166. After Abraham was told about Isaac, it is written, "And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom" (Beresheet 18:16). Rabbi Elazar said, Come and behold. The Holy One, blessed be He, shows goodness to all beings, but especially to those who follow His path. And even when He decides to judge the world, He arranges for anyone who loves Him to perform a meritorious act before the world is punished.
167. This corresponds to what we have learned. When the Holy One, blessed be He, loves a person, He sends him a present. And what is THAT PRESENT? It is a poor man for whom he can perform a meritorious act. So now that he is meritorious and deserving, the Holy One, blessed be He, draws a cord of grace from the right side upon him. He winds the cord around his head and marks him, so that when Judgment falls on the world, the Angel of Destruction will take notice of him AND NOT HURT HIM. Because he raises his eyes and notices that mark, he avoids him. This is why the Holy One, blessed be He, arranged beforehand to make him meritorious.
168. Come and behold, when the Holy One, blessed be He, planned to execute Judgment on Sodom, He prepared a meritorious act for Abraham by sending him a present, WHICH REFERS TO THE THREE ANGELS. Because of them, he became deserving. Thereby, he saved Lot, the son of his brother, from destruction. This is why it is written, "and Elohim remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow," (Beresheet 19:29) and not, 'and Elohim remembered Lot.' As a result of Abraham's meritorious act, he was saved. And "remembered" MEANS THAT He remembered the previous meritorious act that He performed with the three angels.
169. In the same manner, when harsh Judgment hangs over the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the charitable deeds that men performed. Every time a person performs a meritorious action, it is noted above. THEREFORE, even when there is harsh judgment on the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the good that a person has done and has merited through other people. As it is written, "but charity (righteousness) delivers from death" (Mishlei 11:4). According to this, the Holy One, blessed be He, arranged in advance that opportunity for Abraham to perform a meritorious act, so that by his merit Lot would be saved.
170. Come and behold, "And the men rose up from there, and looked toward Sodom." They rose from the meal that Abraham prepared for them, thereby performing a meritorious act. And even though they were angels, WHO DO NOT NEED A MEAL, he nevertheless attained merit because of them. And they purposely left no food over from the meal, so that Abraham would attain merit through the act, as it is written, "and they did eat," as by their fire the food was eaten and consumed.
171. You might say, But there were three angels, one of fire, one of water, and one of air. SINCE GABRIEL IS MADE OF FIRE, MICHAEL IS MADE OF WATER, AND RAPHAEL OF AIR, ONLY GABRIEL COULD HAVE CONSUMED THE FOOD WITH HIS FIRE. MICHAEL AND RAPHAEL WERE NOT ABLE TO DO SO, AS THEY ARE NOT MADE OF FIRE. AND HE REPLIES, Each and every one of them includes the others in himself. SO EACH ONE OF THEM WAS MADE OF FIRE, WATER, AND AIR. This is why IT IS WRITTEN ABOUT ALL OF THEM, "and they did eat" - THE FIRE IN EACH OF THEM CONSUMED THE FOOD. Similarly, "and they saw Elohim, and did eat and drink" (Shemot 24:11), MEANING that they were indeed nourished from THE SPLENDOR OF the Shechinah, WHICH IS CONSIDERED AS EATING. Thus, in this PASSAGE AS WELL, "and they did eat" MEANS THAT they nourished themselves, THROUGH THEIR EATING, from the side to which Abraham was attached, NAMELY THE RIGHT SIDE, WHICH IS CHASSADIM. And this is why they left nothing of what Abraham offered them - SO THAT THEY COULD DRAW DOWN AS MUCH CHASSADIM AS POSSIBLE.
172. On the same principle, one should drink from the cup of benediction, so that by his drinking he will merit the blessing of above. Hence, THE ANGELS also ate from what Abraham had prepared for them, in order to be nourished from the side of Abraham - NAMELY, FROM THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, as the sustenance of all the angels above proceeds from that side.
173. The verse, "and looked toward..." ALLUDES TO the awakening of the quality of Mercy to save Lot. WE LEARN THIS BY COMPARING VERSES. It is written here, "and looked toward," and it is written elsewhere, "Look forth from your Holy habitation" (Devarim 26:15). Because THE LOOKING THERE ALLUDES to Mercy, it does so here as well.
174. "And Abraham went with them to bring them on the way" (Beresheet 18:16); that is, he escorted them. Rabbi Yesa said, If Abraham knew that they were angels, why did he have to escort them? Rabbi Elazar responded, Even though he knew they were angels, he did for them what he was accustomed to do for people. Thus, he escorted them, because it behooves one to escort his guests, since everything depends on this. IN OTHER WORDS, THE PRECEPT OF INVITING GUESTS DEPENDS ON ESCORTING THEM, WHICH IS THE FINAL ACT. AND IT IS NOT CONSIDERED A PRECEPT UNTIL AFTER THE PERSON CONCLUDES IT.
175. As he was escorting them, the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him, as it is written, "And Hashem said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do?" (Ibid. 17) The phrase "And Hashem" APPLIES TO Him and His heavenly court, WHICH IS THE NUKVA, as the Holy One, blessed be He, accompanied them.