Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
Avraham Avinu had performed the brit milah/circumcision on himself three days ago. Now, as Avraham is recovering, Hashem appears to him, according to our commentaries, in the act of chesed of visiting the sick. In spite of the pain Avraham must be in from his recent surgery, he is waiting, peering out of his doorway, hoping to be able to greet and serve guests, as was his wont. However, Hashem, wanting to spare Avraham the work of hosting guests in his current physical condition, has "withdrawn the coverings of the sun," causing the sun to shine in its full strength, creating heat that would deter travelers. However, when Hashem saw how fervently Avraham wanted to invite guests and serve them, Hashem sent three angels, appearing as human beings, to cross Avraham's path so he can invite them to eat at his home and perform the mitzvah of hachnosat orchim.
This sequence of events raises multiple questions. As Rabbi Eisenberger asks in Mesillot Bilvovom, how will the heat change Avraham's desire for guests, albeit it may deter guests from actually materializing? And if Hakodosh Boruch Hu is now going to grant Avraham's silent but strong desire, why not now make the day cooler? Why specifically did Hashem choose the hot sun rather than perhaps a storm or windstorm as the deterrent? Finally, asks Rabbi Bick in Chayei Moshe, why send angels instead of real people? What kind of mitzvah will Avraham be fulfilling by serving food to beings who cannot eat?
Rabbi Eisenberg points out that Avraham was actually exempt from fulfilling this mitzvah on two separate counts. First, his physical condition would have exempted him, and secondly, there were no guests. Because Avraham understood that olam chesed yiboneh/the world exists through chesed, Avraham was extremely pained that he did not have the opportunity to extend chesed and serve tired travelers. He actively sought ways to do chesed, and he imprinted that desire on his descendants, who, hopefully, seek opportunities to do chesed on a daily basis. Just because one is exempt from a particular mitzvah should not curb one's desire to do the mitzvah. As Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt"l points out, those who were ritually impure in the desert and could not therefore bring the korban Pesach wanted so much to be part of this mitzvah that Hashem instituted Pesach Sheni/second chance Pesach so they could fulfill their wish and come closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Even today, most Orthodox Jewish men don a pair of tzitzit, even though they could just refrain from wearing a four cornered garment and be exempt. Avraham Avinu would not be satisfied with this out.
The Tosher Rebbe z”l asks why create this hot day as an impediment to performing the mitzvah of inviting guests? Why prevent the usual passage of travelers? In Avodat Avodah, the Tosher Rebbe teaches that the most important element of mitzvah observance is not the physical act, but rather the intense desire to perform the mitzvah. Here Avraham Avinu had finally been commanded to have a bris milah. The Tosher Rebbe suggests that Avraham Avinu understood this was a mitzvah and had been waiting with great anticipation to be commanded to act and actually circumcise himself. With this heightened connection to Hakodosh Boruch Hu, the mitzvah of hachnosat orchim, as well as all subsequent mitzvoth would be invested with this increased passion. Although Avraham had been performing this mitzvah all his life, its performance would now be elevated and transformed by his increased passion. If the purpose was to raise Avraham's desire for the mitzvah, angels would serve as well as human beings.
Rabbi Schorr in Halekach Vehalibuv provides an additional reason for the inclusion of this episode here. And it wouldn't matter what the guests, or even Avraham himself saw. What would matter were the witnesses to Avraham's dedication to performing chesed.
Hashem was using these angels not only to act as guests, but also to be His agents in other tasks. While one angel was to inform Avraham Avinu that he would indeed beget a son through his beloved Sarah, Another would bring about the destruction of Sodom, while the third would save Lot and his family. Hashem had "come down" to actually bear witness to the evil cruelty of Sodom. The timing of Avraham's yearning for guests was in stark contrast to Sodom's treatment of strangers and passers by. The news of Avraham's chesed would spread and create a ripple effect for others to follow his lead in chesed, and would create a kiddush Hashem.
As we have noted, one of the angels was there to tell Avraham that Sarah would have a בן/son by this time next year. Rabbi Moshe Bick notes the in our Rosh Hashanah liturgy we ask Hashem to treat us either as sons or as servants. While both sons and servants obey the will of their father or master, the son does it with love and passion, with desire to fulfill his father's wishes. In contrast, the servant obeys for ulterior motives, for a paycheck, from fear, or as obligation. When one does mitzvoth with love of the mitzvah, he is acting as a son. How can you tell what is motivating you? Your reaction to a missed opportunity to perform the mitzvah will give you the answer. Are you happy that the man collecting tzedakah left because you were not home, or are you sorry you couldn't give him a donation? Are you happy or upset when there are now enough volunteers for a project and you no longer have to give your time to serve?
