[Avodah] Rav Gedalia Eisman - Chesed, Avrohom Style

[Prof. Levine]

 From http://revach.net/article.php?id=5155

Avrohom Avinu was the greatest Ba'al Chesed to ever live. His life 
was a continuous song of Chesed to others. Yet in the Torah we find 
one event singled out as the epitome of his Chesed, that of serving 
the three guests on the third day after his Mila. The Baalei Mussar 
all try to find the single factor in this event that made it so 
monumental that it was recorded so famously above all the others.

Rav Gedalia Eisman (see U'Lisitcha Elyon) the Mashgiach of Kol Torah 
says that after the old and weak Avrohom came to greet the "guests" 
and made his generous offer, they brazenly answered (Vayeira 18:5) 
"Kein Taaseh Ka'asher Dibarta". They didn't graciously accept the 
offer, but rather commanded Avrohom to do exactly as he promised.

Everyone gets a geshmack out of helping others from the goodness of 
his own heart. But if instead of appreciation and recognition for his 
good deed, the recipient turns around and demands to be served, the 
bubble is burst and all excitement over performing the chesed 
dissipates and even turns sour. Pangs of anger well up inside of us 
as a natural response to the insolence of the person we wanted to help.

Not so Avrohom Avinu whose response to this arrogant answer was 
"Vayimaher Avrohom HaOhela El Sarah". Avrohom did not care about the 
attitude of the recipient, only about helping him with his needs. It 
made no difference if the recipient was gracious or obnoxious. On the 
contrary if the recipient demanded of Avrohom, that was a clear sign 
to him that the recipient was in dire need and should be helped 
faster and harder.

Avrohom, the symbol of Chesed's response to the Malachim's demand, 
was to run to fulfill this demand. That is the path Avrohom set forth 
for us, and that is the ideal we should each strive for when it comes 
to Chesed.

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