The inner point opened by milah

וירא אליו כי אאע"ה הי' התחלה לאבותינו אעפ"כ היה הוא קיום כל הברואים כמ"ש בהבראם באברהם.

"And He appeared to him" — for although Avraham Avinu was the beginning of our forefathers, nevertheless he was the sustaining of all created beings, as it is written "b'hibaram" (when they were created) — read as "b'Avraham" (through Avraham).

Chazal read the word "b'hibaram" as containing the letters of "b'Avraham," teaching that the entire creation was sustained in the merit of Avraham, even though he stands at the head of the Avos.

לכן כל השנים שעברו עליו קודם המילה הי' לקיום הבריאה.

Therefore all the years that passed over him before the milah were for the sustaining of creation.

Avraham's whole life until his circumcision served the general upkeep of the world as a whole.

ועתה התחיל להיות הנהגה מיוחדת בעבור בנ"י.

And now there began a special conduct on behalf of Bnei Yisrael.

With the milah, a new, distinct divine relationship was inaugurated, aimed specifically at the future nation of Bnei Yisrael.

וז"ש אליו בפרט.

This is the meaning of "to him" in particular.

The verse stresses that Hashem appeared "to him" personally, marking this new, individualized closeness.

והוא יושב כו' ובמד' ענותך תרבני כו' אתה סימן לבניך כו' כי זה עיקר ההפרש בין אוה"ע הקדמונים יג) שנמצא גם בהם במקרה איזה מראה כמ"ש ויקר כו'.

"And he was sitting..." And in the Midrash: "Your humility makes me great... you are a sign for your children..." For this is the essential difference from the ancient nations of the world, among whom some vision was found only by chance, as it is written "vayikar" (and He happened upon).

Whereas a prophet like Bilaam received only a chance, fleeting vision (hinted in "vayikar," a word of happenstance), Avraham's prophecy was a fixed sign that would be inherited by his children — a permanent connection, not a random encounter.

אבל בנ"י קבועים הם ומיוחדים לנבואה בכל עת וא"צ להשתנות בעת הנבואה ז"ש וירא אליו כו' והוא יושב פתח האהל זו מילה כמ"ש בזוה"ק פתח הגוף.

But Bnei Yisrael are fixed and designated for prophecy at all times and need not change at the moment of prophecy. This is the meaning of "And He appeared to him... and he was sitting at the opening of the tent" — this refers to the milah, as the Zohar says, "the opening of the body."

Bnei Yisrael are permanently fit to receive divine revelation without having to transform themselves first. The "opening of the tent" alludes to the milah, which the Zohar calls the "opening of the body" — the place where the inner self is exposed to holiness.

כי אחר החטא כ' כתנות עור אחר שנעשה תערובות טוב ורע רק לבנ"י נמסר סוד הפתח במצות מילה.

For after the sin it is written "garments of skin," after a mixture of good and evil was created; only to Bnei Yisrael was the secret of the "opening" given, through the mitzvah of milah.

The sin of Adam clothed mankind in a "garment of skin" that mixes good and evil and conceals the inner holiness. The mitzvah of milah grants Bnei Yisrael alone a sod (secret) opening through that concealing covering.

ומ"מ כל הגוף עודנו מכוסה והוא עבודת האדם בחומר לתקן כל הבריאה.

Nevertheless, the whole body still remains covered, and this is the avodah of man within physical matter — to rectify the entire creation.

Only one point is opened, while the rest of the body stays covered; this is intentional, leaving man the lifelong avodah of refining his physical self and thereby the whole world.

כי אחר החטא היה זה עצת הבורא ית' להיות אומה מיוחדת אליו ית' ועי"ז יאירו לכל הברואים.

For after the sin, this was the counsel of the Creator: that there be a nation specially devoted to Him, and through it light would shine to all created beings.

Hashem's plan after the sin was to designate one nation as a conduit of holiness, so that its light would ultimately radiate outward to all of creation.

וכמו כן באדם עצמו יהי' נקודה אחת פתוח.

And likewise within the individual person, there would be one point left open.

The same pattern repeats inside each person: a single inner point remains uncovered and connected to Hashem.

ועי"ז יתמשך כל הגוף אחר זאת ההארה.

And through this the entire body is drawn after that illumination.

That one open point radiates outward, gradually drawing the rest of the body and physical life after its light.

וכדמיון זה נמצא בכל מקום ממש נקודה אחת אשר עלי' הוסב כל המסובב.

And similar to this, in literally every place there is one point around which all that surrounds it revolves.

This is a universal principle: every entity has a central inner point upon which everything around it depends and turns.

וזה הפתח פתח אברהם אבינו ע"ה כמ"ש פתח גדול פתחת כו' הרבה גרים באו כו':

And this is the "opening" that Avraham Avinu opened, as it is written, "a great opening you have opened..." — many converts came...

Avraham was the one who first opened this channel of holiness into the world; through his "great opening," many gerim were drawn to Hashem, and the inner point of creation was activated for all generations.

Summary: Until the milah, Avraham sustained creation as a whole; with the milah a special relationship with Bnei Yisrael began — a permanent fitness for prophecy and an "opening" in the concealing garment of skin left by Adam's sin. Only one point is uncovered, leaving man the avodah of drawing his whole physical self after that inner light. This mirrors a universal truth: every thing has a central holy point around which all else revolves, the very opening Avraham first opened to the world.