Vayeira 18:18 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 18:18

The Complete Passuk

וְאַ֨בְרָהָ֔ם הָי֧וֹ יִֽהְיֶ֛ה לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל וְעָצ֑וּם וְנִ֨בְרְכוּ־ב֔וֹ כֹּ֖ל גּוֹיֵ֥י הָאָֽרֶץ׃

And Avraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed through him.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah 2:1.

TT lemma: ואברהם היו יהיה.

Sefaria — Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְאַבְרָהָם הָיוֹ יִהְיֶה. רַבִּי נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי מָנָא אָמַר, אֵין הָעוֹלָם יָכוֹל לְהִתְקַיֵּם בְּפָחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשִׁים צַדִּיקִים כְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ; מַאי טַעְמָא? וְאַבְרָהָם הָיוֹ יִהְיֶה, יִהְיֶה בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא שְׁלֹשִׁים.

English: “And Avraham shall surely become…” Rabbi Nachman said in the name of Rabbi Mana: The world cannot endure with fewer than thirty righteous people like Avraham our father. What is the reason? “And Avraham hayo yihyeh”—the word “yihyeh” has the numerical value of thirty.

On the daf / in context: The doubled verb is read gematria-style to establish a minimum number of tzaddikim required for the world’s continued existence.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Yerushalmi / gematria) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The word “yihyeh” is valued at thirty.

What Is Learned

The world requires at least thirty righteous people of Avraham’s caliber; the gematria of “yihyeh” supplies the number.