בראשית רבה מ״חBereshit Rabbah 48

Section 1א׳

וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא ישֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל (בראשית יח, א), כְּתִיב (תהלים יח, לו): וַתִּתֶּן לִי מָגֵן יִשְׁעֶךָ וִימִינְךָ תִסְעָדֵנִי וְעַנְוָתְךָ תַרְבֵּנִי. וַתִּתֶּן לִי מָגֵן יִשְׁעֶךָ, זֶה אַבְרָהָם. וִימִינְךָ תִסְעָדֵנִי, בְּכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ, בָּרְעָבוֹן וּבַמְּלָכִים. וְעַנְוָתְךָ תַרְבֵּנִי, מָה עֲנָוָה הִרְבָּה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְהַשְּׁכִינָה עוֹמֶדֶת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה'.

“The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day” (Genesis 18:1). “The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he was sitting at the entrance of the tent.” It is written: “You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your right hand has supported me; Your humility has made me great” (Psalms 18:36). “You have given me the shield of Your salvation” – this refers to Abraham. Your right hand has supported me – in the fiery furnace, in famine, and against the kings. “Your humility has rendered me great” – with what humility did the Holy One blessed be He render Abraham great? It is that he was sitting and the Divine Presence was standing [over him]. That is what is written: “The Lord appeared to him.”

Section 2ב׳

וְאַחַר עוֹרִי נִקְּפוּ זֹאת וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ (איוב יט, כו), אָמַר אַבְרָהָם אַחַר שֶׁמַּלְתִּי עַצְמִי הַרְבֵּה גֵּרִים בָּאוּ לְהִדָּבֵק בְּזֹאת הַבְּרִית. וּמִבְּשָׂרִי אֶחֱזֶה אֱלוֹהַּ, אִילוּלֵי שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי כֵן מֵהֵיכָן הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִגְלָה עָלַי, וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה':

“After my skin, this was struck [nikfu], and from my flesh I will view God” (Job 19:26) – Abraham said: After I circumcised myself, many proselytes came to attach themselves to this covenant. “And from my flesh I will view God” – had I not done this, on what basis would the Holy One blessed be He have appeared to me? “The Lord appeared to him.”

Section 3ג׳

רַבִּי אִיסֵי פָּתַח (איוב לא, יג יד): אִם אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי וַאֲמָתִי בְּרִבָם עִמָּדִי, וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי יָקוּם אֵל וְכִי יִפְקֹד מָה אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ, אִתְּתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲוָה מִכַּתְּשָׁא עִם אַמְתֵיהּ, אַכְּחָשָׁהּ קֳדָמָא. אָמְרָה לוֹ מִפְּנֵי מָה אַתָּה מַכְּחִישֵׁנִי לִפְנֵי שִׁפְחָתִי, אָמַר לָהּ לֹא כָךְ אָמַר אִיּוֹב: אִם אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט עַבְדִּי. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אִם אֶמְאַס מִשְׁפַּט, זֶה אַבְרָהָם, (בראשית יז, כג): וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּנוֹ וגו', אָמַר אִלּוּלֵי שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי כֵּן מֵהֵיכָן הָיָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִגְלָה עָלַי, וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא ישֵׁב.

Rabbi Isi began: “If I reject justice for my servant and my maidservant when they quarrel with me, what would I do when God arises, and when He makes His reckoning; what would I answer Him?” (Job 31:13–14). Rabbi Yosei’s wife was once quarreling with his maidservant. He contradicted her [his wife] in her presence. She said to him: ‘Why are you contradicting me in front of my maidservant?’ He said to her: ‘Did Job not say this: “If I reject justice for my servant [and my maidservant…]”?’ Another interpretation, “If I reject justice [mishpat]…” – this refers to Abraham: “Abraham took Ishmael his son [and all those born in his house…and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin]” (Genesis 17:23). He said: ‘Had I not done so, on what basis would the Holy One blessed be He have appeared to me?’ “The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre, and he was sitting.”