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GENESIS — 18:6 hastened

GEN922 In the Bible’s quite patriarchal tradition, Abraham is zerizut’s [zeal] great exemplar. We note how his zeal emphasizes velocity as he provides hospitality for God’s messengers: “Abraham went quickly into Sarah’s tent and said, ‘Hurry, make cakes.’ Then Abraham ran to the herd to select a tender and choice calf, and gave it to his servants, who hastened to prepare it.” [this and following verses] Some sages find zeal in Abraham’s response to God’s awesome command to sacrifice Isaac: “Abraham rose early the next morning, saddled his ass, took two lads and his son Isaac, the wood for the offering and set out for the place ...” Genesis 22:3   No wonder the classic description of proper religious vigor is zerizim makdimim le-mitzvot, the diligent rush to do a mitzvah Pesachim 4a. Judah b. Tema states this dramatically: “Be as strong as the leopard, soaring as the eagle, fleet as the hart, and mighty as the lion to do the will of our Father in Heaven” Avot 5:23   And of course we must mention those five diligent B’nei Brak rabbis who got so engrossed in performing the maggid (storytelling) step of their seder that they continued their discussion until dawn. As we read each Pesah, “everyone who extends the telling is praiseworthy.” But the rabbis did not promote religious zerizut unconditionally.  Consider the enigma of the highly esteemed second-century teacher Ben Azzai, who said: “run to fulfill even a slight precept as you would to perform a great one” Avot 4:2, a clear invitation to scrupulosity. When Ben Azzai died, the religious leaders of the day called him “The last of the industrious scholars” Sotah 9:15 But for some reason, he was never ordained. Did they sense that his devotion had subtly evolved into a compulsion to feed his pride? Whatever the case, in eight separate talmudic citations the rabbis debate whether taking on special stringencies of observance, humrot, leads to pridefulness, a grievous vice that should be shunned.   It is possible to become so meticulous about observing a law that one loses all sense of its never-changing purpose: building a Jewish relationship with God. One famous late-medieval Lithuanian halakhist, Solomon Luria, recorded the opinions of those who believed that it made no difference whether such practices were done publicly or privately—The person who did them should be put under a ban. Yam Shel Shelomo [the Sea of Solomon], Bava Kamma chapter 7, par. 41. Luzzato summed it up well: “No one should carry zeal or confidence to excess” Mesillat Yesharim BOROJMV 89-90

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GENESIS — 18:6 hastened

GEN923 People who do acts of generous sustaining benevolence are not all the same.   The Mussar tradition points out that some people are moved to acts of chesed whenever they are confronted by someone who is in need of their help.  Others, however, don’t wait for that sort of opportunity to arrive on their doorstep, but rather search out any chance to act generously in ways that sustain others.   This is what the sages meant when they wrote that the way of those who do chesed is to run after the poor.   Shabbat 104a.   Abraham was the paragon of what it means to pursue chesed because the Torah tells us that he actually ran to do kind acts for others.  MORINIS 189

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GENESIS — 18:6 hastened

GEN924 The deeds of the righteous are always carried out speedily. … Shlomo HaMelech [King Solomon], may peace be upon him, said Proverbs 22:29: “Have you seen a man who is quick in work? He will [ultimately] stand before kings; he will not have to] stand before those who are lowly.” And the Sages of blessed memory attributed to him [Shlomo HaMelech] this selfsame praise for his speedy work in building the Beis HaMikdash [Temple] without indolence or delay.   Through a homiletic interpretation Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:2 they also attributed it to Moshe, may peace be upon him, for his speedy work with regard to the Mishkan [Tabernacle].   You will also find that all of the deeds of the righteous are always done speedily.   Regarding Avraham, it states [this verse and 18:7] … If you probe further, [you will see] that just as alacrity is influenced by the arousal from within, this arousal itself is influenced by alacrity.   For if one is enthusiastic in his performance of a mitzvah, he will find that when he quickens his external [physical] movement he will thereby cause his inner fervor to be aroused, and his yearning and desire will progressively intensify.   However, if he reacts with lethargy when moving his limbs, the inner drive of his spirit will also wither and be extinguished.   Experience will confirm this as true.   PATH 43-4

