The Greatest Reward of All: What Parashat Vayera Teaches About Closeness to Hashem

This week's Torah portion, Parashat Vayera, opens with the verse: “And the Lord appeared to him by the plains of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day” (Genesis 18:1).

The Ramban (Nachmanides) raises an intriguing question: Why does the Torah tell us that Hashem appeared to Abraham when He neither spoke to him nor gave him any commandment? Furthermore, why does the verse say that Hashem appeared "to him" rather than explicitly stating "to Abraham"?

The Ramban explains that this verse teaches us a profound lesson: The revelation of the Divine Presence is itself both the purpose and the reward. It is not merely a means of conveying a message or introducing a commandment. Rather, the very privilege of experiencing Hashem's Presence is an extraordinary spiritual reward.

The Divine Presence as a Reward for Mitzvot

The Ramban explains that the Torah specifies the plains of Mamre to identify the location where Abraham underwent circumcision. The revelation of the Divine Presence that followed was an expression of honor and spiritual elevation, a reward for the mitzvah he had performed.

He compares this encounter to the revelation at the dedication of the Mishkan (Tabernacle), when the Torah states: “And they came out and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people” (Leviticus 9:23).

Just as the Jewish people merited the revelation of Hashem's Presence through their efforts to fulfill the commandments associated with building the Mishkan, Abraham merited this extraordinary encounter following his circumcision. In neither instance was the Divine revelation intended to communicate a new commandment or message. Rather, it was a reward for a mitzvah already performed and an indication that Hashem was pleased with their actions.

When Seeing the Divine Is Its Own Reward

The Ramban supports this interpretation by citing additional examples from Scripture in which the experience of Divine revelation is presented as a profound spiritual privilege.

King David expresses this yearning in Psalms: “As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, upon awakening, with Your likeness” (Psalms 17:15).

Similarly, when Jacob encountered angels, the Torah states: “And angels of God encountered him” (Genesis 32:2). The Torah does not record any conversation between Jacob and the angels, nor does it indicate that they delivered a message. According to the Ramban, the encounter itself was the reward. Jacob merited seeing heavenly angels and thereby received reassurance that his actions were pleasing to Hashem.

The Ramban explains that Abraham's experience followed the same principle. The revelation of the Divine Presence was both a spiritual privilege and a sign of Divine favor.

He also refers to the extraordinary revelation experienced by the Jewish people at the splitting of the Red Sea. When they declared, “This is my God, and I will glorify Him,” they witnessed a level of Divine revelation so profound that the Sages taught: “A maidservant at the sea saw what Ezekiel the prophet did not see” (Mechilta, Shirata 3).

This remarkable revelation was a spiritual reward granted to the Jewish people during the great miracle, reflecting their faith in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant.

The Greatest Reward Is Closeness to Hashem

Parashat Vayera thus begins with a seemingly simple event: Hashem appears to Abraham at the entrance of his tent in the plains of Mamre, without delivering a message or issuing a commandment. Yet, as the Ramban explains, this apparent absence of communication is precisely what makes the encounter so meaningful.

The Torah is teaching us that closeness to Hashem is not merely a means of attaining something greater. Experiencing the Divine Presence is itself the ultimate privilege and reward.

Whether through Abraham's encounter with Hashem, Jacob's vision of angels, the revelation at the Mishkan, or the miracles witnessed by the Jewish people at the Red Sea, the underlying message remains the same: The greatest spiritual reward is the privilege of experiencing Hashem's closeness and knowing that our actions are pleasing to Him.