Last week, Abraham received the commandment to circumcise himself and every Jewish male at the age of eight days old. While babies recover from the procedure quite quickly, Abraham was ninety-nine years old, and it was major surgery for a man of his age. Our parsha opens with Hashem visiting him on the third (and most painful) day, to see how he was faring. This is one of the attributes of kindness that Hashem exhibits, visiting the sick, which we are to emulate.
Though he was in physical pain, it was nothing compared to the pain Abraham felt in not having guests to provide for and take care of. He had so ingrained chesed in himself that it became a physical need. Therefore, Hashem sent Abraham angels with whom he could perform kindness.
In the middle of the Divine audience, Abraham noticed the travelers and ran towards them, calling out, “Adonai!” The word ‘adonai,’ here, means “sirs,” and is not a reference to G-d, at least according to the first explanation of Rashi. He then addressed the leader of the group and asked him not to pass by without partaking of Abraham’s hospitality.
Rashi comments that Abraham addressed the chief of the group because he knew the other travelers would follow his lead and remain as well. Buried within this story is a very important lesson that most of us would miss.
Abraham knew the other travelers would follow the chief, chosen because he was the most senior or wisest member of the group, perhaps. The implicit message here is that as we travel through life, we should seek out people to whom we can turn for guidance. We should associate with people who can teach us and help us make the right decisions. And then, we should not leave their sides. Don’t abandon them because we think we want to get ahead or move further. Instead, follow their lead and you’ll be much closer to where you need to be.
