Save "Parshat Vayera - In memory of Shimshon Ben Shalom"
Parshat Vayera - In memory of Shimshon Ben Shalom
וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃
The LORD appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.

יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃

Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree.

embarrassedFrom here we can explain that the Holy Torah is teaching us how Avraham A'H fulfills the commandment of welcoming in guests into ones home. This is in order to teach us how we should act when fulfilling the commandments of HaShem.

Firstly, we know the nature of guests that just happen to be passing by, they generally are embarrassed to spontaneously pop into someones houses as a guest until they are personally invited, and there are even guests that feel bad/are embarrassed coming over and taking from you.. even when you personally invite them! You will sometimes have to plead and beg of them to come over as guests, and only then do they agree to come over.

Avraham knew this very well, and because of this tendency of humans not willing to just pop in unanounced as guests, Avraham would sit by the entrance of hit tent to see if there were people passing by that can be invited into his home.

Therefor, this verse is coming to teach us that whoever wants to bring souls of Israel closer to Hashem, and bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence, you should speak to them in a manner of submission, tremendous honor, with a pleasant kind face, just like Avraham our forefather A'H did, when he spoke to his guests with a pleasant welcoming face on.

Even though he suspected that they were Arab that bow down to the dust of their feet (Idol Worship), as we see in Rashi..

ורחצו רגליכם. כַּסָּבוּר שֶׁהֵם עַרְבִיִּים שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּחֲוִים לַאֲבַק רַגְלֵיהֶם וִהִקְפִּיד שֶׁלֹא לְהַכְנִיס עֲ"זָ לְבֵיתוֹ; אֲבָל לוֹט שֶׁלֹּא הִקְפִּיד, הִקְדִּים לִינָה לִרְחִיצָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְלִינוּ וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם:
ורחצו רגליכם AND WASH YOUR FEET — He thought they were Arabians who worship the dust of their feet, and he was particular not to have the object of idolatrous worship brought into his house (Bava Metzia 86b). Lot, however, who was not particular about this, mentioned “lodging” (i.e. entering the house) before “washing” the feet, as it is said (Genesis 19:2) “[And he said to the angels] tarry here all night and wash your feet.”

And still.. in order to bring them under the wings of the divine presence, he received them with tremendous love, and spoke to them in a gentle and clean manner.

Therefor he said to them take for yourself 'a little water', and does not say 'take for yourselves water', because speaking like that may imply he is being inconvenienced, and perhaps because of that, being a guest in Avrahams house would be hard on them, and embarrassing in their own eyes. Avraham even bows down to the ground and calls his guests 'his master'. He showed them signs of humility and submission in order to bring them and enter them under the wings of the divine presence.

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