A Little Water for the Angels Repaid to Israel Forever

"Let a little water be taken" (Genesis 18:4-6). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: you said "let it be taken"; in that same language I will redeem your children, "And I will take you to Me for a people" (Exodus 6:7). That is in this world; in the world to come, from where? "And I will take you, one from a city" (Jeremiah 3:14). Rabbi Eliezer in the name of Rabbi Simon said, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to our father Abraham: you said "let a little water be taken"; by your life, I will repay your children, as it is written, "Then Israel sang this song, Rise up, O well" (Numbers 21:17). That is in the wilderness; in the land of Canaan, from where? "A land of streams of water" (Deuteronomy 8:7). In the time to come, from where? "On that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem" (Zechariah 14:8). You said "and wash your feet"; by your life, I will repay your children, "And I washed you with water" (Ezekiel 16:9). That is in the wilderness; in the land, from where? "Wash, make yourselves clean" (Isaiah 1:16). In the time to come, from where? "When the LORD has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion" (Isaiah 4:4). You said "and recline under the tree"; by your life, I will repay your children, "He spread a cloud for a covering" (Psalms 105:39). That is in the wilderness; in the land, from where? "In booths you shall dwell seven days" (Leviticus 23:42). In the time to come, from where? "And a booth shall be for shade by day" (Isaiah 4:6). You said "and I will fetch a morsel of bread"; by your life, I will repay your children, "Behold, I will rain down bread for you" (Exodus 16:4). That is in the wilderness; in the land, from where? "A land of wheat and barley" (Deuteronomy 8:8). In the time to come, from where? as it is said, "May there be an abundance of grain in the land on the tops of the mountains" (Psalms 72:16). "And to the herd Abraham ran" (Genesis 18:7) - by your life, I will repay your children, "And a wind went out from the LORD and brought quails" (Numbers 11:31). That is in the wilderness; in the land, from where? "And the children of Reuben had much cattle" (Numbers 32:1). In the time to come, from where? "And it shall be on that day that a man shall rear a young cow" (Isaiah 7:21). "And he stood over them" (Genesis 18:8) - by your life, I will repay your children, "And the LORD went before them by day" (Exodus 13:21). That is in the wilderness; in the land, from where? "God stands in the assembly of God" (Psalms 82:1). In the time to come, from where? "The breaker has gone up before them" (Micah 2:13). "And wash your feet" - they said to him, do you perhaps think us like Arabs who bow down to the dust of their feet? Ishmael has already issued from you. Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav, everything Abraham did for the ministering angels, the Holy One, blessed be He, did Himself for Abraham's children by Himself; and everything Abraham did for the angels by means of a messenger, the Holy One, blessed be He, did for his children by means of a messenger. "And to the herd Abraham ran" - "And a wind went out from the LORD" (Numbers 11:31). "And he took curds and milk and set it before them" - "Behold, I will rain down bread for you." "And he stood over them" - "Behold, I stand before you there upon the rock" (Exodus 17:6). "And Abraham went with them to send them off" - "And the LORD went before them by day" (Exodus 13:21). "Let a little water be taken" - "And you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it." This differs from Rav Chama bar Chanina, who said: as the reward for three things they merited three things. As the reward for the curds and milk they merited the manna; as the reward for "and he stood over them" they merited the pillar of cloud; as the reward for "let a little water be taken" they merited the well of Miriam. It is written, "and I will fetch a morsel of bread," and it is written, "and he took curds and milk." Rabbi Eliezer said, the righteous say little and do much; the wicked say much and do not perform even a little - as we learn from Ephron, of whom it is written, "a land worth four hundred shekels of silver" (Genesis 23:15), and it is written, "And Abraham listened," yet he weighed out for him not ordinary shekels but the heaviest centenaria. It is written "flour" and it is written "fine flour" - from here we learn that a woman is more grudging toward guests than a man.