Because of this incident. “I didn’t do anything!” Avimelech swore that he did not touch Sarah, and Sarah, who is even greater than Avraham in prophecy, confirmed that indeed he did not touch her. But Hakadosh Baruch Hu told Avimelech, "Until Avraham davens for you, you won’t be healed." Avimelech went straight to Avraham and pleaded, "Please, pray for me so that I may be healed – Avimelech ben Fatima is the name." The whole land of Gerar knew that all the orifices of Avimelech and his household were sealed, and everyone waited for Avraham's Tefillah. Avraham proceeded to daven, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu healed Avimelech and his wife and his maidservants, and they gave birth.
Please allow me to ask: what suspicion did Avraham Avinu have? He is a Navi! He knows the truth! What is the meaning of the words in this Midrash that Avraham had suspicions?
In order to understand the yesod here, we’ll study a few commentaries, each in their own style, all aiming at the same target. I found these ideas in the Beis HaLevi on the Torah, and in Sukas Dovid and Pardes Yosef. The Torah says: וַה' פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָ ה כַּאֲשׁ ֶר אָמָר, and the Ba’al HaTurim says, whenever it says וַה', it means “He and His Heavenly Court”. The question to ask here is, why does Hakadosh Baruch Hu need a Heavenly Court to visit Sarah? The Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 53:6) connects this story to the subject of Sotah:
כְּתִיב: וְאִם לֹא נִטְמְאָה הָאִשָּׁה וּטְהֹרָ ה הִוא וְנִקְ תָה וְנִזְרְ עָה זָרַ ע, זוֹ וְיָצָאת טְהוֹרָ ה אֵינוֹ דִּ ין שׁ ֶנִּכְנְסָה לְבֵיתוֹ שׁ ֶל פַּרְ עֹה וּלְבֵיתוֹ שׁ ֶל אֲבִימֶלֶך שׁ ֶ תּ ִ פּ ָ ק ֵ ד .
It is written [regarding an unfaithful wife]: “If the woman was not defiled, and is untainted, she will be absolved and will conceive offspring.” This one [Sarah], who entered Pharaoh’s palace and Avimelech’s palace and emerged untainted, is it not all the more logical that she should be remembered for children?
When a man suspects his wife of seclusion with another man, he warns her not to be secluded with him. If she does so anyway and he becomes suspicious, a process plays out whereby she is given Mei Sotah to drink – special bitter waters in which ink from her oath is dissolved. If she had indeed sinned, her belly would miraculously swell and her thigh would rupture, and she would die. If, however, it turns out that she is pure and nothing happened, the Torah says she would be allowed to resume relations with her husband and she would be blessed with children.
The Heavenly Court came and asked Hakadosh Baruch Hu, "If the Torah prescribes children for the pure one who is falsely suspected, doesn’t Sarah deserve a reward after being with Pharaoh and Avimelech but remaining pure throughout!?" Immediately we read: וַה' פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָ ה – He and His Heavenly Court decided immediately that Sarah would have a son! Thus, what caused Sarah to conceive? Sarah conceived because she was secluded with Avimelech and nothing happened! The scoffers said that Avimelech had impregnated her. They suspected her, and it was false. Therefore, immediately after this episode, the Torah says Sarah was remembered; she conceived and gave birth.
The Beis HaLevi says, since Sarah was secluded with Avimelech and she remained pure, she conceived, just as the Torah promised. And what did the cynics say? They didn’t say that because she was alone in Avimelech's house and remained pure, she conceived. Instead, they shortened that statement ever so slightly and said, "Because she was alone with Avimelech, she conceived!"
This is like a person who sells ice cream and becomes a millionaire from the business, and with the money he made, he builds a large villa. One day, someone walks by the villa and asks, "Where did this man get his villa from?" His friend answers, "Ah, it's a villa made of ice!" Was the villa actually made of ice? Of course, not! They’re simply trying to explain that the money used to build the villa came from selling ice cream. The Beis HaLevi says, the cynics’ statement of "Sarah conceived from Avimelech" is the exact same thing – a context-less story. Because she was secluded with Avimelech and nothing happened, she conceived.
