Талмуд к Берешит 18:3

How does one honour his teacher? When they are both walking along the way, he must place himself at his¹²The teacher’s. left hand and not at his right. If three [were walking together] and a Sage or a teacher was among them, the teacher is to be in the middle, the more important of the other two on his right and the less important on his left. We find it so in connection with the three angels who came to Abraham our father, viz. Gabriel, Michael and Raphael. Gabriel came to overthrow Sodom and Gomorrah, Raphael came to heal Abraham¹³Of the effects of his circumcision. and Michael came to announce to Sarah [that she would have a son]. Michael was in the middle, Gabriel on his right and Raphael on his left.¹⁴Cf. Yoma 37a (Sonc. ed., p. 172). When Abraham our father saw the Ministering Angels, the Divine Presence appeared and stood over him. He said to them, ‘Sires, wait until I take leave of the Divine Presence, which is greater than you’, as it is stated, And he said: My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.¹⁵Gen. 18, 3. Abraham addressed the chief of them and consequently the word lord does not signify God. Others interpret that he spoke to God, praying Him to wait until he had attended to his guests. They therefore cite here ibid. XVII, 22, And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
When Abraham our father had taken leave of the Divine Presence, he came, bowed to them and led them beneath the tree, as it is stated, Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet,¹⁶ibid. XVIII, 4. and afterwards [it is written], And I will fetch a morsel of bread.¹⁷ibid. 5. But [when the angels came] to Lot, what did he say? And tarry all night, and wash your feet.¹⁸ibid. XIX, 2. Abraham had mistaken the angels for Arabs, who worship the dust of their feet and, being anxious not to introduce idolatry in any form into his house, he asked them to wash their feet first. Lot, however, who had no such anxiety, offered them a night’s lodging before asking them to wash their feet. Others, who give the interpretation which follows in the text, maintain that Lot also was anxious that they should first wash their feet, a custom he had learnt from Abraham; but the reason that he told them to stay the night before washing was to deceive the people of Sodom. Others say: Lot spoke to them [in this manner] only as a clever device. He said [to himself], ‘If [the men of Sodom] find them with their faces, hands and feet already washed, the result will be that they will kill me, my wife and my daughters.¹⁹For not reporting their arrival earlier. Let them, therefore, find them with the dust still on their feet, and they will think that they have only just arrived’.

All the names [signifying God] mentioned in connection with Abraham are sacred, except one which is secular, viz. where it is stated, And he said: My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight.^30a(30a) ibid. XVIII, 3. My lord was addressed to the leader of the three angels. Others say that it is sacred.³¹My Lord was addressed to God. In And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander³²ibid. XX, 13. the name is secular.³³So GRA. By ‘God’ is meant princes or rulers who were the cause of Abraham’s wanderings. R. Ḥanina the brother³⁴[He reads ‘nephew’ in agreement with Shebu. 33b (Sonc. ed., p. 205). The correct form of the name is Ḥananiah, Bacher, Ag. d. Tannaiten, I, p. 385.] of R. Joshua maintains that it is sacred [since the verse means] that, had it not been for God,³⁵Who protected him. they³⁶The wicked rulers. would long ago have caused me to wander.³⁷The verse will accordingly bear the following interpretation: And it came to pass, when they (the wicked men) caused me to wander, God of my father’s house was with me (to help me). [For various interpretations of the verse, cf. Midrash Rabbah, Genesis, LII, §11 (Sonc. ed., I, p. 457).]

All nouns in the Torah [signifying God] that are mentioned in connection with Abraham are sacred except the first.²³The verse, And he said: My lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight (Gen. 18, 3), because my lord was addressed to the leader of the three angels R. Ḥanina the son of R. Joshua’s brother holds that it is sacred.²⁴In his opinion my Lord was addressed to God.