Vayera | Who Were Those Three "Men"?

KMTT - the Torah Podcast · Nov 2, 2023 · 37m

Vayera | Who Were Those Three "Men"? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Who were the three visitors to Avraham?

Parashat Vayera opens with a familiar scene - Avraham's hospitality lavishly presented to three strangers, whom the text refers to as אנשים - "men". Yet, these three seem to know things that mortals shouldn't know and, at several points during the conversations which ensue, God's own voice is heard and He is entreated. Rashi has long provided the conventional understanding of this narrative, wherein the "men" are angels, acting like humans but endowed with special knowledge. Although Rashi is…