Parashat Chaye Sarah - Sarah's Gift of Prophecy

מעלתה הנבואית של שרה
Sarah's Gift of Prophecy

The Torah dedicates an unusually large amount of space to the death and burial of our Matriarch Sarah: a full 20 verses. Here are detailed the negotiations between Avraham Avinu and Ephron the Hittite regarding the purchase of a burial site for Sarah Imeinu in the Machpelah field and cave. Nowhere else in the Torah do we find such detailed bargaining.

Similarly, compared to the other Matriarchs – Rivka, Rachel and Leah – Sarah's death receives quite substantial coverage in the Torah.

Clearly, then, above and beyond the personal story of Sarah, the Torah wishes to tell us something much deeper. In fact, this story lays the foundations of the everlasting bond between the Nation of Israel and its eternal inheritance, the Land of Israel.

Our forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov were shepherds and tent-dwellers. Their homes were easily taken down and transported from place to place, symbolizing the impermanent, transient, and a weak hold on the land. The purchase of a grave plot, on the other hand, signals an eternal grasp in the thick of the earth. It is something that cannot be simply undone and moved.

Avraham’s purchase of the Machpelah Cave and the field around it for Sarah was executed quite publicly, in the presence of all the local Hittites. It was also done with the express consent of the owner and seller, Efron the Hittite, and was fully paid for in cash. It was the first time a representative of the Jewish People took official ownership of a part of the Land of Israel. The name of Sarah Imeinu thus became forever intertwined with the founding of our eternal inheritance in Eretz Yisrael.

And we ask: By what merit? Why is Sarah's name so indelibly linked with the beginning of the fulfillment of the Divine oath to Avraham, in which G-d promised him the Land of Israel for his descendants?

The answer lies in the persistent and uncompromising struggle that Sarah waged to ensure that the inheritance of the Land of Israel go to Yitzchak, and not be shared with Yishmael, son of Avraham's maidservant Hagar. In Parashat Vayera we read: "Sarah said to Avraham: 'Banish this maidservant and her son, for he shall not inherit together with my son, with Yitzchak.'" (B'reshit 21,10)

Avraham Avinu did not agree with her demand – until he received an explicit Divine order to follow her instructions. Hashem basically gave blanket approval to all that Sarah had said:

כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה, שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ. כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע
Do all that Sarah tells you;
for it is via Yitzchak that your descendants will carry on your name." (verse 12)

G-d's across-the-board affirmation of Sarah is surprising, and we will discuss it below. Meanwhile, we can conclude that Sarah's deep recognition of the critical importance of the inheritance of the Land of Israel, and her commitment to making sure it does not fall to one who is not worthy of it, are the traits for which she merited to be buried in a place and manner that would render her the first to be eternally bonded with the Holy Land after her death.

The Prophetic Balance

It is fascinating to note this interesting phenomenon: After Sarah's death, the Torah mentions no further prophecies received by her husband. Divine revelations to Avraham, which had been a frequent occurrence, appear to have ended for good.
Yes, Avraham was blessed by G-d (B'reshit 24,1), and G-d sent an angel to find a wife for his son Yitzchak (verse 7); but the one thing we do not find after Sarah's death is an open Divine revelation to Avraham.

We can compare this to Yaakov Avinu, who received no prophecies throughout the years that his beloved son Yosef was lost to him. Only when he was informed that Yosef was alive was his spirit revived, enabling him once again to receive a Divine revelation. As we read within the space of just a few verses:

וַיַּגִּידוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר, עוֹד יוֹסֵף חַי!... וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם …
They told him, "Yosef still lives!"
… and the spirit of their father Yaakov was revived. (B'reshit 45,26-27)

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱ-לֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַרְאֹת הַלַּיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב, יַעֲקֹב וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי

Hashem said to Yaakov in the visions of the night, and said:
"Yaakov, Yaakov," and he answered: "I am here." (46,2)

The explanation for this apparent cause-and-effect can be found in one of the famous rules of prophecy, as taught in the Talmud (Shabbat 30b):

The Divine Presence does not appear amidst sadness or lethargy… but only amidst the joy of fulfilling Torah commandments. As is written: When the musician played, the hand of G-d was upon him (Kings II 3,15).

Yaakov was unable to receive prophecy because he was in mourning over the disappearance of Yosef. Similarly, when "Avraham came to eulogize Sarah and mourn her" (B'reshit 23,2), the sorrow he felt left no room for the joy necessary for receiving G-d's word. Avraham himself emphasized the "life force" that Sarah gave him, when he said to her on their way down to Egypt: "…my soul shall live because of you." (B'reshit 12,13) This verse is quite reminiscent of the phrase that we saw above with Yaakov: "The spirit of their father Yaakov was revived" – a necessary mindset for prophecy.

