752. Before I Was Circumcised – 2

“And he ran toward them.” In the Midrash: “Abraham said, ‘Before I was circumcised, passersby would come to me. Now that I am circumcised, they do not come.’ The Creator said to him, ‘Before you were circumcised, uncircumcised would come to you. Now, I and My entourage are revealed to you,’ as it is written, ‘And he lifted up,’ ‘And he saw.’”

We should ask in the manner of ethics, since the matter of the circumcision is the cutting of the Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], and only his work after the circumcision was Lishma [for Her sake]. There is a rule that where there are always ascents and descents, a person is called “walking” and not “standing.”

This is what he asked, why, before he was circumcised, he always had ascents and descents. This is the meaning of the word Ovrim [passersby], from the word Averah [transgression], which is a descent, and Shavim [returning] meaning returning in Teshuva [repentance], would come to me, and he was busy all day with ascents and descents.

But now that he has been circumcised, he could not always be in a state of passing and returning. If he had a descent, he was in that state for a long time until he could pick himself up, while it should have been to the contrary.

The Creator told him that before he was circumcised, uncircumcised would come to him. Even when he repented and began the Torah and work, it was in a state of Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], for this reason (this is not very important).

You had many causes to repent and return to Torah and work. But now in Lishma [for Her sake], which is the truth, there is resistance from the evil inclination. Hence, it is inconsistent.

We should also say that he asked, Why before he was circumcised, he was in a state of work and choice, which is the quality of passing and returning, and now that he has been circumcised, he does not have the work of passing and returning?

He replied to this, “Previously, uncircumcised would come to you,” meaning thoughts and desires of the uncircumcised, so that you would make a choice. This is in order for you to be rewarded with Lishma, meaning the instilling of the Shechina [Divinity]. But now that you have achieved this and there is no longer a need for choice, meaning that the previous work caused you to now be rewarded with rest. Terah begot Abraham.