Avraham's Guests – Angels or Men/2
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The Messengers – Angels or Men?
Exegetical Approaches
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Overview
Angels
The guests who came to Avraham were three angels. This position subdivides over whether the vision in 18:1 is the coming of the angels, or Hashem appeared to Avraham separately in 18:1 and then the angels came.
Hashem Through Angels
Hashem appeared to Avraham through the three angels who came to him.
Vision and guests – The vision in 18:1 is the coming of the angels, and according to them "ה'" in the verse is the angels. They explain the verse as a summary (כלל ופרט) that Hashem appeared to Avraham, and the rest of the chapter explains how Hashem revealed himself, through the angels. There is no problem of missing content in the vision, though they still need to explain why Avraham is not mentioned in 18:1.
Purpose of the vision = visit – The purpose was to tell Avraham about Sedom. What was the need to tell Avraham a second time Sarah will give birth?
How are the guests referred to – This approach works well with the verses which call the guests angels, but they need to explain the verses which call them people. Perhaps Philo says since they looked like people,1 but this does not account for the switch between calling them people and angels, or alternatively they can say the terms are interchangeable.
Is "Hashem", Hashem or the guests – These commentators say the Torah sometimes refers to angels as Hashem, since they are messengers of Hashem.2
- שם אדנות – Shadal3 explains both 18:3 and 19:18 as referring to the angels.4 He explains the singular that Avraham was talking only to one of the angels who was walking ahead of the others.
- שם הויה – Rashbam and Shadal5 are consistent explaining all "Hashem" in the chapters to be talking about the angels, besides from 18:14 and the second one in 19:24. There is a dispute between them regarding 18:17, Rashbam explains it as the angels but Shadal says it is really Hashem talking.
Angelic or human actions – According to these commentators it works well how the guests knew Sarah will give birth, laughed, and blinded the people of Sedom since they were angels. It is unclear though how the angels ate and had feet to be washed. Philo explains these angels appeared in the form of people, and pretended to be eating and drinking even though they did not, therefore Sarah laughed because she did not know they were angels.6 R. D"Z Hoffmann brought this approach and also Eliyahu Rabbah 13 who says they really ate.
Beliefs about angels – Jubilees often explains Hashem to mean angels.
How many guests – It explains why only two came to Lot because one stayed to talk to Avraham about Sedom, and that is who is referred to in 18:17 and 22. According to Philo, one came to destroy the four cities and the other to save Tzoar.
Crux of the position –
Hashem and Angels
Hashem first appeared to Avraham and then the three angels came.
Sources: Justin Martyr in Dialogue with Trypho, R. Saadia Gaon, Rashi, Ramban, Akeidat Yitzchak, Abarbanel, Seforno
Vision and guests – Hashem revealed himself to Avraham in 18:1, and afterwards the angels came to him. Did Hashem leave before they came, or was Hashem still there as Avraham served the guests food? Rasag says Hashem stayed with Avraham, though Rashi and Ramban say Hashem left, but it is hard then to explain the switch between plural and singular in 18:3, and the fact Hashem continues to talk to Avraham in 18:13-14 and 20-22. On the other hand, Abarbanel says 18:1 is an introduction for 18:20 where Hashem tells Avraham about Sedom.7
Purpose of the vision – The commentators give different possibilities for the purpose of the vision, and relate it to different contexts:8
- Conclusion of the circumcision – Bavli Sotah and many others9 relate the vision to the previous chapter, that Hashem was appearing either to cure Avraham, visit him,10 as a reward for keeping the commandment,11 or as one side in the covenant of the circumcision.12 Ramban notes this explains the omission of Avraham's name in 18:1, since it is a continuation of the previous story which mentioned Avraham.13
- Notification they were angels – Rasag14 explains this appearance of Hashem as a light that showed up to tell Avraham the guests were angels and not just any people.15
- News about Sedom – Abarbanel says the vision was to tell Avraham about Sedom, as he is told later in 18:20.16 In 18:3 Avraham davened to Hashem in his own initiative, since Hashem did not appear to him before.
Purpose of the visit –
- Avraham wanted guests – Rashi.
