Food & Lodging in the Desert!
Avraham and Sarah had a favorite Mitzvah that they loved to do more than anything else in the world – Hachnasos Orchim – inviting guests into their tent, serving delicious food, and teaching them all about HaShem, the true Creator of the world. But it was no easy task in a world that was full of idol worship, so Avraham and Sarah had to think of original ideas to spread the word.
In the desert, they built a huge tent that had four entrances constantly open, so that whichever direction travelers came, they were welcomed with friendship, quality food and drink, along with fascinating teachings about HaShem.
Let’s “listen in” on a typical conversation at Avraham and Sarah’s “Food & Lodging”:
After eating a scrumptious meal, the guests asked, “How much does it cost?”
“NOTHING. It’s on the house. Just repeat after me… we bless the Almighty, Master of the Universe, the One who created everything in this world – HaShem.”
“No way! We only bless our holy idols,” they replied.
“Okay, if that’s how you feel…,” Avraham would answer. “The steak is 24 gold pieces; wine – 12 gold pieces a cup, making it a total of 48 gold pieces. Oh, I forgot, the delicious tongue with our homemade mustard spread. That’s on sale today for only 20 gold pieces, so the grand total is… 56 gold pieces!”
“WHAT? Outrageous! So much money for a meal?! We can’t afford this!” the guests protested.
“Well, where would you find such delicious cuts of meat in the desert? And the finest of wine? Of course, the prices are higher here than it would be in the city!”
Naturally, the guests would suddenly have a quick change of mind. They indeed blessed HaShem, got a free meal and learned even more about “HaShem” from their wonderful hosts, Avraham and Sarah!
