AND, LO, SARAH THY WIFE SHALL HAVE A SON. Why not “and thou shalt have a son”? In order that Abraham should not think that possibly he should be from Hagar, like the previous one. R. Simeon here discoursed on the text: A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master (Mal. 1, 6). He said: ‘A conspicuous example of a son honouring his father is presented by Isaac at the time when Abraham bound him on the altar with the intent of offering him up as a sacrifice.
He was then thirty-seven years old, whilst his father was an old man; and though he could easily, by a single kick, have liberated himself, he let himself be bound like a lamb in order to do the will of his father.
A servant’s honouring his master is illustrated by Eliezer’s conduct on the occasion when he was sent by Abraham to Haran; he there followed out all the wishes of his master and paid him great respect, as it is written, “And he said, I am Abraham’s servant; and the Lord blessed my master Abraham” (Gen. 24, 34-35).
Here was a man who had with him silver and gold and precious stones and camels and was himself of a goodly presence; yet he did not present himself as a friend of Abraham or one of his kin, but openly declared, “I am the servant of Abraham”, in order to extol his master and make him an object of honour in the eyes of his hearers.
Hence the prophet proclaims: “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master”, as much as to say, “but ye Israel my children, ye feel ashamed to declare that I am your father or that ye are my servants”. Hence the verse proceeds: “If then I be a father, where is my honour?” (Mal. 1, 6). So when it says of Isaac, “And lo, a son”, it means, “truly a son, a son proper, not an Ishmael, but a son who will pay due respect and honour to his father”.
Further it is said, “And Sarah thy wife shall have a son”, because Isaac was indeed a son to Sarah, since it was on his account that she died, on his account she suffered anguish of soul until her life departed, and, further, on his account she is exalted at the time when the Holy One sits in judgement on the world, for on that day the Israelites read the portion: “And the Lord remembered Sarah as he had said” (Gen. XXI, I), mentioning Sarah for the sake of Isaac. Truly he was “a son to Sarah”.
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וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו. מַאי וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, וְהִיא אַחֲרָיו מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא רָזָא אִיהוּ, וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת מַה דְּהֲוָה אָמַר (פתח האהל דא קודשא בריך הוא. והוא אחריו מאן דהוה אמר) פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל דָּא דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה. פִּתְחָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו (דא) דְּאוֹדֵי לֵיהּ דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה (נ"א פתח האהל והוא אחריו דא קודשא בהך הוא. פתח האהל דא דרגא תתאה, והוא אחריו דא דרגא עלאה). מִן יוֹמָא דְּהֲוַת שָׂרָה בְּעָלְמָא לָא שָׁמְעַת מִלָּה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּר הַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא.
AND SARAH HEARD IN THE TENT DOOR, AND IT WAS BEHIND HIM. We should have expected “and she was behind him”. But the inner meaning of the whole verse is that Sarah heard the “Door of the Tent”, which is identical with the Holy One in the lower grade, making the declaration, and that “He”, to wit, the Holy One in the supernal grade, “was behind him” (the door), confirming the declaration. During the whole of her lifetime Sarah never heard any utterance from the Holy One save on that occasion.
NOW ABRAHAM AND SARAH WERE OLD, THEY HAD ARRIVED IN REGARD TO DAYS. The expression they had arrived (ba’u) in regard to days” is equivalent to “their days had approached their allotted term”, Abraham being a hundred years old and Sarah ninety. We may compare the expression “for the day arrived” (ba), i.e. the day had declined towards evening.
IT HAD CEASED TO BE WITH SARAH AFTER THE MANNER OF WOMEN: but at that moment she experienced a rejuvenation. Hence her remark AND MY LORD IS OLD, as much as to say that he was unfitted to beget children on account of age.
וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתְּךָ. מַאי טַעְמָא לָא כְּתִיב וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְךָ, אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּלָא יַחֲשֹׁב דְּהָא מִן הָגָר אִיהוּ כִּדְבְקַדְמִיתָא. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (מלאכי א׳:ו׳) בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו. בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב דָּא יִצְחָק לְאַבְרָהָם.
