Chasidut for Bava Metzia 172:4
התם תלתא תורי לתלתא גברי הכא לכל ישראל ויהודה שנאמר (מלכים א ד, כ) יהודה וישראל רבים כחול אשר על (שפת) הים
— There the three calves were for three men, whereas here [the provisions enumerated] were for all Israel and Judah, as it is written, <i>Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings IV, 20. ');"><sup>6</sup></span> What is meant by <i>'fatted fowl'</i>? — Rab said: [Fowls] fed against their will. Samuel said: [Fowls] naturally fat. R. Johanan said: Oxen which had never toiled<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The idleness made them extra fat. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
Kedushat Levi
While on the subject of the meal Avraham prepared for these heavenly guests, we need to understand why he served them meat instead of fish. The motivation may have been to afford his guests to perform many commandments in short order; in the terrestrial regions, nowadays, before being able to consume a meat meal many more commandments must be fulfilled than before preparing a fish meal. This is in contrast with the world to come, where, according to our tradition, G’d will present the righteous with a meal consisting of the Leviathan. There are many more commandments associated with the preparation of a meaty meal than with the preparation of a “fish meal,” i.e. Leviathan. (Baba Metzia 86) According to the Talmud, Avraham slaughtered three calves in order to be able to offer each of his guests a tongue and mustard (as seasoning), considered the choicest meat of the animal.
The Talmud Eyruvin 53 relates that when Rabbi Yossi bar Avion wished to say something that only people familiar with him would understand, he would say: ”עשו לי שור במשפט בטור מסכן;“ he deliberately used some Hebrew words, שור, במשפט, which have a different meaning in Aramaic. Similarly, the word חרדל used by our sages for the seasoning Avraham provided for his guests is really a translation of the words הר דל, “a low hill.” In short, the Rabbi making excuses for the errors committed by the Jewish people, referred to the evil urge as an almost insurmountable obstacle, a tall mountain, whereas the urge to do good given to every human being, appeared like a low hill, so that it is not surprising that many Jews many times found it difficult to climb over the tall mountain in order to avoid sinning. When the sages spoke of the “seasoning” Avraham served his guests, this is merely a euphemism for saying that he tried to provide his guests with merits by the type of food served that would make it relatively easy to overcome the temptations offered by the evil urge. When the angels would reflect on this, they in turn, in the future, would tone down their accusations against sinful Jews, having realized through their visit on earth how difficult it is to fight these temptations.
The Talmud Eyruvin 53 relates that when Rabbi Yossi bar Avion wished to say something that only people familiar with him would understand, he would say: ”עשו לי שור במשפט בטור מסכן;“ he deliberately used some Hebrew words, שור, במשפט, which have a different meaning in Aramaic. Similarly, the word חרדל used by our sages for the seasoning Avraham provided for his guests is really a translation of the words הר דל, “a low hill.” In short, the Rabbi making excuses for the errors committed by the Jewish people, referred to the evil urge as an almost insurmountable obstacle, a tall mountain, whereas the urge to do good given to every human being, appeared like a low hill, so that it is not surprising that many Jews many times found it difficult to climb over the tall mountain in order to avoid sinning. When the sages spoke of the “seasoning” Avraham served his guests, this is merely a euphemism for saying that he tried to provide his guests with merits by the type of food served that would make it relatively easy to overcome the temptations offered by the evil urge. When the angels would reflect on this, they in turn, in the future, would tone down their accusations against sinful Jews, having realized through their visit on earth how difficult it is to fight these temptations.
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