The first verse in this week’s Parsha tells us that Avrohom fathered Yitzchok. (Bereishis 25:19)
Rashi addresses the question as to why the Torah points out this seemingly superfluous detail since there are many previous verses that have told us this already. Rashi explains (in his second explanation) that there were scoffers in that generation who insisted (Heaven forbid) that it was actually Avimelech who had fathered Yitzchok, since Avrohom had gone so long without children (and Sara’s pregnancy came after she was taken captive by Avimelech).
To counter this assertion, Rashi explains that Hashem (changed the course of nature) and fashioned the form of Yitzchok’s face to make him look unquestionably like his father. As such, no one could possibly question that Avrohom was his father. The Torah alludes to this by stressing that Avrohom fathered Yitzchok – and it was unquestionable because of the way Hashem made Yitzchok appear.
Rav Yoseph Dov Soloveitchik ZT”L author of the Beis HaLevi poses two questions: The first question is, why are they called the “scoffers of that generation” and not the “evil doers of that generation”? If they were unjustly tarnishing the lineage of one of our holy Avos (forefathers), then they should be called “evil doers” not mere scoffers. The second question is, Sara herself was 90 years old when she gave birth to Yitzchok. The fact that Sara was able to give birth at that advanced age was miraculous. The scoffers should have realized that just as a miracle occurred which enabled Sara to give birth after such a long time of being barren and at such an advanced age, a miracle had occurred for Avrohom to father a child after such a long time and at such an advanced age. Accordingly, why did the scoffers suspect that Sara became pregnant from Avimelech?
The Bais HaLevi answers both questions by saying that the scoffers really believed that Avrohom fathered Yitzchok and they did not mean to tarnish Yitzchok’s lineage. Rather they were “scoffing” – they made a joke about something that indeed was true - it was in the merit of the pain that Sara suffered as a captive in the home of Avimelech that she earned the merit to have children. Their joke was that it was “Avimelech who fathered Yitzchok” - not literally, but in the merit that came about through Avimelech, Yitzchok was born. The Bais HaLevi likens the pain that Sara suffered and the merit that was born from it, to the case of a woman who is accused of infidelity (Sotah). If it turns out that the Sotah was falsely accused, she merits to have special children because of the pain and indignity she suffered.
Based on the answer above, the following question may me asked. If indeed the scoffers did not really mean to say that Avimelech fathered Yitzchok and were just joking as described above, why did Hashem feel the need to make Yitzchok look unmistakably like Avrohom? The Bais HaLevi says that Hashem was concerned that, in the future, it was possible that people would forget that it was just a joke and think that Avimelech actually had fathered Yitzchok. That is why Hashem changed the course of nature and made Yitzchok look unmistakably like Avrohom.
Illustrated here, is the value that Hashem places on the truth and the intolerance He has for falsehood. Hashem changed the course of nature which He does not readily do, to ensure that a lie regarding Yitzchok’s lineage would not take hold even if that was only a remote possibility.
