Parashas Vayeira 5772

 “And G-d appeared to [Avraham] in the Plains (or Orchards) of Mamray” (B’raishis 18:1). [Mamray] was the one who gave Avraham advice regarding the circumcision, therefore [G-d] appeared to [Avraham] on [Mamray’s] property (Rashi). The commentators are puzzled as to why Avraham would consult with Mamray (or anyone else) about whether or not to listen to G-d and become circumcised. Is it really possible that the righteous Avraham would consider disobeying G-d’s command?

 Although the question is often worded by asking how Avraham, who passed the famous “Ten Tests,” would have asked anyone whether he should disregard G-d’s command, since having a circumcision is one of the 10 tests, it could not have been a foregone conclusion that Avraham would pass. It should therefore not be surprising if, during the test–while still in the process of trying to pass it, fighting internally to overcome whatever obstacles made it a “test,” he consulted with his close comrades (see 14:13). Nevertheless, it is worth exploring what made this a “test” (rather than an automatic “G-d said it, so obviously I’ll do it” situation).

 The commentators suggest many different approaches to explain how Avraham could have asked Mamray for advice. Most say that the advice was not whether or not to have a circumcision, but how to. Should he publicize the fact that he was commanded to become circumcised (and was doing it), thus setting an example of doing what G-d wants no matter what, or should he do it without any publicity, so others can’t make fun of it and in order to avoid giving his enemies (the world powers he defeated in the war with the kings) an opportunity to exact revenge while he was recuperating (Tosfos, Sifsay Chachamim)? Should he do the procedure in front of others because of the Kiddush Hashem it would create, or privately, for modesty reasons (B’er HaTorah, imprecisely quoting Maharai)? Some (Tosfos, see also Mizrachi) suggest that Avraham wasn’t sure which part of the body the circumcision should be done on, or which part to remove (Moshav Z’kainim and other Tosafists). Chizkuni suggests that he asked for medical advice regarding the healing process afterwards; B’er BaSadeh suggests that he wanted their thoughts on how to protect himself and his family during their recovery, while vulnerable to attack. Tosfos suggests that his family/household was resistant to the idea of being circumcised, and Avraham asked how he could convince them to do it. Although each of these suggestions deserves a discussion of their own, the bottom line for our purposes is that if the advice Avraham asked for was not about whether to have a circumcision, but about issues raised by having a circumcision, the original question has been avoided.

 As several commentators (e.g. Mizrachi) point out, none of these approaches are consistent with Rashi’s Midrashic source (B’raishis Rabbah 42:8), where the conversation is about whether or not to have a circumcision. It is possible that Avraham started the conversation about a consequence of his already-reached decision to have a circumcision, with Aner and Eshkol questioning the decision itself and Mamray therefore having to support it, but the implication in the Midrash is that Mamray “rebelled” against Avraham rather than support his decision. In addition, parallel Midrashim (Tanchuma Vayeira 3, Agadas B’raishis 19) are explicit that Avraham himself was unsure whether he wanted to undergo a circumcision.

 Maharzo (a commentary on B’raish Rabbah) and Anaf Yosef (in his commentary on Midrash Tanchuma) are among those (see Chizkuni and other Tosafists, as well as Mizrachi and Sifsay Chachamim) who suggest that Avraham was merely testing his friends/partners to see if they really feared G-d or were just acting as if they did. Similarly, some (see Mizrachi, Sifsay Chachamim) suggest that Avraham expected them to try to talk him out of it, but wanted to make a greater Kiddush Hashem by going through with it regardless. Others (Maharai, Gur Aryeh) suggest that Avraham wanted to make sure no one thought he was being impulsive when he had his circumcision, so “consulted” with Aner, Eshkol and Mamray before following through with the decision he had already reached. If so, the conversation being about the circumcision itself does not negate the possibility that Avraham was going to go through with it no matter what they said. 

