VAIERÁ 5770
Bereshit - Genesis 18:1-22:24
November 7, 2009 – 20 Cheshvan 5770
Rabbi Daniela Szuster
B´nei
Mitzvat Achnasat Orchim: inciting us to Hospitality
"And the LORD appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day" (Bereshit 18:1). According to the Midrash, God visited Abraham because he was recovering from his Brit Milah (Talmud Baba Metzia 86b). And what was Abraham doing? The Torah tells he was sitting outside his tent. The sages say helping travelers by offering them food and drink was so important to Abraham, that he spent hours at the door of his tent so as to be able to offer them hospitality. Even when he was convalescent.
“… 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… ‘Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart…' (Bereshit 18:2,4,5) This is what Abraham did when he saw three men approaching, what he always did when someone came near his home. He did not call his servants, but rather served them himself.
From this action of Abraham, our tradition understands the importance of receiving guests in our homes, which has transformed into a mitzvah called Achnasat Orchim. The word Achnasat comes from the verb leachnis, which means “to usher in”, to make someone enter a place.
According to a Midrash, Job, a righteous and strong believer, who had suffered all kind of misfortunes throughout his life, was also devoted to receiving people at his house. But the Midrash finds a difference between Job’s and Abraham’s attitudes. It says that Job always had his doors open, waiting for someone to come to his door, while Abraham left his house in order to find them and invite them in. Not just this, but he also placed several tents alongside the roads, with food and drinks, so that travelers could enter, eat, drink and bless God. Herein lies our patriarch’s greatness, for he did not wait for people to come in, but rather went out himself to search for them. Furthermore, the sages learn from Abraham that the mitzvah of Achnasat Orchim is so important, that it is preferable to practice this mitzvah than to receive the Shechinah, the divine presence. How do they infer this? As I mentioned at the beginning, God went to visit Abraham and Abraham, as soon as he saw the three men, went out to receive them.
The mitzvah of Achnasat Orchim not only consists of inviting people to your home, but of treating them the best possible way. A Midrash tells that, when King Solomon was in exile, he used to eat at two different houses, one of them belonging to wealthy people and the other one, to poor people. At the house of the wealthy man, he received abundant food and comforts, but he was continuously reminded of his unfortunate situation. At the home of the poor man, on the other hand, he was made to feel comfortable and easy, as if he were a member of the family instead of an intruder. At the end of this experience, Solomon said: “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith” (Proverbs 15:17).
This story teaches us that, when we invite people to our home, we must make them feel as part of the family, and prevent them from feeling uncomfortable and from wishing to going as soon as they can. In the modern society in which we live, individualism is the principle that often rules our lives. People live their own lives and know nothing about their neighbor. It is difficult for us to invite people over. Judaism expects us to live in a community and know each other, invite and help each other. If we made a survey among our members, giving them a list of our entire membership, how many people included on the list would you know? The challenge is to be hospitable, opening our homes, our time, and our hearts.
Traveling around
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Daniela Szuster
………………………………..
VAIERÁ 5770
Bereshit - Génesis 18:1-22:24
7 de noviembre, 2009 - 20 de Jeshván, 5770
Rabina Daniela Szuster
Congregación B´nei
Mitzvat Ajnasat Orjim: animándonos a la hospitalidad
"Se le apareció a Abraham, Adonai, en el encinar de Mamré y él estaba sentado a la entrada de la tienda, cuando calentaba el día". (Bereshit 18:1). Cuenta el Midrash que D"s visitó a Abraham porque éste se estaba recuperando de su Brit Milá (Talmud Baba Metzia 86b). ¿Y qué hacía Abraham? Cuenta la Torá que estaba sentado a la entrada de su tienda. Los sabios comentan que era tan importante para Abraham el poder ayudar a los viajantes dándoles de comer y beber, que pasaba horas en la puerta de su tienda para poder ser hospitalario con ellos. Aún estando convaleciente.
"Alzó sus ojos y vio he aquí tres hombres de pié junto a él. Los divisó y corrió hacia ellos desde la entrada de la tienda y se prosternó a tierra. Tráigase ahora un poco de agua y lavad vuestros pies y reclinaos bajo el árbol. Y yo tomaré un trozo de pan y restauraréis vuestro corazón…". (Bereshit 18:2,4,5). Esto es lo que hizo Abraham cuando vio a estos tres hombres y es lo que hacía cada vez que divisaba alguien cerca de su hogar. No llamaba a sus siervos, sino que él mismo se ocupaba de darles de comer y de atenderlos.
De esta acción de Abraham, nuestra tradición entiende la importancia de recibir invitados a nuestras casas, y se ha transformado en una Mitzvá llamada Ajnasat Orjim. La palabra Ajnasat proviene
Cuenta un Midrash que Iov, hombre justo y creyente, quien había sufrido varias desgracias en su vida, también se dedicaba a recibir gente en su casa. Pero el Midrash hace una diferencia entre la actitud de Iov y la de Abraham. Dice que Iov, abría siempre sus puertas de par en par esperando que alguien llegara a su casa, en cambio Abraham, salía de su casa para invitarlos a que ingresaran. No solo esto sino que también ponía varias tiendas a la vera de los caminos, con comida y bebida, para que los viajantes entraran, comieran, bebieran y bendijeran a D"s. En esto radica la grandiosidad de nuestro patriarca, que no esperaba que viniera la gente, sino que él mismo salía a buscarla. Además, los sabios aprenden de Abraham que la Mitzvá de Ajnasat Orjim es tan importante, al punto que es preferible practicar ésta a recibir a la Shejiná, presencia divina. ¿De dónde lo deducen?
La mitzvá de Ajnasat Orjim no consiste solo en invitar gente a nuestra casa, sino en tratarlos de la mejor manera posible. Un Midrash cuenta que cuando el rey Shlomó estuvo en el exilio, solía comer en dos hogares distintos, uno rico y otro pobre. En el hogar
Esto nos enseña que, cuando invitamos a alguien a nuestro hogar, debemos hacerlo sentir como parte de la familia, y evitar que se sienta incómodo y espere el momento de poder marcharse. En la sociedad moderna en que vivimos, el individualismo es el principio que muchas veces rige nuestras vidas. Cada uno hace su vida y no sabe nada acerca de su vecino. Nos cuesta invitarnos unos a otros. El judaísmo nos propone vivir en una comunidad y conocernos, invitarnos y ayudarnos. Si hacemos un sondeo y le damos a cada uno de los miembros de nuestras congregaciones una lista de todos los miembros, habría que ver cuántos conocen de los que allí aparecen. El desafío es animarnos a ser hospitalarios, abriendo nuestras casas, nuestro tiempo y nuestros corazones.
Viajando por
Shabat Shalom!
Rabina Daniela Szuster