AND, LO, SARAH THY WIFE SHALL HAVE A SON. Why not “and thou shalt have a son”? In order that Abraham should not think that possibly he should be from Hagar, like the previous one. R. Simeon here discoursed on the text: A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master (Mal. 1, 6). He said: ‘A conspicuous example of a son honouring his father is presented by Isaac at the time when Abraham bound him on the altar with the intent of offering him up as a sacrifice.
אֵימָתַי כַּבִּיד לֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעֲקַד לֵיהּ עַל גַּבֵּי מַדְבְּחָא וּבְעָא לְמִקְרַב לֵיהּ קָרְבָּנָא, וְיִצְחָק בַּר תְּלָתִין וּשְׁבַע שְׁנִין הֲוָה, וְאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה סָבָא, דְּאִילוּ הֲוָה בָּעִיט (ס"א ביה) בְּרַגְלָא חַד לָא יָכִיל לְמֵיקַם קַמֵיהּ, (כל שכן למעבד ליה), וְאִיהוּ אוֹקִיר לֵיהּ לְאֲבוֹי וְעֲקַד לֵיהּ כְּחַד אִימְרָא בְּגִין לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאֲבוֹי.
He was then thirty-seven years old, whilst his father was an old man; and though he could easily, by a single kick, have liberated himself, he let himself be bound like a lamb in order to do the will of his father.
(קמו ב) וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו דָּא אֱלִיעֶזְרִ לְאַבְרָהָם. כַּד שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ לְחָרָן, וְעֲבַד כָּל רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם, וְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (בראשית כ״ד:א׳) וַיְיָ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אֲדוֹנִי וְגו'. וּכְתִיב (בראשית כ״ד:ל״ד) וַיֹּאמֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם אָנֹכִי, בְּגִין לְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם.
A servant’s honouring his master is illustrated by Eliezer’s conduct on the occasion when he was sent by Abraham to Haran; he there followed out all the wishes of his master and paid him great respect, as it is written, “And he said, I am Abraham’s servant; and the Lord blessed my master Abraham” (Gen. 24, 34-35).
דְּהָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּהֲוָה מַיְיתֵי כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וְאַבְנֵי יְקָר וּגְמַלִּין וְאִיהוּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת שַׁפִּיר בְּחֵיזוּ לָא אָמַר דְּאִיהוּ רְחִימָא דְּאַבְרָהָם אוֹ קָרִיבָא דִּילֵיהּ. אֶלָּא אָמַר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם אָנֹכִי, בְּגִין לְסַלְּקָא בְּשִׁבְחָא דְּאַבְרָהָם וּלְאוֹקִיר לֵיהּ בְּעֵינַיְיהוּ.
Here was a man who had with him silver and gold and precious stones and camels and was himself of a goodly presence; yet he did not present himself as a friend of Abraham or one of his kin, but openly declared, “I am the servant of Abraham”, in order to extol his master and make him an object of honour in the eyes of his hearers.
וְעַל דָּא בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב וְעֶבֶד אֲדוֹנָיו. וְאַתּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּנַי. קְלָנָא בְּעֵינַיְיכוּ לוֹמַר דְּאֲנָא אֲבוּכוֹן אוֹ דְּאַתּוּן עֲבָדִין לִי. וְאִם אָב אָנִי אַיֵּה כְבוֹדִי וְגו'. בְגִין כָּךְ וְהִנֵּה בֵן, דָּא הוּא בֵּן וַדַּאי, וְלָא יִשְׁמָעֵאל. דָּא הוּא בֵּן דְּאוֹקִיר לְאֲבוֹי כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
Hence the prophet proclaims: “A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master”, as much as to say, “but ye Israel my children, ye feel ashamed to declare that I am your father or that ye are my servants”. Hence the verse proceeds: “If then I be a father, where is my honour?” (Mal. 1, 6). So when it says of Isaac, “And lo, a son”, it means, “truly a son, a son proper, not an Ishmael, but a son who will pay due respect and honour to his father”.
וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ. בֵּן לְשָׂרָה, דִּבְגִינֵיהּ מִיתַת, דִּבְגִינֵיהּ כְּאִיבַת נַפְשָׁהּ עַד דְּנַפְקַת מִינָהּ. וְהִנִּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה. לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא בְּגִינֵיהּ בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָתִיב בְּדִינָא עַל עָלְמָא. דִּכְדֵין וַיְיָ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה וְגו' דְּהָא מַדְכְּרֵי לְשָׂרָה בְּגִינִיהּ דְּיִצְחָק וְעַל דָּא אִיהוּ בֵּן לְשָׂרָה (אנהו מלאכי אמרו). וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה. (דין) דְּהָא נוּקְבָא נָטְלָא (ליה) לִבְרָא מִן דְּכוּרָא:
Further it is said, “And Sarah thy wife shall have a son”, because Isaac was indeed a son to Sarah, since it was on his account that she died, on his account she suffered anguish of soul until her life departed, and, further, on his account she is exalted at the time when the Holy One sits in judgement on the world, for on that day the Israelites read the portion: “And the Lord remembered Sarah as he had said” (Gen. XXI, I), mentioning Sarah for the sake of Isaac. Truly he was “a son to Sarah”.
וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו. מַאי וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו, וְהִיא אַחֲרָיו מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא רָזָא אִיהוּ, וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת מַה דְּהֲוָה אָמַר (פתח האהל דא קודשא בריך הוא. והוא אחריו מאן דהוה אמר) פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל דָּא דַּרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה. פִּתְחָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו (דא) דְּאוֹדֵי לֵיהּ דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה (נ"א פתח האהל והוא אחריו דא קודשא בהך הוא. פתח האהל דא דרגא תתאה, והוא אחריו דא דרגא עלאה). מִן יוֹמָא דְּהֲוַת שָׂרָה בְּעָלְמָא לָא שָׁמְעַת מִלָּה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בַּר הַהוּא שַׁעֲתָא.
AND SARAH HEARD IN THE TENT DOOR, AND IT WAS BEHIND HIM. We should have expected “and she was behind him”. But the inner meaning of the whole verse is that Sarah heard the “Door of the Tent”, which is identical with the Holy One in the lower grade, making the declaration, and that “He”, to wit, the Holy One in the supernal grade, “was behind him” (the door), confirming the declaration. During the whole of her lifetime Sarah never heard any utterance from the Holy One save on that occasion.
דָּבָר אַחֵר דְּהֲוַת יָתְבָא שָׂרָה פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל בְּגִין לְמִשְׁמַע מִלִּין. וְהִיא שָׁמְעַת הַאי מִלָּה דְּאִתְבַּשַּׂר בָּהּ אַבְרָהָם. (ד"א) וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו. אַבְרָהָם דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב אַחוֹרוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא:
According to another interpretation, the expression “and he was behind him” refers to Abraham, who was behind the Shekinah.’
וְאַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה זְקֵנִים בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים. מַאי בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים. שִׁעוּרִין דְּיוֹמִין דְּאִתְחֲזֵי כְּדֵין לְהוּ, חַד מֵאָה וְחַד תִּשְׁעִים, עָאלוּ בְּיוֹמִין שִׁעוּרָא דְּיוֹמִין כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת. בָּאִים בַּיָּמִים. כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר כִּי בָא הַיּוֹם דְּאִעֲרַב יוֹמָא לְמֵיעַל.
NOW ABRAHAM AND SARAH WERE OLD, THEY HAD ARRIVED IN REGARD TO DAYS. The expression they had arrived (ba’u) in regard to days” is equivalent to “their days had approached their allotted term”, Abraham being a hundred years old and Sarah ninety. We may compare the expression “for the day arrived” (ba), i.e. the day had declined towards evening.
חָדַל לִהְיוֹת לְשָׂרָה אֹרַח כַּנָּשִׁים. וְהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא חָמַאת גַּרְמָהּ בְּעִדּוּנָא אָחֳרָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמְרָה וַאֲדוֹנִי זָקֵן דְּהָא אִיהוּ לָא כְדַאי לְאוֹלָדָא בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ סָבָא.
IT HAD CEASED TO BE WITH SARAH AFTER THE MANNER OF WOMEN: but at that moment she experienced a rejuvenation. Hence her remark AND MY LORD IS OLD, as much as to say that he was unfitted to beget children on account of age.