“Abraham ran to the herd and took a young bull, tender and good, and gave it to the lad and he hurried to prepare it” (Genesis 18:7). “Abraham ran to the herd” – Rabbi Levi said: He ran for the advancement of that nation in whose regard it is written: “Ephraim is a trained calf that loves to thresh” (Hosea 10:11).33”Ephraim” is often used as a name to denote all of Israel. As expounded before this, Abraham’s actions here provided merit from which the people of Israel benefitted later in history.
“And took a young bull” – one could think that it was large.34A grown bull, whose meat is tough. The verse therefore states: “Tender.” If it was “tender,” one could think that it was inferior. The verse therefore states: “And good.” “And gave it to the lad” – this was Ishmael. [Abraham delegated the task to him] in order to train him in mitzvot.