English translation — עמוד 77

The question is even greater: Why did the Almighty specifically wait with visiting Avraham until the third day,

and He did not visit him earlier?

Regarding the first day one can say,

that when the Almighty was by Avraham to help him circumcise himself — as Rashi brings in the previous parshah²

"He sent

(the Holy One, blessed be He)

His hand and took hold of him" — He then also visited him.

And since from the language of the verse "And He appeared to him" it is proven,

that the "And He appeared" is a <i>new</i> appearance,

that the Almighty came specifically to visit him — "The Holy One, blessed be He, came to inquire of Avraham" — it is therefore compelled,

that the "And He appeared to him" was not on the first day.

It is however not understood:

a)

The Gemara "that day was the third day of the circumcision" — that we do not find any dispute about this,

must be upheld also according to the opinions⁸

(which also Rashi⁷

is among them),

that also on the second day there is a danger,

and on the contrary

(according to them)

: then the danger is <i>greater</i> than on the third day.

So how does the Gemara⁸ accord with them?

Only since the commandments that the Patriarchs fulfilled were primarily in spirituality and did not "take in"

(so much")

the physical objects with which they were performed

(therefore when Abraham wanted an oath by taking an object²²,

there was no choice but "Place²³

now your hand under my thigh"²⁴)

— unlike the commandments after the Giving of the Torah,

when the holiness of the commandments becomes <i>fixed</i> in the physical objects with which they are performed,

so that the holiness remains in them <i>inwardly and openly</i> also after the fulfillment of the commandment,

so in order that the commandments of the Patriarchs should have a connection and a bond to the commandments after the Giving of the Torah,

it had to be

(by the Patriarchs)

at least <i>one</i> commandment in the manner of the commandments after the Giving of the Torah; and that is the commandment of circumcision²⁵

— that the holiness of the commandment remained

(also before the Giving of the Torah²⁶)

in the physical object also after the fulfillment of the commandment —

10.

All of the above is an explanation on that which the Gemara says that "And He appeared to him" was on the third day after the circumcision of Avraham.

It remains however difficult: Why did the Almighty wait with visiting the sick Avraham until the third day and did not do it in the first two days?

In simple understanding one could say,

that also in the first two days the Almighty came to visit the sick Avraham.

And that which the Torah tells

(only)

about the visit of the third day,

it is because the Torah also writes about other matters that happened <i>that</i> day — therefore the Torah tells about "And He appeared to him" of that day,

and relies,

that from this one will already also infer regarding the first two days that also then He came to visit him — because there is indeed no logic to differentiate between the third day and the first two days

But from the language of the Gemara "that day was the third day etc. and the Holy One, blessed be He, came to inquire about Abraham" it implies,

that that which "the Holy One, blessed be He, came to inquire about Abraham",

it is because "that day was the &lt;i&gt;third&lt;/i&gt; day of the circumcision of Abraham, peace be upon him."

Yes.

One will understand it based on the statement of our sages, may their memory be blessed⁴⁶,

that through visiting the sick one brings a healing to the sick person.

And although regarding a visitor of the sick in general it is stated⁴⁷

"he takes

(only)

one sixtieth of his illness",

however regarding "and the Lord appeared to him" the Ramban says^"

"that he had in the vision of the Divine Presence a healing for the pain of the circumcision",

and the term "healing" simply means that Abraham was healed completely.

And it is not a contradiction to this,

from that which it stands

(and as Rashi also brings it immediately after the verse)

that the angel Refael healed him — because this itself came from the healing that opened up

(in root and in concealment)

through "And He appeared to him": the "healing for the illness of circumcision" that opened up through "the vision of the Shechinah",

was drawn down <i>below in revealed completeness</i> through the angel Refael.

And based on this, one may say,

that the first two days the Most High indeed did not come to Avraham to visit him [when he was] sick,

in order not to remove from him the difficulties which come naturally from the fulfillment of the commandment."