Rabbi Frand on Parshas Vayera
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 391, The
Mitzvah of Nichum Aveilim [Consoling Mourners]. Good Shabbos!
Charity With Justice: Not Your Typical Knee-Jerk Liberalism
In this week's parsha, G-d decided to destroy the cities of Sodom and
Amorah. The way the Torah narrates the story, G-d, as it were, debated with
Himself whether He should tell Avraham about this decision. He knew that
Avraham would be a protagonist in behalf of Sodom. Nevertheless, G-d
concluded that he cannot withhold this information from Avraham: "For I have
loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that
they keep the way of Hashem doing charity and justice..." [Bereshis 18:19].
The Ramban explains G-d's "rationale". "If mitigating circumstances can be
found to exonerate Sodom and Amorah, by virtue of the attributes of charity
and justice, then maybe I will exonerate them. Let Avraham find such
legitimate arguments, if such exist, and pray to Me on their behalf that
they merit being spared, and I might change my mind. But if they are not
worthy to be saved, then Avraham too will acquiesce in their judgment.
Therefore it is appropriate that he be brought into this Divine secret."
Rav Simcha Zissel Broide, the head of the Chevron Yeshiva, asks on this
Ramban: Avraham was the paradigm of Chessed [kindness]. Our normal
expectation would be that there is no way Avraham would acquiesce and agree
to the destruction of Sodom. Rav Simcha Zissel says that this Ramban
teaches us that perhaps we need to re-adjust our understanding of the
paradigm of Chessed represented by Avraham. It is not true that the
definition of Chesed means that one gives and gives and gives despite the
fact that the recipient is not worthy and is not impacted at all by his
benefactor's generosity. Even within the Baal Chessed [master of kindness],
there exists the idea that Chessed must be tempered with Mishpat [justice].
If the Baal Chessed sees that giving another chance is hopeless, then he
will take his kindness elsewhere.
The modern concept of Chessed is a knee-jerk concept of blindly giving,
without investigating the ultimate impact and benefit of the beneficence.
This is not the classic Jewish approach to Chessed as portrayed by the
Ramban. Even Avraham was prepared to sign on to the destruction of Sodom,
when he saw the utter corruption of their society. If they are not worthy,
we do not just keep showering them with kindness and extra chances. That
type of Chessed is destructive and yields bitter fruit. This was most
emphatically not the kind of Chessed practiced by Avraham Avinu.
Chessed Involves More Than Filling A Person's Stomach
There is a puzzling Tosfos Shantz in Tractate Sotah. The Torah says that
Avraham planted an 'Eishel' in Beer Sheva [Bereshis 21:33]. Our Sages
explain that this was a type of hotel. Eishel (spelled Aleph-Shin-Lamed)
is an acronym for Eating (Achilah), Drinking (Shtiyah), and Lodging
(Linah). Avraham always wanted guests. Tosfos Shantz quotes a Medrash:
Avraham Avinu (in lieu of giving his guests a bill) would ask them to
bless G-d as an expression of recognition and gratitude for all they were
given. The Medrash says that there were guests who refused to offer
Thanksgiving to G-d. It was against their 'religious beliefs'. In these
cases, Avraham Avinu did write them a bill, and charged them a hefty price.
Avraham was not gouging. He charged the going rates. It was not
inexpensive to get water and all the delicacies that Avraham provided at
his Eishel in the middle of the desert! After presenting them with this
very large bill he gave them a second chance: Either pay the bill or
bentch [recite Grace after meals] -- which will it be? Invariably, the
response at this point was "we'll bentch". What is the meaning of the
Medrash? Was Avraham acting like a highway robber? Was he a con man?
The Shemen HaTov explains that this Medrash illustrates that Avraham was
not interested in the travelers' money. However, there are two types of
people in this world -- people who appreciate and people who do not
appreciate. People who appreciate life and appreciate favors do not need
to be banged over the head to realize that they have been done a favor.
But there are other people who do not realize the kindness and favors that
have been done for them unless it is banged over their heads. Until
Avraham showed them the 'itemized bill' of what was involved in providing
food, drink, and lodging for them in the middle of the desert, they took
it for granted. They took G-d, who ultimately provided them with all their
needs, for granted.
Avraham was the ultimate Baal Chessed. But the biggest kindness that
anyone can do for another person is not necessarily feeding them. Rather,
the biggest kindness is bringing them closer to G-d. This was the type of
Chessed in which Avraham was constantly engaged. If what it required to
communicate to certain types of people that there is a Creator in the
world was to stick them with a big bill, that was what Avraham would do.
He was not interested in the money. He did whatever it would take to
perform the ultimate Chessed -- drawing people closer to G-d. The biggest
Chessed in the world is not filling a person's stomach -- it is doing
something for a person's soul.
Avraham was known for two primary attributes -- he was the archetype Baal
Chessed and he was the first person in the world to be involved in Kiruv
[spiritual outreach]. However, these are not two distinct professions. His
Kiruv profession was part of his Chessed profession. The Baal Chessed that
is concerned about a person's stomach, is the same Baal Chessed that is
concerned about a person's soul.
This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion.
The complete list of halachic topics covered in this series for Parshas
Vayeira are provided below:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
