Parshat Vayeira begins with Hashem appearing to him as he is sitting in the opening of his tent in the heat of day. Hashem does not speak to Avraham at this point, and the Torah immediately shifts its focus to three strangers on the road whom Avraham rushes to greet and bring into his home. Only after all this does Hashem speak to Avraham Avinu and inform him of the destruction he is planning to bring on Sodom and Gomorrah. Several questions arise in this chronology of events. First, the Torah writes that Hashem appeared to him without specifying to whom Hashem appeared. Rashi therefore explains that this verse is connected to the events of the previous parsha that ends with Avraham circumcising himself and all the males in his household, and this appearance was Hashem Himself performing the kindness of visiting the sick. The Gur Aryeh, citing Mizrachi, disagrees. He maintains that Hashem actually came to speak to Avraham but was interrupted with the arrival of the three traveling men. The message Hashem wanted to give Avraham comes after Avraham makes all the preparations to serve his guests properly. The problem with this interpretation is that before Hashem speaks to Avraham, Hashem seems to contemplate whether He should tell Avraham of the impending destruction, and only after careful consideration of Avraham’s character and mission does He actually speak to Avraham. Our final question is precisely about the chronology of the events recorded here. What is the connection between the arrival of three angels/men and Hashem’s appearance to Avraham? Let us begin with Rashi’s explanation that Hashem’s visit was specifically to visit the recuperating Avraham and not to impart some prophecy. Rav Moshe Feinstein in Derash Dovidelaborates on this idea by explaining that often people assume that the only reason to visit the sick is to offer him help or prayer. That idea is erroneous, writes Rabbi Feinstein. It is important to visit a sick person just to be there. The visit itself encourages the sick person and strengthens him even without additional aid. The Divine Presence had this healing effect on Avraham. The Ramban says that Hashem came to Avraham to heal him. TheLev Tahor asks an Intresting question on this idea.. We know that the three angels/men who came to Avraham each had a specific mission. One angel was Gavriel whose mission was to heal Avraham. If so, how could Hashem come to Avraham to heal him? The Lev Tahor gives us an important insight. He writes that there are two kinds of healing, one is spiritual that restores the energy and vitality of the sick person, and the other is the physical healing. While Gavriel was indeed sent to heal Avraham physically, Hashem came to restore Avraham’s energy. Rashi further notes that Hashem appeared to Avraham on the third day after the circumcision. If Hashem wanted to heal Avraham, why did He not come on the first day? Why was it necessary to wait until the third day? The Lubavitcher Rebbe, as recorded in Likutei Sichot, notes that when we do a mitzvah it should be performed as naturally as possible so as to bring the greatest sanctity into the world. When one struggles with a mitzvah, either physically or emotionally, the effort itself brings greater sanctity to the world. Therefore Hashem waited until the third day, the natural day of healing, before He appeared to Avraham. There are no shortcuts in spiritual elevation and in creating a connection to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. Hashem did come to Avraham on previous occasions. But on each of these occasions Hashem either spoke to Avraham or gave him a specific command. This is the first time Hashem appears to Avraham without any follow up. To this, the Derash Docid, quoting the Ramban notes, we can deduce that now, after his circumcision, Avraham himself and his home were comfortable places for Hashem to “visit” and rest His presence, just as later the Mishkan in the desert was a place where Hashem’s presence would dwell. It was only after he was circumcised that Avraham was worthy of being such a vehicle for Hashem’s presence on earth. As the Ohr Hachayim adds that’s why the text writes, “And appeared to him Hashem,” paying homage to Avraham’s now exalted status by placing “to him” before Hashem in the text. As the Tosher Rebbe writes in Avodat Avodah, It is only now, to the complete and perfected self, both physically and spiritually, that Hashem can have the intense experience of Hashem’s resting on him. It is for this purpose that man was created, to overcome the physicality of our lives and elevate it to the spiritual, to use our bodies in the performance of mitzvoth. Otherwise, Hashem could have left the Torah in the heavens. By performing bikur cholim, visiting the sick, Hashem was modeling for Avraham how acts of chessed should be performed. They are not to be performed routinely, but with an eye to seeing and understanding the needs of another. Rabbi Belsky quoting the Chovat Halevavot points out that there are three levels of chessed which Hashem performs. The first is universal chessed to all creation and to mankind. The second is specific to Bnei Yisroel, such as the miracles of the exodus, and the third level is to the individual. By visiting Avraham at a time of his weakness and vulnerability, Hashem was demonstrating this personal care and attention and showing that He cares not only for the physical needs of people but also for their emotional needs. Similarly, continues Rabbi Belsky, our acts of chessed to others, whether in visiting the sick, or hosting guests who need a meal and a bed, or in any other area should include ways we can provide them with chizuk, emotional support, self respect and hope in addition to anything physical they may require. The Seforno differs with Rashi completely about the timing of Hashem’s revelation to Avraham. He says that Hashem’s appearance to Avraham was at the time of the circumcision itself rather than three days later. After all, writes Rabbi Michoel Rebibo in Minchat Yisroel, the circumcision was a covenant, and both parties needed to be present. Therefore, today we have the custom of preparing a chair for Eliyahu Hanavi, for the prophet will symbolically attend the bris of the child as Hashem’s emissary when the child enters into that same covenant that Avraham Avinu entered into with Hakodosh Boruch Hu. That Hashem or His emissary is present at every bris provides a reason for informing guests of the upcoming event rather than inviting them, for if someone declines such an invitation, he is disrespecting Hashem Himself Who will be present at the bris through His emissary Eliyahu. However, who would not want to attend a bris (although circumstances my prevent one from attending)? Rabbi Rebibo informs us that those who attend a bris have their sins forgiven, for theShechinah, God’s presence, does not want to be in the company of sinners. Forgiveness for our sins cements the relationship that the bris represents. Rabbi Uziel Milevsky discusses this entire section from Rambam’s (Maimonides) perspective. Rambam posits that this entire episode was a prophetic vision, that Hashem appeared to Avraham in the guise of the three angels/men, and all that Avraham did to welcome them was part of that prophetic vision. Ramban (Nachmanides) takes exception to this interpretation, claiming that practically everything in the Torah could then be attributed to a vision and not to actually have taken place. But the fact is that anthropomorphism regarding Hashem exists so that we can have at least some limited understanding of Hashem within our human intellect. While anthropomorphism is not to be taken literally, explains the Rambam through Rabbi Milevsky, neither should physical events be interpreted literally. Hashem’s appearance to Avraham is meant to inform us that Hashem established a closer bond and relationship with Avraham after his circumcision, a relationship he was unworthy of before. Rabbi Milevsky then returns to Rashi and cites the Gemarrah in Shavuot that states that“offering hospitality to guests takes precedence over welcoming the Divine Presence.” In other words, these events actually took place, and Avraham left the Hashem’s presence while Hashem was visiting him so that he could tend to these guests. And this represents a lesson for us all, that we too should sacrifice our own spiritual growth (and certainly physical convenience and pleasure) for the performance of a mitzvah. In truth, writes Rabbi BenZion Apfel in Mesameach Zion, everything in the world, every leaf and every flower, cries out Hashem’s presence. Our faces reflect our neshama which is a piece of Godliness. The purpose of this world is to reveal Hashem’s presence. But we can get so caught up in the physical world that God’s presence is hidden from us, and being aware of Him becomes a challenge. Avraham Avinu entered a different and expanded dimension of Hashem’s awareness after his circumcision. In the Inside Story, Rabbi Tauber explains that there is a difference in our understanding between hearing and seeing. While hearing may touch us on a spiritual and emotional level, it does not carry the same validity as seeing something “with our own eyes.” Until now, Abraham heard God’s voice and knew esoterically that God existed. But now Abraham was able to “see” Hashem, and nothing could ever shake that belief. It is this same sight that Bnei Yisroel experienced at Sinai and at the splitting of the Red Sea when their experience was so profound that they “saw” the sounds and were able to see God, point, and proclaim, “This is my God.” Seeing substantiates what was previously only known deductively. Rabbi Apfel continues with this idea. Avraham was able to see within the bodies of the three men approaching him manifestations of God in different guises, and he was able to recognize God in everything. The spiritual and the physical melded. The differences between Rambam and Ramban are now erased as all is a manifestation of God. Avraham understood that within this prophecy, there was no difference between the physical and the spiritual, since everything physical is also spiritual and prophetic/While Avraham lives in a world of prophecy, it is all manifesting itself in the physical world. Men appear, but Avraham sees angels, and so on. All of us have this spiritual yearning to see Hashem in everything, to elevate our physical experiences to a spiritual level. Carpooling children, for example, can be reframed into transporting living sifrei Torah, and cooking can be preparation for strengthening the body to do mitzvoth. Through acts of chessed, we can focus not only on the physical aspects, but on the spiritual and emotional needs of others and elevate the mundane to the spiritual. With ourselves, the challenge is to overcome our physical desires to access Hashem. We all have eyes, but we may not see, ears but perhaps we don’t hear, writes the Slonimer Rebbe, theNetivot Shalom. God’s presence is all around us. Our challenge is to use those physical pleasures to achieve greater spirituality. Rabbi Schachter in Lights on the Path quotes the verse in Proverbs, “In all Your ways know Him.” According to Chassidus, this means that everything you do or experience, whether eating, drinking, sleeping, seeing something beautiful should remind you of Hashem and bring you closer to Him. Rabbi BenZion Apfel notes that the gift of a neshama yeteirah on Shabbos, the “additional soul” which becomes part of us on Shabbos, is related to matir assurim – (He) releases those who are bound (imprisoned). On a homiletic level, on Shabbos our physicality is no longer bound by physical limitations, but is expanded and elevated spiritually. Just as Avraham Avinu achieved such clarity of Hashem’s presence after his circumcision, may we too achieve clarity and merit attaching ourselves to Hakodosh Boruch Hu in the physical world in which we exist.

Revelation Revealed