Vayeira 18:4 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 18:4

The Complete Passuk

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

Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and recline under the tree.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bava Metzia 86b–87a.

TT lemma: יקח נא.

Sefaria — Bava Metzia 86b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
יֻקַּח נָא וגו'. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, כָּל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה אַבְרָהָם לַמַּלְאָכִים בְּעַצְמוֹ עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְבָנָיו בְּעַצְמוֹ, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְבָנָיו עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ.

English: “Let a little water be brought…” Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Whatever Avraham did for the angels himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, later did for his children Himself; and whatever he did through an agent, the Holy One, blessed be He, later did for his children through an agent.

On the daf / in context: The sugya systematically matches each act of hospitality performed by Avraham with a corresponding act of Hashem toward Israel in the wilderness (water, manna, cloud, etc.).

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Each detail of Avraham’s service is paired with a later divine response in kind.

What Is Learned

Hashem repaid Avraham’s hospitality measure for measure: what Avraham did personally, Hashem did personally for Israel; what Avraham delegated, Hashem delegated.