Nevertheless, let us not suffice with this understanding; as we delve further, we will discover yet another layer of meaning in these verses. Hashem had told Avraham that He agrees with Sarah's decision to banish Hagar, as we saw above. But this was not the first time Sarah told Avraham something with regard to Hagar. The Torah states:

וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרַי אֶל אַבְרָם: הִנֵּה נָא עֲצָרַנִי י-הוה מִלֶּדֶת, בֹּא נָא אֶל שִׁפְחָתִי אוּלַי אִבָּנֶה מִמֶּנָּה.
Sarai said to Avram: "G-d has stopped me from giving birth;
come to my maidservant, perhaps I will be built via her." (16,2)

In that instance, Avraham listened to his wife:

וַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם לְקוֹל שָׂרָי ... וַיָּבֹא אֶל הָגָר
Avram heeded Sarah's words… and he came to Hagar (verses 2-4)

This is why Hashem now comes to Avraham and says: "Just as you listened to your wife regarding taking Hagar, now too, when she wants you to banish Hagar, you must listen to her: Do all that Sarah tells you."

This verse led our Sages to conclude that "We see from here that Avraham was second to Sarah in prophecy" (Medrash Shmot Rabba 1,1). Can this be?! Hashem appeared to Avraham so many more times than He did to Sarah; in what way can Avraham possibly be second to Sarah in prophecy?

The answer is clear: The Sages did not relate to the quantity of prophecies, but rather to their quality. Their standard of measurement was this: Was the depth of the Divine word understood correctly, or not? Avraham received many prophecies, all leading to the conclusion that Yitzchak alone would inherit the Land of Israel. Yet by not agreeing to banish Yishmael, Avraham appeared not to comprehend this! What value is there to all the prophecies, if their main and central message was misunderstood?

In terms of this, then, Sarah was greater in prophecy than Avraham. Her prophecy played a very critical role in Jewish history: At the moment of truth, it prevented Eretz Yisrael from being divided into two parts – one for Yishmael and one for Yaakov.

It is important to note that Rivka, too – wife of Yitzchak, mother of Yaakov and Esav – was similarly able, at the moment of truth, to prevent Yitzchak's blessing from going to Esav, and to divert it to Yaakov instead (B'reshit 27).

Sarah understood the true depth of what Hashem had told Avraham: "My covenant I will establish with Yitzchak" (B'reshit 17,21). This verse appears to be unnecessary, given the fact that just a few verses earlier, G-d had already made it very clear that Yitzchak was to carry on the covenant:

אֲבָל שָׂרָה אִשְׁתְּךָ יֹלֶדֶת לְךָ בֵּן וְקָרָאתָ אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִצְחָק
וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתּוֹ לִבְרִית עוֹלָם
"Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call his name Yitzchak,
and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant." (17,19)

But a careful reading will show that Hashem wishes to emphasize that the covenant is to be made exclusively with Yitzchak, and not with Yishmael. That is to say, verse 19 tells us that Hashem will make a covenant with Yitzchak, while verse 21 comes to negate any possibility of making another covenant with Yishmael.

Yes, Hashem told Avraham that He had "heard [Avraham's] prayer regarding Yishmael, and I have blessed him and he will be a great nation" (verse 20) – but this has nothing to do with inheriting the Land; the Land will be given as an inheritance only to Yitzchak, as Sarah understood.

The fact that Sarah stood fast at this critical juncture and demanded Yishmael's banishment was that which fortified Avraham's prophecy and paved the way for its fulfillment. If it were not for Sarah and her prophetic insight, the true intention of
G-d's word would not have come to fruition, Heaven forbid. When Sarah died, the correct balance in comprehending the depth of Hashem's word was lost – and this is why Avraham lost the ability to experience Divine revelation after her death.

Four Questions

After studying the above verses from the end of Lekh Lekha, we return straight to Vayera – and to four questions that present themselves right at the beginning.

Question One: Hashem appears to Avraham – but no reason for the visit is given:

וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו י-הוה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא
G-d appeared to him in Elonei Mamre (verse 18,1)

True, Rashi explains that Hashem came to pay a "sick bed" visit to Avraham, who was ailing following his Brit Milah. But shouldn't one who comes to visit the sick say something encouraging? Hashem seems to have said nothing! In addition, when we read that G-d "appeared" to Avraham, we know that He did not merely make Himself seen, but also heard as well; what, then, did Avraham hear from Hashem?

Question Two: The angels ask Avraham, "Where is Sarah your wife?" and receive the answer that "she is here, in the tent." We then immediately read:

וַיֹּאמֶר, שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ
He said: "I will return to you at this time next year,
and your wife Sarah will have a son." (18,10)

Who said this? If it was one of the angels, how dare he express himself in first person and say I will return to you, when we know that it was Hashem Himself who was to return – as we read a bit later:

וַיֹּאמֶר י-הוה אֶל אַבְרָהָם … הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵי-הוה דָּבָר, לַמּוֹעֵד אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וּלְשָׂרָה בֵן

Hashem said to Avraham: … "Is anything beyond G-d's ability?
I will return to you this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." (18,14)

To answer this, Rashi explains that the angel was speaking in G-d's Name, at G-d's behest. But again: If it was the angel who made this promise, why did Hashem rebuke Sarah for laughing in disbelief? From her standpoint, the angels were actually regular men, one of whom appeared to be speaking nonsense. How could she have known that this was actually a heavenly angel speaking in Hashem's name?

