- Rabbah bar Nachmani’s passing while pursued by the authorities
Rabbah bar Nachmani was slandered to the government, accused that he cost the king one thousand men’s taxes for two months of the year, when he lectured about Yom Tov. After describing how the king’s agent discovered his whereabouts, and his imprisonment and miraculous escape, the Gemara says he fled to a swamp, sat on a stump and learned Torah. A dispute was taking place in the Heavenly Academy regarding tzaraas where it is a safek if the בהרת (white spot) appeared before the white hair (and is tamei) or afterwards (and is tahor). Hashem ruled the case of doubt tahor, and the rest of the Heavenly Academy ruled it tamei, and they declared it should be decided by Rabbah, who was a unique expert in Negaim. The מלאך המות could not approach him, since he did not stop learning. A wind blew, causing noises among the reeds, which Rabbah mistook for horsemen pursuing him. He cried out that he preferred to pass away rather than fall into the government’s hands, and as he was dying, said. “Tahor, tahor.” A בת קול came forth saying: אשריך רבה בר נחמני – Fortunate are you, Rabba bar Nachmani, שגופך טהור – that your body is tahor, ויצאתה נשמתך בטהור – and your soul left with the word tahor!
- כל מה שעשה אברהם למלאכי השרת בעצמו עשה הקדוש ברוך הוא לבניו בעצמו
After describing the enormous extravagance of Shlomo’s feasts, the Gemara explains that the feast served by Avraham was still greater, because an entire calf was prepared for each of the three guests, to provide tongue with mustard to each. Rav said: כל מה שעשה אברהם למלאכי השרת בעצמו – whatever Avraham did for the angels himself, עשה הקדוש ברוך הוא לבניו בעצמו – Hashem did for his descendants Himself. Whatever Avraham did only through an agent, Hashem did for his descendants through an agent. He illustrates: (1) Avraham ran to the cattle himself, and a wind blew quail to his descendants. (2) He took cream and milk himself, and Hashem rained down מן for them. (3) Avraham stood over them as they ate, and Hashem stood before Moshe when he made water come forth from the rock. (4) Avraham escorted his guests himself, and Hashem went before them in an עמוד ענן. In contrast, since Avraham said water would be brought (by others) to his guests, Moshe would provide water to his descendants, rather than Hashem Himself. This list disagrees on one point with Rebbe Chama the son of Rebbe Chanina, who says that Avraham’s standing over his guests was rewarded by the עמוד הענן, which stood over his descendants.
- Avraham’s desire to find guests
The passuk describes Avraham sitting at the entrance of the tent, "כחום היום" – in the heat of the day. Rebbe Chama the son of Rebbe Chanina explained this was the third day after Avraham’s bris milah, when he was weakest, and Hashem came to visit him. Hashem took the sun out of its sheath, to shine with intense heat onto the earth, כדי שלא יטריח אותו צדיק באורחים – so that this צדיק (Avraham) should not be bothered with guests. Still, Avraham sent Eliezer to find guests, and when he reported he could not find any, Avraham did not believe him and went out himself. He saw Hashem standing by the doorway, but when Hashem saw him tying and untying his bandages in discomfort, He said: לאו אורח ארעא למיקם הכא – it is not proper to remain here. Similarly, the passuk first describes the three guests as “standing over him,” and then says that Avraham ran to greet them, because first they came and stood next to him, but when they saw his pain, they said, “It is not proper to remain here” and left, so Avraham had to run after them. The “three men” are identified as Michael, who came to inform Sarah that she would bear a son, Refoel, who came to heal Avraham, and Gavriel, who went to overturn Sedom.
