Chabad House

Chabad Houses: From the Tent of Abraham to the Global Center of Jewish Outreach and Kindness

Hospitality, Welcoming the Divine Presence

In ancient times, unlike today, travelers did not have convenient and organized places to sleep, eat, and experience the warmth of a home. It was very difficult, and at times rare, to find such a place with a welcoming atmosphere, and even harder to be accepted. However, as time passed and transportation methods developed, along with technological advancements, networks of hotels, rental apartments, and diverse restaurants were established, providing various experiences for every traveler and tourist.
While journeys became more comfortable and accessible, in an era of hotels and advance reservations, where there is no shortage of accommodation and dining options, there is still a unique and special place - Chabad House, the Jewish oasis in the ocean of life.
Today, there are approximately 6000 Chabad Houses operating worldwide, in around 1000 cities and 100 countries. At Chabadmap, we would be happy to help you find the Chabad House near you.
Chabad House is a modern-day tent of Abraham – a place that combines tradition with modernity, open to travelers, visitors, workers, holidaymakers, and students from distant educational institutions around the world. Just like in the Passover fable: "Let all who are hungry come and eat, let all who are in need come and celebrate." But not only...
Chabad House is the source of "kindness" that opens doors for us almost everywhere in the world, inviting us to experience an inviting Jewish atmosphere. Chabad Houses are the lighthouses of the Jewish spirit, with personal attention and a unique warmth that is unparalleled elsewhere. In ancient times, unlike today, travelers did not have a convenient and organized place to sleep, eat, and experience the warmth of a home. It was very difficult to find such a place with a welcoming atmosphere, and even harder to be accepted. However, as time passed and transportation methods developed, along with technological advancements, networks of hotels, rental apartments, and diverse restaurants were established, providing various experiences for every traveler and tourist.

What are the Mitzvot of Hospitality Today?

Hospitality today is an act of kindness in the broadest sense, and one can learn it specifically from the activities of Chabad Houses. In 1972, in a letter written on the occasion of the opening of a new Chabad House, the Rebbe expressed his prayer that the new institution would serve as a key to open the hearts of all who visit it and anyone influenced by it, to open their hearts to recognize the essence of their Judaism.

As written about our forefather Abraham: "And the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent during the heat of the day. And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing beside him, and he saw, and he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and he bowed to the ground. And he said, 'My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your eyes, please pass not away from Your servant.'" (Genesis 18:1-3)

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav, "Hospitality is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence," as it is written: "And he said, 'My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your eyes, please pass not away from Your servant.'" (Shabbat 127a)

From the first two verses, it can be understood that the revelation had concluded before Abraham saw the men. However, in verse 3, Rav Yehuda, in the name of Rav, teaches that hospitality occurred simultaneously with the revelation. This means that Abraham interrupted the encounter with God to fulfill the mitzvah of hospitality. Hence, we learn that "Hospitality is greater than welcoming the Divine Presence."

The characteristic that defines our forefather Abraham is the attribute of kindness, as it is said: "You will give truth to Jacob, kindness to Abraham." (Micah 7:20) The essence of the attribute of kindness is the self-sacrifice of the benefactor for the needs of the other.

Chabad Houses today embody the kindness of Abraham. They are places entirely dedicated to the welfare of Jews, providing assistance and support, sometimes being the only place with a mezuzah at the entrance within hundreds or thousands of kilometers. On the pages of Chabadmap, you can always find contact details for Chabad Houses in any area you plan to visit.

The name of the Chabad movement, "Chassidut," from the word "Chesed" (kindness), is connected, among other things, to this point; the characteristic of kindness between one person and another is one of the central foundations of the spiritual philosophy of the movement. The care and commitment to every Jew, no matter who they are. There is an amazing and far-reaching tradition in these matters, in the name of the Baal Shem Tov. Rabbi Zushe received from Rabbi Mordechai the Tzadik, who heard it from the Baal Shem Tov: A soul descends to the world and lives for seventy-eighty years just to do one good thing for a Jew once. (Hayom Yom [the Rebbe Rashab], 5th of Iyar)

And so, the Rebbe of Lubavitch (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson) wrote about these words of the Baal Shem Tov: This is a wonderful saying: We are not concerned with judges or the wicked (and certainly not with the righteous), but we are talking about a Jew who studies Torah and fulfills commandments every day for seventy-eighty years, including the mitzvah of Shema Yisrael, the acceptance of the yoke of heaven, the foundation of all the commandments, including the mitzvah of doing good to another Jew. To the extent that according to the Shulchan Aruch, the mitzvah of reading Shema precedes, and only after that, one goes to do good to a Jew (such as charity, and so on). And nevertheless, says the Baal Shem Tov, the descent of the soul into the body can be for the sake of the entire Torah and commandments, including the mitzvah of Shema, only to do one unique good thing for a second Jew!!

And to the extent that even if a person lives not only "the days of our lives seventy years" but "if with strength eighty years," all this is only to do one unique good thing for a second Jew.