Vayeira 18:3 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 18:3

The Complete Passuk

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

He said, “My lords, if I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Shabbos 127a.

TT lemma: אל נא תעבר.

Sefaria — Shabbos 127a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אַל נָא תַעֲבֹר. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, גְּדוֹלָה הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים מִקַּבָּלַת פְּנֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה, דִּכְתִיב וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי, אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל נָא תַעֲבֹר.

English: “Please do not pass by.” Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Hospitality to guests is greater than receiving the Divine Presence, as it is written, “And he said, ‘My Lord, if I have found favor in Your eyes, please do not pass by…’” (he asked Hashem to wait while he attended to the guests).

On the daf / in context: Shabbos 127a learns from Avraham’s request that attending to guests takes precedence even over the presence of the Shechinah.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The address “Adonai” is read as directed to Hashem, asking Him to wait while the guests are received.

What Is Learned

Welcoming guests is greater than receiving the Divine Presence; Avraham asked Hashem to wait while he cared for the three visitors.