And Hashem appeared to him (Avraham) (18:1)
Rashi explains that Hashem appeared to Avraham Avinu to visit the sick and heal him. The Gemara says in the name of Rami Bar Chama that it was the third day since Avraham Avinu’s bris milah.
The Zera Shimshon asks in the name of the meforshim, how did Rami Bar Chama know that it was the third day since Avraham Avinu’s bris milah?
The Zera Shimshon answers by first asking why Hashem only visited Avraham Avinu to heal him. Didn’t all those in Avraham Avinu’s household also have brissim? If so, why don’t we find anywhere in the words of Chazal that Hashem appeared in order to heal them as well?
The Zera Shimshon explains that the Gemara (Baba Kama 16b) says in the name of R’ Shimon Bar Yochai that Avraham Avinu had a gem around his neck that when sick people would look at it, they would be healed. This is why the other people in Avraham Avinu’s house did not need to be healed by Hashem, since they were healed by looking at the stone around Avraham Avinu’s neck.
The Amudeha Shivah asks that if Avraham Avinu had such a stone, why didn’t he look at it to heal himself?
The Zera Shimshon answers that all the occupants of Avraham Avinu’s house were healed within the first or second day of their bris milah by looking at the stone. However, Avraham Avinu did not want to look at the stone to heal himself because he wanted to merit more reward for his mitzvah. As well, since this was one of his ten tests, if he healed himself, it would not be considered a test. Furthermore, people would claim, why shouldn’t Avraham Avinu listen to Hashem, knowing that he would be healed right away? Therefore, he instead allowed himself to heal naturally to show the world that he was ready to accept the pain with love and joy.
In reward, Hashem appeared to heal him. However, Hashem only appeared to heal Avraham Avinu on the third day, since had He appeared before then, people would have thought that Avraham Avinu had healed himself by looking at his stone, since he was not interested in the pain of the bris milah. By the third day, it would be clear that although Avraham Avinu was busy giving brissim to everyone in his household, by day three, he would surely have had time to look at his stone and heal himself.
In fact, the very fact that Avraham Avinu was sitting outside in the sun was to heal himself naturally. This is why Hashem only appeared to heal Avraham Avinu on day three, to allow time for people to see that Avraham Avinu did not heal himself but rather accepted the pain that came with his test.
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