Midrash sobre Gênesis 18:3

(Fol. 35b) All the Divine names found in the Torah in connection with Abraham, are holy, except that of (Gen. 18, 3) And he said, my Lord, if now I have found favor in Thy sight, [which was addressed to an angel]. Chanina, the nephew of R. Joshua, and R. Elazar b. Azaria in the name of Elazar the Modite, say that even this name, too, is holy. In accordance with whose opinion will be that which was said in the name of R. Juda b. Rab that hospitality is considered greater than the reception of the glory of the Shechina? It is in accordance with these two. Furthermore, all the names found in connection with Lot, are common, except (Ib. 19, 18-19) Oh, not so, my Lord; Thy servant hath found grace in Thy eyes, and Thou hast magnified Thy kindness, etc., and who but God can save? Again, all names in connection with Nab'oth are holy; those in connection with Micha (Jud. 17) are common. R. Elazar, however, said that the names with Nab'oth are holy, but those with Micha are partly holy and partly common, namely of Aleph, Lamed (Lord) is a common and of Yud, Hay (God) is holy, except (Ib. 18, 31) which, though beginning with Aleph-Lamed is nevertheless holy. All the names in connection with the Vale of Benjamin (Ib. 20) are according to R. Eliezer, common, and according to R. Joshua, they are holy. R. Eliezer said to him. The passage He promiseth and doth not fulfil [How can it be holy when He has not fulfilled His promise?] Said R. Joshua: "He has fulfilled His promise, but the people there did not understand what was said to them"; a proof to this you find in the fact that after they had comprehended it, they conquered, as it reads (Ib. 20, 28) And Phineas, the son of Elazar, … the son of Aaron, stood, etc. The name Shlomah wherever mentioned in Solomon's Songs is holy (Son. 1, 1) A song to whom peace belongs; except (Ib. 8, 12) My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; Thou, O Solomon, shalt have the thousands. According to others, the following (Ib. 3, 7) Behold, it is the litter of Solomon, is also common. Wherever in Daniel the word king is mentioned, it is common except (Dan. 2, 37) Thou, O king, art a king of kings, unto whom the God of heaven hath given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory. According to others also (Ib. 4, 16) My Lord … . for those who hate thee; for, to whom did Daniel address this? Surely not to Nebuchadnezzar, because by so doing he would curse Israel who hated him; hence he must have addressed it to God. The first Tanna, however, maintains that enemies exist only to Israel, but other nations have no enemies.

(Fol. 127a) R. Jochanan said: "Great is hospitality even more than early attendance at the place of learning, for the Mishnah teaches us: 'For hospitality and for the attendance at the house of study,' putting the two on a par." The Nehardaen and R. Dimi said that hospitality is a greater virtue even than to visit a place of study, for the Mishnah mentions "Hospitality" first and then "attendance at the place of study." R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "Hospitality is a greater virtue than receiving the Shechina, for it is written (Gen. 18, 3.) And he said. My Lord, if now I have found favor in thine eyes, pass not away, I pray Thee." R. Elazar said: "Come and see, that the nature of the Holy One, praised be He! is unlike that of frail man! The nature of a frail man is that an insignificant person would not dare say to a great man 'Stay here until I return,' whereas to the Holy One, praised be He! Abraham said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thine eyes, pass not away." R. Juda b. Shila, in the name of R. Assi, who spoke in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "The interest on six things man enjoys in this world, while the principal remaineth for him in the world to come, viz., hospitality, visiting the sick, calculation of the efforts of prayer [expecting the granting of his demands], early attendance at the place of learning, rearing children to the study of the Torah, and judging his associate [in doubtful acts] with an inclination in his favor." Is this really so? Are we not taught [in a Mishnah]: "These are the things of which a man enjoys the interest for his reward in this world, while the principal remaineth for him for the world to come? viz., honoring one's father and mother, the practice of loving kindness, making peace between a man and his associate, and above all, the study of the Torah." Are these not the only things? Nay, the six things mentioned before are included with those subsequently enumerated.(Ib. b) Our Rabbis taught: "He who judges his associates [in questionable acts] with an inclination in his favor, will be judged with favor [from above]. It happened once that a man who came from upper Galili hired himself to a master in the southern part, for a term of three years. On the eve of the Day of Atonement when his term expired the workman said to his master: 'Give me my wages so that I may return home and support my wife and children.' The master replied: 'I have no money just now.' 'Then give me my money's worth in grain,' said the man. The master responded: 'I have none.' Again the hired man begged him: 'Give me then my money's worth in land.' 'I have none,' the master answered. 'Give me then the amount in cattle.' he said, but the master again refused saying, 'I have none.' 'Give me my money's worth in furniture,' the man pleaded. 'I have none,' was the reply. The man then put his bundle on his back and went away sorrowfully. After the holiday the master took the wages of the hired man and in addition, three asses, one laden with foodstuffs, the second with liquors and the third with spices and went to the hired man's house in Galili. After they ate and drank together, the master paid him his wages and asked him: 'When I told thee that I had not the money to pay thy wages, what didst thou suspect me of?' The man said: 'I thought perhaps thou hadst come across a bargain and hadst paid out all thy ready money.' 'And when thou asked me to give thee thy money's worth in cattle and I answered thee that I had no cattle, of what didst thou suspect me then?' 'I thought perhaps thou hadst leased it to others and couldst not touch it.' 'And when I said to thee I have no fruit, of what didst thou suspect me then?' 'I thought perhaps thou hadst not yet paid the tithes. 'And when I said to thee that I have no furniture, of what didst thou suspect me then?' 'I thought perhaps thou hadst dedicated all thy possessions unto Heaven,' Then said the master: 'I swear to thee, that such was really the case; I had made a vow to give away all my possessions because my son Hurkanius did not want to study the Torah. Afterwards, when I came to my associates in the South, they released me from my vow. And as thou didst judge me with favor, so may God judge thee favorably."

