Vayera Answers

VaYera 5729

Alef.

1. The RaLBaG could derive his lesson from 18:3--

(ג) וַיֹּאמַר ה' אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל נָא תַעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ:

And said: 'My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.

2.  א. We can recognize that Avraham deduced that they were in a hurry from 18:5—

(ה) וְאֶקְחָה פַת לֶחֶם וְסַעֲדוּ לִבְּכֶם אַחַר תַּעֲבֹרוּ כִּי עַל כֵּן עֲבַרְתֶּם עַל עַבְדְּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on; forasmuch as ye are come to your servant.' And they said: 'So do, as thou hast said.' 

Usually it would be rude for someone to tell his guests that he can leave immediately after partaking of his hospitality, unless he perceived that that’s what they really wanted to do, and in fact might  have preferred not stopping at all.

ב.  The textual problem that RaLBaG is explaining in v. 8, is why is Avraham serving them butter and milk when all of the preparations that he and his family make are other dishes-

(ו) וַיְמַהֵר אַבְרָהָם הָאֹהֱלָה אֶל שָׂרָה וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֲרִי שְׁלשׁ סְאִים קֶמַח סֹלֶת לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת:

(ז) וְאֶל הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח בֶּן בָּקָר רַךְ וָטוֹב וַיִּתֵּן אֶל הַנַּעַר וַיְמַהֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתוֹ:

(ח) וַיִּקַּח חֶמְאָה וְחָלָב וּבֶן הַבָּקָר אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּתֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם וְהוּא עֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם תַּחַת הָעֵץ וַיֹּאכֵלוּ:

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: 'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.' And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress it. And he took curd, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. 

He explains that he wanted to serve the guests something while the preparations were being made, in light of their being in a hurry, and probably hungry. So he first served them foods that did not require preparation, and by the time they had finished that “course”, the freshly-prepared foods were ready to serve.

3. א.  This lesson is derived from comparing 18:4-5 with 6-8—

(ד) יֻקַּח נָא מְעַט מַיִם וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם וְהִשָּׁעֲנוּ תַּחַת הָעֵץ:

(ה) וְאֶקְחָה פַת לֶחֶם וְסַעֲדוּ לִבְּכֶם אַחַר תַּעֲבֹרוּ כִּי עַל כֵּן עֲבַרְתֶּם עַל עַבְדְּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ:

Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves under the tree. And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on; forasmuch as ye are come to your servant.' And they said: 'So do, as thou hast said.' 

(ו) וַיְמַהֵר אַבְרָהָם הָאֹהֱלָה אֶל שָׂרָה וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֲרִי שְׁלשׁ סְאִים קֶמַח סֹלֶת לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת:

(ז) וְאֶל הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח בֶּן בָּקָר רַךְ וָטוֹב וַיִּתֵּן אֶל הַנַּעַר וַיְמַהֵר לַעֲשׂוֹת אֹתוֹ:

(ח) וַיִּקַּח חֶמְאָה וְחָלָב וּבֶן הַבָּקָר אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיִּתֵּן לִפְנֵיהֶם וְהוּא עֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם תַּחַת הָעֵץ וַיֹּאכֵלוּ:

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: 'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.' And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the servant; and he hastened to dress it. And he took curd, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. 

Avraham originally offers very modest things, and then serves an elaborate feast.

ב.  In Beraishit 23:11-15, Ephron is someone who talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk:

(יא) לֹא אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ לְךָ נְתַתִּיהָ לְעֵינֵי בְנֵי עַמִּי נְתַתִּיהָ לָּךְ קְבֹר מֵתֶךָ:

(יב) וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַבְרָהָם לִפְנֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ:

(יג) וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל עֶפְרוֹן בְּאָזְנֵי עַם הָאָרֶץ לֵאמֹר אַךְ אִם אַתָּה לוּ שְׁמָעֵנִי נָתַתִּי כֶּסֶף הַשָּׂדֶה קַח מִמֶּנִּי וְאֶקְבְּרָה אֶת מֵתִי שָׁמָּה:

(יד) וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן אֶת אַבְרָהָם לֵאמֹר לוֹ:

(טו) אֲדֹנִי שְׁמָעֵנִי אֶרֶץ אַרְבַּע מֵאֹת שֶׁקֶל כֶּסֶף בֵּינִי וּבֵינְךָ מַה הִוא וְאֶת מֵתְךָ קְבֹר:

'Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee; bury thy dead.' And Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. And he spoke unto Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying: 'But if thou wilt, I pray thee, hear me: I will give the price of the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.' And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him: 'My lord, hearken unto me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.' 

Initially he says that he will give the burial ground to Avraham as a gift, but then strikes a hard bargain for an exorbitant price.

In BaMidbar, perhaps the institution of Neder and the Rabbinic inclination to avoid making verbal commitments because you might be unable to fulfill them would be an example of putting the emphasis upon doing rather than verbally promising:

במדבר ל:ג

(ג) אִישׁ כִּי יִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַידֹוָד אוֹ הִשָּׁבַע שְׁבֻעָה לֶאְסֹר אִסָּר עַל נַפְשׁוֹ לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ כְּכָל הַיֹּצֵא מִפִּיו יַעֲשֶׂה

When a man voweth a vow unto the LORD, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

4. א.  "שאין קראו אליו כי אם לתכלית שיקבל זה ממנו"—the distinguished individual has no ulterior motive when he offers to do something for you. He simply wants you to accept a kindness from him without any recompense or reciprocal obligation.

           "יקרה להם צער במה שיטבו, כי לא נתכוונו לכך"—if a person actually accepts the offer of a lesser individual to do him a favor, it will pain that individual because he never actually intended to be taken up on his offer.

ב.  RaLBaG is comparing the manner in which the guests responded first to Avraham and then to Lot:

בראשית יח:ה

(ה) וְאֶקְחָה פַת לֶחֶם וְסַעֲדוּ לִבְּכֶם אַחַר תַּעֲבֹרוּ כִּי עַל כֵּן עֲבַרְתֶּם עַל עַבְדְּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on; forasmuch as ye are come to your servant.' And they said: 'So do, as thou hast said.'

שם יט:ב-ג

(ב) וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּה נָּא אדני סוּרוּ נָא אֶל בֵּית עַבְדְּכֶם וְלִינוּ וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם וַהֲלַכְתֶּם לְדַרְכְּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹּא כִּי בָרְחוֹב נָלִין:

(ג) וַיִּפְצַר בָּם מְאֹד וַיָּסֻרוּ אֵלָיו וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם מִשְׁתֶּה וּמַצּוֹת אָפָה וַיֹּאכֵלוּ:

And he said: 'Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your way.' And they said: 'Nay; but we will abide in the broad place all night.' And he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. 

In Avraham’s case, as soon as he finished his invitation, they accepted. But upon hearing Lot’s invitation, they gave him a hard time until ultimately agreeing. In both instances, they always intended to accept Avraham’s invitation in order to heal him from the circumcision and inform him and Sara about the impending birth of Yitchak, and they needed to become guests of Lot in order to save him and his daughters from Sodom. The only difference is the style in which they responded to the initial overtures of each of the men.

5. א.  "אבל יהי' התוכחת בדרך שיקובל וכן ההקש בתוכחת שיהי' ממנו לשאר האנשים" –the rebuke that one gives the members of one’s household should be in such a manner that it can be accepted (as opposed to inspiring defensive posturing and anger). Similarly when one gives rebuke to even those who are not members of his household, the same consideration should apply.

ב. RaLBaG interprets that the response to Sara’s denial of having laughed comes from Avraham rather than HaShem via His Malach.

