Chasidut for Bava Metzia 172:1
ריבה להן ומעשה נמי בר' יוחנן בן מתיא שאמר לבנו צא שכור לנו פועלים הלך ופסק להן מזונות וכשבא אצל אביו אמר לו בני אפילו אתה עושה להן כסעודת שלמה בשעתו לא יצאת ידי חובתך עמהן שהן בני אברהם יצחק ויעקב
he thereby increases [his obligations] to them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., where local usage is to give food, no stipulation need be made. Hence, if it was, it can only mean that he was to give them more than usual. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> And IT ONCE HAPPENED LIKEWISE THAT R. JOHANAN B. MATHIA SAID TO HIS SON, 'GO OUT AND ENGAGE LABOURERS.' HE WENT, AND AGREED TO SUPPLY THEM WITH FOOD. BUT WHEN HE RETURNED TO HIS FATHER, HE SAID TO HIM, 'MY SON, SHOULD YOU EVEN PREPARE A BANQUET FOR THEM LIKE SOLOMON'S, WHEN IN HIS GLORY, YOU CANNOT FULFIL YOUR DUTY, FOR THEY ARE THE CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC AND JACOB.'
Kedushat Levi
The Talmud Eyruvin 53 relates that when Rabbi Yossi bar Avion wished to say something that only people familiar with him would understand, he would say: ”עשו לי שור במשפט בטור מסכן;“ he deliberately used some Hebrew words, שור, במשפט, which have a different meaning in Aramaic. Similarly, the word חרדל used by our sages for the seasoning Avraham provided for his guests is really a translation of the words הר דל, “a low hill.” In short, the Rabbi making excuses for the errors committed by the Jewish people, referred to the evil urge as an almost insurmountable obstacle, a tall mountain, whereas the urge to do good given to every human being, appeared like a low hill, so that it is not surprising that many Jews many times found it difficult to climb over the tall mountain in order to avoid sinning. When the sages spoke of the “seasoning” Avraham served his guests, this is merely a euphemism for saying that he tried to provide his guests with merits by the type of food served that would make it relatively easy to overcome the temptations offered by the evil urge. When the angels would reflect on this, they in turn, in the future, would tone down their accusations against sinful Jews, having realized through their visit on earth how difficult it is to fight these temptations.