Seeing is Believing

Rabbi Shay Tahan

Seeing and Being Seen: The Vision of Vayeira
In Parashat Vayeira, the Torah repeatedly uses the concept of seeing (re’iyah), but each instance carries a different meaning and context. Let us explore them.
The parashah opens with two psukim that both mention seeing, yet they differ significantly:
“And Hashem appeared to him in the plains of Mamre” (18:1).
“And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing before him” (18:2).
Why, in the first pasuk, does Avraham not need to do anything to see Hashem, whereas in the second, he must lift his eyes to see the men?
There is a fundamental difference between seeing the Hashem and seeing another person. The presence of Hashem can be perceived without external action—anyone who truly desires can sense Him. If one does not perceive Him, it is because he has closed his heart to that awareness.
However, when it comes to seeing others, it requires deliberate effort. Human nature does not automatically notice or empathize with others; one must raise his eyes to see beyond himself. That is why Avraham needed to lift his eyes to notice the three visitors.
We find the same principle with Moshe Rabbenu: “And it came to pass in those days that Moshe grew up, went out to his brothers, and saw their burdens” (Shemot 2:11).
Rashi explains: “He set his eyes and heart to be pained for them.”
If Moshe had remained where he was, he would not have truly seen their suffering—because man’s natural state is to overlook the pain of others unless he actively directs his attention and empathy toward them.
There is yet another form of sight—a person’s awareness of his own life and Divine providence. One must recognize that all his needs are already prepared by Hashem and will come at the right time and in the best possible way. Later in the parashah, when Hagar’s son Yishmael is dying of thirst, she fails to notice the well of water right before her, until Hashem opens her eyes, as it says: “And Hashem opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water” (21:19).
Chazal teach (Bereishit Rabbah 53:14): “All are blind until Hashem opens their eyes.”
At the beginning of the parashah, we learn that one can perceive Hashem through inner vision, without physical sight. Yet the most profound vision appears at the end of the parashah, following the Akedah: “And Avraham called the name of that place ‘Hashem Yireh,’ as it is said today: ‘On the mountain, Hashem will be seen’” (22:14).
This pasuk is difficult to understand literally, and many commentators explain it allegorically. Rashi and Onkelos interpret “seeing” as Hashem choosing the site for offerings.
However, the Kli Yakar offers an inspiring interpretation: one who stands at the site of the Beit HaMikdash and looks there sincerely can perceive the Divine Presence. He writes:
“The Temple below aligns with the Temple above, the dwelling place of Hashem’s might. Whoever gazes upon that holy place is immediately filled with purity and holiness, and with his very sight alone he attains spiritual perfection. For as it says, ‘Hashem will be seen,’ the word may also be read ‘will see,’ for just as the Shechinah sees him, so does he see the Shechinah. Instantly he becomes illuminated and attached to the radiance of His Presence, a taste of the World to Come.”
The Kli Yakar concludes that this spiritual benefit extends to Avraham’s descendants forever, for although the physical Temple may be destroyed, the heavenly counterpart remains eternal, continuously channeling blessing to the children of Avraham.
Thus, from Avraham’s lifting his eyes to see others, to Hagar’s opened eyes to see Hashem’s providence, to the ultimate seeing and being seen on Har HaMoriah—the Torah teaches that true sight begins with awareness, continues with empathy, and culminates in the vision of the Divine.

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