Avraham's daily thread of chesed

בפסוק וישקיפו כו' ואברהם הולך עמם לשלחם פרש"י ז"ל כל השקפה לרעה חוץ מהשקיפה ממעון קדשיך שגדול מתנות עניים שמהפך מדה"ד לרחמים.

On the verse "And they gazed… and Avraham went with them to send them off" (Bereishis 18:16), Rashi explains that every "gazing" (hashkafah) in Scripture connotes evil, except for "Gaze down from Your holy abode" (Devarim 26:15), for the power of gifts to the poor is great, since it overturns the attribute of justice (middas hadin) into mercy.

Rashi notes that the verb "hashkafah" usually signals a harsh divine gaze, except in the context of tzedakah to the poor, whose merit turns judgment into compassion.

ומה ענינו לכאן.

And what is its relevance here?

The Sefas Emes asks why Rashi introduces the idea of tzedakah overturning din specifically at this verse about Avraham escorting the angels.

ונראה כי זאת מדת אברהם אע"ה שהוא עמוד הצדקה וגמ"ח והוא מהפך תמיד מדה"ד לרחמים וז"ש ואברהם הולך כו' לשלחם מלשון הפשטת מלבוש כענין פושט צורה ולובש צורה כי המלאכים שנשתלחו לעוה"ז יכולין להתהפך מצורה לצורה על ידי מעשה התחתונים.

And it appears that this is the trait of Avraham Avinu, who is the pillar of tzedakah and gemilus chasadim, and who always overturns the attribute of justice into mercy — and this is the meaning of "and Avraham went… to send them off" (leshalcham), from the language of removing a garment, like "shedding one form and donning another," for the angels who were sent to this world can be transformed from one form to another through the deeds of those below.

Avraham, the embodiment of chesed, transforms din into rachamim; "leshalcham" hints at the angels changing form, since the deeds of people below (Avraham's chesed) can reshape the very angels — turning agents of judgment into agents of mercy.

וכ"כ בזוה"ק פרשת מקץ בפסוק הבוקר הי' בוקרו של אברהם והאנשים שלחו ע"ש.

And so it is written in the holy Zohar, Parshas Mikeitz, on the verse "the morning was light" — it was the morning of Avraham — "and the men were sent away" (Bereishis 44:3), see there.

The Zohar connects "morning" with Avraham (chesed) and reads "the men were sent away" as the harsh forces being dismissed through his merit.

שבזכות אברהם נמתקו הדינין מעליהם.

That in the merit of Avraham the judgments were sweetened from upon them.

By Avraham's merit, the harsh decrees (dinim) were softened and removed.

ואברהם אע"ה פעל התגלות החסד בכל יום ועליו נאמר יומם יצוה ה' חסדו רמז לדבר דכתיב אשר יצוה כו' והוא חוט של חסד שמתגלה בכל יום מטוב הגנוז.

And Avraham Avinu effected the revelation of chesed each day, and concerning him it is said, "By day Hashem commands His kindness" (Tehillim 42:9) — a hint to this being written, "that he will command…" (Bereishis 18:19) — and it is the "thread of chesed" that is revealed each day from the hidden good.

Avraham daily draws down a "thread of chesed" from the hidden treasury of good; the verse "asher yetzaveh" (that he will command) hints at this constant flow of kindness.

ובמדרש דורש עליו המיחלים לחסדו.

And in the Midrash it expounds concerning him, "those who hope for His kindness" (Tehillim 33:18).

The Midrash applies the phrase "those who await His chesed" to Avraham and his daily drawing-down of kindness.

דאיתא בזוה"ק בכל יום צריך איש ישראל לצפות באור הבוקר לחסד ה'.

For it is brought in the holy Zohar that each day a Jew must look toward the morning light, to the chesed of Hashem.

The Zohar teaches that every day one should anticipate the "morning light" — the fresh revelation of Hashem's kindness.

אבל אברהם אע"ה הוציא מכח אל הפועל בכלל התגלות החסד בעולם ומעין זה נשאר חוט של חסד.

But Avraham Avinu brought from potential to actuality the general revelation of chesed in the world, and from this wellspring there remained a "thread of chesed."

Avraham first actualized chesed in the world at large, and from that source a permanent "thread of chesed" was left for all generations to draw upon.

וז"ש שתיקן תפילת שחרית וישכם אברהם בבוקר פי' כמ"ש ז"ל אני מעיר השחר ואין השחר מעיר אותי.

And this is the meaning that he instituted the morning tefillah (Shacharis): "And Avraham arose early in the morning" (Bereishis 19:27) — as Chazal explained, "I awaken the dawn, and the dawn does not awaken me" (Tehillim 57:9).

Avraham established Shacharis; rather than being roused by the dawn, he himself "awakened the dawn" — actively arousing the revelation of morning chesed.

ועליו כתיב מי העיר ממזרח צדק:

And concerning him it is written, "Who awakened from the east the righteous one?" (Yeshayahu 41:2).

The verse about one "awakened from the east" (associated with Avraham) confirms his role as the one who arouses the dawning of chesed and tzedek in the world.

Summary: Rashi's note that gifts to the poor overturn din into rachamim belongs here because Avraham, the pillar of tzedakah and chesed, always transforms judgment into mercy — even reshaping the very angels ("leshalcham," shedding form) and sweetening harsh decrees by his merit. Avraham actualized chesed in the world and left a permanent "thread of chesed" drawn each day from the hidden good; thus he established Shacharis, "awakening the dawn" rather than being awakened by it.