aleihem…tachat haetz, va-yocheilu – and he (Abraham) stood by them while they ate. As we look deeper into the text, there are some problems that present themselves: 1. Why did God appear to Avraham in the first place? There is no indication of a reason. Usually, the Torah would have said: “And God appeared to someone and He said.” Here, there was just God’s appearance. 2. Why was it necessary to inform us of the fact that Avraham was sitting, where he was sitting, and the weather conditions?
R abbi H askel L ookstein / / K E H I L AT H J E S H U R U N B U L L E T I N R abbi H askel L ookstein
