Musar do Rodzaju 18:7

The second method of explaining these verses is based on Abraham's speculating that these visitors were angels. Thus the meal must be understood as an offering to G–d by Abraham. When Abraham "ran to the cattle," this means he went to prepare a bull for the sacrifice. This is what Vayikra Rabbah 27,9 means when it comments on the paragraph שור או כשב או עז, Leviticus 22,27 that the entire legislation of animal as well as meal offerings and the ability to atone for our sins by means of these animal offerings is due to the patriarchs. In the case of Abraham this is because אל הבקר רץ אברהם, "Abraham ran to the cattle" to select a suitable offering for G–d. The previous verse describing Abraham rushing into the tent to give instructions to Sarah what and how she was to bake, is a reference to the קרבן מנחה, the meal offering. Instead of mentioning a libation of wine, something that usually accompanies such offerings, Abraham took milk and butter. The reason he did so is that milk is conceptually connected to the attribute of Love, חסד, whereas wine is a symbol of the attribute of justice. At this point in Abraham's life the entire emphasis is on the acts of חסד he performs.

To get back to the point that, from the angels' point of view, the meal was considered a sacrifice to G–d. The essence of a sacrifice is that the person offering it signifies that he offers his own person to G–d. Abraham offered his own person when he circumcised himself, something from which he was still sick on this third day after the operation. During this meal which was a sacrifice, he was informed when Isaac would be born. This is a hint that Isaac represents circumcision at its best, seeing he was the first one to be circumcised on the eighth day. Circumcision on that day is considered an עולה תמימה, a total offering of perfect dimensions. Abraham was inspired with sufficient Holy Spirit to realise that there would be forces such as Ishmael and Satan which would accuse Isaac which we have quoted in connection with the introduction to the עקדה. This is why Abraham sanctified his son Ishmael by instructing him to participate in this offering by helping to prepare it (Bereshit Rabbah 48,13). He is the lad referred to in 18,7 ויתן אל הנער, "he gave it to the lad." He wanted to prevent Ishmael becoming rooted in the קליפות, so that his words would remain ineffective.

The line 18,7) ,ואל הבקר רץ אברהם) may be understood as parallel to the heavenly meat that the angels are reported as having fried for אדם הראשון, as reported in Sanhedrin 59. Abraham prepared the bread but did not serve it, since the time for manna which would be ground for the righteous in the heavenly region called שחקים was not yet ripe. Since Adam, however, had already been the recipient of meat from the heavenly regions before he sinned, Abraham saw no reason not to offer meat to these guests from heaven. The bread he prepared assumed a sacred character, seeing Abraham had been feeding the poor at all times, and the reason his descendants were found worthy to feed on heavenly bread was because of their ancestor Abraham's mercy. Unfortunately, the Israelites sinned when they made derogatory comments about the manna, describing it as לחם הקלקל, "bread that is lacking in substance" (Numbers 21,5). This heavenly bread will only appear again in the future that we have spoken of. The reason that