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Avraham and Sarah serve as a great example of welcoming guests and helping others. From Avraham, we can also learn how to do acts of kindness—with enthusiasm, humility, and even when it’s not easy or convenient. But what exactly counts as an act of kindness? How does giving affect the giver? And are there limits to how much kindness a person should do? It’s interesting to see that in this very story, where Avraham goes out of his way to welcome guests, he receives amazing news—these same visitors tell him that he and Sarah will soon have a son, Yitzchak.
In this unit, we will learn about the visit of the angels who came to tell Sarah about the upcoming birth of Yitzchak. We will focus on the verses that highlight the unique hospitality of Avraham and Sarah and explore what we can learn from their actions. We will also discuss the concept of kindness (chesed), how it should be practiced, its limits, and how it benefits both the giver and the recipient. Additionally, we will study the message and purpose of the angels’ visit to Avraham and Sarah’s tent. We will examine Sarah’s surprised reaction to their news and discuss the significance of her laughter.
El éxodo de Egipto. Mapa con explicacionesBy the end of this unit, students will:
Interpersonal relationship skills: practicing positive and productive communication skills, teamwork, social engagement and a sense of social belonging.
Avraham’s goal was to welcome strangers into his home, offering them food and drink, and helping people he had never met—who may not have even shared his beliefs. This demonstrates his strong sense of social responsibility and his commitment to caring for all people, simply because they are human.
In our recent lessons, we explored the unique character and greatness of Avraham. We learned how he heard G-d's call and traveled to Canaan, how he generously let Lot choose his preferred land, and how he demonstrated loyalty and responsibility toward Lot during the War of the Kings—even after they had separated. We also saw Avraham’s deep faith in G-d, his devotion, and his commitment to spreading that faith by building altars and calling upon G-d’s name.
In this lesson, we will uncover another aspect of Avraham and Sarah’s character. Unlike previous stories that focused on helping a relative or someone familiar, this unit highlights their active kindness toward complete strangers.
Even though Avraham had just undergone circumcision and was likely still weak and recovering, he did not let that stop him from performing acts of kindness. The Torah, which often conveys messages in few words, dedicates seven full verses to describing Avraham and Sarah’s efforts to welcome their guests, refresh them, and prepare a generous meal. The contrast between their modest words ("Say little") and their elaborate hospitality ("Do much") teaches us an important lesson about the ideal way to practice kindness.
This story has become a model of hospitality for the Jewish people. In this unit, we will broaden our discussion to explore the role of chesed (kindness) in Jewish life and the central place it holds in our identity as descendants of Avraham and Sarah. We will also examine the announcement of Yitzchak's birth, Sarah’s reaction, and how it compares to Avraham’s response to the same news.
In Tehillim (Psalms), it says: "The world is built on kindness" (Tehillim 89:3).
What is kindness? Define chesed (kindness) and give examples of different acts of kindness.
(This can be done using a shared digital board or a regular classroom board, allowing everyone to contribute their thoughts.)
This short film shows how to build a shared board
Sort the acts of kindness into different categories. You can use the following examples as a guide:
Thinking Question:
How important is the way kindness is done? Is the main focus on performing the act of kindness itself, or does the way it is carried out matter just as much?
You can refer to the Rambam’s powerful statement about giving tzedakah in his Mishneh Torah:
"Anyone who gives charity to a poor person with a sour expression and his face turned downward— even if he gives him a thousand gold coins—loses his merit and forfeits his reward" (Hilchot Matanot Aniyim 10:4).
In other words, Maimonides teaches that the way kindness is performed is even more important than the act itself!
In this lesson, we will explore the kindness of Avraham and also focus on how he performed these acts of kindness.
How important is the way kindness is done? Is the main focus on performing the act of kindness itself, or does the way it is carried out matter just as much?
You can refer to the Rambam’s powerful statement about giving tzedakah in his Mishneh Torah:
"Anyone who gives charity to a poor person with a sour expression and his face turned downward— even if he gives him a thousand gold coins—loses his merit and forfeits his reward" (Hilchot Matanot Aniyim 10:4).
In other words, Maimonides teaches that the way kindness is performed is even more important than the act itself!
In this lesson, we will explore the kindness of Avraham and also focus on how he performed these acts of kindness.
Students will study in chavruta-pairs the verses describing Avraham’s meeting with the angels and his preparations for the meal he planned to serve them.
The activity can be found in the worksheet here.
The chavruta learning will highlight how Avraham performed acts of kindness:
Ma’aseh Avot Siman LaBanim – The Patriarchs as A Model for Generations
The Jewish people have carried on the value of chesed (kindness) throughout history, in many aspects of life:
While kindness is clearly a positive value, students can explore deeper questions:
Students can watch one of these videos to reflect on the impact of kindness:
📽️ Video 1
📽️ Video 2
📽️ Video 3
After watching, ask: What do all the examples in the video have in common?
(The obvious answer is the cycle of kindness, but also how receiving kindness shifts a person’s attention toward others.)
Can a person do kindness for themselves? Discuss whether self-care and personal well-being can also be a form of chesed.
In this section, students will learn about the announcement of Yitzchak’s birth to Sarah. The lesson will use the “Storytelling” technique (you can read more about this method here).
For each set of verses, students will:
After students have completed the table, we will ask them to come up with a title for the story. We will provide them with several tips for creating an interesting and engaging title (these are listed on the worksheet).
Additionally, we will encourage students to ask any questions that arise after reading the passage—whether they are questions about understanding the text, deeper analytical questions, or other thoughts.
Here are some example questions they might ask:
We will emphasize that asking questions is important, and while we won’t have time to answer all of them in class, these questions can open the door for future learning and encourage independent and curious thinking.
Additional activity suggestion:
You can also encourage students to illustrate the story or use AI tools to generate an image of the story by writing an appropriate prompt. Alternatively, students can create a list of questions in a Padlet board, as demonstrated at the beginning of the lesson.
After exploring the concept of chesed (acts of kindness) in depth from a theoretical perspective, let’s now consider its practical application.
We will ask:
Try to create a shared list of practical ways to increase chesed in your daily routine. You can use the following guiding questions:
Search online or share with your peers a person or an organization dedicated to chesed. Describe their main work and how they contribute to society. Share your findings in a collaborative document.
Here are some examples:
🔗 A video about chesed initiatives
🔗 Hebrew version: Hanoch Daum’s Chesed Initiative for Soldiers
During the war, Hanoch Daum recognized the struggles of reserve soldiers whose professional lives were affected. Along with his wife and other volunteers, he created a group called “Machabkim Miluimnikim” (Hugging Reservists), aimed at supporting them. You can learn more about their efforts at this link: https://miluim.hanochdaum.com/hamal/
Throughout the stories of Avraham, we will collaboratively create a “portrait” of his character. The teacher can use a shared digital board, a slideshow, or a physical poster displayed in the classroom to track our learning throughout the unit.
At the end of each lesson, students will add their response to the question:
“What did I learn about Avraham in this lesson?”
(This can include values, ways of thinking, character traits, interpersonal relationships, or leadership qualities.)
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