RABBI HASKEL LOOKSTEIN

“GOD, PLEASE WAIT FOR ME!” IS THAT A WAY TO SPEAK TO GOD?

BY RABBI HASKEL LOOKSTEIN

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.

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.

First: Please read through the text.

Genesis Chapter 18 חי קרפ תישארב 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 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.

אֵרְמַמ יֵנֹלֵאְבּ ,הָוה-ְי ויָלֵא אָרֵיַּו א; םוֹיַּה םֹחְכּ ,לֶהֹאָה-חַתֶפּ בֵשֹׁי אוּהְו. םיִשָׁנֲא הָשֹׁלְשׁ הֵנִּהְו ,אְרַיַּו ,ויָניֵע אָשִּׂיַּו ב, חַתֶפִּמ םָתאָרְקִל ץָרָיַּו ,אְרַיַּו ;ויָלָע םיִבָצִּנ הָצְרָא ,וּחַתְּשִׁיַּו ,לֶהֹאָה ןֵח יִתאָצָמ אָנ-םִא ,יָנֹדֲ-א :רַמאֹיַּו ג ךֶָדְּבַע לַעֵמ ,רֹבֲעַת אָנ-לַא--ךָיֶניֵעְבּ ;םֶכיֵלְגַר וּצֲחַרְו ,םִיַמ-טַעְמ אָנ-חַקֻּי ד םֶחֶל-תַפ הָחְקֶאְו ה .ץֵעָה תַחַתּ ,וּנֲעָשִּׁהְו ןֵכּ-לַע-יִכּ--וּרֹבֲעַתּ רַחַא ,םֶכְבִּל וּדֲעַסְו הֶשֲׂעַתּ ןֵכּ ,וּרְמאֹיַּו ;םֶכְדְּבַע-לַע ,םֶתְּרַבֲע ,הָלֱהֹאָה םָהָרְבַא רֵהַמְיַו ו .ָתְּרַבִּדּ רֶשֲׁאַכּ חַמֶק םיִאְס שֹׁלְשׁ יִרֲהַמ ,רֶמאֹיַּו ;הָרָשׂ-לֶא ץָר ,רָקָבַּה-לֶאְו ז .תוֹגֻע יִשֲׂעַו ,יִשׁוּל--תֶלֹס -לֶא ןֵתִּיַּו ,בוֹטָו ךְַר רָקָבּ-ןֶבּ חַקִּיַּו ;םָהָרְבַא הָאְמֶח חַקִּיַּו ח .וֹתֹא תוֹשֲׂעַל ,רֵהַמְיַו ,רַעַנַּה ;םֶהיֵנְפִל ,ןֵתִּיַּו ,הָשָׂע רֶשֲׁא רָקָבַּה-ןֶבוּ ,בָלָחְו וּלֵכאֹיַּו ,ץֵעָה תַחַתּ םֶהיֵלֲע דֵמֹע-אוּהְו

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?

3. Why does the text repeat the word Vaya’re twice? As we shall see, these are all important questions because they bear significantly on the mitzvah of Hachnasat or’chim. They are all addressed in the Talmud and the Midrash as presented by Rashi.

Let us take them one by one:

1. Why did God appear to Avraham? Rashi, based on the Talmud, says the purpose was Bikur Cholim – visiting the sick. It was the third day following Avraham’s circumcision at the age of 99. God came to visit him and ease his suffering. In a sense, this was, as the Ramban suggests, Avraham’s reward for undergoing circumcision at such an advanced age. 2. Why the stress on Avraham sitting? Avraham was in pain, in early rehab, as it were, on the third day after surgery. God, therefore, says: “I’ll stand; you sit. This is a lesson for all of us in Bikur Cholim. Always make sure that the choleh is comfortable while the visitor stands if necessary. Of course, this makes Avraham’s reaction to the appearance of three strangers all the more impressive: va’yaratz likratam – he ran to greet them.

For God, he sits; to welcome strangers, he runs!

Keep this picture in mind for later in our analysis.

Where was he sitting? On the threshold of his tent in the heat of the day – high noon – looking for travelers to serve when he should have been in the air-conditioned den of his desert tent, recuperating and resting.

This scene demonstrates his mindset. Avraham was more than a Ba’al Chesed. A Ba’al Chesed responds to needs when he/she sees them. Avraham had a need to be needed. He was on the threshold with his binoculars – searching for a need, looking for travelers to welcome into his home. This is exactly what Leah Modlin, Marian Gross and their chesed squad have been doing during this pandemic: searching for needs and then meeting them.

3. That’s why vaya’re appears twice. The first means “he saw” the strangers physically. The second vaya’re means he perceived – he understood and he sprang into action – rushing out to welcome the strangers and leaving God, as it were, standing at the threshold of Avraham’s tent.

This brings us to a most astonishing observation by the Talmud, based upon the following words in the text: Va’yomer: A-donai (and he said: “My Lord”).