Angels have no free choice. They serve Hashem as servants. If Avraham's desire is to serve food to guests, it makes no difference if the guests are human or celestial. When he is serving them spiritual food from the pantry of his soul, he is doing the mitzvah as a son whose sole desire is to please his father. Indeed, for the angels, this is providing them a model that is foreign to them, and in that sense providing a guest with something they are lacking. Therefore, it is fitting that at this moment the angels tell Avraham Avinu [and Sarah] that she will bear him a son and continue this legacy.
Citing the Tomer Devorah, R. Wachtfogel z”l offers an additional reason Hashem chose to send angels. Hashem sustains each of us and the entire world through His chesed. Obviously, Hashem needs nothing, and He extends His chesed with no benefit to Himself. Since we are urged to emulate Hashem, we too should provide chesed altruistically, with no expectations. When Avraham fed the angels, he couldn't even experience the pleasure of providing for another, for the angels didn't need his food. Providing food to angels was completely for the sake of Heaven.
As a corollary, Rabbi Gifter z”l offers that the desire to do chesed should be so great that it trumps the necessity of a recipient. When Hashem saw Avraham's great desire to emulate His chesed, Hashem sent Avraham the angels. We have the misconception, notes Rabbi Beyfus in Yalkut Yosif Lekach, that we perform chesed for the benefit of the receiver, of society. It is really about the doer. If it is only about the recipient, we can easily relieve ourselves of any responsibility if the recipient is unappreciative of our effort or contribution, or if someone else can do the mitzvah. Doing the mitzvah is in reality a benefit to the doer. When we realize this, we are sorry for every missed opportunity.
Rabbi Zeichik z”l explains that tzedakah is not one way; giving sensitizes the giver as an individual. It further impacts our avodas Hashem/our service to Hashem, for it brings us closer to Him and defines us more as His children than as His servants. Mitzvoth are not part of a checklist to be completed; mitzvoth are meant to be transformative.
We are still left with the question of why not just make the day cooler, or bring real people as guests, or just heal him right now? Rabbi Lugassi in B'Yam Derech explains that a test of this nature must be at the actual moment of challenge. In that painful experience, will he still do the mitzvah wholeheartedly.
Rabbi Lugassi provides several examples. Two young men have been up late to a friend's wedding. The following morning, one sleeps late and misses davening with a minyan. That missed opportunity reflects on his davening all the other days. For him, when there is no challenge, he is happy to get up early. But since he is willing to forgo the minyan when it is difficult, he obviously does not have tremendous passion even when he does join a minyan in the morning. The second young men, equally tired, makes a point of rising early enough to join the minyan. He views his daily minyan attendance with love, not as an obligation when convenient.
Similarly, Yosef is called Hatzadik based on one challenge that he faced and overcame because that one challenge reflected the entirety of his being and character. Similarly, when Avraham Avinu fulfilled the mitzvah of feeding his guests in such an exemplary way, running to get the food and slaughtering three animals, it reflected on his passion for chesed and his hachnosat orchim even when he did it without additional challenges.
When we face challenges, our reactions have repercussions not only on the future, but also on the past. Can you overcome your nature when it becomes a challenge to rise to the occasion?
After Avraham Avinu performed the circumcision, he had already reached a state of perfection, of תמים. He had already reached the apex, and didn't need this additional mitzvah. Nevertheless, he desired it.
Why did Hashem specifically use the heat of the sun instead of another "messenger? “Rabbi Eisenberger notes that while the sun is definitely present in our physical world, it is only a reflection of the primal light hidden for the tzadikim. The "covering" of this primal light is the beauty and allure of the physical world. But when you remove those layers of physicality, you are left with nothing more than nebulous gases without substance. The spiritual world also is veiled with"coverings." Otherwise everyone would be drawn to it and free will would not exist. In the future, Hashem will take out the sun in all its glory. The wicked, who spent their entire life pursuing the physical world will realize that it was all empty and nebulous; the righteous, on the other hand, will bask in the spiritual glory and bliss that they merely tasted in the physical world.
Avraham Avinu had already reached this point. He was no longer required to do mitzvoth. Nevertheless, Avraham was not satisfied with sitting on his past accomplishments and enjoying his current closeness with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. He still wanted to keep coming closer to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Sending angels instead of human being merely emphasized the point. Avraham wanted to be involved in doing mitzvoth, not necessary fulfilling them [and checking them off].
The Torah tells us that Avraham stood over the angels. Rav Tzadok z”l reflects that this terminology does not suggest that he waited on them. Rather it suggests that now Avraham Avinu was over, greater than even angels.
What great lessons are here for us, the descendants of Avraham Avinu. First, we should approach most physical impediments not as obstacles, but as challenges we can overcome. With passion and yearning, we can accomplish much more than we think we are capable of doing. When that sun comes out, may we merit basking in its warmth by following the example of Avraham Avinu.