(Devarim 3:24) "to show Your servant": There are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." And there are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He does not call "servants." And there are those who do not call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." Abraham called himself a "servant," viz. (Bereshith 12:3) "Do not now pass away from Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 26:24) "for the sake of Abraham, My servant." Jacob called himself a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 32:11) "I am too small for all of the lovingkindnesses and all of the truth that You have done with Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 41:8) "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, etc." Moses called himself a "servant, viz. "to show Your "servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 1:2) "Moses My servant is dead." David called himself a "servant," viz. (Psalms 116:16) "Heed, O L-rd, for I am Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. ( II Kings 19:34) "for the sake of David, My servant." Isaiah called himself a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 49:5) "… who formed me from the womb to be a servant to Him," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 20:3) "Isaiah, My servant." Samuel called himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant." Shimshon called himself a "servant," viz. (Judges 15:18) "You have given unto the hand of Your servant, etc.", but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a servant. Solomon called himself a "servant," viz. (I Kings 3:9) "Give Your servant an understanding heart," and the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant," but wrought for his father's sake, viz. (I Kings 15:13) "for the sake of David, My servant." Iyyov did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," (viz. Iyyov 2:3) "Have you given heart to My servant, Iyyov"? Joshua did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 24:29) "and Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the L-rd, died." Calev did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Bamidbar 14:24) "But My servant Calev, etc." Elyakim did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be he called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 22:20) "And I will call My servant Elyakim, etc." Zerubavel did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Chaggai 2:23) "Zerubavel ben Shaltiel, My servant." Daniel did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Daniel 6:21) "The king spoke and said to Daniel: Daniel, servant of the living G-d." Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Daniel 6:23) "Shadrach, Meshach and Aved-nego, servants of the exalted G-d." The early prophets did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Amos 3:7) " … but He revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets."

"And he said, "My lords, if only I have found favor in your eyes..." (Bereshit 18:3) R' Chiyah taught: he said this to the greatest of them, Michael. "Please let a little water be taken..." (Bereshit 18:4) R' Eliezer said in the name of R' Simai: the Holy One said to Avraham "you said 'let a little water be taken.' By your life! I will recompense your children in the wilderness, in the settled lands and in the time to come. This is what is written "Then Israel sang this song: "'Ascend, O well,' sing to it!" (Bamidbar 21:17) This is in the wilderness. Where do we learn in the land of Canaan? "... a land with brooks of water, fountains and depths, that emerge in valleys and mountains," (Devarim 8:7) From where do we learn in the time to come? "And it shall come to pass on that day that spring water shall come forth from Jerusalem..." (Zechariah 14:8)