Hanefesh USY

A Message From Rami:

“[Abraham] saw, and he ran toward [the three strangers] from the entrance of the tent, and bowed toward the ground…‘Let some water be brought, please, and wash your feet, and recline beneath the tree.’”

Genesis 18:2-4

Abraham was sitting alone outside his tent in Mamre when three strangers approached him. He immediately bowed down to his guests and welcomed them as if they were messengers from God. Abraham fed them and washed their feet and pampered them. This showed a righteous quality about Abraham; he welcomed these three strangers into his home with a warm heart and unconditional kindness.

We have all been in situations in which we have welcomed guests into our homes or we ourselves were guests in somebody else’s home. Either way, we may feel uncomfortable or out of place as guests, more like strangers. It is a mitzvah to welcome guests or strangers into our

homes, or our areas of comfort. At USY events, there is always a mix of USYers who have been to programs before and those who are participating in their first USY event. Even in the context of USY, we are always welcoming guests into our community.

I like to believe that all mitzvot are two-sided. Even when you feel that you are doing a good deed for only the recipient’s benefit, you are actually helping yourself, as well. Rashi comments on the three strangers who approached Abraham, saying that “God saw Abraham aggrieved that there were no visitors coming. [God] brought the angels to [Abraham] in the form of men.” While it appears that only the three men are the only ones helped in this story, Abraham, too, is happy to finally have company. Whether we feel joyful about donating money or a smile lights up our faces when we visit a nursing home, we always get something in return from the person we are helping. We are all angels to each other.

Continue to be good to each other and continue to welcome fresh smiles into your communities. If we all treat each other with the kindness and respect that Abraham showed the strangers, we will all feel blessed to be in the company of angels.

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A Message From Rami: “[Abraham] saw, and he ran toward [the three strangers] from the entrance of the tent, and bowed toward the ground…‘Let some water be brought, please, and wash your feet, and recline beneath the tree.’” Genesis 18:2-4 Abraham was sitting alone outside his tent in Mamre when three strangers approached him. He immediately bowed down to his guests and welcomed them as if they were messengers from God. Abraham fed them and washed their feet and pampered them. This showed a righteous quality about Abraham; he welcomed these three strangers into his home with a warm heart and unconditional kindness. We have all been in situations in which we have welcomed guests into our homes or we ourselves were guests in somebody else’s home. Either way, we may feel uncomfortable or out of place as guests, more like strangers. It is a mitzvah to welcome guests or strangers into our homes, or our areas of comfort. At USY events, there is always a mix of USYers who have been to programs before and those who are participating in their first USY event. Even in the context of USY, we are always welcoming guests into our community. I like to believe that all mitzvot are two-sided. Even when you feel that you are doing a good deed for only the recipient’s benefit, you are actually helping yourself, as well. Rashi comments on the three strangers who approached Abraham, saying that “God saw Abraham aggrieved that there were no visitors coming. [God] brought the angels to [Abraham] in the form of men.” While it appears that only the three men are the only ones helped in this story, Abraham, too, is happy to finally have company. Whether we feel joyful about donating money or a smile lights up our faces when we visit a nursing home, we always get something in return from the person we are helping. We are all angels to each other. Continue to be good to each other and continue to welcome fresh smiles into your communities. If we all treat each other with the kindness and respect that Abraham showed the strangers, we will all feel blessed to be in the company of angels. Rami's Links About Rami Chapter Presidents Hanefesh Constitution Programming From Start to Finish	Rami Schwartzer President Grade: 12 Chapter: BEUSY School: Hall High School E-mail: president@hanefesh.org
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