Hachnosos Orchim

Billions of times daily, doors are knocked upon. Probably less than one in a billion, the person knocking is a dangerous criminal [criminals have less civilized ways of getting in...]. Yet, so often, I knock on someone's door and they open just a crack [often after looking through the peephole and seeing the "dangerous" looking man - about 5'10 116 pounds, skinnier than a pencil, long, scraggly, partially white beard, black suit and black kippah etc.] and stick their head out and ask what I want. I see fear in their eyes. Scary Ally!!! 😟😟 This, a guy who would play tackle football with his buddies when he was a teenager but the rule was that he wasn't allowed to be tackled b/c he was too fragile. [I once wanted to visit a Yeshiva where I had once learned and taught but the "security guard" - an 18ish year old boy with long hair - wouldn't allow me entry, even after I name dropped, told him that I was an alumnus and that it is OK. I was sooooo offended I cancelled my ten million dollar donation to the Yeshiva. If they only knew... Ya never know who these hidden gvirim are. Rabbi Riskin has a great myseh in his autobiography where he was in dire need of a large sum of money but he wasn't doing well raising it so he took the time to help a poor looking, shlumpily dressed fellow, with a family issue. This man was in fact extremely wealthy and solved Rabbi Riskin's problem...]

So I understand the fear of strangers [and strange I am] but it is quite irrational. A] Given the odds that I am a dangerous guy [especially in a 100 percent Charedi neighborhood and my 100 Charedi look]. B] If I were a criminal then after the door was opened a crack I would push my way in. So if you are really afraid - don't open at all. [Today this happened with a neighbor. I am like - Rebbetzin, if you think I am so scary then don't let your daughters hang out in my house for hours with my daughters....]

The reason this is important is b/c we are Jews and have this ethic of Hachnasas Orchim. So if someone knocks on your door, open it wide and give them a warm greeting 😀😊😄😄 . If appropriate - invite them in. But peering at them with a fearful expression with the door opened only a crack gives them the feeling that they are unwanted and viewed as a potential threat. Who wants to feel like they are a threat?? 

Now - if you live in a "mixed" neighborhood [you catch my drift] - then obviously one must be more wary. So if you look through the peephole and see an einikel of Cham ben Noach [or of Mohammed ben Abd Allah bin Al-Muttalib] who has an angry, menacing look on his face - opening the door might not be the best idea. But if you see a woman with a long skirt and a tichel or a man with a beard and peyos - you really have nothing to worry about. The odds of the person being dangerous are much much less than the odds of you having a car accident every time you get into a car. So if you drive and take the risk - you can take this "risk". 

I often think about this in airports when they are cross examining me. I mean - in the history of the world, has there ever been a terrorist who looked remotely like me?? For crying out loud - no I didn't pack myself. I begged my wife to do it b/c I despise packing and when I was a kid my mommy did it for me. Why are you asking me such personal questions??  Or I see a family of nine from Lakewood or Flatbush painstakingly going through customs. I mean - do you really think they are blowing up the airplane or are planning to take it hostage and force the pilot to land in Syria??? I understand that they can't pick and choose who they examine and check their luggage. It has to be uniform. Racial profiling is more חמור than the עשרת הדברות. But you can go a little easy on the people whose odds of being terrorists are much less than the odds of them being Martians from outer space. 

We all know what the terrorists look like....