Vayeira 18:5 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 18:5

The Complete Passuk

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

And I will take a morsel of bread, and you shall sustain your hearts; afterward you may pass on, since you have come to your servant. And they said, “Do so, as you have spoken.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bava Metzia 87a.

TT lemma: ואקחה פת לחם.

Sefaria — Bava Metzia 87a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְאֶקְחָה פַּת לֶחֶם. וּכְתִיב וְאֶל הַבָּקָר רָץ אַבְרָהָם; אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מִכָּאן לַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁאוֹמְרִים מְעַט וְעוֹשִׂים הַרְבֵּה.

English: “And I will take a morsel of bread.” Yet it is written, “And to the herd Avraham ran.” Rabbi Elazar said: From here we learn that the righteous say little and do much.

On the daf / in context: Avraham offered only “a morsel of bread” yet immediately prepared a lavish meal including a choice calf, illustrating the principle that the righteous under-promise and over-deliver.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The contrast between the modest verbal offer and the abundant action yields a general character trait of the righteous.

What Is Learned

The righteous say little and do much: Avraham spoke of a mere morsel of bread yet prepared an entire feast.