Shabbat Shalom From Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow
Shabbat Vayera
Torah Portion:
Genesis 18:1-22:24 / Haftarah Portion: II Kings 4:1-37
“Hospitality”
Dear Friends,
What is out obligation to welcome guests into our
community and our homes? This week’s
Torah portion, includes two stories of welcoming guests – first, when Abraham
welcomes the angels into his tent and second, when Lot welcomes angels to his
home in Sodom. In both cases, the hosts
rushed to welcome the guests and take care of their immediate needs so that
they could rest and be comfortable.
This principle is reflected in a story about the
Chofetz Chaim, a famous Jewish rabbi, teacher, and sage who lived in Poland in
the 19th and early part of the 20th century.
According the to the story, a young person visited the great teacher,
arriving at the synagogue as Shabbat was beginning. Having been on the road for a long time, the
guest was hungry and weak. The rabbi
invited the person to Shabbat dinner and when they sat down to the table, the
rabbi skipped singing ‘Shalom Aleichem,’ the song to greet the Shabbat angels,
and instead went right to Kiddush and motzi – the blessing for wine and bread,
then served the meal. The young person
asked why the rabbi had skipped Shalom Aleichem, and the great rabbi replied
that the guest was hungry and should be fed as quickly as possible. The angels can wait to be greeted!
As Jews, hospitality is a fundamental value and
principle of our tradition. Invited
someone to Shabbat dinner and welcome them with honor, respect and joy!
Shabbat shalom.
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