בראשית יח:יב-טו

(יב) וַתִּצְחַק שָׂרָה בְּקִרְבָּהּ לֵאמֹר אַחֲרֵי בְלֹתִי הָיְתָה לִּי עֶדְנָה וַאדֹנִי זָקֵן:

(יג) וַיֹּאמֶר יְדֹוָד אֶל אַבְרָהָם לָמָּה זֶּה צָחֲקָה שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר הַאַף אֻמְנָם אֵלֵד וַאֲנִי זָקַנְתִּי:

(יד) הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵידֹוָד דָּבָר לַמּוֹעֵד אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וּלְשָׂרָה בֵן:

(טו) וַתְּכַחֵשׁ שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר לֹא צָחַקְתִּי כִּי יָרֵאָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא כִּי צָחָקְתְּ:

And Sarah laughed within herself, saying: 'After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?' And the LORD Said unto Abraham: 'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD. At the set time I will Return unto thee, when the season cometh round, and Sarah shall have a son.' Then Sarah denied, saying: 'I laughed not'; for she was afraid. And He Said: 'Nay; but thou didst laugh.'  (The translation is making the assumption that  it is HaShem, rather than Avraham, as RaLBaG contends, who is rebuking Sara. [In the Gilayon it is stated that RaShI and RaShBaM state otherwise, probably that it is HaShem Who is Offering the rebuke. However, in our editions of RaShI and RaShBaM, no such comments appear. Furthermore Nechama writes that most Meforshim differ with RaLBaG, however my review of the standard commentators indicates that most of them say that it was Avraham who was issuing the rebuke to Sara. Consider the Emek Davar:

 ויאמר לא כי צחקת. לפי הפשט השיב לה אברהם כך. אבל חז"ל ברבה פירשו שהקב"ה השיב. והוא כדברינו שאברהם הבין שמסתמא לא תכחיש בשקר דבר ה' ויש דברים בגו אלא שהקב"ה השיב לה כי צחקת היינו במה שאמרת ואדני זקן. והנה האריך הכתוב להודיענו כ"ז. ויבואר להלן כ"א ג' עיקר התכלית שהיה משונה גם אברהם מגס שרה. ומה פעל ועשה דבר הצחוק. שבשביל זה הגיע לה עסק אבימלך והיה לה למורת רוח אחד. וכ"ז ענין שהגיע לזרעם כענין כל מעשה אבות סימן לבנים:)

  6. א. If Avraham was so concerned about the welfare of the people in Sodom, why didn’t he enter the city and try to get them to improve their ways?

ב.  It seems to me that the first official indication that Avraham was going to be responsible for the conduct of not only his own household, but that of other nations is when he is given the explanation of his new name by HaShem:

בראשית יז:ה

(ה) וְלֹא יִקָּרֵא עוֹד אֶת שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָם וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם כִּי אַב הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ:

Neither shall thy name any more be called Avram, but thy name shall be Avraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I Made thee.

Consequently,  whenever it says that “Avraham called on the Name of HaShem”, (Beraishit  12:8; 13:4; 21:33) it could be interpreted that he was attempting to improve the moral conduct of the peoples with whom he came into contact by promulgating monotheism.

Beit.

1. א. The two questions that RaShI appears to be addressing are: a) It would appear disingenuous that I promised to give him the land in which Sodom and Amora are included, and now I Proceed to destroy that part of the land without giving Avraham a heads-up; b) If I Declared Avraham the “father of multitudes of nations” implying that he is responsible for all of these peoples, then how can I Destroy a portion of them without receiving his input?

ב.  The “תמי'” implied in RaShI’s comment on “המכסה” could be interpreted either as “Can I?” or “Should I?” There is no question that HaShem Can do whatever He Pleases with or without informing man of His Intentions. However, would it be proper? That is why RaShI adds “לא יפה לי לעשות דבר זה”.

ג.  It seems to me that the two aspects of RaShI’s comment are to be found in Beraishit 18:18—

(יח) וְאַבְרָהָם הָיוֹ יִהְיֶה לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וְעָצוּם וְנִבְרְכוּ בוֹ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ:

Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

In order for Avraham to be a great and mighty nation, he needs all of the land initially Promised to him. If the nations of the world will bless  using him an example, he has to be perceived as their protector and advocate.

