Comentários de Citação sobre Gênesis 14:13

וירא ה' אליו באלוני ממרא, in the location where Avraham dwelled, as we know from Genesis 14,13 והוא שוכן באלוני ממרא האמורי, “he dwelled by the groves of Mamre the Emorite. The reason why Avraham had not moved away from there was that his allies also lived in that proximity. Solomon advised already in Proverbs 27,10:טוב שכן קרוב מאח רחוק, “better a good neighbour who lives close by than a brother who lives far away.” G’d appeared to him there after he kept the commandment to circumcise himself, in order to apprise him of what he had in store for Sodom, a city in which his nephew had made his home. Avraham was the outstanding human being in that generation. Seeing that G’d was bent to exact partial retribution for the worst outrages committed by mankind at that time, He did not want to do so before informing Avraham of His intention. It was G’d’s intention to demonstrate that He does keep track of what individuals in the “lower” part of His universe are up to, and that He even will not exact collective punishment unless He can demonstrate that the parties affected are all guilty. There was no need for G’d to “descend” to investigate what He already knew, but the Torah describes this in terms that we can understand. He wanted to enable Avraham when the latter would instruct and teach his descendants to walk in the ways of G’d, to show that His ways were truly not only just but that He made allowances for human weaknesses. It is possible, -if this was indeed G’d’s purpose- to explain the entire paragraph as a prophetic vision up until verse 23 where the Torah writes that Avraham returned to his station, i.e. that this line terminated the prophetic vision יושב פתח האהל, as explained immediately following,

Therefore, He appeared to him in his territory. It seems that Rashi is not attempting to answer the question of why Hashem appeared to Avraham specifically there, as Avraham might have simply happened to be there at the time [when Hashem chose to appear]. Rather, Rashi is answering the question: Why does Scripture need to inform us that Hashem appeared to him there, [when we would know this on our own? For] it already said that Avraham dwelled in the groves of Mamrei. Assumedly, Hashem appeared to him there, since that is where he circumcised himself and his household. And he surely did not leave, as he was still recovering from the milah; in fact Hashem came to visit him [for that reason]. The Re’m asks: How did Rashi know that Mamrei advised him? Perhaps Hashem appeared to Avraham there simply because Avraham’s tent was there on that day. He answers: Rashi knew it from the extra phrase, [“In the groves of Mamrei”]. It could have said simply, “Adonoy appeared to him and he was sitting...” as it does for other prophecies, [where the place is not mentioned]. This answer is similar to what I explained above. Alternatively: Rashi knew [that Mamrei advised Avraham] because it said in Parshas Lech Lecha (14:13), באלוני ממרא האמורי. And האמורי implies that Mamrei said (אמר) to Avraham to perform Hashem’s command. Question: How could one suggest that Avraham Avinu asked advice whether or not to fulfill Hashem’s command? Avraham was a great tzaddik who withstood ten trials! The Re’m explains that Avraham surely would have done the milah anyway, as commanded by his Creator. Avraham asked Eshkol, Aneir and Mamrei for advice since they were his allies and spoke to them as his friends, but Avraham wanted to test their sincerity. If they will advise him to circumcise, they are sincere friends. In the end, Eshkol and Aneir advised him against circumcising, and only Mamrei advised him to circumcise. Avraham thereby knew what was in their hearts. The Re’m offers another answer: Avraham asked their advice because he assumed they would advise him not to circumcise, yet he would do it anyway—making his reward greater. A further answer: Avraham sought advice whether to circumcise himself in private or in public, as he was concerned lest people come and prevent him. Mamrei said to do it publicly, for people will not be able to stop him. This is in accord with 17:23 where it is written בעצם היום, [on which Rashi comments that Avraham performed the milah openly, without fear of intervention]. (Mahari) It seems to me [that the answer is]: Avraham asked whether to circumcise in public, as nowhere does it say he was commanded to do it publicly. Aneir and Eshkol were opposed, as it says in Midrash Tanchuma Vayeira 3, while Mamrei enheartened him to circumcise in public, and not to be concerned at all about his enemies. Hashem rewarded Mamrei accordingly, measure for measure, and appeared [to Avraham] in his territory. Although Rashi said in 17:23 that Hashem told Avraham not to fear, that was after Mamrei advised him [not to be concerned about his enemies], to which Hashem concurred. (R. Meir Stern) A further answer: The Midrash says that Avraham circumcised Eshkol and Aneir, and they died. Mamrei told [i.e., advised] him: “The others will not survive unless you circumcise yourself.” This is as it says (17:13): המל ימול, the first word spelled without a ו, implying that he who circumcises himself (הַמָל) may circumcise others (ימול). [See also Yerushalmi, Shabbos 19:2. But in present-day Torah scrolls it is written המול.] Avraham then began to circumcise himself, but could not [finish], due to the pain. Hashem came and helped him, as it says (Nechemiah 9:8): “וכרות עמו הברית (and You cut the bris with him).” And since Mamrei advised him regarding the milah, Hashem appeared to him in Mamrei’s territory. Question: If Hashem would not appear to Avraham in Mamrei’s territory, where would He appear? Avraham dwelled in Mamrei’s territory! The answer is: Hashem caused Avraham to dwell there in order to bring about Mamrei’s reward. You might ask: Why did Avraham seek advice regarding milah, but not regarding any other mitzvah? An answer is: Avraham did not need advice whether to wait until he was commanded [before he fulfilled] the other mitzvos, as he knew he would not be commanded regarding any other mitzvah. An alternative answer: Even should he be commanded later concerning another mitzvah, this is no reason to refrain from performing it before—as he can always perform it later, in fulfillment of the command. But milah cannot be done a second time. I later heard that this answer is written in Mishpetei Shmuel. (Tzeidah L’Derech)

