Now the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he was sitting at the entrance of the tent when the day was hot. 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. And he said, “My lords, if only I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass on from beside your servant. Please let a little water be taken, bathe your feet, and recline under the tree. (Bereishis 18:1-4)
In previous parshios we have been introduced to Avraham, the monotheist and spiritual leader. This week we are introduced to Avraham the host. Avraham and Sarah open their home, invite guests, and through this chessed and hospitality, spread the message of Hashem and His way of life. But whenever we see a story, we must always ask, what is the message? The Torah is a book of law, and the stories which are shared are only for their legal, moral, or ethical implications. What is the eternal message of this beautiful episode?
Rav Yosef Meir Weiss, the Spinka Rebbe (1839-1909) in his sefer titled, Imrei Yosef shares an incredible insight. Avraham invited his guests to wash their feet. Rashi explains that Avraham was concerned that his guests were idolaters who worshipped the dust and as such, asked them to remove the impurities before entering his home. This is a profound metaphor for the human condition. There are times in life when we feel broken. There are times when I feel in a state of personalistic disrepair from my feet to my head. Nothing seems to be going the way I want; I am not happy with the person I have become or the life I have created. What does one do in such a situation? How do I course correct? The answer is in the verse, “Yukach na mi’at mayim, take a little bit of water” – water is Torah and spirituality. Take a little bit of water – just take on a bit more holiness in your life. “Rachatzu ragleychem, wash your feet” – begin to remove the impurities, slowly you will begin to fix the things that are broken, one foot at a time. And before you know it, “V’hishanu tachas ha’etz, rest under the tree” – the tree is Torah. V’hishanu, does not just mean rest, it also means to lean, to support one’s self – when you begin to infuse your life with additional spirituality, it will support you as you journey forward.
Avraham is not only teaching us about hospitality and chessed; he is also teaching us how to rebound from the failures of life. Even if I am broken from foot to head, I can just start with infusing my life with a little bit of beautiful water of holiness, begin to wash myself off, steady and support myself by leaning on Hashem and His holiness – and over time, you will be cleansed.
