Avrahamâ??s defining trait in the midrash, and to a certain extent in the text of the Torah itself, is the trait of hospitality. When the three emissaries of God appear to him by the terebinths of Mamre, we hear in, detail, how he and Sarah rush to make them feel at home. Avraham invites his guests to â??lean and loafeâ? beneath a tree. The midrash is reported to say that the tent of Avraham was open on all four sides so that he and Sarah could welcome guests approaching from any direction. It is striking that Avraham of all people is defined by this trait of openness given that a crucial element of his legacy was shutting the doors on pagan worship and establishing an exclusive covenant with God. Later on in Parshat Vayeira, his nephew Lot echoes Avrahamâ??s spirit of openness when he welcomes two of the emissaries and also treats them with generosity. However, Lotâ??s openness soon turns into an ugly distortion as we see that in Sodom â??hospitalityâ? necessarily involves exploitation and taking advantage of others.
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