In spite of the fact that Avraham Avinu is known for his attribute of “Chessed” [Kindness], the only actual story in the Torah in which we see Avraham engaged in an act of chessed is his welcoming the three “guests” at the beginning of Parshas Vayera. Chazal elaborate with many stories illustrating Avraham’s great acts of chesed, but in terms of recorded evidence in the Torah, the story of Avraham’s hosting the malochim is the only example.
This is rather ironic because in fact, the “chessed” done by Avraham at the beginning of Parshas Vayera was an “unnecessary chessed”. In fact, his “guests” were really “malochim” who do not get hungry and who do not eat. They really did not need all of his hospitality and graciousness. They came on a mission and could have carried out their mission without the welcome mat! This was almost like a “chessed in error”.
Reconciling the Ramban With the Gemara - Some Post Shavuos Chizuk
In this week’s parsha we learn all about the nazir. A nazir is a person who accepts upon himself added restrictions.
Why, then, out of all the various examples of Avraham Avinu’s chessed is this superfluous and unnecessary act of kindness the one that the Torah cites as the prototype of the chessed of Avraham? On top of that, the Gemara (Bava Metzia 86b) says that it was a very hot day. The Ribbono Shel Olam did not want to burden Avraham Avinu with having to take care of guests, so he ensured that the weather that day would inhibit wayfarers from travelling on the road. The Gemara says that Avraham sent his servant Eliezer outdoors to see if he could find anyone to invite into Avraham’s tent. Eliezer went out to seek visitors, but returned and reported that he could not find any visitors. Avraham told Eliezer, “Eliezer, I don’t believe you.”
We will learn in Parshas Chayei Sarah that Avraham Avinu had full trust in his loyal servant. He allowed Eliezer full control over his entire household (Hamoshel b’chol asher lo). Not only that, but when Avraham was looking to find a shidduch for Yitzchak, which was certainly the most important of matters, who does he send? He sends Eliezer. He trusts him to take care of his portfolio. He trusts him to find a shidduch for his beloved son. But to go out and find orchim – suddenly, “I don’t trust you!” What is going on here?
Rav Yitzchok Feigelstock, zt”l (Rosh Yeshiva of the Long Beach Yeshiva) explains that there are two types of chessed. There is a type of chessed where someone is in need and you take care of that person. You are motivated by the sense of compassion that Hashem put in most humans. When we see a disheveled person on the street in great need of help, most of us feel a natural sense of rachmanus, such that we are inclined to offer help, whenever possible. That is one type of chessed – the chessed you do to fill somebody else’s needs. There is also another type of chessed. This is a chessed that I do not do because “You need it”, but rather because I need to do it! Hashem instructed us that this is why He created the world. Olam Chessed Yibaneh! (The world was created with kindness.) (Tehillim 89:3). Before this world was created, there was nothing lacking, but the Ribbono Shel Olam created the universe in order to do chessed. Hashem’s Chessed is not a function of compassion. He does not do it because He can’t stand to see a person suffering or anything like that. It is chessed for the sake of chessed – not because the recipient needs it, but because I need to do it!
In the final berachah of shemoneh esrei, when we say “for with the light of Your countenance You gave us, Hashem Elokeinu, the Torah of life and a love of kindness...” we are saying that the Ribbono Shel Olam gifted Klal Yisroel with something that no other nation has: Ahavas Chessed [love of doing kindness]. We don’t do chessed because of the crying shame of the situation or because this unfortunate individual’s plight pulls at our heartstrings. We do chessed because we need to emulate the Ribbono Shel Olam, who did chessed in creating the world and we need to do it to make ourselves better people. This is a particularly Jewish quality.
Now we can understand the Gemara in Bava Metzia. Avraham tells his servant “Go out and see if there are any guests.” Eliezer comes back and reports, “Nope. No one needs anything. There are no guests out there.” Avraham says, “I don’t trust you.” This was not because he suspected that Eliezer was lying to him. He really did trust Eliezer. Avraham is saying, “Eliezer, you do not understand! As wonderful as you are, you are not a Jew and you don’t have the same sensitivity that I have. You don’t understand that I don’t look for guests just because someone needs water or food. I do chessed because I feel a need to do chessed.
That is why the Torah specifically highlights Parshas Vayera, where Avraham feeds malochim who don’t even need food – in order to illustrate the nature of Avraham’s urge to do chessed: Avraham’s chessed was not merely addressing the needs of the recipients of his chessed. Rather, Avraham’s chessed was addressing his own need to perform acts of chessed. This is what is called Ahavas Chessed – the ultimate paradigm of Avraham’s attribute of kindness. (R’ Frand)
