Rashi explains that Avraham did not serve any bread, since Sarah had become a niddah, ritually unclean on that day. Therefore, her dough was considered to be tamei, unclean. The Talmud in Bava Metzia 87a states that Avraham Avinu was careful to eat chullin, unconsecrated food, only if it was ritually clean. Consequently, he would not give the bread that had become contaminated to his three guests. We may question the approach which caused Avraham to be so exacting with his guests. After all, according to halacha one may eat chullin that is tamei. Avraham Avinu had accepted upon himself the chumrah, restriction, of eating chullin only when it was tahor, ritually clean. Why did he insist upon imposing this personal restriction upon his guests? This is especially puzzling since he assumed these wayfarers were Arabs who were obviously not limited to the restrictions of Torah law!
Horav M.D. Soloveitchik, Shlita, infers from Avraham Avinu‘s behavior a profound lesson concerning the manner and the extent to which one must endeavor to fulfill the mitzvah of hachnasos orchim, hospitality to wayfarers. He relates a story concerning Horav Chaim Ozer Grodzenski, z.l. During the Yom Tov of Succos, Rav Chaim Ozer was very ill and extremely weak. A visitor, who was unaware of the Rav’s weakened condition, came from out of town to visit him. Rav Chaim Ozer immediately invited the guest to join him in the succah to eat. Afterwards, his students questioned him about why he went into the succah in his frail condition. Since one who is ill is exempt from the mitzvah of succah, the Rav should have remained in the house. Rav Chaim Ozer responded that the dispensation of illness only applies to the mitzvah of succah. It does not, however, pertain to the mitzvah of hachnasos orchim. Because the visitor would probably feel uncomfortable eating alone in the succah, the Rav felt obligated to come down and join his guest in the succah.
From the behavior of our gedolim, we learn that a visitor must sense an affinity to his host family as if he himself were a member of that family. It is incumbent upon the host to show that level of hospitality. This means that we are required to supply a guest with food kosher to “his” standards, even if we do not subscribe to the same kashrus standards. Conversely, whatever special restrictions we place upon ourselves, we should also assume for our guests. Avraham Avinu teaches us that whatever was not acceptable to be placed on his own table was similarly not good enough to serve to others!
