One of our best-known biblical stories from this week’s Parashah is the one that begins the reading. In the heat of the day, Abraham is sitting outside his tent having recently been circumcised. God appears to Abraham during this time of indisposition to distract Abraham from the pain of recovery and in doing so, demonstrates the first example of the mitzvah of bikkur cholim, visiting the sick. At the moment of God’s visit, Abraham looks up and sees three wayfarers suddenly appear at a time of the day when people normally would not be travelling due to the heat. Though Abraham is initially unaware, it eventually becomes clear that these men are not mortal beings but in fact angels in human guise. As soon as Abraham sees them, he runs from the entrance of the tent to greet them. Bowing down to the ground, he pleads:
אֲדֹנָי אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל־נָא תַֽעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּֽךָ.
Adonai, if I find favour in your eyes, please do not go on past your servant (Genesis 18:3).
The above request is not exactly clear. To whom is Abraham referring when he says אֲדֹנָי Adonai? Is he addressing God or the wayfarers? The word Adonai with a final long vowel is a plural form. It is translated literally as “my lords,” which would logically point to the wayfarers as the recipients of Abraham’s request. However, the word Adonai in its plural form is otherwise used only for God. This would therefore render the translation of Adonai as “my Lord,” meaning that Abraham was addressing God. Despite the singular construction “my Lord,” some Torah commentators like Rashi still maintain that Abraham was speaking to the wayfarers. They explain the use of the singular “my Lord” to indicate that while Abraham acknowledged all three of the wayfarers, he addressed the one who appeared to be the chief among them. Commentators also point out a logistical incongruency in the order of events. Upon seeing the wayfarers, Abraham first ran towards them and only then recited the above request. If Abraham had indeed asked God to wait while he ran to invite the travellers, this verse with his request should have preceded the one in which he ran to the travellers.
Notwithstanding the above logistical explanation to the contrary, according to most interpretations, the word Adonai is sacred, referring to God. From this rendering, the Rabbis glean for us a didactic lesson of הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים, the mitzvah of welcoming guests. Abraham implored God not to leave but to wait while he attended to his guests. As explained in the Talmud, Abraham’s actions demonstrate that hospitality to wayfarers is greater than receiving the Divine Presence (Tractates Shavuot 35b; Shabbat 127a) Abraham’s departure from God was not disrespectful. By hurrying to serve God’s creatures, Abraham was in fact serving God. While it is indeed a mitzvah to love God, one should not do so at the expense of other people. Abraham knew that God created human beings in God’s image. One of the ways that Abraham manifested his great love for God was through his actions towards his fellow human beings. Abraham was indeed the host of hosts, and for that, the Lord of Hosts was willing to wait. Shabbat Shalom.
אֲדֹנָי אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל־נָא תַֽעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּֽךָ.