bereishit 1/18

Torah portion: Vayairuh One who has compassion on himself, then, even when the Other Side gains strength and wants to drive him away, does not give up and continues to sit at the entrance to holiness until they let him enter. The Lord appeared to him at the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the entrance to the tent in the heat of the day. (18:1) One who has compassion on his true, eternal life: the more he sees that the Other Side, which is the aspect of the chambers of exchanges, gains strength, spreads itself out, and expands more and more, so too he strengthens himself, exerts himself, and makes greater haste to draw close to the blessed God, because he sees that they want, God forbid, to drive him away entirely, God forbid. This is the aspect of distancing that is the ultimate drawing near, and descent that is the ultimate ascent. And this is the aspect of his having given him advice concerning circumcision—that is, to circumcise the foreskin of his heart. For precisely through the aspect of ‘Mamre,’ the aspect of the chambers of exchanges that grew so strong and spread themselves out against him, precisely through this he took counsel to circumcise his heart. And this is ‘while he was sitting at the entrance to the tent in the heat of the day.’ Sitting is an expression for remaining a long time, as in ‘you remained in Kadesh many days.’ That is, he merited that the Lord should appear to him because he sat and remained many days at the entrance to the tent, which is the entrance to holiness, which is the aspect of kingship—the first level, through which one must ascend until one reaches the above-mentioned attainment. It is called an entrance and a gate, as is known, the aspect of ‘this is the gate to the Lord.’76 But when one wants to enter there, the Other Side, which is the chambers of exchanges, gains great strength and expands against him. And the closer he is to the entrance, the more exceedingly they gain strength and expand against him, until there are many who were already at the entrance but turned back, may the Merciful One save us, because they did not know that they were already at the entrance, or because they spread themselves out against him so exceedingly that it is difficult for him to break them, as this is explained in his holy words (in Likutay Moharan, second collection, teaching 51). But he sat and remained at the entrance to the tent. ‘In the heat of the day’ is the aspect of the growing heat of the evil inclination, concerning which it is said, ‘where do you pasture, where do you make the flock lie down at noon?’ For that is a bad time to pasture the flock, as Rashi explains there. For noon is the aspect of the heat of the day: this is the aspect of the heat of the inclination, when it is a bad time for the holy flock whom the righteous man shepherds, who wish to approach holiness. And many were distanced through this, may the Merciful One save us, as it is written, ‘until the day breathes, etc.’ As Rashi explains there—see there—Israel were close to the blessed God in greatness and honor until ‘the day breathes,’ when the heat of the day grew strong, etc., and through this the Temple was destroyed. But one who does not wish to deceive himself and truly thinks about his eternal purpose does not turn back under any circumstances in the world, come what may. Rather, he sits and waits and remains at the entrance for many days, however long it may be, and even so they allow him to enter within the entrance, while the heat of the day scorches him exceedingly. And nevertheless he does not leave his place, but sits and remains at the entrance to the tent of the righteous and the upright until mercy is shown from Heaven—the aspect of ‘while he was sitting at the entrance to the tent in the heat of the day,’ as above. (Halachos of Marriage, Halacha 4, item 19)

Avraham our father gave them something to eat so that the angels would see amid what things a person finds himself here in the world, and consequently they would have no opening to accuse him, that he should not receive the Torah. "And let me take a piece of bread, and sustain your hearts." (18:5) Therefore, when the angels came to Avraham, he gave them something to eat, for through this he showed them that they should not accuse Israel, who wish to receive the Torah, even though they are destined to sin. And this is what is brought in the Midrash: when Moshe ascended on high to receive the Torah, the ministering angels sought to strike Moshe, etc.; “Is this not the one at whose home you ate?” For then, when the angels came to Avraham, the first glimmer of receiving the Torah began, since Avraham had already been circumcised, which is the first mitzvah that he was commanded. And they also came to announce to him that Yitzchak would be born, from whom all Israel, who would receive the Torah, would descend. Therefore, then Avraham our father endeavored to save Israel, so that the angels would not be able to accuse them, even though they are as they are. And therefore he gave the angels something to eat, so that through this they would know and understand everything that a person must endure in this world: that he is compelled to eat, and that it involves such processes of purification that, in the end, he must purify it within the body of such refuse. And therefore one should not accuse a person if, God forbid, he has stumbled in whatever he has stumbled, since he is in such places, where he must purify from the aspect of actual vomit and excrement, from such filthy places. And therefore, in truth, the aforementioned angels, even though they ate with great holiness, as befits angels, and each successive [portion] disappears, as our Sages of blessed memory said, nevertheless did not emerge clean then, for they stumbled (in their perfection) [in their mission], as our Sages of blessed memory said, until they were compelled to linger in this world and could not ascend until the days of Yaakov; and one did not ascend until the days of Manoach, as is brought. For it is very difficult to emerge from this world completely clean, as is brought: when an angel comes to this world, he cannot ascend to his place until he immerses himself several times in the River of Fire. And the principal purification of the good from the defilement in this world is encompassed in the aspect of eating, as above. For the principal defilement took hold through the sin of Adam, the first man, which concerned eating. And therefore Avraham our father, peace be upon him, honored the angels through the matter of eating, and through this he showed them and hinted to them at the great intensity of the toil and bitterness that this wretched person must endure in this world. Therefore they no longer have any opening to accuse Israel, that they should not receive the Torah, for certainly it is necessary to give us the Torah, for it is impossible to withstand this world except through the Torah, which is called eating in holiness, as above at length. And therefore, when they wished to accuse Moshe when he ascended on high to receive the Torah, [God] formed his visage like Avraham’s and said to them, “Is this not the one at whose home you ate?” As is written in the aforementioned Midrash. That is, God, blessed be He, answered them: how do you have any opening to accuse concerning receiving the Torah in this world? Did you not eat at his home? “You ate,” specifically, for through this you tasted a little of what a person must endure in this world, to the point that it is impossible for him to live and subsist without the Torah, as is written: “Were Your Torah not my delights,” etc. And therefore, when the angel came to Manoach and he also wished to honor him with something to eat, he answered him that he did not wish to eat anymore, as is written (Shoftim 13:16): “If you detain me, I shall not eat your bread.” For then his time had already come to return and ascend; therefore he did not wish to eat anymore, so as not to be delayed further, for he had already tasted the great heaviness of the purification of eating at Avraham’s, as above, through which he had been delayed so much, as above. And this is what he said there on his ascent to his place: “acting wondrously,” for his ascent to his place was by way of a great wonder, for it is difficult to ascend and return to his place, to cleanse himself of the defilement of this world, as above. (Halachos of Bitseyas HaPas [Breaking Bread], Halacha 5, item 49)

