Halakhah sobre Gênesis 18:1

There is yet another source which, although in itself not halakhically authoritative, nevertheless lends support to the view that non-Jews are rewarded for the performance of mizvot. Scripture records that following Abraham's circumcision "… the Lord appeared unto him in the terebinth of Mamre" (Gen. 18:1). Apparently troubled by the necessity for a reference to Mamre and by the identification of this historical personage with the geographical site of God's revelation, Rashi makes the following comment: "It was he [Mamre] who gave [Abraham] counsel with regard to circumcision; therefore [God] revealed [Himself] to him in [Mamre's] portion." Rashi's comment is perplexing to say the least. Abraham is the recipient of an explicit divine commandment. He has been ordered to circumcise himself. Can there be any question that Abraham will obey? If so, why does Abraham seek the counsel of Mamre? What advice need he solicit? Siftei Hakhamim, in one of the explanations which he advances, indicates that this advice was sought not after Abraham received the divine command regarding circumcision, but prior to the commandment.⁵⁷Cf., however, Midrash Tanḥuma, Va-Yeira, 3. For an interesting explanation in conformity with Tanḥuma, see Ha-Ma‘ayan, Nisan 5734, p. 34. Abraham, declare the Sages, fulfilled all the precepts of the Torah even though no mizvah had as yet been ordained. In keeping with his regimen of observance, Abraham desired to fulfill the mizvah of circumcision as well and desired to do so without delay. This mizvah, however, presented a unique problem. By virtue of its nature, circumcision is a nonrecurring mizvah; it can be performed only once in a lifetime. Hence, Abraham found himself in a quandry: a mizvah performed as a result of divine command is greater than one performed in the absence of such directive. On the other hand, performance of a mizvah should not be delayed. Abraham's dilemma was whether he should perform the mizvah without delay, even though he had as yet not been commanded to do so, and hence its performance would be in the category of eino meḥuveh ve-'oseh, or whether he should wait until God would command him to do so, in order that he might fulfill the mizvah in the optimum manner as a meḥuveh ve-'oseh. It is with regards to this question, according to Siftei Hakhamim, that Abraham consulted Mamre. Mamre's advice was to delay the circumcision until the commandment was issued. This advice coincided with the divine design and Mamre was suitably rewarded. God visited Abraham "on the plains of Mamre" during his convalescence and this statement was recorded for posterity as part of the eternal Torah.