Greeting God the Unexpected Guest
Parashat Vayera, Genesis 18:1–22:24
Rabbi Russ Resnik
And the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. (Gen 18:1–2)
One key to impact and influence in life is: “Don’t just say it; do it.” Don’t just lecture about your beliefs and convictions; act them out. Or more simply, “Don’t just talk the talk; walk the walk!” It’s especially true in seeking to instruct and influence younger people; they’re looking more for exemplars than explainers.
A famous discussion captured in the Talmud imagines how the Almighty might apply this principle to himself. It’s based on an imaginative reading of the opening lines of our parasha.
One of our ancient sages, Rav Hama, asks, What does it mean, “You shall walk after the Lord your God”? (Deut 13:5). Is it possible for a person to walk and follow in God’s presence? Does not the Torah also say “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire”? (Deut 4:24). But it means to walk after the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He. As He clothes the naked—for it is written: And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them—so you also shall clothe the naked. The Holy One, Blessed be He, visits the ill, as it says, “And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre” (Gen 18:1)—so you shall visit the ill. (b.Sotah 14a)
Rav Hama goes on to list several other acts of hesed—gemilut chasadim—exemplified by Hashem in the Torah. God doesn’t just instruct us to be kind, generous, and compassionate, but he steps into the human story to show us how.
Rav Hama places this scene by the oaks of Mamre just a few days after Abraham’s circumcision in Genesis 17, when the old man is still recovering from the painful procedure. The Almighty visits Abraham at this moment to show us how to care for the sick among us, those who are ill in body and soul, just as he provides the example of caring for the impoverished and vulnerable (the “naked”) and the bereaved, as Rav Hama goes on to mention: “The Holy One, Blessed be He, comforts the bereaved, as it says, ‘And it was after Abraham died that God blessed his son Isaac…’ (Gen 25:11), so too shall you comfort the bereaved.”
God shows up in the midst of our human neediness and if we seek to follow his example, we’re likely to run into two obstacles.
In some cases, we might be tempted not to show up at all, even if we care, because we just don’t know how to act around those who are suffering and so we allow ourselves to avoid them.
In other cases, we might show up but say too much, particularly when we visit the bereaved or those facing life-threatening illness.
We try to cheer up the afflicted, or provide superficial assurances. We tell mourners that their loved ones are in a better place, or that God had a better purpose for them. We regale the dying with tales of miraculous healing (which might well be true), when they may already be focused on preparing to leave this life for the next.
Hashem’s example of simply showing up at Abraham’s tent door and saying little will serve us well as we visit the sick and comfort the bereaved. Knowing the power of simply being present for the suffering frees us from the need to figure out what to say.
And there’s another lesson here, based on another reading of the opening scene of Vayera, one closer to the text itself.
In this reading, Hashem shows up at Abraham’s door not as a comforting visitor, but as a wayfarer seeking hospitality. He shows up with two others not to provide gemilut chasadim but to receive gemilut chasadim himself.
The passage focuses on Abraham’s generous welcome to these three strangers (Gen 18:3–8). God reveals himself to Abraham after Abraham washes his feet and feeds him a lavish meal. We’ll miss the impact of this story if we think of hospitality as a matter of tea and cookies out on the veranda. In Abraham’s world, hospitality to a stranger could be a matter of life and death. Roadways and trails were dangerous, spied on by bandits and marauders, with great distances between watering spots and sources of food. Strangers were looked upon with suspicion, and even those who intended them no harm might find it best to maintain a safe distance—just as we’re tempted to do with those we label the “homeless” around us. Back then, travel was dangerous and hospitality a great mercy, and the Lord shows up as a stranger in need. He reveals himself to Abraham as he reaches out in simple compassion.
Messiah Yeshua may be building on this passage in the Torah in his striking portrayal of how he reveals himself to us. He begins, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne,” and goes on to describe his judgment of the nations, separating them like sheep and goats to his right or to his left (Matt 25:31–33).
Yeshua continues,
Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will answer them, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matt 25:34–40)
Vayera—the Lord appeared to Abraham to support him in his recovery from bodily affliction, and we should do the same for the afflicted around us. And the Lord also appeared to Abraham as a stranger needing help, just as he might appear to us if we have eyes to see. In this appearance story Abraham provides the example, watching at the door of his tent for an opportunity to practice gemilut chasadim, gifts of kindness, to those who need them most. As we are watchful and ready like Abraham we may well encounter Messiah Yeshua himself.
Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV).