Hazzan Dulkin

We learn about the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, from the story in Genesis of Abraham and Sarah, who welcomed three angels to their home. They ran to fetch food and water for their guests, and gave them shade in their tent. These three visitors were not your ordinary wandering type. It turned out that they had news that Abraham and Sarah would, at their advanced ages, become parents of a great nation. But it is a powerful lesson about hospitality: those we invite into our homes for food and drink may appear to be ordinary people, but could be agents (angels) of the Holy One.

The ultimate hosting opportunity presents itself at Pesach, the most widely-celebrated Jewish ritual in the world. Across the world at the end of this month, families open their homes to relatives, friends and acquaintances to share song, prayer, discussion, laughter, and of course – food!

Hospitality over Shabbat and holidays is a particularly difficult mitzvah to fulfill these days given everyone’s busy lives. As the world becomes smaller through the world of the internet and news media, in our homes we unwittingly become more sealed off than ever, especially from our neighbors. Luckily for us, St. Louis is a remarkably friendly city, and Shaare Zedek an even more friendly congregation. It is because of this that our Ruach Am’cha music innovation project is centered on the homes of our host families: The Asher, Befeler/Ivener, Belsky, Birenbaum, Engel, Goldfarb, Singer, and Small families, who have agreed to host Ruach Am’cha celebrations in their homes through the summer, will hopefully serve as models for our congregation at large. They have committed to opening their home six times over seven months to an Ambassador and guests, to celebrate Shabbat with song, ruach, prayer, and (because we’re Jews, you guessed it) food! While the main objective of the Ruach Am’cha home celebrations is to employ the home as the ultimate place for learning how to “do Jewish” and to “do Shabbat” – it is also our aim to have our guests learn how to host. It is at the Shabbat (or seder) table that relationships are developed and solidified. It is the Jewish version of a dinner party. As the year progresses, it is our hope that a wider base of our congregants will open their homes to host festive Shabbat and holiday celebrations, and to create a culture of hachnasat orchim – home hospitality – within our congregation.

This Pesach, I encourage you to invite someone new to your seder table. Perhaps it is the people you see at Friday night services who sit a few rows behind you. You’ve exchanged pleasantries but never had the chance to really talk. Maybe it’s the Jewish co-worker that also took time off for the holidays, or a family from your child’s class at school. It could be the friends you’ve been meaning to get together with but haven’t been able to find the time.

This is the month to plan your hachnasat orchim, to be like Abraham and Sarah, who welcome the three angels into their home who change their lives forever. Maybe your guests will not change your lives in such a dramatic way, but know that the conversation, singing, and spirit of a Shabbat or festival meal is more than just food. The entire occasion is shaped and changed by the personalities and life experiences of each guest, who has a unique contribution, literally, to bring to the table.