Midrash sobre Gênesis 18:8

(Ib. b) It happened once that R. Eliezer b. R. Joshua and R. Zadok were sitting at the wedding feast of the son of Rabban Gamaliel, and the latter waited upon them. When he extended a cup to R. Eliezer, the latter refused to accept it; but when he gave it to R. Joshua, he did accept it. R. Eliezer then said to R. Joshua: "What is this, Joshua, that we are sitting and Rabban Gamaliel should serve upon us!" Whereupon R. Joshua answered him: "We find that even a greater man than he did serve upon others. Abraham was considered the greatest in his generation — nevertheless it is written (Gen. 18,8) And he stood by them under the tree. Perhaps you will try to explain this that they appeared to him like angels. The fact is that they appeared to him like Arabians. Why then should we not let Rabban Gamaliel, the great, stand and serve upon us?" R. Zadok then remarked to them: "How long will you leave aside the honor of Heaven and occupy yourself concerning the honor of man? Behold, the Holy One, praised be He, blows the winds, brings clouds, causes rain to come down to us, and causes everything to sprout from the earth with which He prepares a table for each and every one, and we shall not allow Rabban Gamaliel the Great to stand and serve upon us!"

"The LORD is our Master, how mighty is Your Name in all the earth." Rav said: "We find three places where the angels prosecuted God; the creation of man, the tabernacle, and the giving of the Torah." Where do we find [this phenomenon] regarding man? When God wished to create man he consulted the angels as it says (Genesis 1:26) "Let Us make man." They began to say "What is man that you recall him?!" [God] replied " Tomorrow you'll see how smart he is." When He created man what did God do? He brought all animals before the angels and asked them the names of all the animals and they did not know. God said to them "Do you want to know the wisdom of Man? I will ask him and he will tell me what all their names." What did God do? He brought all the animals and birds before Adam as it says (ibid. 2:19) "And the LORD formed from the earth." Rabbi Acha said, Did it not already say (ibid. 1:25) "And God made the beasts of the land?" What does the word "and He formed" come to teach us? Rather there it says "and He made" i.e. created them and here it says יצר from the root that connotes convergence as in (Deuteronomy 20:19) "when you besiege a city. (Genesis 2:19) "And He came to Adam to see what to call them" Isn't God omniscient? Rather "to see" means "to show the angels Adam's wisdom [by showing what Adam would call them]," and Adam independently came up with the same name as God for each and every animal. Then God asked him, "And you, what is your name?" He replied, "it is appropriate to call me Adam because I was created from the earth (Adamah)." God asked, "And what's My name?" Adam replied "It is appropriate to call you the LORD because you are the Lord of the entire world." That is why He says (Isaiah 42:8) "I am the LORD, this is My name."

And thou shalt make the altar of acacia-wood (Exod. 27:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Tell them to erect an altar for burnt offerings so that it may atone for the sins of My sons. I made an agreement with Abraham their father that if his sons sinned, I would forgive them because of their sacrifices, as it is said: And he said unto him: “Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old (Gen. 15:9). What do the letters in the Hebrew word mizbeah (“altar”) stand for? The mem stands for mehilah (“pardon”), the zayin stands for zekhut (“merit”), the bet for berakhah (“blessing”), and the het for hayyim (“life”). The burnt offering (ha’oleh) ascended on your account. Thus Solomon said: Who is this that cometh (oleh) up out of the wilderness? (Song 3:6). Boards of acacia-wood standing. These were used because of the merit of Abraham, as it is said: And He stood by them under the tree, and they did eat (Gen. 18:8).