Rabbotai, I want to advance this one more level, with an idea that appears in Sukas Dovid and other sources. The Gemara says (Bava Kama 92a):
ֵשׁ ְתָא דַאֲמוּר רַ בָּנַן: כׇּל הַמְבַק אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָ בָא לְרַ בָּה בַּר מָרִ י: מְנַָא הָא מִיל ָה? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לְאוֹתוֹ דָּבָר, הוּא נַעֲנֶה תְּחִיל רַחֲמִים עַל חֲבֵירוֹ וְהוּא צָרִ יך וֹב בְּהִתְפַּלְלוֹ בְּעַד רֵ עֵ הוּ דִּ כְתִיב: ״וַה׳ שׁ ָב אֶת שְׁבוּת אִיהוּ״.
There is a principle that anyone who asks for compassion from Heaven on behalf of another, when he requires compassion from Heaven concerning that same matter – he is answered first. Meaning, if you daven for someone who needs sustenance and you also need sustenance, you are answered first. If you daven for someone who needs refuah, and you need refuah too, you are answered first. Where do we learn this principle? Rabba bar Mari says the source is found in sefer Iyov: לְלוֹ בְּעַד רֵ עֵהוּ וֹב בְּהִתְפַּ וַה׳ שׁ ָב אֶת שְׁבוּת אִי וֹב בְּהִתְפַּ – And Hashem changed the fortune of Iyov, when he prayed for his friends. Rava, however, says the source is right here:
ֵל אַבְרָ הָם אֶל ִתְפַּל אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַתְּ אָמְרַ תְּ מֵהָתָם, וַאֲנָא אָמֵינָא מֵהָכָא: ״וַי הָ אֱ -ִ רְ פּ ָ א אֱ ל ֹ הִ י ם , וַ י- וְאֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאַמְהוֹתָיו וְגוֹ׳״, לֹהִים אֶת אֲבִימֶלֶך וּכְתִיב: ״וַה׳ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָ ה כַּאֲשׁ ֶר אָמָר וְגוֹ׳״ – כַּאֲשׁ ֶר אָמַר אַבְרָ הָם אֶל אֲ בִ ימֶ לֶך
Rava said to him, “You gave a proof from the Ketuvim, but I have an earlier proof from the Torah. Avraham davened to Hashem; and Hashem healed Avimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants, and they had children. Immediately afterwards, we read the Pasuk וַה׳ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָ ה כַּאֲשׁ ֶר אָמָר.”
Homiletically explained, Hakadosh Baruch Hu remembered her just as he said – i.e., as Avraham said with regard to Avimelech when he davened for him. If this is the case, says Sukas Dovid, it follows that as a result of Avraham’s Tefillah for Avimelech, Sarah was remembered. The righteous of the generation said Avraham davened for Avimelech, and Sarah was remembered, while the cynics of the generation said everything, except for one small word. They said, "Sarah was remembered from Avimelech," but they left out the word davened, which explains the true impetus. Therefore, they’re not called wicked, because they essentially spoke truth; they just omitted one word, and the essential context it brings.
If that's the case, we can, B’ezrat Hashem, understand a wonderful idea and close all our loose ends in one swoop. I would like to ask a question, the same as I asked earlier: When was the appearance of Yitzchak's face made to resemble that of Avraham? Some say when he was born, some say at his Brit Milah, some say after 24 months, and others say at the age of 37. All the options have been brought forward, and regardless of the answer, I want to pile on another question regarding this timing: When did the cynics of the generation make their absurd claim?
Everyone says that it occurred when Sarah became pregnant, but in my estimation, no one knew that Sarah was pregnant because she didn't leave her tent. In those days, there were no maternity programs or Lamaze classes to attend. The first time it became known was at Yitzchak’s Brit Milah, when he was eight days old! Another feast followed two years later:
ָמֵל אֶת־יִצְחָק׃ ַעַשׂ אַבְרָ הָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל בְּיוֹם הִג מַל וַי ג מַל וַי ג דַּל הַי ג דַּל הַי לֶד וַי
The child grew and was weaned. Avraham made a great feast on the day Yitzchak was weaned.
After 24 months, Avraham held a great feast. The Midrash presents three interpretations of what בְּ יוֹם הִ ג מֵ ל אֶ ת־יִ צְ חָ ק means: It refers to the time when Yitzchak was weaned from evil inclination, meaning at the age of Bar Mitzvah; or, it refers to the time Yitzchak was weaned from his mother's milk; or, it refers to the day of his Brit Milah. The Taz, in his commentary on the Torah, explains that when Yitzchak was two years old and weaned, it was then that Hakadosh Baruch Hu made Yitzchak's appearance resemble that of Avraham.
