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There is a big mitzva to welcome guests into one’s home, to honor them, to offer them good food, and to make them feel good. When the guests leave, there is a mitzva for the hosts to walk them out, to show they enjoyed having them and are sorry to see them go. If the way back is dangerous and there is concern the guests might get lost, there is a mitzva to accompany them until they reach safety.
The Torah describes at length how Abraham and Sarah welcomed tired guests and gave them food and drink. In the merit of this hospitality, they were told they would have a child (Isaac) even though they were old (Genesis 18). Similarly, the Torah tells us how Rebecca welcomed a stranger and volunteered to water his camels. As a reward, she merited marriage to Isaac and became one of the four matriarchs (Genesis 24).
In the past, the mitzva of hospitality was primarily fulfilled by hosting the poor and travelers, both of whom needed something to eat and somewhere to sleep. Nowadays, thank God, there are fewer people who are actually hungry. Nevertheless, there are still many people who suffer from loneliness, alienation, and depression, who need support and encouragement. It is a great mitzva to pay attention to them, to invite and host them. Showing them people enjoy being around them gives them strength and reminds them their lives are valuable and meaningful. Similarly, it is a big mitzva to host new immigrants, especially those who are single and on their own. Though they might not be lacking something to eat and somewhere to sleep, they are lacking family and community.
