The concept that God “stands” in the presence of judges perhaps refers to God’s formally commissioning human judges to do His work. He “stands” in the company of judges in the sense that they act as His representatives in this endeavor, charged with the responsibility of judging fairly and truthfully.
Parashat Vayera begins by briefly relating that God appeared to Avraham “as he sat at the entrance to the tent at the heat of the day.” Rashi, citing the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 48:7), notes the significance of the fact that God’s appearance occurred as Avraham “sat.” Rashi writes: “He wanted to stand, but the Almighty said to him, ‘Sit, and I will stand. You will serve as a model for your descendants, as in the future I will stand in the company of the judges while they sit.’” The Midrash views this scene – of Avraham sitting as God stood above him – as symbolic of the arrangement in the Beit Din, where the judges sit as they hear the case, while the Almighty stands in their presence. The notion of God “standing” alongside judges as they do their work, as the Midrash proceeds to note, is inferred from the verse in Tehillim (82:1), “Elokim nitzav ba-adat Kel."
The question arises, on what basis did Chazal draw an association between God’s appearance to Avraham and Beit Din? The Torah does not tell us what Avraham was doing as he sat by the entrance to his tent, but it stands to reason that he was not trying legal cases or involved in any activity related to legal proceedings. Why, then, did Chazal view this scene as establishing a model for the situation of a Beit Din?
The concept that God “stands” in the presence of judges perhaps refers to God’s formally commissioning human judges to do His work. God is, of course, the only true Judge of the world, but He delegates this authority and responsibility to dayanim and entrusts them with this weighty task. He “stands” in the company of judges in the sense that they act as His representatives in this endeavor, charged with the responsibility of judging fairly and truthfully. The Midrash perhaps seeks to extend this concept to all areas of our lives. Even as we go about our normal routine, our ordinary, day-to-day affairs, we are to be cognizant of the fact that “Elokim nitzav ba-adat Kel,” that we are acting as God’s “representatives.” Chazal famously describe how Avraham, as he recovered from his berit mila, sat by the entrance to his tent hoping to find travelers in need of hospitality. Avraham committed himself to turning every circumstance into an opportunity to do God’s work – in this instance, caring for weary travelers. He thus sets a model of “Elokim nitzav ba-adat Kel” in the broad sense of the term, how in all situations of life, we are to see ourselves as God’s emissaries, working to advance His goals for the world and to fulfill His wishes.