Rabbi Howard Morrison

The Mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming guests, is listed in a small collection of supreme Jewish values which is recited in private daily morning prayer before the official synagogue service begins.

The Mitzvah of welcoming guests is one of the first Jewish values we learn from the first Jewish couple, Abraham and Sarah. When three mysterious guests appear before their tent, the couple welcomes them, feeds them, and extends deeds of lovingkindness.

The Chuppa at a wedding is symbolically modeled after the Abraham-Sarah tent, covered on top to indicate the privacy of the home, and open on the sides so that the Jewish home is a welcoming place for guests and those in need.

This coming Shabbat, our synagogue will truly be a welcoming place. While we open our doors to almost anyone on a daily or weekly basis, this will be accentuated on Shabbat. In addition to having a visiting Cantor, Chazzan Adam Frei, an Aufruf, and a baby naming, we will also be welcoming over 100 guests from the Mississauga Chinese Baptist Church. Several weeks ago, I met with its pastor, the Reverend Galahad Cheung and its Church educator, Shu Sam. They and their members are enthusiastically looking forward to watching and appreciating a traditional Shabbat morning service.

I hope that many of us will attend services and, whether formally or informally, welcome the guests of our lifecycle events, our visiting Cantor, and our new friends from a nearby Church. In so doing, we will truly be observing the Mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim - Welcoming guests.

Sincerely,
Rabbi Howard Morrison