Who is A-donai? Based on the Talmud, Rashi offers two explanations. The first is the obvious one. “A-donai (My lord), please do not pass by my tent; come

in and let me offer my hospitality.” In this case, the “l” in lord would be written in lower case and refers to one of the strangers. Rashi, then, offers a second interpretation which is quoted from the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat, 127a). The letter “L” in the word Lord should be written upper case. A-donai is God. Avraham has just rushed from God’s presence to accommodate the strangers. He realizes what he has done, and he turns back to God and

Three angels hosted by Abraham, Ludovico Carracci (c. 1610-1612), Bologna, Pinacoteca Nazionale.

says: “God! Excuse me; I left you at the front of my tent; could you please stay for a while and wait until I have taken care of these strangers!”

If the Talmud had not read it this way, who would have dared to suggest such words from Avraham to God? Yet, from the idea we presented earlier, it makes sense. Avraham, sitting, rehabbing, while God stood, suddenly jumps up and runs to welcome strangers. Then, realizing that God is left waiting at the door, he turns back and says; “God, please wait for me: I’ll be back soon!”

There is only one logical conclusion from this whole story and our sages drew it, although it is a radical one. Here it is in the words of the Talmud.

Tractate Shabbat 127a זכק תבש תכסמ Rav Yehuda said that Rav said on a related note: Hospitality toward guests is greater than receiving the Divine Presence, as when Abraham invited his guests it is written: “And he said: Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please pass not from Your servant.” (Genesis 18:3)

בַר רַמָא הָדוּהְי בַר רַמָא : יֵנְפּ תַלָבְּקַהֵמ ןיִחְרוֹא תַסָנְכַה הָלוֹדְגּ אָנ םִא ,יָנֹדֲ-א ,רַמאֹיַּו״ :ביִתְכִדּ ,הָניִכְשׁ ״ .׳וֹגְו רֹבֲעַת אָנ לַא ךָיֶניֵעְבּ ןֵח יִתאָצָמ

Lest one think this is purely an Aggadic interpretation of a text, the Rambam records the Talmud’s conclusion as Law.

Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Mourning 14:2 ב:די לבא תוכלה ,הרות הנשמ ,ם״במר The reward for escorting a stranger is greater than any reward. It is a practice introduced by our father Abraham, a way of kindness which was habitual with him. He served food and drink to wayfarers and escorted them. Hospitality to wayfarers is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence, as it is written: “He saw three men … he ran to meet them” (Genesis 18:2).

קֹחַה אוּהְו .לכַּה ןִמ הֶבֻּרְמ הָיָוְלַּה רַכְשׂ גַהָנֶּשׁ דֶסֶחַה ךְֶרֶדְו וּניִבָא םָהָרְבַא וֹקָקֲחֶשׁ ןָתוֹא הֶקְשַׁמוּ םיִכָרְדּ יֵרְבוֹע ליִכֲאַמ .הָּבּ םיִחְרוֹא תַסָנְכַה הָלוֹדְגוּ .ןָתוֹא הֶוַּלְמוּ תישארב( רַמֱאֶנֶּשׁ .הָניִכְשׁ יֵנְפּ תַלָבְּקַהֵמ םיִשָׁנֲא הָשֹׁלְשׁ הֵנִּהְו אְרַיַּו" )ב חי

As if this inference from the Biblical text is not radical enough, Rav Moshe Avigdor Amiel, in his Sefer, Hegyonot El Ami, draws an even more radical conclusion from the Talmud’s words.

This principle, he says, that receiving guests nicely is greater than receiving the Divine Presence, ומצע לע דמלל אל אצי was not presented just to teach us a rule about the importance of Hachnasat or’chim, אצי ולכ ללכה לע דמלל אלא

rather, it was enunciated by the Talmud to teach us about the totality of mitzvot, namely, that the mitzvot governing relations between people (bein adam l’chavairo) are greater than the mitzvot regarding our relationship toward God, (bein adam la-makom).

Rav Amiel cautions that, of course, we must be careful to observe all the mitzvot God gave us. The Mishnah in Avot (2:1) is very precise in instructing us: “Be as meticulous in observing a minor mitzvah as you are with a major one, for we do not know the reward for any mitzvah.” The Midrash Shmuel, however, directs our attention to the first part of that Mishnah where Rabbi Judah the Prince says, “What is the straight path for a person to choose… “and then he adds “Be as meticulous with minor mitzvot as with major ones.” This implies, says Rav Amiel, that, of course, one should be careful to observe all the mitzvot, but, if forced to choose – Rabbi Yehuda spoke about choosing the right path – choose the social mitzvot because every social mitzvah is also a religious mitzvah – all of them are commanded by God. Avraham faced a situation in which he could not both honor God and serve three human beings at the same time. He had to make a choice. So, he chose the latter – to serve the three nomads. That is the larger meaning of “Hospitality toward guests is greater than receiving the Divine Presence.”

