Rabbi Scheiner speaking at the Night Kollel
“וימהר אברהם האהלה אל שרה, ויאמר מהרי שלש סאים קמח סלת לושי ועשי עגות” – “And Avrohom hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said: Be quick, three seahs of choice flour – knead and make cakes.”
This is the first time that Avrohom Avinu’s name is mentioned in the parshah. The Torah left out Avrohom’s name in the previous pesukim to teach us here that Avrohom went himself to speak to Sarah, and did not send a shliach, a messenger. Avrohom ran to Sarah so in order to perform the mitzvah of hachnosas orchim, taking good care of his guests himself. One may have said that Avrohom only went himself to show honor to his wife, however, the Torah also says, “ואל הבקר רץ אברהם” – that he also ran to the cattle. He didn’t run to the cattle himself to honor the cattle, nor did he run to Sarah to honor her, rather he did it for the mitzvah.
We see that Avrohom sought to do the mitzvos himself, and not through a shliach. If so, how do we understand the words, “ויתן אל הנער, וימהר לעשות אותו” – “And he gave it to the lad, and he did it hastily?” Why did Avrohom give the calf to a shliach, and not do it himself? He should have done it himself to show his love for the mitzvah, as well as because he began the mitzvah, and the Tanchuma says – המתחיל במצוה אומרים לו גמור - if one begins a mitzvah, we tell him to finish the mitzvah. Additionally, Rashi tells us that the נער that Avrohom gave the calf to was Yishmael – why didn’t the Torah just say that he gave it to Yishmael, why say, “נער"?(לקחת מוסר)
Avraham’s Hospitality
At this time, Avrohom was already elderly, and was even weaker, having just been circumcised. Everything that Avrohom was able to do himself with zrizus - alacrity, he did himself. However, to prepare the calf to be eaten, that was more difficult work for someone of his age. He therefore gave it to the נער, for he would be able to do it faster and better. The Torah says, נער instead of Yishmael to tell us that he did it because he was a נער, a young strapping boy, who would be able to do it better than Avrohom. The Torah then says, “וימהר לעשות אותו” – Avrohom stood over the lad to ensure that he did it with great zrizus. Rashi says that Avrohom specifically had Yishmael do it in order to be mechanech him. We can explain that the Torah adds the word, “אותו” – which is not needed, to teach us that while Avrohom Avinu could have in theory chosen any נער to do the mitzvah, he specifically chose Yishmael, in order to be mechanech him in mitzvos.
With this understanding, we can also explain “ויקח חמאה וחלב ובן הבקר אשר עשה, ויתן לפניהם” – “He took cream and milk and the calf that he had made and set these before them.” Avrohom took the “calf that he had made” – despite the Torah telling us that he gave it to the נער to do. Brachos 6a – If one wants to perform a mitzvah, and is unable to because of something unavoidable, it is as if he did perform that mitzvah. Avrohom wanted to slaughter the calf himself, but he was unable to do it in the most optimal manner, so he gave it to someone else to do. Since he really wanted to do it himself, it is attributed to him – as if he made it – as the posuk says, “אשר עשה” – that he, Avrohom Avinu, made.
