(א)וַיֵּרָ֤א אלָיו֙ יהוה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃(ב) וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רׇץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃
(1) יהוה appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.(2) Looking up, he saw three figures standing near him. Perceiving this, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground,
וירא אליו. לְבַקֵּר אֶת הַחוֹלֶה. אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא, יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי לְמִילָתוֹ הָיָה, וּבָא הַקָּבָּ"ה וְשָׁאַל בִּשְׁלוֹמוֹ (בבא מציעא פ"ו):
וירא אליו AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM to visit the sick man. R. Hama the son of Hanina said: it was the third day after his circumcision and the Holy One, blessed be He, came and enquired after the state of his health (Bava Metzia 86b)
יושב. ישב כְּתִיב, בִּקֵּשׁ לַעֲמֹד, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה שֵׁב וַאֲנִי אֶעֱמֹד, וְאַתָּה סִימָן לְבָנֶיךָ שֶׁעָתִיד אֲנִי לְהִתְיַצֵּב בַּעֲדַת הַדַּיָּנִים וְהֵן יוֹשְׁבִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל (תהילים פ"ב) (בראשית רבה):
literally, יֹשֵׁב WAS SITTING — The word is written ישב (without the ו) and therefore may be translated “he sat”: He wished to rise, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, Sit and I will stand. You shall form an example to your descendants — that I, in time to come, will stand in the assembly of the judges while they will sit, as it is said, (Psalms 82:1) “God standeth in the assembly of the judges” (Genesis Rabbah 48:7)
(ז) וְהוּא ישֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם (בראשית יח, א), רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר יָשַׁב כְּתִיב, בִּקֵּשׁ לַעֲמֹד, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֵׁב, אַתָּה סִימָן לְבָנֶיךָ, מָה אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וּשְׁכִינָה עוֹמֶדֶת, כָּךְ בָּנֶיךָ יוֹשְׁבִין וּשְׁכִינָה עוֹמֶדֶת עַל גַּבָּן, כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל נִכְנָסִים לְבָתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּלְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת וְקוֹרִין קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וְהֵן יוֹשְׁבִים לִכְבוֹדִי וַאֲנִי עַל גַּבָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים פב, א): אֱלֹהִים נִצָּב בַּעֲדַת אֵל.
(7) “He was sitting [yoshev] at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day” (Genesis 18:1) – Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Yoshev is written without a vav. He sought to stand, but the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Sit. You are a model for your descendants; just as you sit and the Divine Presence stands, so your descendants will sit with the Divine Presence standing over them, when the people of Israel enter synagogues and study halls and recite the Shema. They sit in honor of Me, and I am over them,’ as it is stated: “God stands [nitzav] in the assembly of the Almighty” (Psalms 82:1). Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: Omed is not written here, but nitzav – indicating being at the ready to act, just as it says: “You shall stand [venitzavta] on the rock” (Exodus 33:21). It is written: “It will be that even before they call out I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24). Rabbi Shmuel bar Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: For each and every praise that Israel praises the Holy One blessed be He, He rests His Divine Presence upon them. What is the source? “You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:4).
פתח האהל. לִרְאוֹת אִם יֵשׁ עוֹבֵר וָשָׁב וְיַכְנִיסֵם בְּבֵיתוֹ:
פתח האהל AT THE TENT-DOOR — that he might see whether anyone passed by, and invite him into the house
כחום היום. הוֹצִיא הַקָבָּ"ה חַמָּה מִנַּרְתִּיקָהּ, שֶׁלֹּא לְהַטְרִיחוֹ בְּאוֹרְחִים, וּלְפִי שֶׁרָאָהוּ מִצְטַעֵר שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ אוֹרְחִים בָּאִים, הֵבִיא הַמַּלְאָכִים עָלָיו בִּדְמוּת אֲנָשִׁים (בבא מציעא שם):
כחום היום IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY — The Holy One, blessed be He, brought the sun out of its sheath that he might not be troubled by travellers, and when He perceived that he was grieved that no travellers came He brought to him angels in the form of men (Bava Metzia 86b).