Going Beyond the Minimum in Torah Education

This week’s Torah portion speaks about Avraham, the only man in the world at the time who believed that there was only one G-d, with no other assistants or substitutes. Eventually, G-d Himself spoke to Avraham and assured him that He supported him in all his endeavors. Shortly afterward, Avimelech, the king of the Philistines, made a peace treaty with him. For many years, Avraham lived peacefully among his Philistine neighbors. He also planted a tree, an Eishel, to provide for his guests.

But we don’t understand a few things about this part of the Torah:

1. Since the Torah’s purpose is to teach us life lessons, what can we learn from Avraham planting this tree?

2. How does the tree connect to the next story, the Akeidah (the Binding of Yitzchak)?

The word Eishel can be understood in three ways: 1) a large tree providing shade from the desert sun, 2) a beautiful orchard of fruit trees for Avraham’s guests to enjoy, or 3) a gorgeous, luxurious hotel where guests could enjoy comforts beyond their basic necessities.

We can learn from Avraham’s unique approach to hospitality, even toward complete strangers. Not only should we provide another fellow Jew with his basic needs, but we should also provide luxuries. This principle applies not only to material things, but to spirituality as well!

We can understand Avraham’s kindness through the analogy of a parent who loves a child so much that they are willing to give him everything he needs and wants. The same applies to us Jews, the descendants of Avraham. We have it engraved in our very nature to give to everyone—Jews and gentiles alike—not only basic necessities, but luxuries as well. Logically, there is no reason to go beyond a person’s immediate needs and provide luxuries. Yet Avraham taught us to do just that. This principle applies to spiritual matters as well.

Not only should we go beyond the minimum in physical matters, but even more so in spiritual matters, since a spiritual deficiency can be especially sensitive and difficult to correct.

Based on this, when our ancestors came to any country, whether free or oppressed, their first concern was to establish Torah educational institutions. They gave their full support, not just the minimum, to the pure children who learned there. We should follow in their footsteps.

Now we can understand the connection between the establishment of Avraham’s Eishel and the Akeidah, the historic event in which G-d tested Avraham by commanding him to offer his son Yitzchak as a sacrifice, and Avraham was willing to do so. (See further in the book of Bereishis, in Parshas Vayeira.)

The reason Avraham and Yitzchak were able to make such a tremendous sacrifice for G-d was connected to their extraordinary kindness and hospitality, which went beyond all limits.

This lesson applies to all generations. Jews should be willing to work hard to provide a top-quality Torah education—nothing less—not only for their own children, but for other people’s children as well. Through doing so, we will raise a generation willing to sacrifice everything for Torah and mitzvos.

When we do this and give our full support to Torah education, G-d will reward us not merely “a dollar for a dollar,” but many times over. We see something similar with Avraham, who was blessed with many descendants, compared to the sand and the stars.

May G-d help us learn from Avraham’s extraordinary kindness toward everyone and open our hands to support Torah education to the fullest measure. May He reward us not only with material blessings, but also with health and happiness from our children.