Now, let's uncover when the scoffing and cynicism began, according to what the Seforno writes in Parshat Vayera. Immediately after the feast, Sarah asked Avraham to cast Yishmael away. But why did Sarah suddenly command Avraham to send him away? Why not earlier? What triggered her reaction at the time of the feast?
The Seforno tells us that the main cynic and scoffer of the generation was none other than Yishmael himself! Sarah said to Avraham, “Send away this maidservant and her son, for at her advice, her son spread slander so that he would inherit everything.” Therefore, despite Hagar’s aspirations for her son, Yishmael was sent away, as he was not destined to inherit anything at all.
Chazal say, all the great ones of the generation were at that feast. Do you know who they were? Rashi says, the great feast was attended by the great ones of the generation, including Shem, Ever, and Avimelech. And standing just outside the venue was the scoffer Yishmael, shouting out for all to hear: "Can someone explain to me what Avimelech is doing here at the feast? Shem and Ever make sense, as they learned with Avraham. But Avimelech? What is he doing here?" He then continued shouting, inserting his own answer: “Do you know why Avimelech is here? It’s because Sarah became pregnant from Avimelech! He is the real father of the child!" Imagine today, a great Torah leader is hosting a Brit Milah for his child, and alongside all the Rabbeim, he invites Donald Trump. Why does he need him there? He must be there because there’s a strong connection to the child. Yishmael rode that suggestion and invented his own connection to justify Avimelech’s presence.
What was Yishmael’s goal in doing so? Chazal say, Yishmael wanted only one thing. He wanted to present himself as the true son of Avraham, while minimizing Yitzchak's status. How could he do so? By claiming Yitzchak is Avimelech’s son, and not Avraham’s. Sarah told Avraham to send Hagar and her son away, not only because of the murder, idolatry, and incest he performed, but also because Yishmael sought to undermine Yitzchak's role as Avraham's heir, and to assert that he was Avraham's true son.
How do we know this is true and correct? The answer, according to the Meshech Chochma, is found at the time of Avraham's death. Both Yitzchak and Yishmael were present to accompany and bury him: וַי קְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל בָּנָיו. The Gemara (Bava Batra 16b) says that Yishmael repented during Avraham's lifetime, and the proof for this is that his name appears after Yitzchak’s, despite him being the older son.
The Meshech Chochma continues: What sort of repentance did Yishmael do? Yishmael initially told everyone that Yitzchak was the son of Avimelech, not of Avraham! Years passed since the feast, and Yishmael now came and placed Yitzchak in front of him at Avraham’s burial, in front of all the ministers and dignitaries who came. He gave deference to Yitzchak and placed him first. He proclaimed, "Gentlemen, at the feast I scoffed. But now I admit that Yitzchak is the son of Avraham! He is the first, and I am the second!" This was Yishmael's repentance – to prove to everyone that the firstborn is Yitzchak Avinu, not him.
We can now return to our first question. Our Parsha opens with its particular and repetitive words regarding Avraham fathering Yitzchak because the לֵיצָנֵי הַדּוֹר were saying that Sarah became pregnant from Avimelech (Rashi). But why did this issue only come up now, in this Parsha, years later?
The mefarshim explain a remarkable idea. As soon as Yitzchak married and had two sons, one righteous and one wicked, the cynics arose again and returned to their original plot! They said, "It’s clear that Rivka is righteous, so it’s no wonder that she had one righteous son. But if she also had a wicked son, it must be because Yitzchak’s father was Avimelech, a wicked man!" The scoffers reignited their claims! The truth, however, is precisely the opposite.
ֵעָ תֶ ר לוֹ ה' וַ י ...ֶעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַה' וַי – Rashi explains, Hakadosh Baruch Hu accepted “his” prayers – i.e., Yaakov’s – and not Rivkah’s, because the prayer of a righteous person who is the son of a righteous person, is not comparable to the prayer of a righteous person who is the child of a wicked person. Therefore, He accepted Yaakov’s Tefillah over Rivka’s. Rivka, who was righteous, was the daughter of a wicked person, and also had a wicked brother named Lavan. Chazal say (Bava Batra 110a), when a man marries a woman, he should investigate her brother, as it will impact her child. Thus, it is no surprise that Eisav emerged as he did. But as far as Yitzchak is concerned, it becomes crystal clear that he’s truly the son of Avraham Avinu. For if Chazal tell us that one must investigate a woman's brother, and this explains Eisav, then how did Yaakov Avinu emerge? It must be because he was a righteous person, the son of a righteous person – proof that Yitzchak is the son of Avraham! The cynics were silenced.
