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Why did Avrohom seek advice from his allies before performing bris milah when Hashem (ה׳) commanded him? A bris is not merely an action but the creation of a merged relationship. Unlike a command that requires obedience, a covenant requires both parties to genuinely want the connection. Avrohom sought counsel to clarify his own desire — the defining prerequisite for entering any authentic bris.
The shiur opens with several textual difficulties in Parshas Vayeira. Why does Mamre receive reward merely for having his name mentioned in connection with the revelation to Avrohom? Why did Avrohom consult his covenant-partners (Eshkol, Aner, and Mamre) before performing bris milah — isn't it inappropriate to seek human advice when Hashem (ה׳) has commanded something? And why did Hashem initially remove the sun to spare Avrohom the burden of hosting guests during his recovery, only to later bring guests when He saw Avrohom's distress? Rabbi Zweig explains that the key to all these questions lies in understanding what a bris fundamentally is. A bris is not simply a command or ritual act — it is the creation of a relationship, a merger of two identities into a new unified entity. The verb "כרת" (to cut) used with bris indicates that a covenant cuts off other relationships to create an exclusive bond. A true bris cannot be coerced; coercion and relationship are contradictory terms. This explains the Gemara (גמרא)'s principle that the coercion at Har Sinai (kafa aleihem har k'gigis) was only possible because Klal Yisrael first said "na'aseh v'nishma" — they had already expressed their fundamental desire for the relationship.
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Vayeira 18:1
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How could Avrohom keep the entire Torah before it was given, including rabbinical laws? The key insight is that mitzvos represent eternal spiritual realities, not just historical commemorations, so Avrohom could access these truths through his genuine search. His entire 172-year journey—even his early idolatry—retroactively became service of God once he reached ultimate truth.
