Reward for Performing Chesed
The Midrash (Shochar Tov 37) states that Avraham Avinu asked Shem ben Noach, "In what merit did you leave the teivah?" Shem replied that it was in the merit of tzedakah.
Avraham asked, "What tzedakah could you do in the teivah? There was no one there but Noach's family!"
Shem explained that they did tzedakah with the animals. Some animals ate at night, animals that ate by day, and they were busy, day and night, feeding them. In this merit, they were freed from the teivah.
Avraham was overwhelmed. He said, "If this is the reward for doing kindness for animals, I will do kindness with people, and the reward will be far greater." This spurred Avraham to begin his holy hachnosas orchim activities.
Chazal tell us that the reward for mitzvos is solely in Olam HaBa. However, the reward for chesed is given in this world, as well. As we say after Birkas HaTorah שאדם דברים אלו הזה בעולם פירותיהם אוכל, "These are the deeds that a person enjoys their fruits in this world..." and it lists deeds of chesed. We see that Avraham was rewarded, also in this world, for his chesed. In this week's parashah, Hashem said to Avraham (13:14-15), עֵינֶיךָ נָא שָׂא אֶת כִּי ,וָיָמ ָּה וָק ֵדְמָה וָנֶגְבָּה צ ָפֹנָה שָׁם אַת ָּה ֶׁראֲש הַמ ָּקוֹם מִן וּרְאֵה עוֹלָם עַד ָוּלְזַרְעֲך אֶת ְּנֶנָּה ָלְך רֹאֶה אַת ָּה ֶׁראֲש הָאָרֶץ כָּל, "Please raise your eyes and see, from the place where you are, northward, southward, eastward and westward. For all the land that you see I will give to you and to your seed for eternity." The Torah emphasizes that Avraham should see the entire land מִן שָׁם אַת ָּה ֶׁראֲש הַמ ָּקוֹם, "from the place where you are". What do we learn from this? The Or HaChaim HaKadosh answers, "A great miracle happened to Avraham at this time. He was able to see from the north to the south and from west to east while standing in one place, without needing to turn around."
Why was this miracle necessary?
Some answer as follows:
Avraham Avinu's tent had four openings, one from each side, so that from whichever side a wayfarer was traveling, he would be able to enter Avraham's tent immediately and wouldn't have to go around the tent to reach the entrance. Avraham cared about his guests, and he didn't want to cause them discomfort. Midah k'neged midah, Hashem rewarded Avraham with comfort. When Hashem wanted to show him the four sides of Eretz Yisrael, miraculously, Avraham was able to see all sides of Eretz Yisrael without needing to turn around.
The Torah tells us this for us to know the reward for gemilus chasidim. Just as one seeks to help others, Hashem will help him. Just as one tries to save others from discomfort, he will receive the same treatment from Above.
The Gemara (Bava Basra 9b) says, "Whoever is accustomed to giving tzedakah, he will have children who are wise, wealthy, experts in Agadah (midrashim) and in chachmah."
