YAHWEH's Third Visit To The Oak Of Mamre

(Bereshith 18)

Abraham, the Scriptures tells us, was sitting by the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. Suddenly on looking up he saw three men coming towards the camp, three strangers, for Abraham had not yet recognized who they were. The head of the group was YAHWEH in person. His authority and power were to shine out, as we shall see, from the least of the words HE uttered. But so far HE had said nothing, and for the moment walked straight to the patriarch's tent, followed by two servants two 'malakim' as we are told in the next chapter -that is ruah serving YAHWEH. At the sight of these strangers coming towards him Abraham got up quickly and, still unaware of with whom he had to deal, ran to meet them, for the law of the steppes imposed exacting duties towards isolated travelers who passed by the nomad's camp.

According to the centuries' old custom prevailing among the shepherds the traveler who thus passed by the boundary of the camp had a right to hospitality in the tent of the chief himself. In any case a stranger who passed in sight of the tents was always invited to halt for a while. He would be received with eagerness combined with a certain ostentation. In the first place, of course, the Bedouin chieftain was always pleased to receive admiration for the richness of his flocks, the sumptuousness of his furniture, the number of his slaves. In addition, the stranger often came from afar and was the bearer of political news, and might be in a position to recount interesting personal experiences. In the evening after a meal he would be asked to tell stories of his life and the outstanding historical events of his tribe. Hospitality does not merely impose duties, it often provides uncommon pleasure.

Thus Abraham got up and, so the Scriptures tells us, ran to meet the three men. It was right and proper to show eagerness towards someone who was shortly to be one's guest, even if he were completely unknown. In eastern fashion, with the exact emphasis suitable to the circumstance, the patriarch bowed to the ground before the three men. And to the leader, whose identity he had not yet guessed, he addressed this request, in the poetic and exaggerated manner dear to the Semites: 'My Master, I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water shall be brought; you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servant's direction.'  It was flowery language no doubt, but the language of the times, and to regard it as obsequious would be to fall into a clear anachronism. It was important in the first place to wash the feet of a traveler worn out by a long journey. And directly after this obligatory ceremony came the announcement of the meal, care being taken, of course, to offer a very simple one out of humility (though it is true that lehem means both bread and food). 'Do as you say,' replied the unknown man to whom these remarks had been addressed.

An impromptu meal

At once an impromptu meal, though a sumptuous one, was got ready. The patriarch urged Sarah on. 'Hurry,' he said, 'knead three bushels of flour (obviously it was a real banquet), and not barley or ordinary wheat flour but the finest quality wheat flour. 'Knead,' ordered the patriarch, 'and make loaves'. Next, he ran to the cattle, chose a fine and tender calf, brought it back to the tent and told the servant to kill and prepare it.

Abraham reserved to himself the honour of serving the stranger: whom he had made comfortable close to the tent in the shade of the oak tree. He set the meat before them in person, together with milk and curds. And while the three men, seated on the ground, dipped their hands into the dish, Abraham ceremoniously remained standing near them. The three travelers ate in silence. Suddenly their leader questioned Abraham: 'Where is your wife Sarah ?' It was a surprising question from one who was not a member of the clan; he was obviously very well informed about the patriarch's family. 'She is in the tent' replied Abraham, for the women were kept at the back of the tent, partitioned by a goatskin curtain. Nevertheless, by means of cunningly arranged slits they did not miss much of what went on among the men, especially when there were guests.

Once more the guest spoke to Abraham: 'I shall visit you again next year without fail and your wife will then have a son,' he remarked. From her hiding-place Sarah followed this strange conversation with avid curiosity. She thought to herself: 'Now that I am past the age of child-bearing, and my husband is an old man, is pleasure to come my way again?' And she laughed to herself.

The leader of the three (YAHWEH, as we know, and Abraham had by now guessed who his guest was) had his back to the tent, but he had no need to see with his eyes to discover what was going on behind him. Continuing to speak to Abraham, he asked: 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, "Am I really going to have a child now that I am old?'" Hearing these words, Sarah who was still behind the partition was afraid. This man who had never seen her and yet knew her name, who was aware that she was there listening to the conversation so tactlessly, who read her thoughts and had heard her silent laugh, who could he be but some supernatural being? Her fear can be understood. She tried to get out! of it by lying, and intervening in the conversation, uttered a forthright denial: 'I did not laugh,' she said. 'Oh yes, you! did laugh,' replied YAHWEH.

Previously Abraham had laughed during his second encounter with YAHWEH at the Oak of Mamre when the birth of Yitschaq was foretold. Now it was Sarah's turn to show her disbelief or at least her surprise by laughing. As we know, YAHWEH had already said that the child was to be called Yitschaq, that is, 'May YAHWEH smile, may YAHWEH be kind.' Some little time previously Abraham had recognized YAHWEH in the form which he had assumed in the circumstances. With his characteristic faith the patriarch now received the confirmation of the prophecy: 'At the same time next year I shall visit you again and Sarah will have a son.'

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