Ron

Avraham Avinu, “Abraham our Father”, embodies everything that we Jews think of when we think of hospitality and kindness. This was so vividly illustrated in parashat Vayeira: despite recovering from circumcising himself at the age of ninety-nine, Avraham eagerly and graciously welcomed three strangers (who turned out to be angels in disguise) into his tent.

Our Sages teach us that “G’dolah Hachnasat Orchin Yoter Mikabalat Pnei HaShechnah”(“It is greater to greet guests, than it is to greet the Divine Presence, Itself!”)(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Shabbos). Avraham and his wife Sarah went to great lengths to provide their guests with comfort and sustenance. This shows just how sacred hospitality is towards others: Jew, or non-Jew alike, in Jewish values. The incredible behavior of Avraham and Sarah serve as timeless lessons to all generations to follow on selflessness, compassion, and the significance of welcoming guests into one's home (“Hachnasat Orchim” in Hebrew).

Several thousand years after Avraham and Sarah: The pandemic was starting to finish up, when I first got to south Florida from South America, to start my new accounting job. This was already two years ago: it was quite an adjustment. After finally settling in to our temporary condo in South Florida, while waiting for my wife to join me shortly in only a few days, I found a lovely small shul, very close by, and I was invited there to pray as Cantor(Chazzan), and to join the Rabbi’s family for the Shabbat dinner. There was a religious young man there, clean cut looking, with beard and peyos(side locks), about ten years younger than me, who engaged everyone at the shul there with very sharp Talmudic questions. Together, we all walked to the Rabbi’s house for our Shabbat meal. I found out that the Rabbi was the brother-in-law of one of the witnesses(eidim) at my own wedding. We might as well be family! I proudly mentioned to the Rabbi that I taught most of his nieces and nephews how to ride a bike! The Rabbi’s kids got very excited at the mention of their favorite cousins, and they all started to volunteer/beg to be taught to ride a bike by their new Cantor!

It was simply a lovely Shabbos meal. Afterwards, I wasn’t sure where my new, albeit temporary condo was, as I had only just arrived the day before. The young religious man with beard and peyos above, volunteered to show me the way back home. On the way back back, we discussed the Parashat HaShavua(the weekly Torah portion), and various ideas from Torah: Jewish law(Halacha), Kabbalah(mysticism), a few complicated sugyos from the Babylonian Talmud, along with some contemporary Jewish issues... He showed me where my condo was. I thanked him for showing me the way, and then I asked him: where was he staying?….He then slunked into a corner in between buildings, onto the dirty sidewalk, and proceeded to nod off to sleep. “What are you doing?!”, I asked him. He responded to me: “Don’t make an issue of this: it’s completely ok.” I asked him: “You don’t have a place to stay?! I will get you one!” “Come on!” He responded. “Stop it, I mean it! Don’t tell anyone, particularly the Rabbi! It’s completely ok! It’s normal!….Good Shabbos! I’ll see you tomorrow at shul.”….and then the young man slunked back into the alleyway, and went to sleep….right there in the alleyway between buildings.

I couldn’t believe what I just saw! This was unacceptable! I didn’t sleep all night. I was angry. I was tense. I was frustrated. The next morning, I went to the nearby synagogue, and I immediately confronted the same Rabbi from the previous night, with everything that just happened the night before.

“Oh, stop it, Cantor! It’s nothing!...it’s completely fine!” “What?!” I responded? “Are you meshugina?!” I asked him. The Rabbi shrugged, and said, “It’s completely ok!”

NO! IT IS NOT OK!

BEBY friends: This is not the “new normal!” When people tell you this nonsense (“the new normal”), that is a lot of brainwashing nonsense, and reject it wholeheartedly! It doesn’t matter how who tells you this godless nonsense about “the new normal”: Resist it! THIS IS NOT OK! We are the children of Avraham and Sarah! It is our basic duty as Jews to help host people, Jew and non-Jew alike, and provide them with basic decent living conditions. “The New Normal” is not OK! Fight it!

We are the children of Avraham and Sarah: Reject “The New Normal!”