2. א.   Verse 18 seems entirely superfluous. V. 17 would have smoothly transitioned into v. 19 without v. 18—

(יז) וַידֹוָד אָמָר הַמֲכַסֶּה אֲנִי מֵאַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה:

(יח) וְאַבְרָהָם הָיוֹ יִהְיֶה לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל וְעָצוּם וְנִבְרְכוּ בוֹ כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ:

(יט) כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ יְדֹוָד לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט לְמַעַן הָבִיא יְדֹוָד עַל אַבְרָהָם אֵת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר עָלָיו:

And the LORD said: 'Shall I Hide from Abraham that which I am Doing;

Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

For I have Known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the LORD may Bring upon Abraham that which He hath Spoken of him.' 

ב. The first interpretation presumes that v. 18 is superfluous to the story line, and was inserted simply as a means of extolling Avraham once his name is mentioned.

The second interpretation approaches v. 18 as part of the story in the sense that the rationale for God Telling Avraham His Plans for Sodom and Amora is based upon His Great Love for the man as reflected in the prediction that he will become a great nation and the means by which others nations will extend blessings.

ג.  Maskil LeDavid explains that it was not necessary to mention Avraham’s name yet again in v. 18, i.e., it could have said “והוא”. Consequently the Midrash does a better job for accounting for the mention of the name than does the Peshat, since it is specifically the mentioning of the name of Avraham that elicits the glowing description of what will be in store for him and his offspring.

3. א.  Additional possible examples:

בראשית פרק כה

(כז) וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים:

Eisav loved the hunting life?

שמות פרק ב

(כה) וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּדַע אֱלֹקים: ס

HaShem Cared about them?

שמות פרק ו

(ג) וָאֵרָא אֶל אַבְרָהָם אֶל יִצְחָק וְאֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּקל שַׁקי וּשְׁמִי יְקֹוָק לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם:

I did not Make this Name accessible to them so that they would come to know Me intimately.

ב.  RaShI does  not wish to leave the impression that the typical usage of the verb ידע has the  connotation of endearment, but rather it usually represents   cognitive knowing.

ג.   Since Avraham already has members of his household, if he were not already teaching  righteousness and justice, one would have to wonder why he had been chosen. RaShI understands that HaShem’s Description of Avraham’s admirable qualities is the result of what he is already doing, rather than something that he will be doing in the future.

ד.  RaShI is treating v. 19 as describing a cause-and-effect relationship, i.e., as a result of My Becoming Close with Avraham, this was in order that he educate his household in My Ways. But if Onkelos’ approach was adopted, i.e., I Know that Avraham will do these things, it does not necessarily come about as a result of HaShem Helping Avraham to become more familiar with Him, but rather something innate in Avraham that would have happened even if there would have been more distance between him and HaShem.

4. א. RaShi appears to be interpreting v. 19 in such a way that it reflects the fact that these good things are absolutely going to happen to Avraham because rather than just presenting the Derech HaShem as optional to his household, he is commanding them to follow this path. To the extent that they will absolutely follow this path, so too will the things promised for Avraham inevitably come true.

ב. The first “למען” indicates a cause-and effect relationship between the preceding clause and the one that follows, i.e., I Made Myself Knowable to Avraham in order that it be possible for him in turn to command his household to follow My Ways.

The second “למען” is understood by RaShI as connoting the introduction of an inevitable consequence, i.e., once Avraham commands his household to follow in the Ways of HaShem, per force all of the good things that were promised will automatically accrue to him.

5.

(כא) אֵרֲדָה נָּא וְאֶרְאֶה הַכְּצַעֲקָתָהּ הַבָּאָה אֵלַי עָשׂוּ כָּלָה וְאִם לֹא אֵדָעָה:

    א.  The problem is the syntax of the word “כלה”. Is it connected to what the people in Sodom might have done—“עשו כלה”, or does it stand alone as the punishment that will be coming to them as a result of their doing—“הכצעקתה בהאה אלי עשו”? Then “כלה”.

ב. If the word  “כלה” would be attached to what the Sodomites did, then the verse would read: “Did they do the things that were punishable by total destruction?”

ג. If all we were told was that HaShem would Send afflictions, people could die of afflictions; it might just take longer. So the difference would then be a quick death or a slow death. RashI therefore points out that if afflictions are the means of punishment, this is to the exclusion of death and destruction to which they would not be subjected.