Va Yera

sent by e-mail from Rabbi Jack Farber: some good comments

"פרספקטיבה נכונה וחשיבותה"
"Proper Perspective Matters"


Parashat HaShavua VaYera / And He Appeared

This Week's Reading List:
BeReshit / Genesis 18:1-22:24
Melachim Bet / 2 Kings 4:1-37
Kefa Bet / 2nd Peter 2:4-11
Donate On-Line

Bereshit {18:1} HaShem appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. {18:2} He lifted up his eyes and looked, and saw that three men stood opposite him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself to the earth, {18:3} and said, "My L-RD, if now I have found favour in Your sight, please do not go away from Your servant. {18:4} Now let a little water be fetched, wash Your feet, and rest Yourselves under the tree. {18:5} I will get a morsel of bread so you can refresh Your heart. After that You may go Your way, now that You have come to Your servant." They said, "Very well, do as you have said."

There has been much controversy over this passage, and it is all because of where to place one nikkud (Hebrew vowel point). Christian and Messianic translators place the vowel point one way while Jewish translators place it another. This one vowel point, this one little slash by Messianics or dot by traditional Jews, changes the whole context of the passage that I just quoted above.

First, for those who do not understand the Hebrew language and how it is written, allow me to explain. Originally, Hebrew was written without any vowels, like our English vowels (a, e, i, o and u). Hebrew writing back then, as it is now, is written with consonants only. There are 22 consonants in the Hebrew language. The Torah, in its original form, did not have any nikkudot (plural for nikkud). This leaves room for mistranslations because, as I said above, one dot or dash improperly placed can change the whole meaning of a word. Now, before you start worrying about the accuracy of the Word of HaShem, remember that under the vast majority of the cases this would not be a problem, especially when you know the context and know the language. The nukkudot were not added until the early Middle Ages. This was done so as to facilitate the reading and thus the understanding of words and their sentences. The most widely used Hebrew vowel points that are used today were developed by the Masoretes of Tiberias, which is from where we get the Masorettic text of the Tanach (Hebrew Scriptures). However, as with anything man puts his hands to, the interpretation of the original text by the placing of the vowel points becomes subject to human error and personal prejudice. This is the case with our above text.

The original Hebrew word that is in question in this passage, the word that can change the whole context and understanding of the passage, is אדני. It can, by the placing of a different vowel point under the נ, change the reading of the word from “Adonai” (G-d or L-rd) to “adoni” (sir or lord). Needless to say this difference has been the subject of many debates over the ages. Was Avraham (Abraham) greeting G-d or was he just being respectful and addressing three mortals as sir or lord? Jewish translators, as I said, see it one way while Christian and Messianic translators see it another way; I suppose you can understand why. Was this encounter a theophany (a physical appearance of G-d) or was it not? The implications for either theology could be far reaching.

Let us take a closer look at our passage of Scripture and attempt to determine, by the context of the text, whom it was that Avraham was greeting, G-d or man?

Most Jewish commentators use this passage to say that Avraham was a hospitable man. After all, they say, he was sitting and relaxing at the door of his tent just waiting for passer-bys so that he could offer them rest and refreshment on their journey. This, they say, explains why he jumped up so abruptly and hastily greeted these three men as they were passing him by. Thus they imply the word אדני to mean “sirs or lords” . However, is this really the right interpretation of this passage? In jumping up to greet these three passer-bys Avraham runs, bows before them and says “...if now I have found favour in your sight...” If these so called “men” were perfect strangers who were just passing by then why would Avraham say such a thing? Why would Avraham refer to himself as “your (singular) servant?” Why did he not just ask them to rest with him a while and join him in a meal before continuing on their journey? “Finding favour” implies a relationship of some kind, which could imply that Avraham understood that he was greeting G-d. Rendering the passage this way also agrees with the other passages in this Parasha.

Bereshit {18:10} He said, "I will certainly return to you when the season comes round; behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.

In their conversations with Avraham, one of the men make this incredible prophecy, a prophecy that will change the events of the world; the birth of Yitzchak (Isaac).

Bereshit {18:22} The men turned from there, and went toward S'dom, but Avraham stood yet before HaShem. {18:23} Avraham drew near, and said, "Will you consume the tzaddik (righteous) with the wicked?

There is no mistaking this text, vowel points or not. It is clearly written that Avraham was speaking toיהוה (Yud Hay Vav Hay), HaShem, the G-d of Heaven and earth. As it happens HaShem was on His way to judge Sodom and Gomorrah. So the only other question that could cause a loophole in our conclusion is, “Did HaShem just all of a sudden appear or was He actually one of the three all along? Well the text does not seem to indicate the former so the latter must be true, He must have been apart of the original three.

Finally, but certainly not the least of our proofs that Avraham was greeting G-d in the flesh, is this passage.

Bereshit {18:16} The men rose up from there, and looked toward S'dom. Avraham went with them to see them on their way. {18:17} HaShem said, "Will I hide from Avraham what I do, {18:18} seeing that Avraham has surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the goyim of the earth will be blessed in him? {18:19} For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of HaShem, to do tz'dakeh (righteousness) and justice; to the end that HaShem may bring on Avraham that which he has spoken of him."

Even though this passage comes before the one I quoted directly above I have placed it after because of the implication it presents. Again, in the Hebrew where we have translated it as HaShem it is written יהוה, which is explicitly G-d. There is no doubt, therefore, that one of the three so called “men” Avraham greeted was a physical manifestation of G-d (G-d in human form).

Do you see the implications here? Yeshua HaMashiach is G-d in human form, something Judaism denies and rejects. So is it any wonder that Jewish translators have manipulated the vowel points in this passage of Scripture that I quoted at the beginning of this drash (commentary)? They are protecting their anti-Messianic Jewish, anti-Yeshua theology