Each prophet saw God differently. Amos saw Him standing — "I saw the Lord standing beside the altar" (Amos 9:1). Isaiah saw Him sitting — "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted" (Isaiah 6:1). Moses saw Him as a warrior — "The Lord is a man of war" (Exodus 15:3). Daniel saw Him as an elder — "His hair was like pure wool, His throne like fiery flames" (Daniel 7:9). Four prophets. Four visions. Four different depictions of the same divine reality.
The rabbis did not see contradiction here. They saw precision. God reveals Himself in the mode the prophet and the moment require. To a people at war, He appears as a warrior. To a prophet addressing a kingdom in collapse, He appears as a judge enthroned. To a young visionary in Babylon, He appears as an ancient one, patient and unchanging. The revelation is always true — and always partial. No single vision contains God. The collection of visions together approaches something closer to the whole.
Abraham at the tent of Mamre received a different kind of revelation — God came to him not as a vision but as a visitation, in the heat of the day, in the form of three guests (Genesis 18:1). The rabbis connect this to (Isaiah 66:2): God looks to "the poor and afflicted spirit, and the one who trembles at My words." Abraham had just been circumcised at ninety-nine. He was sitting in pain. And God came to visit him. The greatest prophet of all is not the one who sees the grandest vision — it is the one God comes to check on when they are suffering.
Chapter 13: Torah [1] After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying (Genesis 15:1). "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright" (Proverbs 2:7). Before the world was created, the Torah was hidden by God until Abraham would come and take it, as it is said: "Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5). This teaches that Abraham our father fulfilled all the commandments and all the laws, as it is said: "And My laws" (Genesis 26:5). Rabbi Yonatan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai that even the laws of cooking were upheld by Abraham, as it is said: "Because that Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5). Therefore, Solomon said, "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright." Another interpretation: The Holy One, blessed be He said to Abraham, "You are engaged in the study of the Torah, I assure you that I will be your shield. Just as a person holds a shield and even if arrows or stones are thrown at it, the shield receives them, so I will be a shield for you and not only for you, but also for your children if they engage in the study of the Torah. Just as you engage in the study of the Torah, I will be a shield for them, as it is written, 'The word of the Lord is a tested shield to all who take refuge in him' (2 Samuel 22:31). Therefore, it is said, 'He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity' (Proverbs 2:7)." [2] Another interpretation: After these events, it is written: "The wicked man earns deceitful wages, But he who sows righteousness gets a true reward" (Proverbs 11:18). Abraham was one who sowed righteousness, feeding both the passing traveler and the returning one, as it is written, "And he planted an Eschol tree" (Genesis 21:33).. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Your reward is very great, do not fear, Abraham" (Genesis 15:1). The wicked perform deeds of falsehood (Proverbs 11:18). This refers to Nimrod the wicked, who made idols and deceived the creatures, which is likened to falsehood, as it is said, "For they have poured out falsehood and there is no spirit in them" (Jeremiah 10:14). Therefore, it is said, "the wicked perform deeds of falsehood," but Abraham sows righteousness as the reward of truth (Proverbs 11:18). [3] Alternative interpretation: "After these events, what is written above the matter? 'And Abraham heard that his brother was taken captive'." (Genesis 14:14). And although his brother was Lot, after all the strife that they had, as it says "And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle" (Genesis 13:7), Abram still referred to Lot as his brother, as it says "For we are brothers" (Genesis 13:8). "And he armed his trained servants" (Genesis 14:14). From here we learn that Abram took silver, gold, and jewelry and adorned them, and said to them, "We are going to war to save Lot. Do not focus on wealth. If you are going for the sake of silver and gold, there is plenty before you." As it says, "And he armed his trained servants." And "armed" can only mean adorned with silver and gold, as it says "Her wings are covered with silver, and her pinions with yellow gold" (Psalms 68:14). Alternatively, "armed" means empty-handed, as it is written in the Torah, "Who is the man that is fearful and soft-heated?" (Deuteronomy 20:8), Abraham acted similarly. He said to his troops, "You are going out to war, but anyone who has sins in his hand and is afraid of his deeds should not go out with us." When all those men heard this, anyone who knew in his heart that he had sinned did not go out with Abraham, and they all turned back except for Eliezer who was righteous. Then, God said to Abraham, "He will go with you, and I will give him the strength of 318 men, so it will be as if all of them went out with you." Similarly, Eliezer's strength was equivalent to 318 men. And Abraham pursued [the kings] as far as Dan (Genesis 14:14). Why did he pursue them all the way to Dan? Our sages said that there are two things that are punished, those who plant a tree in the Sabbatical year and those who sell the produce of the Sabbatical year. Similarly, Abraham punished them before and after the prohibition [against such actions] came into effect. And how did he do so before [the prohibition was enacted]? Until now, when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, would establish an idol in Dan, as it is said, "And he put one in Beth-El and the other he placed in Dan" (1 Kings 12:29). Abraham had already arrived at that place and did not pursue them any further, as it is written, "And he pursued them as far as Dan, and he recovered all the goods" (Genesis 14:15).. What did he see in pursuing them to Dan? Our sages said two things strike those who are before and after, as in the case of the "sabbatical year" where one who plants before it and after it is liable. Similarly, Abraham pursued them before and after, but how did he pursue them until now when Jeroboam son of Nebat set up a sanctuary in Dan, as it says, "And he placed the one in Bethel [and the other he put in Dan]" (1 Kings 12:29)? Abraham had already reached that place and did not pursue them anymore, as it says, "And he pursued them to Dan and he divided himself against them by night" (Genesis 14:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, did this for Abraham, as it says, "And it came to pass that at midnight the Lord smote" (Exodus 12:29), "And he brought back all the goods" (Genesis 14:16), "Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him" (Genesis 14:17). When the king of Sodom saw Abraham coming to pursue him, he was playing with him, as it says, "All those who see me will mock me" (Psalms 22:8). This was the king who went out to pursue sixteen kings and their armies. When he returned safely, he said, "Let them pass in peace" (Isaiah 43:3). "Then the king of Sodom went out to meet him" (Genesis 14:17), and said to him, "Give me the persons" (Genesis 14:21). Abraham immediately swore to him, as it says, "I have lifted my hand" (Genesis 14:22), and lifting one's hand is an oath, as it says, "He raised his right hand and his left hand to heaven [and swore by the living God]" (Daniel 12:7). "If from a thread" (Genesis 14:23), why did the Holy One, blessed be He, promise to tithe me, as it says, "And I will bless those who bless you" (Genesis 12:3)? "And I will curse him who curses you" (Genesis 12:3). I am poorer than you. You should say, "I enriched you." "If from a thread" (Genesis 14:23). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "You said, 'If from a thread.' I will give your children a thread of righteousness that will encompass them, just as the sages have explained." "I give your children the commandment of tzitzit which is made of thread, as it says 'they shall make for themselves fringes' (Numbers 15:38). You said until shoelace, I give your children the commandment of shoe removal, as it says 'he shall remove his shoe' (Deuteronomy 25:9). Additionally, I give your children the merit of the Passover commandment, as it says 'you shall eat it with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet' (Exodus 12:11). If you said from thread, I praise your children with the thread, as it says 'your hair is like a flock of goats' (Song of Songs 4:2). Moreover, in the merit of this, I punish their enemies, as it says 'over Edom I cast my shoe' (Psalms 60:9). If you said until shoelace, I praise your children with their footwear, as it says 'how beautiful are your steps in sandals' (Song of Songs 7:1). You have rejected the reward of flesh and blood, see the reward that is prepared for you, as it says 'your reward is very great' (Genesis 15:1)."
