The Tosefta in Masekhet Sota (chapter 4) notes that in three instances towards the beginning of Parashat Vayera, the Torah emphasizes Avraham's zeal in welcoming and hosting his three guests: "He saw and ran to greet them" (18:2); "Avraham hastened to the tent to Sara" (18:6); "And Avraham ran to the herd" (18:7). In reward for these three expressions of zeal, the Tosefta writes, God revealed Himself to Avraham's descendants at Mount Sinai with three corresponding expressions of haste (see Devarim 33:2, the second verse of Parashat Vezot Heberakha – "ba; "zarach"; "hofi'a"; why these verbs denote haste and speed requires a separate discussion).
What does the Tosefta mean by the "haste" with which God appeared to Benei Yisrael at Sinai? How long should it take the Almighty to reveal Himself anyway?
Rav Yehuda Leib Ginsburg, in his "Yalkut Yehuda," explains that the Tosefta here refers to the remarkable speed in Benei Yisrael's preparation for the Revelation at Sinai. The experience of prophetic vision is not granted to just anyone; it is reserved for those who have developed themselves and grown to a certain spiritual stature. As we might imagine, this process of growth does not take place overnight. All the more so, then, we would expect that Benei Yisrael, who had become idol worshippers during their two centuries as slaves iEgypt, would require a long, complex process of purification and growth before they could witness God's appearance atop Mount Sinai. But the Almighty hastened this process of spiritual growth, such that Ma'amad Har Sinai occurred a mere seven weeks after the Exodus. This haste came as reward for Avraham Avinu's zeal in welcoming and serving his company.
What are we to learn from this association between Avraham's hasty preparation of food for his guests, and Benei Yisrael's hastened preparation for Matan Torah?
Perhaps this Tosefta teaches that one accelerates his spiritual growth not necessarily by extreme measures of piety, but through simple actions such as the enthusiastic welcoming of guests. Consistent adherence to the basic values of hospitality and concern for others is the primary means by one can develop himself spiritually. Benei Yisrael's accelerated preparation process before Matan Torah resulted not from akeidat Yitzchak, for example, not from extreme manifestations of self-sacrifice, but rather from the relatively simple, day-to-day commitment to the basic values and precepts of Judaism.