Hospitality toward the Unknown

That is why Abraham once received angels as guests. If he had questioned them first, his reward would have been smaller. We admire him not because he received angels, but because he received them without knowing who they were. Had he known and then served them, he would have done nothing remarkable, for the dignity of his guests could have compelled even a very hard and harsh person to become kind and gentle. The remarkable thing was that, thinking they were simply travelers, he showed them such care.

Rebekah was the same. She did not know who the man was, why he had come, or that he had come to arrange her marriage. She thought he was simply a stranger and a traveler. For this reason her reward for hospitality became greater: she received a man completely unknown to her with such goodwill while at the same time preserving her chastity. She did not act shamelessly or boldly, nor did she pressure him or become angry, but did everything with the fitting dignity.

Moses hints at precisely this when he says, “The man was observing her closely and remained silent, to know whether the Lord had made his journey successful.” What does “observing her closely” mean? He examined her bearing, her walk, her look, her speech—everything carefully—learning the disposition of her soul from the movements of her body. Nor was he satisfied with these things alone. He applied a second test. After she had given him a drink, he did not stop there, but asked her, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me, and is there room in your father's house for us to lodge?”