English: “And they said to him.” It was taught in the name of Rabbi Yosi: Why are there dots over the letters of “eilav”? The Torah is teaching proper conduct—that a person should inquire after his host’s household.
On the daf / in context: The dotted letters on “eilav” are explained as a signal that the angels asked after Sarah, modeling the polite inquiry a guest makes concerning the host’s family.
Type of Learning
Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The extraordinary dots are taken as a pedagogical marker of derech eretz.
What Is Learned
A guest should inquire after the members of his host’s household; the dotted letters over “eilav” teach this rule of etiquette.