Vayeira 18:4 · unit 2

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.

TT lemma: יקח נא.

Sefaria — Bava Metzia 86b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
יֻקַּח נָא וגו'. תָּנָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, בִּשְׂכַר שָׁלֹשׁ זָכוּ לְשָׁלֹשׁ: בִּשְׂכַר חֶמְאָה וְחָלָב זָכוּ לַמָּן, בִּשְׂכַר וְהוּא עֹמֵד עֲלֵיהֶם זָכוּ לְעַמּוּד הֶעָנָן, בִּשְׂכַר יֻקַּח נָא מְעַט מַיִם זָכוּ לְבֵאֵרָהּ שֶׁל מִרְיָם.

English: “Let a little water be brought…” A teaching of the school of Rabbi Yishmael: In reward for three things they merited three things: in reward for the butter and milk they merited the manna; in reward for “he stood over them” they merited the pillar of cloud; in reward for “let a little water be brought” they merited Miriam’s well.

On the daf / in context: The school of Rabbi Yishmael enumerates three specific acts of hospitality and the three corresponding rewards granted to Israel in the desert.

Type of Learning

R’ Yishmael (school of) / Custom (measure-for-measure reward). Three concrete acts are paired with three concrete rewards.

What Is Learned

Israel later received the manna, the cloud, and Miriam’s well as reward for the three hospitality acts Avraham performed for the angels.