THE HONOR OF A WOMAN IS FOUND INSIDE HER TENT (HOUSE)
בראשית פרק יח, ט וַיֹּאמְרּו אֵלָיו אַיֵה שָרָה אִשְתֶּךָ וַיֹּאמֶּר הִנֵה בָאֹהֶל:
מסכת יבמות דף עז/א מכאן דכבודה של אישה לישב בבית
The Gemara derives from this verse the principle that a Moavi and an Amoni (male) after conversion are not allowed to marry within Judaism, but a Moavis and an Amonis (female) are allowed. The reason is that females do not go out to war, and thus, were not included in the reason for the prohibition.
This concept is also applied to many other situations, including:
- sending an agent to marry an unknown woman (and could have engaged anyone’s mother or daughter, and since women are set in their house, this becomes a case of “half and half” and we are strict);
- when one dies and has sons and daughters (daughters, who are set in the house, are sustained from the inheritance; and if not enough also for the sons, then the sons must seek charity from others);
- do not bring a woman to Bais Din (but send scribes to them to take any needed information, or to take an oath, or sell property to pay off the Kesuvah).
Also, in many places a woman is referenced in connection to a tent. In this verse, the emphasis that Sarah is in the tent, makes known that she was modest. Contrary to the general population, Jewish women are modest (i.e. in their homes) as an “inheritance” from our Matriarchs.
A PERSON SHOULD STRIVE TO BE THE FIRST TO DO A MITZVAH
בראשית פרק יט, לג וַתַּשְקֶיןָ אֶת-אֲבִיהֶן יַיִן בַּלַּיְלָה הוּא וַתָּבֹא הַבְּכִירָה
מסכת נזיר דף כג/ב א"ר חייא בר אבין א"ר יהושע בן קרחה לעולם יקדים אדם לדבר מצוה שבשכר לילה אחת שקדמתה בכירה לצעירה זכתה וקדמה ארבעה דורות בישראל למלכות:
This Gemara relies on the Medrjash’s understanding that Lot’s daughters’ intention was for good. They believed that the world’s population was destroyed and their obligation was to repopulate the world. Therefore, we can learn this principle of the reward to the first to do a mitzvah, since the eldest daughter (mother of Moav) was rewarded since she was first. The reward for this act of being first occurred after Rus (Moavis) converted, had a child and began a Moavi line of Jewish Kings with her son Oved; whereas the Amonis descendant began Amoni line of Jewish kings with Rehoboam, son of Shlomo and an Amonis, four generations later (after Oved, Yishai, Dovid, and Shlomo).
THE BLESSING OF A ORDINARY PERSON SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY
בראשית פרק כ, טז וּלְשָרָה אָמַר הִנֵה נָתַתִּי אֶלֶף כֶּסֶף לְאָחִיךְ הִנֵה הוּא-לָךְ כְּסוּת עֵינַיִם
מסכת בבא קמא דף צג/א אמר רבי יצחק לעולם אל תהי קללת הדיוט קלה בעיניך שהרי אבימלך קלל את שרה ונתקיים בזרעה שנאמר הנה הוא לך כסות עינים אמר לה הואיל וכסית ממני ולא גילית שהוא אישך וגרמת אלי הצער הזה יהי רצון שיהו לך בני כסויי עינים ונתקיים בזרעה דכתיב ויהי כי זקן יצחק ותכהין עיניו מראות
Read the word כסות as if written כהה, weakening of the eyes (which occurred with Yitzchak).
SARAH AND CHANA REMEMBERED FOR PREGANCY ON ROSH HASHANA
בראשית פרק כא, א וַה' פָּקַד אֶת-שָרָה
מסכת ראש השנה דף יא/א בראש השנה נפקדה שרה
Sara and Chana were remembered on Rosh HaShana, but not that they became pregnant at that time.