Hospitality: A tradition and a mitzvah

Welcoming people into my home is part and parcel of Silverstein Base Chicago. Hachnasat orchim , the welcoming of guests, is a mitzvah held in high regard by the ancient rabbis of our shared tradition.

The paradigmatic example of this mitzvah is Abraham’s welcoming of three strangers into his tent (Genesis 18). As the day grew hot, Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent. Rashi, the prolific French Medieval commentator, tells us he was waiting any potential guests.

Then, Abraham sees three travelers. He runs from the entrance of his tent to greet them. He fetches them water, welcoming them to his home and asking them to recline in the shade of his tent. Then, Abraham and Sarah make their guests a lavish meal, waiting on them as they eat. Spoiler alert: The guests turn out to be angels.

Care is essential to the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim . However, being cared for can be fraught. For some, it is difficult to allow ourselves to be cared for; there is a vulnerability in receiving care.

However, this vulnerability opens the door to genuine connection and belonging. When I am cared for, it is clear that I belong. I am invited into a home, but also into a community. Care is an invitation, receiving another without pretense.

To be welcomed is to be seen. The Torah hints at this, evidenced by the repetition of the Hebrew verb, “to see” in the above narrative in Genesis. As I often tell Basers, whether you are celebrating, struck with grief, or something in between, come as you are. Being seen deepens the possibility of connection.

In the short time I’ve been doing this work, I have found that there are few spaces where one can be seen and cared for. Because of this, I see hachnasat orchim as a religious and ethical demand that we place at the center of our home and our work at Silverstein Base Chicago.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, in his Sefer HaMiddot , an instructional text on virtues, gives us further insight into hachnasat orchim . “So great is the welcoming of guests that failing to do so pushes away those who are near, while being hospitable draws near those who are distant.” Being welcomed creates an openness within ourselves, while being unwelcome often makes us feel closed off.

If I show up to a Jewish space, and feel unwelcome, ignored, or cast aside, this experience could push me away from Jewish community and even from Judaism itself. The converse is true as well: Being welcomed can open up someone to Jewish community in new ways and create the conditions for a different relationship to their own Judaism. The stakes are actually quite high.

Now, in the midst of the High Holiday season, many Jews show up to programs, services, and meals. Perhaps some of them haven’t been in a Jewish space in a while. Some might be looking for a deeper connection, and others could be regulars looking for fresh inspiration. Whatever the reason, wherever we find ourselves, let us emulate Abraham and Sarah, waiting expectantly with the hope of guests.

Rav Moshe serves as the rabbi for Base Logan Square.