וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃

Not long after Abraham’s circumcision, the Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and this occurred when he, Abraham, sat at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.

וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃

He, Abraham, lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing before him. He had not noticed the men approaching, and he was surprised to see them suddenly so near him. He saw them and ran toward them from the entrance of the tent and prostrated himself to the earth. He did not wait for them to reach the tent before greeting them; rather, he approached them warmly and ran to welcome them, thereby showing them great respect.

וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃

He said: My Lord, please, if I have found favor in Your eyes, if You wish, please do not depart from upon your servant. Most commentaries maintain that this statement was addressed to God, who had just revealed Himself to Abraham. As Abraham rushed toward the guests, he begged God to wait until he had properly welcomed them.

יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃

Abraham turned to the men and said: Please, let a little water be taken, and wash your feet, since you have come from afar, and you certainly need to rest. Washing one’s feet, whether he wore shoes or not, was one of the first steps a traveler took to relax. And recline beneath the tree, in the shade.

וְאֶקְחָ֨ה פַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְסַעֲד֤וּ לִבְּכֶם֙ אַחַ֣ר תַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן עֲבַרְתֶּ֖ם עַֽל־עַבְדְּכֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֵּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃

I will take a portion of bread, and you shall sustain your heart, meaning to satisfy your hunger, thereafter depart. I have no wish to delay you greatly; after you have rested and eaten a bit, feel free to go on your way. As for this you have happened upon your servant. Since you happened to arrive here, take the opportunity to stay with me. They said courteously: Do so, but only as you have said. Give us some bread and water and let us sit under the tree, as that will be enough for us.

וַיְמַהֵ֧ר אַבְרָהָ֛ם הָאֹ֖הֱלָה אֶל־שָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מַהֲרִ֞י שְׁלֹ֤שׁ סְאִים֙ קֶ֣מַח סֹ֔לֶת ל֖וּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂ֥י עֻגֽוֹת׃

Despite his guests’ comment, Abraham acted otherwise, in his dedication and zeal. Abraham hurried to the tent to Sarah and said: Hurry and take three se’a, a significant amount, of high - quality flour, which is flour produced by the coarse grinding of wheat kernels, knead dough, and make cakes, a type of round bread.

וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃

Abraham ran to the cattle and took a bullock, tender, young, and good, and gave it to the lad standing there; he commanded the young man to slaughter the calf, skin it, and ready it for the meal. And he, the lad, hurried to prepare it.

וַיִּקַּ֨ח חֶמְאָ֜ה וְחָלָ֗ב וּבֶן־הַבָּקָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהֽוּא־עֹמֵ֧ד עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם תַּ֥חַת הָעֵ֖ץ וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃

He took butter, milk, and the bullock that he prepared and placed it before them, the visitors. In his delight at the opportunity to welcome guests, Abraham himself ran to provide for all their needs. Although his household presumably had bread stored away, he wanted fresh bread for his visitors. The baking of bread and the slaughter of cattle in honor of guests were also ceremonial acts that displayed the host’s enthusiasm and goodwill. He stood over them, by serving them, beneath the tree, and they ate.

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵׄלָׄ֔יׄוׄ אַיֵּ֖ה שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּ֥ה בָאֹֽהֶל׃

They said to him: Where is Sarah, your wife? Although these were ostensibly passersby, they could have known about Abraham. They may have asked about Sarah because it was customary for the mistress of the household to welcome important guests. He said: Behold, she is in the tent. She does not want to interfere with this ceremony.

וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו׃

He, the leader of the guests, said: I will return to you at this time next year, and behold, a son for Sarah, your wife. And Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, not far from the tree. And he was behind it. Apparently the man was standing behind the entrance of the tent, facing away, and consequently did not notice that Sarah was seeing and hearing everything.

וְאַבְרָהָ֤ם וְשָׂרָה֙ זְקֵנִ֔ים בָּאִ֖ים בַּיָּמִ֑ים חָדַל֙ לִהְי֣וֹת לְשָׂרָ֔ה אֹ֖רַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים׃

Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. Abraham was ninety-nine years old, while Sarah was ninety. It had ceased to be with Sarah the manner of women, meaning that she no longer experienced a menstrual cycle.

וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה בְּקִרְבָּ֣הּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אַחֲרֵ֤י בְלֹתִי֙ הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֣י עֶדְנָ֔ה וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן׃

Therefore, when Sarah, who was alone, heard this, she laughed inside herself silently, saying: After my languishing, shall I have youth? Now that I am old and my menstrual cycle has ceased, shall my body become young again? This process is irreversible, and furthermore, my lord Abraham is old.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם לָ֣מָּה זֶּה֩ צָחֲקָ֨ה שָׂרָ֜ה לֵאמֹ֗ר הַאַ֥ף אֻמְנָ֛ם אֵלֵ֖ד וַאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי׃

The Lord said to Abraham. The speaker was one of the visitors. At this point it became apparent that they were actually angels, messengers of God, who appeared in human form. Angels are sometimes referred to as: The Lord. Alternatively, this was the voice of God Himself, as Abraham was still before the Divine Presence when he tended to his guests. According to this interpretation, when God interrupted the conversation between Abraham and the visitors, He revealed that they were His messengers. Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying: Shall I indeed bear a child, and I grew old? Her laughter indicates a lack of faith in the prophecy.

הֲיִפָּלֵ֥א מֵיְהוָ֖ה דָּבָ֑ר לַמּוֹעֵ֞ד אָשׁ֥וּב אֵלֶ֛יךָ כָּעֵ֥ת חַיָּ֖ה וּלְשָׂרָ֥ה בֵֽן׃

Is any matter beyond the power of the Lord? At the designated time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah shall have a son. This will indeed occur, and then I will reveal Myself to you again.