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How can hachnasas orchim be greater than receiving the Divine Presence, especially when Avrohom's guests were angels who didn't need food? The shiur distinguishes between chesed (חסד) that meets needs versus chesed that gives kavod (dignity/worth) - emulating Hashem (ה׳)'s pure giving of being itself. Hachnasas orchim uniquely embodies this divine-like chesed through the honor shown guests, making it the deepest form of closeness to Hashem possible.
Rabbi Zweig begins with the famous teaching that hachnasas orchim (hospitality) is greater than kabbalas pnei hashechinah (receiving the Divine Presence), based on Avrohom's behavior when he left Hashem (ה׳)'s presence to attend to three visitors. This requires explanation - how can any mitzvah (מצוה) be greater than communing with Hashem directly? The rabbi notes that the Rambam (רמב"ם) specifically singles out hachnasas orchim among all gemilus chasadim as being greater than kabbalas pnei hashechinah. The shiur examines Avrohom's lavish hospitality - promising modest refreshments but providing an enormous feast with multiple tongues from bulls and abundant bread. Rabbi Zweig questions why the Torah (תורה) emphasizes such extravagance, and more fundamentally, why we learn about chesed (חסד) from this incident when the angels didn't actually need the food. He compares this to visiting a sick person who turns out to be healthy - good intentions, but the mitzvah wasn't technically fulfilled.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Vayera 18:1-8
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