“Va’yera,” which is translated "he
appeared," actually means "and he showed himself,"
and even more literally: “and he caused himself to be seen.” “Yera” stems from the root r.a.h. (resh,
alef, hey), meaning to "see."
Some of its other derivatives are: "seen, to show, to be seen, and
sight." Certainly, "seeing" plays a major role in this
Parasha. Yes, YHVH does show Himself to
Avraham – but it was up to the latter to do the seeing. The opening statement in 18:1-2 reads thus:
“YHVH appeared to him… and he lifted up his eyes and saw… three men!" This
peculiar wording indicates that while looking, Avraham had to see beyond what
met his eye. But before we continue, let us note that last week’s Parashat Lech
Lecha also has its share of “seeing,” such as in 12:7, where it is ‘seen’ twice
(as “appreared”), similar to the way it is used in our Parasha. Then there was
the concern of the beautiful Sarai being “seen” by the Egyptians, which indeed
was the case (12:12, 14). In 13:10 Lot “lifts
up his eyes” and sees the expanse of land which appeals to him. However,
Avram’s magnanimity pays off, as in 13:14ff. YHVH promises to give the latter
all the land which his eye sight captures (and that includes Lot ’s territory). Chapter 15 opens up with Avram’s
vision, and then with “seeing” the stars that were symbolic of his future
progeny. Later, Hagar, who was carrying Avram’s child, “saw that she had
conceived, and her mistress became despised in her eyes” (16:4). As a result of
the conflict between the two women Hagar with her child fled from Sarai. There,
in the wilderness, she was met by an angel at a spring of water (“spring” is
“ayin” in Hebrew, meaning also “eye”), “then she called the name of YHVH… You-Are-the-El-Who-Sees
–Me - El Ro’i – for she said, ‘Have I also here seen Him who see me?’” (16:13).
Even the well that was there, was to commemorate this “seeing,” by being named
(by Hagar) the well of the Living-One-Who-Sees-Me (Be’er La’Hai
Ro
The
principle promulgated by Yeshua in Matthew 25:40, namely, "inasmuch as you
did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me," is
apparent throughout chapter 18. Avraham (as
he is called now) appears to be keenly aware of the fact that by entertaining
strangers, one could unknowingly (or knowingly), be entertaining (at the very
least), angels… (ref. Hebrew 13:2). The
passing by strangers, whether one of them is or is not YHVH Himself, are
greeted by their host, in word and deed, with great respect and homage not
unbefitting royalty.
The
passage at hand (in chapter 18) contains significant interchanges between singular
and plural,* as in verse 3 Avraham addresses the three men who had just appeared
before him, calling them "Adonai" (“Lords”) saying: “…If now I have
found favor in your [single person] sight, pass not away from your servant."
Verses 4 and 5, however, employ the second person plural, whereas in verse 10, where
the promise of the son who is to be born to Sarah within the year is pronounced,
there is a switch to singular again (“and he said I will return,”
italics added). It is YHVH who is actually mentioned in verses 13 and 14, as
the One addressing Avraham (relating to Sarah’s response), while in v. 16 the “men
rise up” and get ready to leave. Starting with verse 17 the scene changes
altogether. In the passage which
commences here (describing Avraham's intercession on behalf of the cities of
Sdom and Amora – Gomorrah , vs. 23-32), YHVH, and
the men who until now seemed to represent Him, are referred to as
totally separate entities: “And the men turned their faces
away from there, and went toward Sodom
Back to chapter 18, where Avraham’s
guests stand and view Sdom from a distance, while the Elohim who "showed Himself" to
Avraham determines (v. 17) to (literally) not "cover" His plans from
His servant, and to inform him what He was about to do (to Sdom and
Amora). YHVH then declares that He Himself
aims to "come down and see if they had done according to the outcry
that had come" to Him (18:21 italics added). In this instance, the "seeing" is a
symbolic "inspection," or a declaration of intention that will
obviously be followed by action on YHVH’s part.
