Vayeira 18:7 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 18:7

The Complete Passuk

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

And to the herd Avraham ran, and he took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the youth, and he hastened to prepare it.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bava Metzia 86b.

TT lemma: בן בקר.

Sefaria — Bava Metzia 86b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בֶּן בָּקָר וגו'. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, בֶּן בָּקָר אֶחָד, רַךְ שְׁנַיִם, וְטוֹב שְׁלֹשָׁה; וְלָמָּה לֵיהּ תְּלָתָא? בְּחַד סַגִּי; אָמַר רַב חָנָן בַּר רָבָא, כְּדֵי לְהַאֲכִילָם שָׁלֹשׁ לְשׁוֹנוֹת בְּחַרְדָּל.

English: “A calf…” Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: “A calf” is one; “tender” is two; “and good” is three. Why three when one would suffice? Rav Chanan bar Rava said: In order to feed them three tongues with mustard.

On the daf / in context: The three descriptors are counted as three separate animals so that each guest could be served a tongue prepared with mustard, a delicacy.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The multiple adjectives are read as indicating multiple animals.

What Is Learned

Avraham took three calves so that each of the three guests could be served a tongue with mustard.