Avraham Avinu delved into understanding creation and the wisdom behind it. He studied the ways of Hashem and how He conducted the world finally understanding the central force behind both its makeup and its continuity – chessed – kindness.
Avraham understood that man, created in the image of G-d, must emulate his Creator. Just as Hashem built a world of chessed, so must man. Just as Hashem sustains each creature according to its needs, so too must man provide for each individual according to their specific needs. This takes great wisdom of understanding each recipient, their needs and their feelings, their character and their personality- essentially one must understand the depth of their being. Avraham recognized the majesty of man, each person deserving the honor and pleasure appropriate of kings. His house was open to all; he provided food and drinks, everyone was treated as though they were great nobility. That was only the beginning of his chessed.
Avos D’Rebbi Nosson(?’ ?’) describes the house of Iyov as being open on all sides, ready to receive guests coming from all directions. It was a true house of kindness. Despite this, Hashem told Iyov that his level of chessed did not compare to Avraham Avinu’s. Iyov waited inside his house and if guests would come in he would serve them the food to which they were accustomed. Avraham, though, went out to find his guests, brought them into his home, and served them the finest delicacies. He even built rest-stops along the roads themselves where travelers could relax, receive a good meal and bless Hashem.
Avraham modeled his chessed after Hashem’s kindness. Hashem created the world with all its vast pleasures. Hashem did not wait for man to see a need for a sun, a moon or stars, Hashem did not wait until man was hungry and thirsty in need of food and drink – everything was prepared in advance for the immediate use and enjoyment of man. Only when everything was prepared did Hashem create man – placing him in that existing world of kindness, filled with goodness and pleasures that man would never have dreamed of.
He was ninety nine years old, it was three days after his bris mila, and he was in danger and much pain. Hashem bore a hole from Gihenom, heating up the world – it was scorching and unbearable. Yet, Avraham Avinu sat outside looking for guests. But what was Avraham doing? There was surely nobody traveling the roads on such a day and nobody in need of a place to rest or eat!
Once again, Avraham learned from the Source of all kindness – Hashem Himself. Complete chessed is not just performing a kindness when one is need. Hashem created and prepared all the good first and in His kindness He then created man to be the beneficiary of that goodness. The first step is for man to be ready and prepared to be the benefactor, hoping for the opportunity to do chessed. The second step is to find the person upon whom that goodness can be bestowed. Avraham had completed the first step – he was totally ready to perform chessed, but the second part was not within his control. Nature had changed, there was Gihenom in this world and there were no passersby, he sat outside his tent in anguish, desiring to do kindness like his Creator. Avraham knew that, “??? ?’ ???? ????” – Hashem’s infinite kindness fills every facet of the universe – even under such conditions there must be room for chessed. Avraham had sent his servant Eliezer to search for guests. When Eliezer returned and answered that none could be found, Avraham did not believe him(?”? ?”?) . Hashem saw Avraham’s pain and He took care of the second part – he sent angels in the form of human beings to be the beneficiaries of Avraham’s kindness. Just like Hashem, Avraham’s kindness was prepared, and then came the creation to be its recipient.
Avraham Avinu’s chassadim were not just acts of kindness, they were acts built upon wisdom and the knowledge of the ways of Hashem. He understood clearly that there is no time or place void of Hashem’s chessed.(???”? ?’ ?”?) “???? ??? ????: ??? ????? ???? ????? ?????…” – “A person is obligated to say: When will my actions be like the actions of my forefathers…” Just like our forefathers, our deeds can not be mere actions; they must be built upon our understanding and recognition of Hashem.