“I know that everything that God does, it will be forever, one cannot add to it, nor can one subtract from it; God did so, so they would fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).
“I know that everything that God does, it will be forever…” Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: It would have been fitting for Adam, the first man, to have lived and endured forever.⁵⁴As the verse states that “everything God does, it will be forever,” and God created Adam. Why was death imposed upon him? “God did so, so they would fear before Him.”
Rabbi Elazar said: From the beginning of the creation of the world it is stated: “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered” (Genesis 1:9). To what purpose? “And let the dry land appear” (Genesis 1:9). Why, then, is it written: “He calls upon the waters of the sea and pours them on the face of the earth; the Lord is His name” (Amos 9:6)? [He did so] twice, once in the generation of the flood and once in the generation of the dispersion, because “God did so, so they would fear before Him.”
Reish Lakish said: It is written: “This entire matter that I command you, you shall take care to perform, do not add to it and do not subtract from it” (Deuteronomy 13:1). But the righteous add to it and do not subtract from it. Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: From here [it may be derived] that an altar outside the Temple can be permitted only by a prophet, and Elijah stood and sacrificed at the peak of the Carmel.⁵⁵Once the Temple was constructed it became prohibited to offer a sacrifice in any other place. However, Elijah the prophet did so on Mount Carmel in a confrontation with idolatrous priests, in order to demonstrate to the people the truth of God and the falsehood of idolatry. See I Kings chapter 18. Rabbi Samlai of Broyera said: [Elijah] said to Him: “It was by Your word that I performed all these matters” (I Kings 18:36).
Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is written: “Your house and your kingdom will remain steadfast” (II Samuel 7:16). When? “If your descendants observe My covenant…” (Psalms 132:12). If not, “I will exact retribution for their transgression with a rod” (Psalms 89:33). Rabbi Yudan said: Great is fear [of God], as the heavens and the earth were created only due to fear; that is what is written: “God did so, so they would fear before Him.” Rabbi Yirmeya said: Great is fear, as Solomon concluded two books that he wrote with nothing other than fear. That is what is written in the book of Proverbs: “Grace is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). In this book, it is written: “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God [and keep His commandments, for this is all of man]” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish was ascending from Ḥamat Gader, and Rabbi Yonatan encountered him. [R’ Yonatan] said to him: ‘How does my master interpret these verses?’ [Reish Lakish] transmitted the matter to him and this is how these verses are read.⁵⁶The reference is to the verses the midrash will now quote. The common theme is that the natural world is meant to maintain its basic structure, as indicated by the verse: “I know that everything that God does, it will be forever.” The Holy One blessed be He decreed that the heavenly shall be the heavenly and the earthly shall be the earthly. Moses rose and transformed the heavenly into the earthly and the earthly into the heavenly. That is what is written: “Moses ascended to God” (Exodus 19:3); “The Lord descended on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that the earthly shall eat and drink and that the heavenly shall not eat and shall not drink. Abraham rose and made the heavenly eat and drink; that is what is written: “He stood over them under the tree and they ate” (Genesis 18:8).⁵⁷The midrash assumes that Abraham’s guests, whom he had given to eat, were angels. Were they eating? Rabbi Natan said: They appeared to be eating; each bit would disappear in turn. Moses rose and made the earthly not eat and drink; that is what is written: “He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, he did not eat bread and he did not drink water” (Exodus 34:28).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that sea shall be sea and that dry land shall be dry land. Moses rose and transformed sea into dry land. That is what is written: “The children of Israel came into the midst of the sea on dry land” (Exodus 14:16). Elisha, the disciple of his disciple, transformed dry land into sea. That is what is written: “Make this valley full of trenches…[that valley will be filled with water]” (II Kings 3:16–17).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that the heavens shall laud him, as it is stated: “The heavens relate the glory of God” (Psalms 19:2). Moses rose and silenced them, as it is stated: “Listen heavens, and I will speak” (Deuteronomy 32:1). Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that the sun and the moon shall laud him, as it is stated: “From the rising of the sun until its setting, the name of God is praised [mehulal]” (Psalms 113:3); it is written mehalel [praises].⁵⁸The word praised [mehulal] is written without a vav, such that it can be vocalized mehalel [praises]. Thus, instead of the verse stating “the name God is praised,” the verse can be read “the name of God it praises.” Joshua, [Moses’s] disciple, rose and silenced them, as it is stated: “Sun, stand still in Givon; and Moon, in the valley of Ayalon” (Joshua 10:12).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that summer shall be summer and that winter shall be winter. Samuel rose and transformed summer into winter, as it is stated: “Is it not wheat harvest today? [I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain]” (I Samuel 12:17).⁵⁹In the land of Israel, it generally rains only during the winter. The wheat harvest occurs in late spring. Elijah rose and transformed winter into summer, as it is stated: “There shall not be dew or rain these years, except by my word” (I Kings 17:1).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that day shall be day and night shall be night. Jacob, our patriarch, rose and transformed day into night, as it is stated: “He encountered the place, and stayed the night there, because the sun had set [ki va]” (Genesis 28:11); in fact, He extinguished [kava] the sun.⁶⁰God made the sun set early so that Jacob would spend the night in that location. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He set the sun prematurely and spoke with him in private. This is analogous to a friend of the king who would visit him infrequently. The king would attend to all the residents of the province on his request, and he would say: ‘Extinguish the torches and lamps so I can speak with my friend in private.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He concealed the sun prematurely and spoke with Jacob in private. Deborah and Barak rose and transformed night into day. That is what is written: “Deborah and Barak ben Avinoam sang…on that day” (Judges 5:1). Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiyya [said] in the name of Rabbi Simon: Six miracles were performed on that day: On that day they came,⁶¹The people came to Deborah to ask for help in the war against the Canaanites. on that day they sent for him⁶²She sent for Barak. and he sent.⁶³Barak sent messengers to marshal the forces. On that day they waged war. On that day Sisera was killed. On that day they distributed the spoils. On that day they recited a song, as it is stated: “Deborah and Barak ben Avinoam sang…on that day.”⁶⁴These events, some of which individually took longer than the average length of a day, all took place on the same miraculously lengthy day.

