Greater Than Welcoming the Divine Presence
Welcoming guests is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence, as it says: “He said, ‘My L-rd, if I have found favor in Your eyes, please do not pass by Your servant’” (Bereshit 18:3).
(Shabbat 127a)
According to Each Guest’s Wishes
“He took butter and milk, and the calf that he had prepared, and placed them before them” (Bereshit 18:8). How could Avraham serve his guests meat with milk? Avraham offered both dairy and meat, allowing each guest to choose what he wished to eat. Although he offered butter and milk, he prepared three beef tongues so that all three guests could choose to eat only meat if they preferred. This is exemplary hospitality.
(the Rebbe)
Sparing Embarrassment
Once, a guest at Rabbi Akiva Eiger’s table accidentally knocked over his wineglass, spilling wine onto the white tablecloth. Rabbi Akiva Eiger immediately nudged his own glass, spilling its wine as well. “It seems the table is wobbling,” he remarked.
(Sippurei Chassidim)
A Warm Welcome
Shammai says: Receive every person with a cheerful countenance. What does this mean? If someone gives another person all the finest gifts in the world, but does so with a gloomy face and downcast eyes, Scripture considers it as though he gave nothing. But someone who welcomes another warmly, even without giving anything, is considered to have given all the finest gifts in the world.
(Avot D’Rabbi Natan)
The Mitzvah and Payment Too?
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev greatly cherished the mitzvah of welcoming guests and regarded the opportunity to fulfill it as a great privilege.
Even as a young man, while supported by his father-in-law, he would personally attend to the guests rather than leave the task to someone else.
Once, his father-in-law found him doing this work and asked, “Why do such work yourself? For a few coins, the servant could do it.”
“What!” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak replied. “Give the non-Jewish servant the privilege of such a great mitzvah—and then pay him for his trouble too?!”
(Sippurei Chassidim)