- Reward for Avraham – Ramban.17 Ramban says Avraham did not have time to tell Sarah what Hashem told him in chapter 17 that he will have a child or that he waited so she can hear from the angel.
- To tell Sarah she will give birth – Akeidat Yitzchak, Seforno.
- To tell Avraham about Sedom –
How are the guests referred to
Is "Hashem", Hashem or the guests – Rasag says the verses which refer to Hashem are just missing the word angel before Hashem like in many cases one is missing a word,21 but Ramban and Abarbanel explain since Avraham realized they were Hashem's messengers, he called them in Hashem's name.22
- שם אדנות – These commentators say 18:3 refers to the angels.23 Ramban explains the singular that Avraham asked each one of the angels not to leave,24, Akeidat Yitzchak says Avraham did not ask all three because he thought that is a big thing to ask for, and Seforno says he turned to the head of the angels and told him. Rasag says the same for 19:18, but Rashi says it is to Hashem who has the ability to kill and bring back to life.
- שם הויה – These commentators explain 18:1 to refer to Hashem, and also verse 13, 17, 20, and 22.
Angelic or human actions – These commentators disagree whether the angels ate:25
Beliefs about angels – Ababranel says angels do not have a body but Avraham and Lot saw them as people.
Motivations – Rashi holds of omnisignificance and therefore does not say 18:1 is a כלל that summarizes the rest of the chapter.
How many guests – Rasag and Rashi say the one who told the news did not go to Sedom.28
Crux of the position –
People
Hashem appeared to Avraham separately from the three human visitors.
Vision and guests – Hashem revealed himself to Avraham separately from the three human visitors.
Purpose of the vision – R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ralbag explain 18:1 is an introduction for 18:1729 or 2030 where Hashem tells Avraham about his plans to destroy Sedom. 18:2-16 is in parenthesis and is here because they were sent for the same thing Hashem told Avraham about. When the guests left, Avraham got the prophecy which ended in 18:33.31 It is unclear why this is not explicit in the verse and why Avraham's name is first mentioned in 18:6.
Purpose of the visit – R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ralbag say one of the angels came to announce the birth of a child.
How are the guests referred to – R"Y Bekhor Shor explains "מַּלְאָכִים" to mean messengers, and in our case the guests are messengers of Hashem.32 Ralbag, on the other hand says prophets are called "מַּלְאָכִים"33 only if they get more prophecies than the person they are prophesying about. Avraham got more prophecies than the guests therefore they are called there people, but Lot was not a prophet so by him they can be called "מַּלְאָכִים", though also people.
Is "Hashem", Hashem or the guests
- שם אדנות – R"Y Bekhor Shor explains "אֲדֹנָי" in 18:3 to refer to Hashem34 that Avraham asked Hashem to make sure the prophets stopped in his house and did not continue on, though Ralbag understands it to be referring to the angel. R"Y Bekhor Shor says 19:18 refers to the angel though the next verse he says is Lot praying to Hashem.
- שם הויה – R"Y Bekhor Shor and Ralbag explain 18:1, 17 and 20 to refer to Hashem, and Ralbag brings both options for 18:13.35
Angels or Humans – Abarbanel says these visitors could not have been prophets because they were no other prophets at that time besides Avraham, since they would have been commanded to circumcise themselves and we would have been told if so. In addition they would not be sent to Avraham since he himself was a prophet.36 Abarbanel also says if these were prophets they would not say they will come back to Avraham, since what if they will die or be sick, and at least they would say so in the name of Hashem. He says the same about 19:13 since Hashem destroyed Sedom and not the guests how could they say they are.37
Angelic or human actions – R"Y Bekhor Shor proves from Shofetim 13:16 that the guests were people because we are told twice that they ate and angels can not eat. They say the people were prophets which explains how they knew Sarah will give birth, laughed, and blinded the people of Sedom, because we have other cases where a prophet blinds people.38
Beliefs about angels –
Motivations – R"Y Bekhor Shor says explicitly his explanation is an answer to the Christians who claim the three guests were three parts of god, therefore he does not take the approach they were angels because that is close to their read.
How many guests – Ralbag says the one who told Avraham he will have a child did not go to Sedom, and this proves how little these prophets prophesied because they were only told one thing.
