November 19

I’m struck by two seemingly unrelated virtues we see in Avraham from the early portion of Parshat Vayeira. On the one hand we see Avraham open his tent to strangers; a man who believes in hospitality so much, that even when he is in tremendous physical pain, he gets up to welcome travelers into his home and enlists his whole household in preparing a sumptuous meal for guests who are complete strangers.

On the other hand, we see the Avraham who dares to stand up to God, arguing with God even, in the hopes of saving the lives of the people of Sodom. This is a virtue of courage in advocating for justice and protecting the lives of others.

Avraham demonstrates that a person can pursue justice through public and political means (tzedakah) while also embodying unbounded kindness towards all (chesed). While Avraham’s fulfillment of the mitzvot of hakhanasas orchim (hospitality) and levayah (escorting guests) might seem like small matters to the more politically minded, after all, they don’t serve to change the world on a mass scale, the Torah saw fit to mention them for a reason.

Rashi suggests that the reason Avraham washed his guests’ feet before welcoming them into his home is that he took them to be idolaters who worshipped the dust of the earth itself, and didn’t want to bring an object of idol worship into his home. Avraham, whose zeal for God was so great that according to the midrash it led him to smash his father’s idols, nonetheless welcomed guests into his home whom he took to be idolaters. He didn’t allow his convictions to stand in the way of his love of humanity, his chesed.

It is easy to vilify those we disagree with; and it is not easy to back down from our deeply held convictions for the sake of being “nice.” Avraham demonstrates however, that it is possible to stand up for what you believe in, while also treating all people with decency.

In our beautifully diverse community, I pray that, like Avraham, we continue to find ways to show kindness and respect to those we disagree with, even as we each continue to stand up for what we believe is right.

Rabbi Garth Silberstein