(א) וַיְהִ֣י אַבְרָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְתֵ֣שַׁע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיֵּרָ֨א ה' אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֵלָיו֙ אֲנִי־אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה תָמִֽים׃ (ב) וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֑ךָ וְאַרְבֶּ֥ה אוֹתְךָ֖ בִּמְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃ (ד) אֲנִ֕י הִנֵּ֥ה בְרִיתִ֖י אִתָּ֑ךְ וְהָיִ֕יתָ לְאַ֖ב הֲמ֥וֹן גּוֹיִֽם׃ (י) זֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֞י אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְר֗וּ בֵּינִי֙ וּבֵ֣ינֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵ֥ין זַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ הִמּ֥וֹל לָכֶ֖ם כָּל־זָכָֽר׃ (כד) וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִ֥ים וָתֵ֖שַׁע שָׁנָ֑ה בְּהִמֹּל֖וֹ בְּשַׂ֥ר עָרְלָתֽוֹ׃ (פ)
(1) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said ... (2) I will establish My covenant between Me and you ... (4) You shall be the father of a multitude of nations. (10) Such shall be the covenant between Me and you and your offspring to follow which you shall keep: every male among you shall be circumcised. (24) Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin,
(א) וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ב) וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃ (ג) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אדושם אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ (ד) יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃ (ה) וְאֶקְחָ֨ה פַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְסַעֲד֤וּ לִבְּכֶם֙ אַחַ֣ר תַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן עֲבַרְתֶּ֖ם עַֽל־עַבְדְּכֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֵּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃ (ו) וַיְמַהֵ֧ר אַבְרָהָ֛ם הָאֹ֖הֱלָה אֶל־שָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מַהֲרִ֞י שְׁלֹ֤שׁ סְאִים֙ קֶ֣מַח סֹ֔לֶת ל֖וּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂ֥י עֻגֽוֹת׃ (ז) וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃
(1) The LORD appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. (2) Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, (3) he said, “My lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant. (4) Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. (5) And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on—seeing that you have come your servant’s way.” They replied, “Do as you have said.” (6) Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!” (7) Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it.
Some thoughts on hospitality...
(טו) שַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה תוֹרָתְךָ קֶבַע. אֱמֹר מְעַט וַעֲשֵׂה הַרְבֵּה, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת:
(15) Shammai says, "Make your Torah fixed, say little and do much, and receive every person pleasantly."
Maharal, Chidushei Agadot, Shabbat 127a
When one extends hospitality to guests, he is welcoming human beings who are created in G!d’s Image.
In this way, hospitality is greater than receiving the Divine Presence (fem. Shechinah ), because connection with the Divine Presence is limited [but connecting with the Divine Image embodied by a person is complete.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslev
On the holiness of laughter, "There are [some] who suffer terrible distress and are unable to tell what they feel in their hears, and they go on their way and suffer and suffer. But if they meet [someone] with a laughing face, he can revive them with his joy. And to revive someone is no slight thing" (The Book of Jewish Values, 74).
Some thoughts on kindness...
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
"Above all, tzedaka is more than charity, which comes from the Latin word caritas, meaning "from the heart," and implies a voluntary donation [...] The word tzedaka, on the other hand, derives from tzedek (Hebrew for "justice"). (The Book of Jewish Values, 74).
(כ) צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף ...
(20) Tzedek, tzedek shall you pursue...
Rabbi Chaim Halberstam (a.k.a Tsanzer Rov or Divrei Chaim)
"The merit of charity is so great that I am happy to give to one hundred beggars even if only might actually be needy. Some people, however, act as if they are exempt from giving to charity to one hundred beggars in the event that one might be a fraud" (The Book of Jewish Values, 13).
Below is an exploration of how to treat your enemy. What does this say about our efforts to invite people to our home and how we treat them while there?
(5) When you see the donkey of your enemy lying under its burden and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless raise it with him.
(ב) מַהוּ אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים? אָמַר רַבִּי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִי: שְׁנֵי חַמָּרִים מְהַלְּכִין בַּדֶּרֶךְ שׂוֹנְאִין זֶה לָזֶה. רָבַץ לְאַחַד מֵהֶן חֲמוֹרוֹ. חֲבֵרוֹ עוֹבֵר וְרוֹאֵהוּ שֶׁרָבַץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ, אָמַר, לֹא כְּתִיב בַּתּוֹרָה כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שׂנַאֲךָ וְגוֹ' עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב (שמות כג, ה). מֶה עָשָׂה? חָזַר וְטָעַן וּמְלַוֵּהוּ. הִתְחִיל מֵסִיחַ עִמּוֹ, עֲזֹב קִמְעָא מִכָּאן, הַעֲלֵה מִכָּאן, עֲרֹק מִכָּאן, עַד שֶׁיִּטְעֹן עִמּוֹ, נִמְצְאוּ עוֹשִׂין שָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם. וַחֲבֵרוֹ אוֹמֵר: לֹא הָיִיתִי סָבוּר שֶׁהוּא שׂוֹנְאִי. רְאֵה הֵיאַךְ רִחֵם עָלַי כְּשֶׁרָאָה אוֹתִי וְאֶת חֲמוֹרִי בְּדֹחַק. מִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ, נִכְנְסוּ לְפֻנְדָּק, אָכְלוּ וְשָׁתוּ בְּיַחַד וְנִתְאָהֲבוּ זֶה לָזֶה. הֱוֵי, אַתָּה כּוֹנַנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה.
(2) [...] R. Alexandri explained it as follows: Two mules are being led along a road by men who despise each other. Suddenly, one of the mules falls to the ground. As the one who is leading the second mule passes by, he sees the mule of the other man stretched out beneath his load [...] What did he do? He turned back to help the other man reload his mule, and then accompanied him on the way. In fact, while working with him he began to talk to the owner of the mule, saying: “Let us loosen it a little on this side, let us tighten it down on this side,” until he reloaded the animal with him. It came to pass that they had made peace between themselves. The driver of the mule (that had fallen) said to himself: “I cannot believe that he hates me; see how concerned he was when he saw that my mule and I were in distress.” As a result, they went into the inn, and ate and drank together. Finally they became extremely attached to each other. Hence, Thou hast established equity, Thou hast executed justice and righteousness.
A few more ideas...
Rambam - Indeed, if one wants to be called a true descendant of Avraham, then one must follow his example (Matnat Aniyim 10:1).
Rashi – The aim of Torah study should be to fulfill it in action (Vayikra 26:3-4).
Chofetz Chaim – One should search for guests, and accept them into one’s home with as much affection as one would have toward a wealthy person from whom one expects to receive a large sum of money (Ahavat Chesed 3:2).
Rabbi Aharon Roth – One’s welcome into the World to Come is based on how one welcomed guests in this world (Shulchan HaTahor, p. 101a).