Hashem chose to Avraham that he was going to destroy Sdom because כִּ֣י יְדַעְתִּ֗יו לְמַ֩עַן֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְצַוֶּ֜ה אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו וְאֶת־בֵּיתוֹ֙ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ ה׳ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט (18:19). The Meshech Chochma sees this pasuk as a d'oraysa source for the mitzvah of chinuch. Avraham not only did tzedakah and mishpat himself, but he also inculcated these traits in his household.
The Adere"t asks: Why is this zechus so special and so deserving of reward? Charity is a "mitzvah sichlis," it is something any rational thinking human being can understand the need for. In fact, the navi Yechezkel (16:49) highlights lack of charity as the sin that Sdom was culpable for: הִנֵּה־זֶ֣ה הָיָ֔ה עֲוֺ֖ן סְדֹ֣ם אֲחוֹתֵ֑ךְ גָּא֨וֹן שִׂבְעַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְשַׁלְוַ֣ת הַשְׁקֵ֗ט הָ֤יָה לָהּ֙ וְלִבְנוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְיַד־עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְי֖וֹן לֹ֥א הֶחֱזִֽיקָה. The Chidushei HaRan (Sanhedrin 56b) writes that אלמא דבצדקה נמי מחייבי ואשכחן דמיענש עלה דכתיב ויד עני ואביון לא החזיקו. Even a ben Noach is chayav in the mitzvah of tzedakah and held accountable for failing to fulfill that obligation. It's only for various technical reasons that it is not counted among the 7 mitzvos. Is fulfilling such a basic command, something all humanity is obligated to do, worthy of being put on a pedestal for carrying out? Is it so noteworthy that in its merit alone לְמַ֗עַן הָבִ֤יא ה׳ עַל־אַבְרָהָ֔ם אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֖ר עָלָֽיו?
The Aderet answers with a fundamental yesod in the mitzvah of tzedakah. When one comes across a poor person and he/she tells you a sob story about their needs and their predicament and it tugs at the heart strings, it's human nature to feel bad and to therefore want to give. That, says the Aderet, is not the ideal of tzedakah. When you give under those circumstances, you are not giving for the sake of the poor person. You are giving for yourself; you are giving to alleviate the pain you feel in response to the poor person's plight.
He quotes the following vort from his father: נָתוֹן תִּתֵּן לוֹ וְלֹא יֵרַע לְבָבְךָ בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ (Devarim 15:10) Simple pshat is that when you give, you shouldn't feel bad about the $ coming out of you pocket. Derech derush, the way he explained the pasuk is, "Give to the poor -- but not because not doing so would make you feel bad." Give because it is the right thing to do. Give because it's a mitzvah. The pasuk ends כִּי בִּגְלַל הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה יְבָרֶכְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹקיךָ בְּכׇל מַעֲשֶׂךָ וּבְכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ. If you act for Hashem's sake, to fulfill his commandment, He will guarantee your reward.
The Divrei Shaul, R' Yosef Shaul Natahanson, similarly explained the gemara וחנתי את אשר אחון אע"פ שאינו הגון ורחמתי את אשר ארחם אע"פ שאינו הגון (Brachos 7). To have mercy on those who deserve mercy, who need mercy, is the natural response of any caring and feeling person. That's faint praise to give Hashem. Chazal therefore take the pasuk to mean that Hashem shows mercy and kindness even to those who are undeserving of our sympathy and kindness, those who we otherwise might have antipathy for. Even when it is not the natural emotional response or rational response to have, Hashem still responds with kindness. He expects the same of us. Show mercy and kindness regardless of whether you are moved to do so or not.
The last Rambam in Hil Me'ila writes:
הרי נאמר בתורה ושמרתם את כל חקותי ואת כל משפטי ועשיתם אותם. אמרו חכמים ליתן שמירה ועשייה לחוקים כמשפטים. והעשייה ידועה והיא שיעשה החוקים. והשמירה שיזהר בהן ולא ידמה שהן פחותין מן המשפטים. והמשפטים הן המצות שטעמן גלוי וטובת עשייתן בעולם הזה ידועה כגון איסור גזל ושפיכות דמים וכיבוד אב ואם. והחוקים הן המצות שאין טעמן ידוע. ... שבעשיית החוקים והמשפטים זוכין הישרים לחיי העולם הבא. והקדימה תורה ציווי על החוקים. שנאמר ושמרתם את חקותי ואת משפטי אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם
The Rambam uses the linkage between chukim to mishpatim to make the point there that although we may not understand chukim, we should treat them with no less respect than the mishpatim which make sense to us.
The Aderet uses the same linkage in the reverse direction. Just like we do chukim only because G-d commanded so, so too, when we do mishpatim, it should be because G-d commanded so, not just because it makes sense to us and appeals to our reason or emotion.
Avraham is praised and deserves reward not just because he is a person who knows לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט. Every human being has that obligation and should do the same.
Avraham is praised and deserves reward because וְשָֽׁמְרוּ֙ דֶּ֣רֶךְ ה׳** לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת צְדָקָ֖ה וּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט**. His acts of kindness and charity stem from the need to fulfill ratzon Hashem, because Hashem commanded it.
Who else would beg G-d to spare the wicked people of Sdom of not someone who does tzedakah l'shem Shamayim alone? Surely the evil inhabitants of Sdom were not people who deserved mercy or elicited sympathy. But when you do kindness and feel mercy because it is a mitzvah, not just because you feel sympathy or feel your heart strings tugged on, then you can find it within you to even speak up for Sdom. That is what was so special about Avraham.
Many meforshim comment on the fact that the one example of Avraham's hachnasas orchim which the Torah highlights is an example where the guests really had no need of Avraham's hospitality. The three visitors who Avraham serves food to at the beginning of the parsha were angels. They only ate so as to fit in and keep up the pretense of being who they were not. The lesson here is similar to the point made by the Aderet. The reason to be hospitable is not just because the other person needs our help. It's because Hashem commands us to do so.
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