This Week's Article

Opening Your House

Avot (1:5) | Yisrael Bankier | 5 days ago

Yossi ben Yochanan taught (1:5) that your house should be open lirvacha and that poor people should be members of your household. We shall try to understand these first two statements.

The Bartenura explains that the one's house should like Avraham Avinu's with entrances on all sides, thereby providing easy access for guest. According to this explanation lirvacha would be understood as meaning widely or broadly.

The Machzor Vitri adds that having multiple exits, makes it possible for people to leave without the embarrassment of being detected by others. That being the case, they would feel more comfortable to enter.

The Midrash Shmuel explains in a similar vein, that the Mishnah begins by instructing that your house should be open to everyone, rich and poor. By doing so, it will enable poor people to comfortably be members of your household. Once it understood that your home is open to everyone, the poor will be able to be hosted by you without any embarrassment.

The Ruach Chaim also understood the term lirvacha as related to being wide. However, the meaning reflects on the house itself. In other words, open your house such that it will make your own house wide. He explains based on the following pasuk, "Plant for yourselves charity and reap according to your kindness" (Hoshea 10:12) In others, through the "investment" in chessed, your own house will widen in wealth.

The Midrash Shemuel derives that same point but from the continuation of the Mishnah. In other words, who will your house be open to success and abundant beracha? The Mishnah continues, by ensuring that the poor are considered the members of your household.

Irving Bunim (Ethic from Sinai) combines the sentiment of both these understanding, by focusing on the description of Yossi ben Yochanan as an Ish Yerushalaim. Everyone would come to Yerushalaim three times a year, yet the Mishnah later (5:7) explains that no person complained of a lack of lodging. This would imply that every home in Yerushalaim was "wide open" to host all these guests. He adds however, that unlike with the arei miklat, no signs were erected to direct people to their destination. This was intentional, to encourage the interaction between these people that put great effort and expense to perform the mitzvah and the locals, so that the locals could learn from them.

The Tifferet Yisrael however explains revacha differently. He understands that the Mishnah is teaching that one's house should be available for anyone, rich or poor -- lirvacha - to seek relief. He understands this to be all manners of relief, be []{dir="rtl"}it physical, monetary or even just a place to find wise council.

R' Avraham Azulai explains that even the wealthy that have not material need, can benefit from the respite and relief of being welcomed into your home. He continues that this Mishnah is elaborating on the statement of Shimon HaTzadik that the world "stands" on gemilut chassadim -- a necessity for social cohesion. An open house for everyone for all their needs is necessary for that, and doing so will ensure that even the poor will be comfortable in our space and not left aside¹.

¹ As explained by the Midrash Shmuel above*.*

Download

Calendar