(1) ה׳ appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. (2) Looking up, he saw three figures standing near him. Seeing this, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, (3) he said, “My lords! If it please you, do not go on past your servant. (4) Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. (5) And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh your hearts; then go on—seeing that you have come your servant’s way.” They replied, “Do as you have said.” (6) Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!” (7) Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it. (8) He took curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before them; and he waited on them under the tree as they ate.
1. What is the connection between verse 1 and verse 2?
2. Is there a word repeated? Why would this be so?
3. What does it mean to "refresh your hearts"?
4. Is there any issue with the menu?
(א) וסעדו לבכם. בַּתּוֹרָה, בַנְּבִיאִים וּבַכְּתוּבִים מָצִינוּ דְּפִתָּא סַעֲדָתָא דְלִבָּא. בַּתּוֹרָה וְסַעֲדוּ לִבְּכֶם, בַּנְּבִיאִים סְעָד לִבְּךָ פַּת לֶחֶם (שופטים י"ט), בַּכְּתוּבִים וְלֶחֶם לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ יִסְעָד (תהל' ק"ד). ...
(1) וסעדו לבכם AND SUSTAIN YOUR HEARTS — In the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings we find that bread is the sustenance of the heart. In the Torah. “[And I will fetch a morsel of bread] and sustain your heart.” In the Prophets: “Stay thy heart with a morsel of bread” (Judges 19:5). In the Writings: “And bread that sustains man’s heart” (Psalms 104:15). ...
(ט) אָמַר עַד שֶׁלֹא מַלְתִּי הָיוּ הָעוֹבְרִים וְהַשָּׁבִים בָּאִים אֶצְלִי, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַד שֶׁלֹא מַלְתָּה הָיוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם עֲרֵלִים בָּאִים, עַכְשָׁו אֲנִי וּבְנֵי פַּמַּלְיָא שֶׁלִּי נִגְלִים עָלֶיךָ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית יח, ב): וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו, וַיַּרְא בַּשְּׁכִינָה, וַיַּרְא בַּמַּלְאָכִים. ... אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי אֶחָד נִדְמָה לוֹ בִּדְמוּת סָדָקִי, וְאֶחָד נִדְמָה לוֹ בִּדְמוּת נָוָטִי, וְאֶחָד בִּדְמוּת עֲרָבִי, אָמַר אִם רוֹאֶה אֲנִי שֶׁשְּׁכִינָה מַמְתֶּנֶת עֲלֵיהֶם אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהֵן בְּנֵי אָדָם גְּדוֹלִים, וְאִם אֲנִי רוֹאֶה אוֹתָן חוֹלְקִים כָּבוֹד אֵלּוּ לְאֵלּוּ, אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהֵן בְּנֵי אָדָם מְהוּגָנִין, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָן חוֹלְקִין כָּבוֹד אֵלּוּ לְאֵלּוּ, יָדַע שֶׁהֵן בְּנֵי אָדָם מְהוּגָנִין. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ אֹהֶל פְּלָן שֶׁל אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם מְפֻלָּשׁ הָיָה, רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר כְּהָדֵין דְּרוֹמִילוֹס, אָמַר אִם אֲנִי רוֹאֶה אוֹתָן שֶׁהִפְלִיגוּ אֶת דַּרְכָּם לְהִתְקָרֵב דֶּרֶךְ כָּאן, אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהֵן בָּאִים אֶצְלִי, כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה אוֹתָן שֶׁהִפְלִיגוּ, מִיָּד וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה.
(9) “He lifted his eyes and he saw, and, behold, three men were standing over him; he saw and ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and prostrated himself to the ground” (Genesis 18:2).
He [Abraham] said: ‘Before I was circumcised, passersby would come in to me.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Before you were circumcised, uncircumcised people would come to you. Now, I and the members of my entourage are revealing ourselves to you.’ That is what is written: “He lifted his eyes and saw, and, behold, three men were standing near him; [he saw…].” “He saw” – the Divine Presence; “he saw” –the angels.
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Rabbi Levi said: One appeared to him in the image of a Saracen, one in the image of a Nabatean, and one in the image of an Arab.
He [Abraham] said: ‘If I see that the Divine Presence waits for them, I will know that they are prominent people. If I see that they act respectfully towards to one another, I will know that they are reputable people.’ When he saw them acting respectfully towards one another, he knew that they were reputable people.
Rabbi Abahu said: The main tent of our patriarch Abraham was open on both sides, like a large plaza. He said: ‘If I see them, that they turn off from their way to approach this way, I will know that they are coming to me.’ When he saw that they had turned off the road, he immediately “ran toward them from the entrance of the tent, and prostrated [bowed] himself to the ground.”
(9) They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he replied, “There, in the tent.” (10) Then one said, “I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him. (11) Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; Sarah had stopped having her periods.(12) And Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “Now that I’ve lost the ability, am I to have enjoyment—with my husband so old?” (13) Then ה׳ said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I in truth bear a child, old as I am?’ (14) Is anything too wondrous for ה׳ ? I will return to you at the same season next year, and Sarah shall have a son.” (15) Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was frightened. Came the reply, “You did laugh.”
(יח) וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל אַבְרָהָם לָמָּה זֶה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר (בראשית יח, יג), בַּר קַפָּרָא אָמַר גָּדוֹל הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁאַף הַכְּתוּבִים דִּבְּרוּ בַּדָּאִית בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַטִּיל שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אַבְרָהָם לְשָׂרָה, וַתִּצְחַק שָׂרָה בְּקִרְבָּהּ לֵאמֹר אַחֲרֵי בְלֹתִי הָיְתָה לִי עֶדְנָה וַאדֹנִי זָקֵן, לְאַבְרָהָם אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כֵּן אֶלָּא לָמָּה זֶה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר הַאַף אֻמְנָם אֵלֵד וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי, לֹא דִּבֵּר הַכָתוּב כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרָה שָׂרָה וַאדֹנִי זָקֵן, אֶלָּא וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי.
(18) “The Lord said to Abraham: Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying: Shall I indeed bear a child, and I have grown old?” (Genesis 18:13).
“The Lord said to Abraham: Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying: [Shall I indeed bear a child, and I have grown old?]” – bar Kappara said: Peace [between spouses] is a great thing, as even Scripture spoke untruths in order to establish peace between Abraham and Sarah. “Sarah laughed to herself, saying: After my languishing, shall I have youth, and my husband is old?” But He did not say this to Abraham, but rather, “Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying: Shall I indeed bear a child, and I have grown old?” The verse does not say as Sarah said: “My husband is old,” but rather, “I have grown old.”
(22) And so the gift went on ahead, while he remained in camp that night. (23) That same night he arose, and taking his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, he crossed the ford of the Jabbok. (24) After taking them across the stream, he sent across all his possessions. (25) Jacob was left alone. And a figure wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.”