Abraham's Hospitality

The Midrash relates that Abraham would ask his guests to thank God after he served them a luscious meal. If they refused, he then requested that they then pay for the meal instead. 

He'd claim, "If you don't believe that God provided you with this meal then it must be me that did. In that case I want to be paid for my services. Let's see, how much does bread and meat cost in the middle of the desert?"

As he'd rack up the huge bill, the guests would open their mouths and start thanking God.

It was taught to me that having guests is huge mitzvah, in and of itself. Therefore, for the past 26 years I have wondered why did Abraham make his hospitality contingent on his guests thanking God? 

Recently, it dawned on me that possibly the answer lay in the special relational bond which only a mitzvah can form. Since there is no parity between Infinite and finite, how the two can ever form such a bond is truly a quandary. 

What solves this quandary is a mitzvah, a Torah commandment. Even in circumstances where parity is out of reach, the Infinite and finite can meet around a mitzvah - a common interest that a certain act should be performed.

In Chabad teachings the following parable is offered to highlight how this kind of bond can be formed:

In a university, there was a world renowned professor. He was a top thought leader in his field. One day while studying he notices someone at the other end of the work spectrum, the janitor. Other than being under the same roof, the two share little in common. 

Yet today he wants something from the janitor. So, he motions him over. 

"Could you please prepare for me a tea with a few biscuits today and every day at 3pm?", he requests.

The janitor nods compliantly and begins a routine of bringing him his daily treat. 

Though there's little parity between the two of them, by fulfilling the professor's request a bond starts to form. Similarly, when God's requests (i.e. His mitzvahs) are fulfilled a bond is formed with Him. And even a human being, a lowly finite creature, can form a relational bond with the Infinite One.  

In Abraham's time there were only seven mitzvahs. Hosting guests was not among them. However, monotheism was. 

By urging his guests to express their thanks to God, Abraham was engaging them in an act of monotheism. Thereby, he turned the whole act of hosting them into that mitzvah. All the delicacies he served became like firewood to fuel their expression of thanks, their act of monotheism. 

In short, this was his way of turning hosting guests, which was not yet a mitzvah, into a mitzvah. 

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