Bread That Sustains the Heart and Abraham's Passover Feast

Rabbi Yitzhak said: In the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings we find that bread is nourishment for the heart. In the Torah: "Let me fetch a morsel of bread, and refresh your hearts [literally, your heart]" (Genesis 18:5). In the Prophets: "Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread" (Judges 19:5). In the Writings: "And bread sustains the heart of man" (Psalms 104:15). Rabbi Aha said: It is not written here "refresh your hearts [levavkhem]," but "refresh your heart [libkhem]." This teaches that the evil inclination [yetzer hara] does not rule over the angels. As Rabbi Aha said of the verse "Set your heart [libkhem, singular form] upon her ramparts" (Psalms 48:14), this teaches that there is no evil inclination in the time to come. "Since you have passed by your servant" (Genesis 18:5): From the day the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, you were appointed to come to me. And they said, "Do as you have spoken" (Genesis 18:5). We have no eating and drinking before us; you, before whom there is eating and drinking, do so for yourself. "As you have spoken": may it be His will that you merit to make another feast for a male son who will be born to you. "And Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah" and said, "Hurry, three measures [of meal]" (Genesis 18:6). Nine measures she baked: three for cakes, three for porridge, three for delicacies. "Knead it and make cakes": this teaches it was the eve of Passover. Rabbi Yonah in the name of Rabbi Hama bar Hanina: the wilderness of Sin, the wilderness of Alush, and the wilderness of Kadesh are one. By what merit did Israel merit that manna was given them in the wilderness? By the merit of Abraham, who said, "Knead it and make cakes." "And Abraham ran to the herd" (Genesis 18:7): Rabbi Levi said, he ran to anticipate that nation of which it is written, "a trained heifer that loves to thresh" (Hosea 10:11). "And he took a calf" (Genesis 18:7): one might think a large one, so Scripture says "tender." If tender, one might think weak, so Scripture says "and good." "And gave it to the lad" (Genesis 18:7): this is Ishmael, in order to train him in the commandments.