Hospitality: A Sacred Duty

(1)The LORD appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.(2) Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground,(3) he said, “My lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant.(4) Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree.(5) And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on—seeing that you have come your servant’s way.” They replied, “Do as you have said.”(6) Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!”(7) Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it.(8) He took curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before them; and he waited on them under the tree as they ate.(9) They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he replied, “There, in the tent.”(10) Then one said, “I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.(11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; Sarah had stopped having the periods of women.(12) And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Now that I am withered, am I to have enjoyment—with my husband so old?”(13) Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?’(14) Is anything too wondrous for the LORD? I will return to you at the same season next year, and Sarah shall have a son.”(15) Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was frightened. But He replied, “You did laugh.”(16) The men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom, Abraham walking with them to see them off.(17) Now the LORD had said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do,(18) since Abraham is to become a great and populous nation and all the nations of the earth are to bless themselves by him?(19) For I have singled him out, that he may instruct his children and his posterity to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is just and right, in order that the LORD may bring about for Abraham what He has promised him.”(20) Then the LORD said, “The outrage of Sodom and Gomorrah is so great, and their sin so grave!(21) I will go down to see whether they have acted altogether according to the outcry that has reached Me; if not, I will take note.”(22) The men went on from there to Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the LORD.(23) Abraham came forward and said, “Will You sweep away the innocent along with the guilty?

Rav Yehuda bar Sheila said that Rabbi Asi said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There are six matters a person enjoys the profits of in this world, and nevertheless the principal exists for him for the World-to-Come, and they are: Hospitality toward guests, and visiting the sick, and consideration during prayer, and rising early to the study hall, and one who raises his sons to engage in Torah study, and one who judges another favorably, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The reward for escorting a stranger is greater than any reward. It is a practice introduced by our father Abraham, a way of kindness which was habitual with him. He served food and drink to wayfarers and escorted them. Hospitality to wayfarers is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence, as it is written: "He saw three men … he ran to meet them" (Genesis 18:2). Escorting them is even greater than receiving them. The sages have declared: "Anyone who does not escort his guests is almost guilty of bloodshed" (Sotah 46b).

A Midrashic approach: The three letters in the word א-ש-ל are an acronym for אכילה- שתיה- לויה that true hospitality involves providing one’s guests with food,-drink, - and an escort when they depart. [some versions have the word שכיבה, “lodging”, instead of שתיה “drink.”]. Avraham was in the habit of saying to his guests: “ask whatever I can do for you and I will endeavour to do it.”

It is obvious to me that the מצוה 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 Abraham 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 Abraham's, performs the positive commandment of emulating G–d, and he will receive the reward due to someone who has performed a מצוה 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.