Crux of the position –
Divine Prophecy
All of chapter 18 was in a Divine prophecy.
Vision and guests – These commentators say that the content of Hashem's revelation in 18:1 is not missing, since the entire chapter and maybe even 19 is the prophecy that Avraham received.39 According to this approach, 18:1 is related to what comes after it and not what came beforehand.40 Ralbag the Torah does not say explicitly the whole chapter was in a vision.
Purpose of vision = visit – Radak says the purpose was to tell Avraham about Sedom,41 and even though Hashem already told Avraham in chapter 17 he will have a child he repeated it here to emphasize and so Sarah will hear. Ramban questions the Torah's need to tell us Sarah baked cakes, laughed, and Avraham made meat if it was all in a vision, and Radak and Abarbanel answer the story teaches us to act kindly like Avraham did.
How are the guests referred to – Rambam says Avraham saw angels often and was not surprised to see them therefore they are called people, but Lot did not see them too often so they are called angels by him. Abarbanel asks that they are only called angels twice by Lot and people more often. Radak says the guests are called people when they act in ways people act, and angels when they act in ways angels act.42
Is "Hashem", Hashem or the guests
Angelic or human actions – According to this approach the guests did not eat nor blind the people of Sedom, rather it was all what Avraham saw in his prophecy.45 Did Avraham see angels or people in the vision?
End of prophecy – One would need to assume the people who came to Lot since they are the same people who came to Avraham, in reality did not come, and Lot saw them only in a prophecy just like Avraham. But how could Lot and the people of Sedom46 have prophesied? Where did the prophecy end?
- After the end of chapter 1847 – Radak.48 18:33 which says Hashem left is talking about the end of the prophecy. According to Radak, Sedom was really destroyed which makes sense from later verses in Torah which mention the destruction of Sedom,49 but he does not explain where the guests in chapter 19 came from.
- Avraham prophesied chapters 18-19 – Abarbanel. According to Abarbanel, Sedom was destroyed and Lot was saved but not by angels rather Hashem burnt the cities and brought winds which caused Lot to leave. Abarbanel explains 18:33 which seems to end a vision that Avraham in the verse thought the prophecy ended but it did not.50 He explains the repetition between 19:27-28 and 29, that the first two verses were in the prophecy, and 29 is explaining how Lot was saved in reality, and verse 30 he notes makes sense that Lot was afraid to stay in Tzoar because only in Avraham's prophecy did Lot know Tzoar was saved.
- Lot prophesied chapter 19 – Ibn Kaspi. He also understands 18:33 as the end of Avraham's prophecy, but he says Lot had a similar prophecy just he saw only two guests. Ibn Kaspi says Sedom was destroyed besides from in Lot's prophecy. Ibn Kaspi is assuming Lot can have a prophecy, which Rambam and Ralbag do not agree with.51 Ralbag also asks how then the people of Sedom talked if it was all in a prophecy, and Ibn Kaspi probably answers like he says about Sarah, that Lot in his prophecy heard the people of Sedom talking to him.
Sarah prophesied – Radak brings a parallel to Daniel 11:7 where the people in the room with Daniel also felt something even though just Daniel was prophesying, and he says that was the case by Sarah which heard something even though just Avraham was prophesying. Sarah did not know he was an angel rather thought he was a prophet and that is why she laughed. Ralbag is not convinced and says Sarah could not have heard Avraham's prophecy, and if she prophesied herself she would not laugh at it. Ibn Kaspi says Avraham saw Sarah laughing in his prophecy, but she did not really laugh.
Beliefs about angels – Rambam52 is consistent with his general approach towards angels that any seeing or talking of a מלאך did not really happen rather was in a prophecy or dream, though he does bring some exceptions where the word is used to refer to a prophet. Radak and Ibn Kaspi say explicitly that Avraham was sleeping when he prophesied all of chapter 18. It is not clear according to Ibn Kaspi if Avraham imagined this or prophesied this.
How many guests – Ibn Kaspi says Lot had a similar prophecy but he only saw two people as opposed to Avraham who saw three.
Crux of the position –