[(Deut. 14:22:) YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE.] What is written above on the matter (in Deut. 14:21)? YOU SHALL EAT NO CARCASS THAT IS NOT PROPERLY SLAUGHTERED…. R. 'Azariah, R. Johanan ben Haggai, and R. Isaac bar Maryon said in the name or Rabbi Jose bar Hanina: One who eats his produce untithed is like one who eats carcasses that are not properly slaughtered and those torn by wild beasts (terefah).⁴²Tanh., Deut. 4:17; PRK 10:9. What is the reason? (Deut. 14:21:) YOU SHALL EAT NO CARCASS THAT IS NOT PROPERLY SLAUGHTERED. [<Then after that it is written (in vs. 22):>⁴³These words in angle brackets come from the parallel in Tanh., Deut. 4:17. YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE.] R. Abba and Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: One who eats his produce without separating the tithe for the poor is liable for death.⁴⁴yQid. 2:9[8] (63a). R. Isaac said: It is written in three places: YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK: One for its own sake, one with reference to Torah, and one with reference to tithes.⁴⁵Cf. PR 25:3. <Where the prohibition is given> for its own sake, what does it say (in Exod. 23:19)? THE CHOICE FIRST FRUITS OF YOUR LAND <YOU SHALL BRING TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.> [YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK.] What is written after that (in vs. 20): BEHOLD, I AM SENDING AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU <TO GUARD YOU ON THE WAY>.⁴⁶The significance of citing what comes before and after the prohibition is to show that it is unrelated to its context. With reference to Torah, [what is written] (in Exod. 34:26)? THE CHOICE [FIRST FRUITS OF YOUR LAND] <YOU SHALL BRING TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.> YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK.] What is written after it (in vs. 27)? AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: WRITE DOWN <THESE WORDS>.⁴⁷On this difficult passage, see Buber’s note 80. He would follow the interpretation in PR 25:3 and in M. Pss. 8:2, according to which Moses was told to write Torah immediately after the prohibition against eating meat with milk for a specific reason. When the angels had objected that Israel was unworthy to receive the Torah, the Holy One reminded them that, although any schoolchild knew never to mix meat and milk, the angels had done so when visiting Abraham (Gen. 18:8). Thus the proper time for Moses to write the words of the Torah was when the angels had just been reminded of their eating meat with milk. [The Holy One said to Moses: While the sandal⁴⁸Gk.: sandalon is on your foot, tread down the thorn⁴⁹Reading kuba’ for kuppah. So Jastrow, s.v., KWPH and KWB’. See also Buber’s note 82 here, which lists the parallels that contain the reading. <of opposition>.⁵⁰Gen. R. 44:12. Braude and Kapstein, p. 196, n. 34, find an allusion to the angels who ate goat meat with milk in Gen. 18:7–8. Out of YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK <comes> WRITE DOWN THESE WORDS.] With reference to tithes (in Deut. 14:22) what is written above (ibid.)? YOU SHALL EAT NO CARCASS THAT IS NOT PROPERLY SLAUGHTERED […. YOU SHALL NOT BOIL (BShL) A KID (gedi) IN ITS MOTHER'S MILK (HLB).] Then after that is written (in Deut. 14:22): YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE. The Holy One said: Do not cause me to have the tender grains (gedayim)⁵¹On this reading of gedi here, see Jastrow, s.v. ripen prematurely (BShL) in the fat (HLB)⁵²This meaning comes from voweling the text as helev instead of halev. of their mothers, while they are in the abdominal fat (HLB)⁵³Tanh., Deut. 4:17, and PRK 10:9 both read “belly” here. of their mothers (i.e., in their pods).⁵⁴The midrash is interpreting the prohibition in terms of agricultural products that are tithed. Thus the verse fits the context of what follows. Thus unless you take out a tithe properly, I will send out a certain wind from the East to blast them (i.e., the tender grains), just as you have said (in II Kings 19:26 = Is. 37:27): AND BLASTED BEFORE IT IS GROWN.

Of Abraham it is written (Genesis, Ibid. 7) "And to the herd Abraham ran," and the Holy One Blessed be He flew in quail for his children, as it is written (Numbers 11:31) "And a wind went forth from the land and flew in quail from the sea." Of Abraham it is written (Genesis, Ibid. 4) "And recline under the tree," and the Holy One Blessed be He spread out for his children seven clouds of glory," as it is written (Psalms 105:39) "He spread out a cloud for shelter and a fire to illumine the night." Of Abraham it is written (Genesis, Ibid. 8) "and he stood over them," and the Holy One Blessed be He defended his children in Egypt, that they not be smitten, viz. (Exodus 12:23) "and the L rd will skip over the door, etc."

"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)