באלוני ממרא, “at the terebinths of Mamre.” The Torah informs us of the site where the circumcision took place. This was also the place where he received an immediate sign that G’d appreciated Avraham’s deed.
We find that manifestations of G’d’s presence to the prophets occur by means of 1) fire; 2) wind; 3) water, and 4) earth [either of the four basic raw material the terrestrial earth is made of. Ed.] G’d appeared to Moses in a burning bush (Exodus 3,2). He also appeared to the entire Jewish nation in an environment of fire (Deuteronomy 4,36: “He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire”). In Exodus 24,17 G’d’s manifestation is described as “a consuming fire on top of the mountain.”
In connection with the ascent to heaven by the prophet Elijah we read in Kings II 2,1 “when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, etc.” In Kings I 19,11 והנה ה' עובר ורוח גדולה וחזק מפרק הרים, ”there was a great and mighty wind; splitting mountains and shattering rocks by the power of the Lord.” We also encounter a manifestation of G’d through a mighty wind in Job 38,1 “Then the Lord replied to Job out of the tempest and said, etc.”
An instance of G’d manifesting Himself by means of water is found in Ezekiel 1,1 “It was in the thirtieth year... when I was in the community of exiles by the river Kevar, etc.” We encounter another example of G’d manifesting Himself by means of water in Ezekiel 1,24 ”I could hear the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the sound of Shaddai."
We find G’d manifesting Himself in connection with earth in Ezekiel 43,2 “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” We also find a revelation described as “and the earth was lit up by His Presence.” In this instance, G’d manifested Himself to Avraham by means of a tree. The Midrash uses the word אלוני ממרא to emphasise the fact that these were trees, אילנות. Actually, Mamre was the name of one of Avraham’s close associates as we know from 14,13 “Mamre the Emorite, the brother of Aner and Eshkol who were allies of Avram.” Had the Torah only wanted to tell us that Avraham circumcised himself near the place where Mamre lived, it would have been appropriate to describe the area as ערבות ממרא, “the fields of Mamre.” The emphasis on the word אלוני shows that the Torah wanted to draw our attention to the fact that we are talking about a tree or trees. When Avraham told the men who came to visit to rest “under one of the trees,” this shows that there was more than one tree.
Why did G’d choose a tree to be the site at which He manifested Himself to Avraham on this occasion? It was because the angel was going to tell him that within a year he and Sarah would have a son. He would experience something similar to that which was experienced by an aged tree which still produced fruit. It is written in Job 14,7-9: “There is hope for a tree; if it is cut down it will renew itself; its shoots will not cease. If its shoots are old in the earth, and its stump dies in the ground, at the scent of water it will bud and produce branches like a sapling.” We also have a verse comparing the righteous to trees in Psalms 1,3 “He (the righteous) is like a tree planted beside streams of water which yields its fruit in season.” This is also how Rabbeinu Chananel explains our verse.

אל תירא אתו DO NOT FEAR HIM — In the case of Sihon, however, it did not feel it necessary to state, “Do not fear him״!? But in the case of Og Moses feared lest the merit that he (Og) had been of service to Abraham might avail him, as it is said, (Genesis 14:13: see Rashi thereon), "And the fugitive came", and that was Og (Genesis Rabbah 42:8; see Rashi on Numbers 21:34).

עשתרת — This is an expression denoting rocks and anything hard, just as (Genesis 14:5) “Ashtaroth Karnaim”, (i.e. the hard rocks of Karnaim) (Sifrei Devarim 3:5)). And indeed this Ashtaroth is identical with Ashtaroth Karnaim where the Rephaim (the giants) were, whom Amraphel smote, as it is said, (Genesis 14:5) “And they smote the Rephaim in Ashtaroth Karnaim". Og, alone, escaped of them, and that is the meaning of what is stated, (Genesis 14:13; cf. Rashi) "And the one who escaped (הפליט) came", for it further states, (Deuteronomy 3:11) "For only Og, king of Bashan, remained of the remnant of the Rephaim",