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Why does Parshas Vayeira open with the awkward phrase "Vayeira elav Hashem (ה׳)"? The unusual pronoun and word order reveal that Hashem appeared to the circumcised one specifically for bikur cholim. The structure teaches that this divine visit was generated by Avrohom's condition, not by Hashem's initiative.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes the grammatical peculiarities of the opening verse of Parshas Vayeira (18:1): "Vayeira elav Hashem (ה׳) be'elonei Mamre." He identifies two problems: first, the use of a pronoun (elav) at the beginning of a new parsha instead of the proper noun "Avrohom," and second, the unusual word order placing the object before the subject ("Vayeira elav Hashem" rather than "Vayeira Hashem elav"). To resolve the first issue, Rabbi Zweig explains that the pronoun "elav" forces us to identify its antecedent in the previous verse, which is "nimol Avrohom" - Avrohom who was circumcised. This grammatical structure teaches that Hashem appeared specifically to "the circumcised one," linking the divine visit directly to the bris milah that concluded the previous parsha.
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Parshas Vayeira 18:1
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