Rav Amiel goes on to cite a number of proofs which demonstrate the preference for, or superiority of, social mitzvot over ritual mitzvot. I will offer just a few.

1. All prohibitions in the Torah are subject to the rule of Bitul – when a prohibited substance is mixed in with a permissible substance, the prohibited one is neutralized by some factor: a simple majority of the permissible substance; or 60 to 1; or 100 to 1 or 200 to 1, but at some point almost any prohibited substance is neutralized Halakhically. This is not true if the prohibited substance is stolen. There is no neutralization of stolen property.

Tractate Beitzah 38b חל הציב תכסמ If one’s single kav of wheat became mingled with ten kav of another’s wheat, shall the latter eat all eleven kav and rejoice?

הרשעב ןיטח בק ול ברעתנש ירה ?ידחו הלה לכאי וריבח לש ןיטח ןיבק

2. The absolute rule that at least two male witnesses are required in all cases: capital cases or monetary cases. .רבד םוקי םידע םינש יפ לע

However, in ritual matters, only one witness is sufficient.

.ןירוסיאב ןמאנ דחא דע

For example: How do we know that meat is kosher? We rely on a butcher or on one supervisor. How do we know that a kitchen is kosher? We rely on one witness – and the witness can be a woman – even though in civil cases or capital cases the requirement is two, and neither can be a woman.

3. For all sins between a person and God, repentance suffices for pardon. For sins between people, however, repentance alone does not suffice: one

requires forgiveness by the aggrieved party in order to be granted pardon by God.

4. In God – man mitzvot, good intentions suffice when the intended action is not doable.

Tractate Shabbat 63a גס תבש תכסמ Rabbi Ami said: Even if one merely planned to perform a mitzvah, and ultimately due to circumstances beyond his control did not perform that mitzvah, the verse ascribes him credit as if he performed it.

,הָוְצִמ תוֹשֲׂעַל בֵשּׁיִח וּלּיִפֲא :יֵמַּא יִבַּר רַמָא בוּתָכַּה ויָלָע הֶלֲעַמ ,הָּאָשֲׂע אֹלְו סַנֱאֶנְו .הָּאָשֲׂע וּלּיִאְכּ

This is not the case if the mitzvah is a social mitzvah. If I put my hand in my pocket to give charity to a needy person and I realize that I left my wallet at home, there is no credit for the mitzvah of giving tzedakah. Good intentions are not enough; good action is required.

There is good reason for the difference. In ritual matters, Rachamana liba ba’i – God’s concern is with our heart, our intentions – but in social mitzvot, the test is action – what are we doing for the next person? The standard for fulfillment is higher. No action; no mitzvah! Good intentions are not sufficient.

5. There is a rule that if one is involved in one mitzvah he/she is absolved from doing another mitzvah. But this rule applies only if both mitzvot are in the same class: two social mitzvot or two ritual mitzvot. But if the classes are different (social and ritual) the rules are different. For example: If you are involved in burying the dead (a social mitzvah), you are absolved from saying the Shema, or joining a minyan for tefillah. If, however, you are involved in studying Torah and a poor person approaches, you are not absolved from the mitzvah of tzedakah. Or, if you are needed for a burial, you stop learning and bury the dead. This is exactly Rav Amiel’s point. This explains why Avraham left God and served the nomads. Receiving the Divine presence does not absolve one from extending hospitality to people. The social mitzvah transcends the ritual mitzvah.

6. Finally, consider the difference between the punishment meted out to the Dor ha-haflaga (the generation for the Tower of Babel) and the punishment of the Dor ha-mabul (the generation of the Flood) and the people of Sodom. The Tower generation rebelled against God and tried to replace or at least match Him. They were punished by being dispersed. The Flood generation and the people of Sodom were guilty of social sins: chamas, thievery and violence. They were utterly annihilated.

Extending the specific lesson that the Talmud derived from Avraham Avinu’s behavior on the threshold of his tent does not mean denigrating Shabbat, Kashrut, Yom Tov, Talmud Torah or Taharat Hamishpachah. They are all absolutely essential for a holy and complete Jewish life. They also differentiate us from others. But the true test of a Jew is how he/she interacts with others and observes the mitzvot between people. Are we decent and fair? Do we use speech for good purposes? Do we try to never to do to someone else what we would not want someone else to do to us? Are we, as the Talmud describes us, Rachamanim – merciful – Bay’shanim – humble – and Gomlai chassadim – charitable, kind and caring? If so, then we are the true descendants of Avraham.

The world needs people who live this way. The Jewish people needs Jews who understand these priorities. My father, of blessed memory, used to put it this way: “We are closest to God when we are nearest to mankind.”

My motto has been: “Menschliness before Godliness.” The Talmud might have expressed it as follows: God will wait for us at our doorstep and will watch us happily and proudly as we rush forward to care for our fellow human beings.

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