לזכות רפואה שלימה אחינו כל בית ישראל הנתונים בצרה ובשביה
Parshat Vayeira begins with the aftermath of Avraham having undergone the Brit Milah at the age of 99; within this Parshah, his son, Yitzchak will be born when Avraham is 100-the commentaries note that Yitzchak will be the first child born from one who was commanded in the Mitzvah of Brit Milah, thus serving as a harbinger for the fact that of all of the Avot [forefathers], in many ways Yitzchak was considered the most sacrosanct in this world [hence, Yitzchak will never leave Israel, unlike Yaakov and Avraham; additionally, Yitzchak will become an “Olah Temimah {unblemished and pure offering to Hashem}”, when he willingly offers up his life at the akeidah towards the end of this week’s Parshah.
Seforno notes, that Jewish custom at the circumcision of a child is to leave a chair unoccupied. Many attribute this to the Midrash that implies that Eliyahu HaNavi must attend every Brit as penance for being overly zealous in his criticism of Am Yisrael; Seforno, however, offers, that the chair is left unoccupied to represent a designated makom for the Shechinah [Hashem’s earthly presence]. The reason for this custom, according to Seforno, is rooted in the opening of this week’s Parshah, for as soon as Avraham undergoes the circumcision, the Possuk informs us [Bereishit 18’ 1’]:
“...Hashem appeared to him in the groves of Mamrei and he was sitting at the door of the tent in the heat of the day…”
The Possuk states that Hashem appeared to Avraham-and, as noted earlier, this was the immediate period of time after his Brit Milah! Thus, Jewish tradition absorbed and understood that Hashem’s presence is manifest at the fulfillment of the mitzvah of circumcision, and we therefore leave a chair dedicated to Hashem.
Seforno brings a fascinating proof to this idea-the Possuk states in Shemot [4’ 24’-25’]:
“...He [Moshe] was along the way, in the inn, and Hashem appeared to him, and wanted to kill him. Tzipporah took a flint-stone and cut off her son’s foreskin, and threw it at his feet, saying, “You are a bridegroom of blood to me…”
Seforno writes, that during this obscure incident, in which Moshe was apparently deserving of punishment for not fulfilling the mitzvah of circumcising his son [see Rashi ad. Loc.], the Possuk states that “Hashem appeared to Moshe”. There was no prior communication given to Moshe about this appearance of G-d; it was entirely due to, and because of, the fulfillment of the Mitzvah of Milah [or lack thereof]. Thus, Seforno concludes, this vignette illuminates as well how Hashem’s presence is most manifest in honor of the Mitzvah of circumcision.
Fascinatingly, Chida, in Chomat Anach [Bereishit 18’ 1’] notes that the word “EiLav {to him}” in the phrase “Va’Yeira EiLav {and Hashem appeared to him}” actually has the same numerical value [plus one] as the shorthanded way of spelling the name “Eliayhu” in Hebrew [alep”h, lame”d, Yu”d, he”i]--to allude to the fact that Eliyahu is present by every circumcision. Hence, in the first Possuk of this week’s Parshah, there are allusions to both reasons to have an unoccupied chair set aside at a brit milah-either in honor of the Shechinah, or in the merit of Eliyahu HaNavi.
May we merit to follow in Avraham’s footsteps, and continue to shine the light of the Torah on each other!
Dedicated in memory of all those who have perished and sacrificed for Am Yisrael.
Have a Shabbat!