The opening verse of Parashat Vayera tells that God appeared to Avraham as the latter “was sitting at the entrance to his tent at around the heat of the day.” For some reason, the Torah found it necessary to inform us of the time of day at which this prophetic revelation occurred – “at around the heat of the day.” What does this particular detail contribute to the narrative?
We find a number of different approaches to this question among the commentators.
The Gemara (Bava Metzia 86b), cited by Rashi, explains that God “removed the sun from its sheath,” meaning, He brought exceptionally hot conditions upon Avraham’s area, in order that people wouldn’t travel. According to the Gemara, this incident occurred several days after Avraham’s circumcision, at a particularly painful stage in the recovery process, and the Almighty therefore sought to spare Avraham the need to tend to guests. To that end, He made the weather conditions especially harsh so that no travelers in need of hospitality would pass by Avraham’sresidence. Avraham, however, was saddened by the absence of wayfarers, and God therefore dispatched the three angels in the form of nomads for Avraham to invite and serve. The verse thus emphasizes that this incident took place during “the heat of the day,” to indicate that the weather was particularly hot as a result of God’s intervention.
The Rashbam suggests a much different explanation, namely, that this information explains the difference between Avraham and Lot’s invitations to the three guests. After Avrahamwelcomes the three strangers and serves them a lavish meal, they proceed to Sedom, where Lot, Avraham’s nephew, offers them lodging (19:2). One might have wondered why Avraham was so generous in offering his guests food, but did not invite them to sleep in his home. The Torah therefore informs us that the angels arrived at Avraham’s tent during the middle of the day, when people normally do not require lodging, and for this reason Avraham served them a meal, and not invite them to stay over to sleep. Lot, by contrast, encountered the strangers during the evening hours (see 19:1), and thus naturally offered them a place to spend the night.
The Radak advances a particularly novel theory to explain the need for the Torah to tell us precisely when this incident took place. He follows the famous and controversial theory of the Rambam, in Moreh Nevukhim (2:43; in some editions, 2:42), that the entire story of the three angelic visitors occurred only in a prophetic vision, and not in reality. The Ramban, in his commentary to this verse, cites the Rambam’s comments and discusses them at length, strongly rejecting this theory and insisting that “these words contradict the text; it is forbidden to listen to them, all the more so to believe them.” The Radak, however, adopts this theory, and claims that Avraham beheld this vision after he fell asleep as a result of extreme heat. For this reason, he explains, the Torah writes that this all occurred during “the heat of the day,” because it was the heat that caused Avraham to drift off and experience this prophetic revelation.
Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch, in his commentary, suggests a very simple explanation, claiming that the Torah emphasizes the extent to which Avraham exerted himself to look out for travelers in need of hospitality. The scorching heat normally drives people indoors, into the shady comfort of their homes/tents, and yet Avraham, still reeling from his circumcision, sat outside in the heat to ensure that any passersby in need of food, drink and rest would avail themselves of his hospitality.
We conclude with a beautiful homiletic interpretation to this verse suggested by Rav Menachem Bentzion Zaks, in his Menachem Tziyon. The verse’s final clause reads, “Ve-hu yosheivpetach ha-ohel ke-chom ha-yom.” The standard translation of this clause, as we translated it in our initial citation, reads, “as he was sitting at the entrance to his tent at around the heat of the day.” However, the final two words of this phrase – “ke-chom ha-yom,” “at around the heat of the day” – could be also be read as, “just like the heat of the day” (with the prefix ke- serving as a kaf ha-dimayon). Rav Zaks suggests that the verse perhaps alludes to a similarity between Avraham’s fervent search for guests outside his tent, and the midday heat of the sun. The sun warms the entire earth and all its inhabitants, irrespective of their merits or virtues. Avraham’s benevolence worked the same way. As Rashi (18:4) cites from the Midrash, Avraham mistook the three angels for pagan nomads who “worship the dust of their feet.” And yet, Avraham tended to them with love, enthusiasm and generosity. Like the sun, he sought to provide warmth and comfort to all men on earth, even those whose theological orientation stood in direct contrast and opposition to everything he believed, represented and worked to promote.