Following
Avraham's bargaining scene with YHVH, we meet his nephew Lot as he is sitting in the evening by the gate
of Sdom (whereas his uncle had been sitting at the door of his tent in the heat
of day). Now it is his turn to
"see" (19:1). Lot greets the two messengers (quite likely of the same “threesome”
who had visited his uncle) by rising up and bowing down, just as his relative
had done. He too offers to have his
guests' feet washed, and is anxious to supply them with refreshments. As it is evening time, Lot
also offers them a place for the night, which they are very reluctant to accept
(or are they simply testing him?), and do so only after much imploring on the
part of their host. The meal served by
Avraham under the tree was far more peaceful than the feast at Lot's house in
the city of Sdom (notice that up until now each reference to “city” has been
connected to wickedness, Kayin built a city, ref. 4:17; Nimrod’s was a city
builder, ref. 10:11-12, the tower of Babel builders intended to build a city,
ref. 11:4). Before Lot ’s
guests are about to retire, the town's evil men surround the house (ref. 19:4,
5). The messengers, however, quickly and supernaturally blind the eyes of the would-be-assailants
(ref. 19:11). Next, Lot
tries to talk his family into leaving town, but his sons-in-law perceive it to
be a joke ("laughing" is the word in Hebrew in verse 14). This
laughter, however, is only short lived, as in verse 25 YHVH overthrows the two
cities and in verse 28 Avraham is mentioned watching (literally “seeing” - “vayar”
- of the root r.a.h) “the smoke of the
country.”
Laughter
was also part of the above-mentioned scene with Avraham and his guests. The three visitors came in order to reaffirm,
once again, the promise of a son. Sarah, who overheard this conversation,
laughed in her tent and later denied it (18:12-15). What’s more, this is not the last time that
she is seen laughing. After giving birth,
exactly within the year as YHVH had declared, Sarah says, "Elohim has made
me laugh, and everyone who hears of it will laugh at me"
(21:6 italics added). “And
Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian… mocking” (the word is again
“laughing,” v. 9, italics added). "Seeing"
this “laughter” results in the banishment of Hagar and her son Yishmael
(Ishmael). The banished handmaiden
wanders in the wilderness by Beer Sheva, and when her drinking water is used up
she places her son under a shrub and exclaims: “Let me not see the death
of the boy. And she … lifted up her
voice and cried" (v.16 italics added). “And Elohim opened her eyes
and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle with
water, and gave drink to the boy” (v. 19 italics added).
Hagar's eyes are opened in the wilderness of
Beer Sheva. The episode that follows (21:22 – 32) expounds on the meaning of
that town’s name. Beer Sheva is
literally "the well of seven".
The words “adjure, charge, and oath” share the same root (sh.v.a, shin,
bet/vet, ayin). “Satisfaction, or to have had enough” (especially
regarding food), is “sovah,” being of the same root (although the letter
“shin,” “sh” sound, is modified to a “sin,” - “s” sound). The usage of the number seven is often
indicative of “fullness” and “completeness,” and as such it is also a solemn
promise, or an oath that can be guaranteed simply by repeating it seven times
(or by using multiplications of seven).
The connection between these two words ("seven" and
"oath") is well illustrated here in our story, namely in Avraham and
Avimelech's settlement. Avraham places
seven (“sheva”) ewe lambs in front of Avimlelech, as a witness to the
fact that he had dug the well that was now under dispute. Following this action "he called that
place Beer Sheva, because there the two of them took an oath (sh'vu'ah,
v. 31)". In Matthew 18:21, we see
Peter proclaiming that the act of forgiving up to seven times is
sufficient. Yeshua, of course, goes
beyond that, but He too stays within the ‘realm of seven’ saying, "up to
seventy times seven” (v. 22). Truly,
“…The words of YHVH are pure words; as silver… refined seventy times"
(Ps. 12:6). The figure ‘seventy’ tells
us that His words promise to guarantee full satisfaction. "…On the day when YHVH binds up the
fracture of His people and heals the bruise He has inflicted… the light of the
sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days" (Is.
