פרשת וירא
This week’s Parsha delineates some of the tremendous acts of kindness which Avraham Avinu performed during his astonishing lifetime. Amongst the kindnesses listed are his legendary hospitality, his mercy on the wicked people of Sedom, and his self-sacrifice for his nephew Lot. Chazal even go so far as to say that all of Avraham’s achievements were primarily due to his unending benevolence. In the Tanaic work, Avos D’rebi Nosson, (7:1) it says that Iyov was renowned for his generosity with guests. His home had four entrances and the poor would come from far and wide, knowing that they had a bed with fresh linens and a hot meal. Yet God appeared to Iyov and told him that he had not even reached half of the level of compassion which Avraham Avinu had reached because Iyov merely waited at home for the guests to come whereas Avraham went out all over the world to seek out any visitors who had not yet partaken of his generosity. It is even implied there that all of Iyov’s terrible tribulations which he was to go through could have been avoided had he not possessed this slight lacking in the arena of hospitality. Chazal go on to say that not only did Avraham seek out guests from the far reaches of the earth, but he even built a free hotel which any wayfarer who desired could stay at, and enjoy good food and comfortable lodgings, completely free of charge.
However, it is interesting to note that this attribute of kindness, above all others, is the one which Avraham is remembered by. In the Amidah three times a day, we praise God that He remembers the kindness of our forefathers. We find that the mention of this trait, above all others, seems to arouse God’s mercy for us, and causes Him to treat us with greater leniency. Similarly, the Midrash Yalkut Shimoni on Tehilim, (750) states amazingly that Avraham’s greatest achievement, the one which merited him to be anointed, and raised above all others, was when Avrhama fought desperately to save the people of Sedom. As the Rosh Yeshiva once pointed out, the people of Sedom were so wicked, and so unrefined, that if we met them in the street, we would probably become physically ill. The action which sealed their fate was when a young woman once gave food to a poor man, they brought her up to the rooftop and had bees sting her to death. They were guilty of virtually every crime that we know of, and many that we don’t, yet the action which made Hashem the most proud, was Avraham’s attempt to save these depraved people. Why was it that Avraham’s undiscriminating goodwill is what he is the most remembered for?
There is a Gemorah in Avodah Zara which says that R’ Chanina was captured by the non-Jews of the time and was going to be tortured and executed. R’ Chanina stated that he did not feel that he was worthy of being saved, because although he studied Torah diligently, with great self-sacrifice, R’ Huna used to say that anyone who studies Torah, and does not involve himself with acts of generosity, it is as if he has no God. How can we understand this powerful statement of R’ Huna? One could understand had R’ Huna said that such a person is lacking a certain component of devotion, but to say it is as if he has no God seems a bit exaggerated!
Truthfully, if one contemplates this matter, one will realize that the source of all sin is selfishness. When a person concentrates on filling his own needs, to the extent that he does this, he will not be able to see outside of himself. Let us take an extreme example. Take a person who spends his whole life thinking only of his own personal pleasure. Such a person will not be able to see beyond himself, ergo the idea of helping other people, or the concept of God will never even occur to him. A person who is self-absorbed cannot grasp the concept of a God. On the flip side, as a person begins to stop focusing on his own desires, he can begin to see the people around him and become sensitive to their needs. As a person does this, he begins to simultaneously understand God, who fills the worlds needs constantly.
The Gemorah in Succah, 49b says, anyone who has acquired the attribute of kindness, it is clear that they also possess fear of Heaven, whereas a person who is deficient in this crucial trait, is also clearly lacking in his fear of Heaven. I would have thought on the contrary, that one who has perfected his ability to perform kindness has demonstrated his ability to love, not to fear. How then can we understand this Gemorah? Based on what we have explained, the connection is simple. When a person is kind, they are capable of seeing outside of themselves, and this ability will lead to a recognition of God which will inevitably lead a person to fear. Whereas a person who cannot see outside of themselves, cannot even recognize God, let alone fear Him.
Although Torah study is certainly the primary tool a person needs in order to come close to his creator, we find that without acts of loving kindness, a person can never really make it there. The great leader R’ Chanina himself claimed that he was slightly lacking in this feature and therefore could not properly serve Hashem. The reason for this is that although the Torah teaches a person God’s ways, if he has not shed his attachment to the physical world by doing acts of kindness and goodwill, he is too materialistically oriented to process the spiritual nature of the Torah. With this thought in mind, we will no longer view a chance to help another human being, and especially one of our peers, as a burden, but rather a golden opportunity to help us grow into the people that we are supposed to be. Avraham was waiting after his circumcision in the heat of the day for guests to come, and Hashem purposely made the heat unbearable in order not to trouble him. But when He saw that it was more troublesome for Avraham not to have guests then to have them, He sent him some guests. We see from Avraham’s actions that the proper outlook toward a Chessed should not be a cumbersome one, but rather the greatest prospect of an instant astronomical growth. When we begin to view the world this way, we will understand another fundamental truth about kindness. The wicked Turnus Rufus asked R’ Akiva, “If God loves the poor, why didn’t He make them rich?” R’ Akiva replied without batting an eyelash, “In order to give the wealthy an opportunity to support someone.” If we look at the world like this, we will immediately become aware of the fact that God has no problems taking care of everyone. When we do a kindness for somebody, it is not because (in a crying desperate voice) “How could they ever manage without us?” Rather it is nothing more and nothing less that the Creator of the world giving us a chance to be like Him, and use this opportunity to perfect ourselves. But we must be aware at all times, as benevolent as we may feel during our act of goodwill, God and the world would be just fine without us.
May we all improve our level of kindness, and thereby merit to see beyond our own needs, and perfect our spiritual service!