Commentary: On Genesis

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and he saw three men standing over against him. When he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed down to the earth, [and said . . . ] (Genesis 18:2)

He lifted up his eyes and looked, and he saw three men. The straightforward sense is that they were actual human beings, for we do not find that angels eat and drink or spend the night as these did at Lot’s house. But remember what the angel said to Manoah: “If you detain me, I shall not eat your food” (Judges 13:16). But one ought not contradict the words of our sages, who themselves were like angels in their knowledge of what happens on earth [i.e., of all things]. In any case, it is forbidden to teach in front of heretics that they were angels, for this would be evidence for them in support of their own obscenity, who did eat.

God will provide Himself the lamb for a burnt- offering, my son. (Genesis 22:8)

That is, [this can be understood as] “the lamb [for a burnt-offering] is my son.” Abraham answered in words that could express a double meaning: what he himself imagined to be the truth, but also the surface sense: “Son, the Holy One will see to the sheep.”

And our sages said: Isaac understood; nonetheless, both of them went together (Genesis 22:8), with equal intent to carry out the will of the Creator.