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The following is a selection from RSRH's commentary on Bereishis<br><br>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=6><b>18</font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=4>1
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>And
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>God
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>appeared to him beneath
the trees of Mamre, as he was sitting before the door of his tent in the
heat of the day.<br><br>
</i></b>Please note what Rav Hirsch says about Avraham's guests and the
relationship of the Jewish people to non-Jews. YL<br><br>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>How maliciously have Judaism
and its bearers, the heritage of<br>
Avraham and its heirs, been maligned: “These circumcised ones
arrogantly<br>
regard themselves as the ‘only ones’ of their God. The sign of<br>
the covenant, which sets them apart from other nations, removes from<br>
their hearts all cosmopolitanism, all feeling of being united in
brotherhood<br>
with the rest of mankind. They reduce the God of heaven and<br>
earth, the God of all human souls, to the God of their tribe, the
God<br>
of their small country.”<br><br>
“</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Providing hospitality to
guests is<br>
greater than standing before the Divine
Presence</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>”
(</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Shabbos
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>127a). And<br>
who were the guests Avraham was expecting? Uncircumcised idolaters!<br>
(He could have expected no others.) For their sake he left God’s<br>
Presence; he ran to greet them, to fulfill the duty of acting with<br>
lovingkindness toward one’s fellow man.<br>
Note the manner in which he fulfills this duty. Avraham here<br>
pursues charity and kindness more eagerly than people pursue
monetary<br>
gain! He seizes the opportunity, as the first circumcised Jew, to<br>
show kindness to his fellow man. He involves his wife and his son,<br>
indeed, his entire household, in the fulfillment of the mitzvah. He
has<br>
everything freshly prepared — as though he had no other refreshments<br>
at home to offer three wayfarers. This is the reception that was
given<br>
to the first guests to present themselves to the first <i>Nemol.<br><br>
</i>The foregoing demonstrates Avraham’s joy and relief at the
dismissal<br>
of his fear that he would be isolated from his fellow men. Our<br>
Sages </font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>z"l
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>are the ones who discerned
this fear. Their insight reached<br>
into the depths of his heart.<br><br>
This section is juxtaposed to the section on
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Mila</i></font>
<font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>.
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>The people of<br>
Avraham, isolated by circumcision, are to become the most humane of<br>
men</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>. In essence they are
a contrast to the rest of world; nevertheless,<br>
they are to be ready at all times to realize every universal human<br>
value. Toward this end they became a people that dwells apart — to<br>
foster within themselves this pure humanity. As the herald of this<br>
spirit, Avraham became an
<i>Av</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>and
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Avir</i>
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>(wing) of
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>Hamon
Goyim</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>, a spiritual<br>
father and a force of moral uplift for a multitude of nations.<br>
Not for naught did Avraham sit before his tent in the heat of the<br>
day; for this spirit of love of one’s fellow man became a legacy
that<br>
was bequeathed to his descendants. Throughout the generations, even<br>
the enemies of Israel have not denied that the disparaged Jews
possess<br>
this spirit. Wherever open hearts and open hands are sought for universal
<br>
humane purposes (thank God, this is
</font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3><i>one
</i></font><font face="Arial, Helvetica" size=3>spark from the
teachings<br>
of Avraham that has been ignited amidst all of mankind: open<br>
hearts and open hands can be found also outside the sphere of<br>
Avraham), even the disparagers of Judaism turn, first of all, to the<br>
Jews.<br><br>
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