 Chasam Sofer suggests no less than seven possible issues that Mamray could have advised Avraham about (many commentators suggest several possibilities), one of which is that Mamray advised Avraham to wait until he was commanded to become circumcised, as it can only be fulfilled once (unlike other mitzvos), and it’s better to do something after it’s commanded than to do it before it became obligatory (see also Ikar Sifsay Chachamim and Raza D’Meyer, a commentary on Paanayach Raza). However, the Midrashim are explicit that Avraham asked for advice after G-d had already told him to become circumcised.

 R’ Chaim Paltiel (a later Tosaist), and R’ Yaakov K’nizel and Maysiach Ilmim (two early commentators on Rashi) suggest that Avraham wasn’t sure who should be circumcised first, himself or his family. Another suggestion R’ Paltiel–and numerous others–make is that Avraham started circumcising others, but they all died. Mamray told him, based on G-d’s wording, that only someone who is already circumcised can circumcise others. This would explain why Shem (Noach’s son) was brought in to circumcise Avraham (Pirkay d’Rebbe Eliezer 29), as Shem was born “already circumcised” (Avos d’Rav Nosson 2:5). Gur Aryeh suggests a concept that is expanded upon by Rav Zalman Sorotzkin, z”l (Oznayim L’Torah) and (l’havdil bain chaym l’chayim) Rabbi Peretz Steinberg, sh’lita (Pri Eitz HaChaim); since Avraham had already entered a covenant with Aner, Eshkol and Mammary (B’raishis 14:13), he had to consult with them first before doing anything as drastic as becoming circumcised. After all, doing so made him, and his entire household (who were obligated by the treaty to come to Aner, Eshkol and Mamray’s defense) vulnerable to attack, and created tension between his household and the rest of the (uncircumcised) world. Additionally, how could Avraham enter a new “covenant” with anyone (in this case, G-d) without first consulting with those he had already made a covenant with? Although each of these approaches has its own shortcoming (the Midrashim imply that Avraham was trying to decide if he should get circumcised, not who should get circumcised first; many ask how Mamray could know the “d’rasha” that only someone circumcised can circumcise others if Avraham himself didn’t know it; if Avraham was asking permission to become circumcised and make a covenant with G-d, how could he say “too bad” after Aner and Eshkol said “no,” what value would Mamray agreeing to it have if his partners outnumbered him, and if he split with them and retained his treaty with Avraham while they didn’t, it wouldn’t be “advice” that Mamray gave, just an agreement to maintain their previous agreement), they can help paint a slightly different picture.

 A “covenant” is an agreement between two or more parties. Although we, as Avraham’s descendants, are obligated to maintain the covenant he made with G-d, he could not be “forced” to make this covenant; it could not be a “commandment,” only an “invitation” (see Taz). This doesn’t remove the original question, as it would still be puzzling why Avraham would have to ask Mamray whether he thinks Avraham should become G-d’s “partner,” but it does change the question at least a little bit.

 If Avraham, who was 99 years old, was afraid that undergoing this procedure put his life at risk, we can understand why it would be a “test,” and perhaps why he would consult with his “partners” during his decision-making process. It would also explain why he would want to first circumcise younger, healthier members of his household, as they were not only a smaller risk, but after having performed several circumcisions he would be more experienced and could be more confident that he would be successful with those who were more fragile (including himself). When his first “patients” died, Avraham’s fears grew. Should he really voluntarily agree to undergo this dangerous procedure? A procedure that will alienate him and his household from almost everybody else, and would put them in danger of a retaliatory strike from the world powers? Was it fair, for his own spiritual advancement, to put his partners at risk too? Or to force them to either dissolve their partnership or be stuck with a weaker partner? Avraham therefore consulted with his partners, and although two of them thought it wasn’t worth the risk, one of them (Mamray) thought that not only was it worth the risk, but based on G-d’s track record of saving Avraham from the fiery furnace, the mighty kings, and the famine (including what happened to Pharaoh), Avraham could be confident that G-d would help him through this as well.

Whether or not to undergo a circumcision was one of Avraham’s Ten Tests, one that was difficult to pass. After hearing Mamray’s advice, it became easier for Avraham to pass the test.