Why God Visited Abraham After the Circumcision

Another interpretation of "And the Lord appeared unto him" (Genesis 18:1). Rabbi Yitzchak Nappacha opened with "An altar of earth you shall make for Me" (Exodus 20:24). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: One who slaughters an ox or a sheep and sheds a little blood — I would come and bless him, as it is said, "An altar of earth," and it is written, "I will come unto you and bless you" (ibid.). Abraham, from whose house a river of blood was flowing because of the circumcision — how much the more must I bless him! Therefore it is said, "And the Lord appeared unto him." And so Moses said, "This is the thing which the Lord commanded that you do, and the glory of the Lord shall appear unto you" (Leviticus 9:6). And what was the word of the Lord? "And Moses said unto Aaron: Draw near to the altar" (Leviticus 9:7). Rabbi Acha said: Come and see the power that the Holy One, blessed be He, placed in Abraham, that in a single day he circumcised himself, those born in his house, and Ishmael his son, and the blood was dripping. See how many those born in his house were, as it is written, "And he mustered his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen" (Genesis 14:14). And if those born in his house were so many, those bought with his money — how much the more so! And he circumcised all of them in one day, as it is said, "On this very day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son, and all the men of his house were circumcised with him" (Genesis 17:26-27). And Abraham took all the foreskins that he had circumcised and made them into a mound in the midst of his house, and a river of blood was flowing from the midst of his house. And the Holy One, blessed be He, called the angels and said to them: Come and let us visit the sick one. They said before Him: Master of the Universe, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You should remember him" (Psalms 8:5) — and You go to a place of filth, to a place of blood and of abomination? He said to them: So you have spoken; by your lives, the scent of that blood is sweeter to Me than myrrh and frankincense. If you will not go, behold, I am going by Myself. And so Solomon said, "Until the day breathes" (Song of Songs 4:6) — "unto the mound of foreskins" (Joshua 5:3) — this is Abraham, as it is said, "And the Lord appeared unto him... in the heat of the day," for the Holy One, blessed be He, made that day hot.