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GENESIS — 18:6 quick

GEN925 Do not indulge in too much conversation with your wife. Pirkei Avot I:5  What connection does this have with the previous teaching regarding hospitality? The average woman does not take very kindly to the prospect of unexpected guests.   Even Sarah, always hospitable enough, was no exception. When Abraham invited in his three wayfarers, he requested Sarah to take kemah soleth and bake cakes for her guests. [this verse].   Kemah is ordinary coarse flower; soleth is fine cake flour.   Only when he saw that Sarah had no objection, he improved the menu. Then again, a man might hesitate to invite guests, for then he could not spend the evening in conversation with his wife, discussing the day’s happenings and the local gossip.  And so Rabbi Yose implies: You will have many opportunities to indulge in such chatter. Forgo the talk with your wife now, and open your home wide to the poor.”   Or perhaps we have here some excellent practical advice; If, when you bring home some deserving guests, your wife becomes excited, “do not indulge in too much conversation.” Leave her alone. Women are like that. In a little while she will realize the wonderful mitzvah involved, and she will be only too happy. At the moment do not press the issue. Your wife’s natural good heart will soon reassert itself. Sir Walter Scott called woman “the toy of the evening.” Rudyard Kipling surpassed that with the adage, “A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a smoke.” [The Betrothed, 1886] this type of evaluation is reflected in the endearing term we moderns use for woman: “a doll.” But what is a doll? A toy, a plaything with no heart and no brains! A woman is a “doll” and a man is a “guy,” and they both proceed to play out their respective roles in character.   Between the two, there is no sense of divinity.   Judaism, however, regards the woman with esteem. “A man’s home,” says the Talmud, “is his wife.” Zohar III, 178b. Mishnah, Yoma I, 1 (Talmud, Shabbat 118b, Gittin 52a) Woman is highly regarded and appreciated in Jewish tradition. “If your wife is shorter than you, bow down to her.” Talmud, Baba Metzi’a 59a.  Consult your wife and listen to her advice. Marriage is called kiddushin: this means “sanctification,” and involves the highest degrees of holiness.   When the traditional practice of separate seating or men and women at prayer is attacked as reflecting the inferior place of women in orthodoxy, we must label this a patent misconception.   Separation, m’hitzah, is necessary not for the woman but for the man. His eyes, his thoughts and his temptation travel too far and too fast. When he prays, his sight, mind, and inclinations tend to wander.   He is too easily distracted from his devotions.  Hence we curtain off the woman because we do not trust the man!   The word sihah means “idle talk.”   The Mishnah is, in effect, advising a man not to restrict his wife’s companionship to the level of idle chatter.   Elevate your level of communication with your wife. Instead of “where the Goldsteins are spending their vacation,” discuss which Yeshivah to choose for your child.  Instead of the “new fur coat now displayed by Mrs. Cohen,” discuss your future regarding the Land of Israel.  Elevate your conversation; keep the sihah to a minimum and create a true communion of thought with the woman who is your helpmate in life.   SINAI1 60-1

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GENESIS — 18:7 lad

GEN926 A person should train his children to do chesed.  Rashi cites the Midrash Genesis Rabbah 48:13 which identifies the lad as Yishmael, and that Avraham gave him the calf in order to train him fulfilling mitzvos.  The Chofetz Chayim writes that from here we see that a person should not only do chesed himself, but should also educate and train his children to do acts of kindness. Ahavas Chesed, part 2, ch.3.   The Chofetz Chayim was strongly against the practice which was instituted in some cities whereby the poor could only apply for a donation from a single community fund, and were forbidden to go collecting from house to house.   Besides the fact that in this way the poor might receive a smaller amount of money than they might otherwise received, there is another aspect which is very detrimental.   If the poor do not knock on the doors of private homes, children will not be aware of the mitzvah of giving tzedakah (charity).   Michtevai Chofetz Chayim, Dugman Midarkai Avi, p.8.   PLYN 68

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GENESIS — 18:8 ate

GEN928 To be ethically-minded is to be pure in the eyes of God Numbers 32:22; avoiding the slightest breath of suspicion Chullin 44b and being always pleasant Ketubot 17a and respectful of another’s views. In the words of Derekh Eretz Zuta – he must not be “awake among those who sleep, or asleep among those who are awake; not weeping when others laugh, or vice versa; not sitting when others stand, or vice versa; not learning aloud, when others re reading quietly, or the reverse”. In general, he will not be awkward or angular in the company of others. He will be considerate of others. When the three angels visited Abraham in his tent they ate and drank with him, though it was not their custom so to do [this verse] When Moses ascended on high he did not eat for forty days and nights, for such was the custom in heaven. Exodus 34:28  LEHRMAN 279-80

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