Musar for Nedarim 63:19
ואמר רמי בר אבא
said: Because he went too far in testing the attributes [i.e., the promises] of the Lord, as it is written, [And he sand, Lord God,] whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XV, 8. ');"><sup>35</sup></span> R. Johanan sand: Because he prevented men from entering beneath the wings of the <i>Shechinah</i>, as it is written, [And the king of Sodom said it to Abraham,] Give me the persons, and take the goods to thyself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIV, 21. Abraham, by permitting this, instead of taking the persons himself, and teaching them to know' God, is said to have prevented them from coming beneath the wings of the Divine Presence. This dictum seems to indicate that R. Johanan was in favour of proselytes. ');"><sup>36</sup></span> And he armed his trained servants, born in his own house.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIV, 14. ');"><sup>37</sup></span> Rab said, he equipped them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A variant reading is herikan; he emptied them from the Torah, i.e., disregarded their learning and forced them into service, or perhaps, withdrew them from their studies. ');"><sup>38</sup></span> by [teaching them] the Torah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Wa-yarek is here connected with yarak to make shine; cf. yerakrak., yellow (shining). ');"><sup>39</sup></span> Samuel sand, he made them bright with gold [i.e., rewarded them for accompanying him]. Three hundred and eighteen:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');"><sup>40</sup></span> R. Ammi b. Abba sand: Eliezer outweighed them all. Others say, It was Eliezer, for this is the numerical value of his name.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hebrew letters are also used as numbers, and the numerical value of rzghkt is 318. ');"><sup>41</sup></span> R. Ammi b. Abba also said: Abraham was three years old when he acknowledged the Creator, for it is written, Because [Heb. 'ekeb] that Abraham obeyed my voice:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXVI, 5. ');"><sup>42</sup></span> the numerical value of [H] is one hundred seventy two.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The verse is therefore thus interpreted: 172 years hath Abraham obeyed my voice. As he lived 175 years in all, he was three years old when he acknowledged the Creator. ');"><sup>43</sup></span> R. Ammi b. Abba also said: