Tasks of Angels

One of the common questions asked in פרשת וירא is the apparent contradiction regarding the angels that visited Avraham Avinu on the third day after his Brit Mila.

On the one hand, we are told that three angels came because an angel is only sent for one task. Then we are told that Gavriel’s task was to overthrow Sedom, Rafael’s was to heal Avraham, and Michael was to tell Sara about the baby she was going to have AND save Lot.

The obvious question is that it looks like Michael had two tasks and not one. Rabbeinu Bechaye answers that in actuality it was one שליחות. It was a mission of חסד. It was a great act of kindness to give Sara such good news. And it was also an act of kindness to save Lot.

When the Torah says ויהיו חיי שרה, we learn that the word ויהיו equals thirty-seven, the number of years that Sara lived when she had a son.

Acts of Chesed fall under one category. So Michael really did one Shlichut, Chesed. Shabbat Shalom