30:26). Again, the guarantee of fullness
in the form of "sevens" renders it like an oath. The sunrise and sunset dictate the formation
of any given day, just as the sun and the moon control the length of the months
and seasons of the Biblical year. The
seven-day week, however, seems to be quite arbitrary - but is it? Elohim chose to create the world in six days
and then to add one more at the end, which He set apart for rest, remembrance,
and declaration. The sanctification of
the seventh day, the commemoration of the number "seven" (in naming
the “week” “shavu’a”), the fullness and completeness of what Elohim has
accomplished, and its guaranteed fulfillment are all innately expressed in the
Hebrew language by the root sh/s.v.a: "In Your presence there is fullness
("sova") of joy; I will be satisfied (“es'be'ah”) with Your likeness
when I awake" (Ps. 16:11 & 17:15). To seal off the episode of
Avraham’s test, YHVH declares: "By
Myself I have sworn – nish’ba’ti - ’ says YHVH, because you have done
this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only one, blessing I will
bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your seed…” (22:16-17 italics
added)
This blessing is the culmination of
Avraham’s test, known as the "binding of Yitzchak (Isaac)," or
“Akedat Yitzchak.” After a three-day
journey with Yitzchak and two of his servants “…Avraham lifted up his eyes and saw
the place from afar…” (22:4 italics added).
Responding to his son's question, as to the whereabouts of the lamb for
the sacrifice, Avraham says, "Elohim will see for Himself the lamb
for the burnt offering, my son" (v. 8 literal translation, italics
added). YHVH does indeed "see"
(translated as “provide”) a substitute for Yitzchak in the form of a
ram… "And Abraham lifted up his
eyes, and behold, a ram was caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham called the name of the place ‘YHVH
Yir'eh - will see’ - as it is said to this day - 'it shall be seen on the mountain of YHVH
In
the opening verses of our Parasha we saw Avraham “seeing” YHVH by using his
'inner eyes' and discernment, even when looking upon the three men. YHVH is also seen as the One who reveals His
"secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7) prior to judging Sdom
and Amora, though not before doing His own "seeing" of the state of
affairs there (ref. 18:21). Further, His messengers' aura of light impairs the
vision of the spiritually blind.
Avimelech sees YHVH in a dream which prevents him from sinning with
Sarah (ref. 20:3, 4). What the latter
“sees” (ref. 21:9) causes her to send Hagar and Yishmael away, but their needs
are “seen to” by YHVH in the wilderness (ref. 21:014-19). Finally, YHVH is the One who “sees” (present
tense) for Himself the sacrificial Lamb provided by Him for all time (ref.
22:8, 14). And so, as it is in the beginning so it is at the end of the Parasha
- YHVH reveals Himself. More on
Avraham’s, this time long range vision is found in the words of Yeshua, who
declared to the Pharisees: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My
day, and he saw it and was glad" (John 8:56).
Earlier
we noticed that Avraham was sitting at the tent door “in the heat of the day”
(18:1), while Lot was sitting at the gate of the city of Sdom
In
19:37 and 38 we learn of the origin of the Moabites and the Amonites. The fact
that they are the product of an incestuous relationship is expressed by the
name of the older of the two: “Mo’av”
stems from “m’av,” meaning “from a father,” as the boy had been
begotten by his mother’s father (his own grandfather). The second boy’s mother
names him “Ben Ami” (Ammon), meaning “son of my
people,” which is also a reference to the close family tie. Lot ’s daughters’ conduct is not surprising, as earlier
on, when the men of Sdom demanded that he hand over his guests to them, their
father attempted to offer these two daughters in place of the visitors (ref.
19:4-8). If Ham, and especially his son, Kna’an, were cursed for revealing the
father’s nakedness (Gen. 9:24, 25), the same, and more, would be applicable to Lot ’s descendents, Moav and Amon.
*In all these cases this is much more
pronounced in the Hebrew original than in the translations, one reason being
that in English there is no distinction between you singular and plural, which there
is in Hebrew.
