Abraham was the first Jew, the first messenger of God on earth. The first thing Abraham did was to open his house; in fact he took away the doors. Everybody was welcome. Abraham didn’t preach to the sinners, “Listen you dirty pagans, you are going to hell.” He just took them in and told them, “This is my house and this is your house too.” Then people would stay there for a long time and when they left they would thank Abraham. He would say, “Don’t thank me, thank G-d.” Then the people would ask, “Who is this G-d you are talking about? My god doesn’t have a man like you.” Then Abraham would tell “There is only One G-d.”

Abraham always had visitors. If you remember, one day G-d made it very hot and nobody was on the street, in order that Abraham could have a little rest. Actually it was a test, a very deep test. You see, most people want to do good when they see a poor man, a cripple who is moaning and sad. At the sight of a poor man they feel guilty. “I’m rich, he is poor, it doesn’t look good. I’d better give him a few Rubles.” But if the poor man isn’t there, who needs him?

Abraham is not stirred to do good only when he sees a poor man. Abraham always wants to do good. He can sit all alone, or even have a revelation of G-d, the highest revelation there is, and it doesn’t satisfy him. “I got to do something good.” So he calls in his man Eliezer, and he says, “Do me a favor. There must be some poor men around here somewhere, so you better go get them.” So Eliezer runs around the street and he is looking. He runs back to Abraham and says, “My holy master, I’m sorry to tell you, there is nobody in the street.” Abraham says, “I can’t even trust my man Eliezer any more. There has to be someone on the street.”

G-d sees that Abraham really wants to do good. If you really want to do good the opportunity is always right there. Three little pagans came. I’m sure you know the story; they were really angels, but they looked like pagans. In fact, they were not just like simple pagans, but like certain pagans who were worshipping the dust on their feet, the lowest kind of pagan, worshipping dust.

So Abraham should say to himself, “I’m sitting here having a revelation of G-d, the holiest moment of my life, and here’s three lousy pagans coming.” Even if he were a good man he could say, “Eliezer, do me a favour. I’m busy with G-d, and everybody knows G-d has nobody better. In fact, I was voted in Heaven “Best Man of the Year”. Or he could have asked another one of his many servants to take care of the visitors. Instead Abraham gets up and he runs to the three little pagans and he is begging them to please come to his house. The Talmud says from that we learn that to welcome strangers is deeper than to speak to G-d.

This was Abraham’s acid test. The acid test of a person is: Do you really know what you are doing in the world? Do you really know what G-d wants of you? As much as you are here to have revelations of G-d, the greatest thing is if you make a place for someone, a little place for even one minute. When you are dead, you are dead. This may be sad, but it is not painful. But if someone walks around and he has absolutely no place in the world, this is the greatest pain. While you say hello to someone you have to make a little place for them in your heart. Maybe people’s feet stand on the ground, but their hearts need another heart to have a place in.

When am I absolutely closest to G-d? G-d can reveal Himself to me in His entirety, but how much am I G-d? I am most G-d when I welcome a stranger. Why? What is G-d doing? G-d is making a place for the world. Every little creature has a place. Making places is the biggest thing. If I see a sweet little stranger and he feels so low, he has no place In the world, and I tell him, “Come to my house; I’ll make a place for you”; this is reaching to the depths of the world. It is so simple, it doesn’t cost anything, and we don’t do it.

The Zohar Chadash asks what it is to really have a covenant with G-d. A lot of people have a covenant with G-d and they are G-d drunk. They are completely with G-d, but they are not world drunk. They don’t see the people anymore, especially if the people are pagans according to their theory. A person who has a true covenant with G-d has to be completely aware of every little pagan in the world.

After G-d entered the covenant with Abraham, He said, “Okay, let’s see if you know where it’s at. I’m going to reveal myself to you, and while I’m revealing myself, three little pagans will show their faces. Let’s see how you act.” You have to realize, it must have been a very high revelation, because otherwise it would not have been a test. Three lousy pagans come, and they must have been the lowest pagans in the world to be a contrast. Abraham said to G-d, “I’m sorry. I love you very much, but they must be thirsty and hungry.”

Imagine if Abraham would have said, “I am busy right now.” Do you know what would have happened? The three angels were the ones who were bringing the message from G-d that Abraham would have a son Isaac, and that ultimately it will be the people Israel who will bring the Messiah who will bring redemption to the world. If Abraham would not have welcomed the three strangers, he would never have had Isaac and there would never be a Messiah, and the whole world most probably would be destroyed one way or another.

First Published in the The Holy Beggars’ Gazette Vol 2 No 3 House of Love and Prayer, San Francisco CA, 5734

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