Parshas Vayeira

וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה

“And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing beside him, and he saw and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he prostrated himself to the ground.”

On the third (most painful) day following his Bris Mila (circumcision), Avraham was eagerly waiting at the entrance of his tent for travelers so that he could invite them into his abode (tent) and perform the mitzvah of Hachnasas Orchim. Hashem had seen how passionate Avraham was regarding this mitzvah and sent three malachim (angels) who appeared as Arab travelers to Avraham. When Avraham saw the malachim as the passuk says, “and he lifted his eyes… and behold three men…” Avraham ran to the three men and had them wash their feet and fed them beneath the shade of a tree. 

Those malachim were not divinely sent for the sole purpose of satisfying Avraham ‘s burning desire to do chessed, but Hashem had another special reason. One of the malchim was sent to specifically perform the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim (visiting the sick and tending to their specific needs). In this case it seems Avraham’s only need was to be able to show chessed to others and by coming to visit him they were clearly tending to his needs.

There are two exceptional Mitzvos that are unmistakably demonstrated in the previous chronicle; Ahavas Chessed and Bikur Cholim, (loving kindness and visiting the sick). The reward for these Mitzvos are so unfathomable and perplexing that there are seforim (books) upon seforim authored by Gedolim (Torah giants) like the Chofetz Chaim discussing all the particulars of these mitzvahs and emphasizing how much Hashem loves someone who performs them.

We should learn from this week’s  Parsha (Vayeira) how important it is to perform the Mitzvos of Ahavas Chessed and Bikur Cholim, and we should learn from how eagerly Avraham pursued the mitzvah of Ahavas Chessed while he was in the most excruciating stage in the healing of his Bris Mila that nothing should deter us from Hashem’s mitzvahs. –Amen! 

HAVE A GREAT SHABBOS AND WEEKEND!

Stay tuned for next week’s’ Parsha called, Parshas Chayai Sarah!