וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה׳ בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם מַאי כְּחוֹם הַיּוֹם אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי שֶׁל מִילָה שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם הָיָה וּבָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִשְׁאוֹל בְּאַבְרָהָם הוֹצִיא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חַמָּה מִנַּרְתִּיקָהּ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַטְרִיחַ אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק בְּאוֹרְחִים שַׁדְּרֵיהּ לֶאֱלִיעֶזֶר לְמִיפַּק לְבָרָא נְפַק וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח אָמַר לָא מְהֵימְנָא לָךְ נְפַק אִיהוּ חַזְיֵיהּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דְּקָאֵי אַבָּבָא הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב אַל נָא תַעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ כֵּיוָן דַּחֲזָא דְּקָא אָסַר וְשָׁרֵי אֲמַר לָאו אוֹרַח אַרְעָא לְמֵיקַם הָכָא הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרׇץ לִקְרָאתָם מֵעִיקָּרָא אֲתוֹ קָמוּ עֲלֵיהּ כִּי חַזְיוּהּ דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ צַעֲרָא אֲמַרוּ לָאו אוֹרַח אַרְעָא לְמֵיקַם הָכָא מַאן נִינְהוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים מִיכָאֵל וְגַבְרִיאֵל וּרְפָאֵל מִיכָאֵל שֶׁבָּא לְבַשֵּׂר אֶת שָׂרָה רְפָאֵל שֶׁבָּא לְרַפֵּא אֶת אַבְרָהָם גַּבְרִיאֵל אֲזַל לְמֶהְפְּכַיהּ לִסְדוֹם
The Gemara expounds another verse involving Abraham: “And the Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day” (Genesis 18:1). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of “the heat of the day”? Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: That day was the third day after Abraham’s circumcision, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, came to inquire about the well-being of Abraham. The Holy One, Blessed be He, removed the sun from its sheath in order not to bother that righteous one with guests, i.e., God made it extremely hot that day to allow Abraham to recover from his circumcision, as he would not be troubled by passing travelers whom he would invite into his tent. Despite the intense heat, Abraham wanted to invite guests. He sent Eliezer his slave to go outside to see if there were any passersby. Eliezer went out but did not find anyone. Abraham said to him: I do not believe you. The Gemara continues: Abraham himself went out and saw the Holy One, Blessed be He, standing at the entrance to his tent. This is as it is written: “My Lord, if now I have found favor in your eyes, do not leave Your servant” (Genesis 18:3), i.e., God’s presence was there, and Abraham asked Him for permission to attend to the travelers. Once God saw Abraham tying and untying the bandage on his circumcision, God said: It is not proper conduct to stand here, i.e., it is not respectful to Abraham even for God to stand there. This is as it is written: “And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three men stood over him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them” (Genesis 18:2). The verse first states that they stood over him, and then it says that he ran to meet them. The Gemara reconciles this apparent contradiction: Initially, they came and stood over him. Upon seeing that he was in pain, they said: It is not proper conduct to stand here. The Gemara continues: Who are these three men? They are the angels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael: Michael, who came to announce to Sarah that she was to give birth to a son; Raphael, who came to heal Abraham after his circumcision; and Gabriel, who went to overturn Sodom.