This verse is placed next to the matter of Sodom because the power to annul decrees through prayer comes through charity within judgment. “For I have known him, so that he will command his sons,” etc. (18:19) Therefore this verse is placed next to the matter of the passage of Sodom, where God, blessed be He, said: “Shall I conceal from Avraham what I desire to do in Sodom,” etc., “and Avraham shall surely become,” etc., “for I have known him,” etc. That is, God, blessed be He, desires and longs for the prayers of the righteous, and He very much desired that Avraham pray before Him for Sodom. This is understood from the Midrash, which brought a parable there: God, blessed be He, was taking delight in Avraham’s prayer. For although Avraham did not accomplish his request to save Sodom from their decree, nevertheless his prayer is not lost. And in truth he also accomplished a very great deal, for the merit of his prayer to save Sodom brought about that through this Lot and his offspring were saved, from whom the illumination of Dovid, Mashiach, would unfold and emerge, as our Sages of blessed memory said. For although the angel had already been sent to rescue, nevertheless they still needed an awakening from below, to increase prayer and supplications, to complete the salvation: to save Lot from amid the overthrow and bring forth Dovid and Mashiach from him. And therefore the above verse, “for I have known him,” which speaks of the above charity and judgment, is placed next to this. For all the power of prayer to annul the decree comes only through this: that one petitions God, blessed be He, although He wishes to bring some judgment and decree, God forbid, which is certainly also truly due according to His judgment. Nevertheless, He has an aspect of charity within judgment, which the righteous can arouse through their prayers until such charity and kindness are drawn into the judgment that He sits to judge and adjudicate, until He annuls the decree entirely. For He, blessed be He, performs charity in judgment. This is among His exceedingly hidden wonders of wonders, which it is impossible to understand. And therefore God, blessed be He, mentioned precisely this matter of charity and judgment before revealing the decree of Sodom to Avraham, so that he would pray for them. For the principal power of prayer comes only through this. And this is: “For I have known him, so that he will command his sons and his household after him, and they will keep the way of God, to perform charity and judgment.” For it is certainly the way of God to perform charity and judgment, namely that within judgment He performs charity, which is utterly impossible to understand, as above. For it is the aspect of the ways of God that it is impossible to understand. Concerning this Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him, asked, “Make Your ways known to me, please”: he asked to know the ways of God, the ways of His judgments and His charity, how He conducts His world with charity and judgment, so that he would know how to pray for Yisrael. (Halachos of Matunuh [Gifts], Halacha 5, item 29)

76. For the divine emanation of kingship is the first emanation from below, and it is the entrance for ascent to the remaining emanations; it is called an entrance and a gate. As it is written in the holy Zohar, the section Beraishis (folio 51a): One who enters to the King enters only from that holy city; he takes the way to the King, for the way is prepared from here. This is what is written (Tehillim 118:20): ‘This is the gate to the Lord; the righteous shall enter through it.’ Every mission that the King desires goes forth from the house of the Matron. End of quotation. And there is much more.

77. And see also below in Parshas Kee Sisa, on the verse “and his attendant Yehoshua son of Noon, a youth,” etc.

78. In the Gemara, Berachos, folio 26b: Avraham instituted the morning prayer, as it says, “And Avraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood”; and standing means nothing other than prayer.

79. In the Gemara, Berachos, folio 26b: Avraham instituted the morning prayer, as it says, “And Avraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood”; and standing means nothing other than prayer.

80. And see further below, at the verse ‘And Avraham called the name of that place: God will see.’

81. And likewise the Netziv of Volozhin, of blessed memory, wrote in HaAmek Davar (at the end of Parshas Vayairuh): And through this deed Avraham merited that his children should attain greatness of soul, to give themselves up willingly for the sake of sanctification [of God], blessed be He. And God said that this multiplication would be in two manners: the first, ‘like the stars of the heavens.’ These are the great in understanding, who shine in their generation like the stars of heaven and also bring merit to the multitude through their being surrendered and killed for the sanctification of God's Name. And the second, ‘like the sand upon the shore of the sea.’ These are the masses of the people, who, when faced with the sanctification of God's Name, give themselves up with a good heart. End of quotation.