Let’s now return to the first question. Rav Yerucham of Mir asks: why does it specifically matter to Hakadosh Baruch Hu at this point what the cynics and scoffers are saying? Throughout history, countless attempts have been made to undermine the sanctity of the Jewish family – the cornerstone of Bnei Yisrael’s holiness. And the first to attempt such a desecration were the Egyptians!
וַתֵּרֶ א שָׂרָ ה אֶת־בֶּן־הָגָר הַמִּצְרִ ית אֲשׁ ֶר־יָלְדָה לְאַבְרָ הָם מְצַחֵק׃
Sarah saw that the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, that she had born to Avraham, was mocking.
וַ תּ ֵ רֶ א שָׂ רָ ה – What did Sarah Imeinu see? She saw that the scoffing and mockery of the sanctity of the Jewish home began with the Egyptians. They started it here, through Hagar and Yishmael, but it certainly didn’t end here.
We recite in Hallel: בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרָ יִם בֵּית יַעֲקֹב מֵעַם לֹעֵֽז – When Israel went forth from Egypt, the house of Yaakov from a people of strange language. What does מֵ עַ ם לֹעֵֽ ז mean? Chazal explain in the Midrash, it refers to a people who mocked Bnei Yisrael, spreading false claims about them. Where did Hagar come from? From Egypt! And what did the Egyptians want? They brazenly said, “What say you? If these Israelites were in our hands, do you think their children are really theirs? No! Their children are ours! They’re all Egyptians!" The Egyptians spread these claims, which began to seep into the minds of Bnei Yisrael and cause them misery. Everyone started to wonder whether there might be some truth to the claims. So, how did Hakadosh Baruch Hu respond to these accusations of the cynics? He refuted them!
According to the Zohar, the bitter waters they reached after crossing Yam Suf represent the bitter waters drunk by the Sotah. Sefer Recanati (Beshalach) provides a wonderful explanation of the significance of Bnei Yisrael’s stay in Marah, based on the Zohar. The Egyptians instilled in the people’s minds that their children were not actually theirs – a fear that preoccupied them continuously. Hakadosh Baruch Hu corrected this atrocity in two ways. The first is found within the census recorded in Parshat Pinchas, where we find the names of Bnei Yisrael “sealed with the name of Hakadosh Baruch Hu”. By adding a yud and heh to each family name – ex. the family of ג ֵ רְ שׁ ו ֹ ן became יֵ רְ שׁ ֻ נ ּ ִ גהַ מִ שׁ ְ פּ ַ ח ַ ת – He testified that Bnei Yisrael were pure and complete, with each member legitimately from both their mother and father. Another correction came at Marah, where the process of exonerating a Sotah was performed. Moshe was commanded to write the parsha of Sotah on a branch and to throw it into the bitter water, which was then given to Bnei Yisrael to drink. Upon seeing none of their abdomens swell and none of their thighs collapse, they were comforted and convinced wholeheartedly that everyone in the camp was holy, and the terrible suspicions planted by the Egyptians became afterthoughts.
Chazal present a profound yesod here. Hakadosh Baruch Hu intervenes when there’s an attempt to undermine the sanctity of the Jewish lineage. When cynics claim, "The angels created man (נַעֲ שֶׂ ה אָ דָ ם)," Hakadosh Baruch Hu lets them speak freely to their heart’s content. However, when the integrity of Jewish ancestry is challenged, as with the cynics who said Sarah conceived from Avimelech and Yishmael is the rightful heir, Hakadosh Baruch Hu steps right in.
The Midrash (Tanchuma Toldot, 12) provides another example. When the Navi Iddo came to confront Yeravam at the altar, Yeravam dismissed him as insane. Yet, when the Navi performed a sign – the altar split and the ashes spilled – Yeravam's outreached hand froze. Remarkably, Yeravam’s hand was unharmed, and at its full strength, while he offered sacrifices to idols, but the moment he threatened a Navi Yisrael, it froze. This demonstrates Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s greater concern for the honor of His people than His own.
When the cynics and scoffers targeted the sanctity of Sarah’s lineage, Hakadosh Baruch Hu intervened. Similarly, He intervened with Yitzchak and later with David HaMelech to protect the sanctity of their ancestry.
At a time when the sanctity of the Jewish home is at risk, we’re reminded that Hakadosh Baruch Hu actively defends the continuity of Bnei Yisrael when it is attacked. May we cling to the ways of our Avot and merit the complete Geulah soon in our days. ◊
