The Rejoicing Heart

And I will fetch a morsel of bread and refresh you your hearts (libchem)…                   Genesis 18:5

          That Abraham said “and I will fetch a morsel of bread” (literally, “and I will take a morsel”) rather than “I will give you a morsel” or any alternate wording expresses that, in waiting on his guests, Abraham  felt he was receiving more than he gave. Indeed, our Sages explain the verse [Exodus 25:2] “that they take an offering for me” to mean that one who donates receives more than he gives.

          Ba’al haTurim connects our verse’s use of the word “libchem” with that in two additional verses:

Set your heart to her (Jerusalem’s) ramparts, traverse her palaces; that you may tell it to the generation following.            Psalms 48:14

and

And when you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish as the grass …                                     Isaiah 66:14

          My father noted our verse deals with eating food while that of the Psalm refers to Jerusalem and the Temple [v.10], thus the connection of the verses is to demonstrate that we must be able to connect the physical and the spiritual. When we succeed in this task, our hearts shall rejoice, as prophesied by Isaiah.