Avraham Avinu, the exemplar of the attribute of חסד — kindness in the world, is pointedly portrayed engaged in the act of הכנסת אורחים — welcoming guests, on an extremely hot day, despite being in extraordinary pain due to his recent circumcision.
Although Avraham had demonstrated his devotion to pursuing acts of compassion previously, most notably in risking his life to save his nephew Lot, nevertheless this would seem to be the first depiction of a selfless act of loving-kindness towards total strangers.
There are many areas where one can engage in acts of loving-kindness — charity; lending money; visiting the sick; bury the dead; comforting mourners; saving someone from doom; assisting in bearing a load; yet the first one depicted in Torah is this deed of welcoming guests into one's home.
Is this the greatest of all acts of kindness?
After offering his guests some water to wash up and refresh themselves Avraham beckons them to 'recline beneath the tree', offering them cool shade from the hot sun.
We are taught that with the merit of this act of compassion; Avraham's descendants became worthy of being given the special mitzvah of sitting in a Sukkah.
Is there something inherent in the connection between these two subjects other than the imagery of sitting under סכך — 'branches of trees' that are associated with the command of constructing a Sukkah that consists of a roof made of material that grows from the ground?
The Vilna Gaon was asked that although the Talmud tells us Avraham kept all the commandments, is there any evidence that Avraham Avinu fulfilled the mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah? He directed the inquirer to the verse that states that G-d blessed Avraham בכל — with everything, pointing out that each respective letter of this word is the first letter in the three distinct phrases in the Torah which discuss the mitzvah of Sukkah.
בסכת תשבו — You shall you dwell in booths for seven days(ויקרא כג מב)
כל האזרח — Every native in Israel shall dwell in סכת — booths (שם שם)
למען ידעו — So that generations will know that I caused them the children of Israel to dwell, בסכות — in booths (שם מג)
Could it possibly be that according to the Vilna Gaon, Avraham welcomed his guests into his very own Sukkah?
The Talmud in Sukkah seems to say that this encounter with his guests, the angels, actually took place on Sukkos! (ר"ה יא. תוס' שם ובספר פני יהושע)
So clearly the mitzvah of Sukkah we received is no simple reward for his having welcomed guests, but rather integrally related to his having performed this act of kindness possibly in his very own 'Sukkah'.
The Shelah HaKodosh contemplating the lengths the Torah goes to in elaborating on this specific act of kindness, more than any others included under the rubric of chesed, offers a remarkable insight.
It is obvious to me that the mitzvah of being hospitable to guests, (which is certainly included in the overall commandment to follow in G-d's footsteps), represents an additional virtue. The Torah has singled out this story of Avraham personally performing chores to entertain these strangers. It also alludes to the reward accruing to him, i.e. that everything he did personally for these guests, G–d later on personally did for Abraham's descendants, whereas whatever Abraham had designated to be done by someone else, G-d also performed for the Jewish people only by means of one of His agents. You should not think that all we talk about here is merely a part of a virtue. Whoever performs such an act such as Avraham's, performs the positive commandment of emulating G–d, and he will receive the reward due to someone who has performed a mitzvah which has been specifically commanded. G-d performs acts of hospitality at all times, at every moment. Were He to desist from doing so for even a single moment the world would be lost. All creatures are His guests, we are all like strangers, vis-a-vis G-d, and just as strangers we need a place to sleep. G-d enables us to survive. If He were to withdraw life-support for even a moment, we would all perish.
This is what the Talmud has in mind when it states that the entertaining of guests is an even greater accomplishment than the welcoming of G–d's Presence since the Torah reports that Abraham asked G–d to wait a few moments, while he would attend to the guests who had arrived suddenly.
Going to extraordinary efforts in welcoming guests stems from our realization that we are truly guests in this world, hosted by the ultimate Host, who showers us with endless kindness beyond any notion that we deserve it. When one fathoms this reality, there is no other response than to emulate this attribute of selfless devotion to others, so that we too shall merit in kind His continuous devotion to us!
Perhaps the symbolism of our sitting in the Sukkah is akin to being guests of G-d. The Seven Holy Ushpizin — guests, we invite to our Sukkah are not our personal guests, but the guests of G-d Who gave us the privilege of serving as G-d's agents to invite them to join us, together in regaling in our opportunity to sit at G-d's table.
There is a documented story that took place on the Yom Tov of Sukkos in the Sukkah of the renowned Posek, Torah scholar, and rabbinic leader, Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzinski.
Rav Yaakov Yechiel Weinberg, the Sridei Eish, reported that one Sukkos he went to visit the great Rav in Vilna. The latter apologized for his not going down to his Sukkah. Since it was cold, and due to his state of health, he had the status of a mitzta'er [someone who suffers] who is exempt from the Sukkah. However, Rav Weinberg himself did go down to the Sukkah, since he was well. Much to his surprise, he sees Rav Chaim Ozer entering the Sukkah to eat with Rav Weinberg. Rav Weinberg initially quizzed the Rav that he had previously indicated he was ill and thus exempt. Rav Chaim Ozer remained silent. Rav Weinberg then quipped to Rav Chaim Ozer that it must be that although there is an exemption for one who is suffering from sitting in the Sukkah, but that it doesn't exempt him from the mitzvah of הכנסת אורחים — welcoming guests! Rav Chaim Ozer nodded with consent, breaking out with a warm and wide smile. The cold conditions prevailing outside did not exempt him from this mitzvah. (שרידי אש על המועדים)
As the adage goes, מעשה אבות סימן לבנים — the actions of the Patriarchs are a portent for their children.
Avraham is sitting at the entrance of his tent on an excruciatingly hot day. He suddenly observes three passersby, he runs out and draws them to the shade of his tree/Sukkah.
As Avraham was suffering from his recent surgery, he initially avoided sitting in his 'Sukkah', since due to the heat of the day and considering his health, he was suffering and thus exempt. But when the guests came, and the mitzvah of welcoming guests presented itself, he ran towards them, because there is no such exception from the mitzvah of hachnosas orchim!
The day we master this attribute, in realizing that we are all guests in this world and placed here to emulate G-d's unconditional generosity, passing it forward, that is the day we can begin climbing the ladder of loving-kindness and becoming worthy of being seated at Hashem's table.
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