Question Three: As we just saw, the promise to return the next year for the birth was uttered twice. Yet, nowhere do we see that G-d, or an angel, appeared to Avraham when Yitzchak was born! Can it be that a Divine promise remained unfulfilled?

Question Four: When G-d rebukes Sarah for her laughter, a very strange conversation ensues between them. Sarah first denies that she laughed, and then G-d actually takes the trouble to correct her: "He said, 'No, you laughed!'" (verse 15) Would Hashem bother to repeat Himself and His holy words, simply to argue with someone who denies the truth? Why would G-d get involved in such an exchange?

Prophetic Hearing

These four questions lead us to a new approach in understanding the simple meaning of these verses, as follows: Hashem told Avraham about the upcoming birth of a son to Sarah well before Avraham's Brit Milah, in Parashat Lekh Lekha (17,17-19). When Avraham laughed in joy upon hearing the news, G-d even told him that the boy's name should be Yitzchak, from the Hebrew root meaning "laughter." It is clear, therefore, that when Hashem appeared again to Avraham after the Brit Milah, the purpose was so that Sarah, too, could hear the news directly. And this is exactly what we read when we simply connect verses 1 and 10:

וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו י-הוה בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא ...
וַיֹּאמֶר, שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וְהִנֵּה בֵן לְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ
G-d appeared to him in Elonei Mamre… and He said: "I will return to you
at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son."

It is thus clear that it is not any of the angels saying "I will return," but rather Hashem Himself, and that his visit to Avraham was so that Sarah should be informed.

Why, then, were angels sent to Avraham? Because Sarah had to be prepared to receive this prophecy. The angels asked Avraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?" The purpose of the question was to prepare her to hear G-d's word. Avraham answered that she was "right here, in the tent" – where she stood and heard the Divine promise directly:

שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב … וְשָׂרָה שֹׁמַעַת פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל, וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו

"I will return…" Sarah was listening at the door of the tent,
and he [Avraham] was behind it. (verse 10)

The Torah tells us that Avraham was behind the door, showing that the prophecy was not meant for him directly, but for his wife Sarah. This answers our first two questions: G-d appeared to Avraham in order to tell Sarah the news Himself, not via an angel; the angels were there to prepare Sarah to hear the Divine announcement.

Let us note, incidentally, that the three angels were sent for more than one reason. They were also there to test Avraham and his hachnasat orchim, that is, the extent to which he would fulfill the mitzvah of welcoming and helping guests. This test was carried out so that the merit of Avraham's kindness would help bring to fruition the previously-given promise of a son.

Let us now answer the third question: Did Hashem actually return the next year as He apparently promised? Let us look again at verse 10, and read it with slightly different punctuation. Instead of, “I will return at this time next year and Sarah will have a son,” we will read, “I will return; at this time next year Sarah will have a son.” We now see that the specification of a date was not for the return visit, but only for the birth of Sarah's son!

Verse 14 can be read the same way: “At the time I will return” – at an appropriate time – and “next year Sarah will have a son.”

Hashem thus plans to return at a certain time in order to instruct Avraham regarding Yitzchak's special destiny. G-d wanted to guide Avraham in how to raise Yitzchak such that he would be worthy of his destiny to forge a covenant with Hashem. When did He fulfill this promise and return to Avraham? The answer is found in Chapter 21, when a hard decision had to be made whether to banish Yishmael from the household or not. Hashem then appeared to Avraham and gave His decision: “Do whatever Sarah tells you; it is via Yitzchak that your descendants will carry on your name." The raising of Yitzchak to his great destiny must occur without Yishmael’s negative presence and influence.

Delicate Hearing

Let us now recall verse 10, which tells us that Sarah heard, from where she stood, Hashem's message of the baby boy she would bear. There appears to be an emphasis that “Sarah heard,” and not Avraham. What exactly did she hear? What was the thin Divine nuance that only she absorbed and received?

Before we answer this, let us relate to our fourth question above, regarding G-d's seemingly unnecessary exchange with Sarah. Why did Hashem emphasize Sarah's laughter and rebuke her for it? After all, Avraham also laughed, as we read at the end of Parashat Lekh Lekha:

וַיִּפֹּל אַבְרָהָם עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּצְחָק. וַיֹּאמֶר בְּלִבּוֹ:
הַלְּבֶן מֵאָה שָׁנָה יִוָּלֵד, וְאִם שָׂרָה הֲבַת תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה תֵּלֵד?
Avraham fell on his face and laughed, saying in his heart,

“Can a 100-year-old have a child? And can Sarah give birth at age 90?” (B'reshit 17,17)

Hashem gently chides Avraham that his laughter is out of place: “But yes, Sarah your wife will bear you a son” (verse 19). He then adds that because Avraham laughed, he should name his son Yitzchak, from the word meaning “laughter.” G-d is saying that he views Avraham’s laughter as one of excited surprise and happiness, aggrandizing the miracle of the birth more than had he merely said, “Thank you, Hashem.” 

But when Sarah laughs, G-d reacts very differently, viewing it as a lack of faith: “Why did Sarah laugh? Is anything beyond G-d's ability?” Why does Hashem criticize Sarah for laughing, after only gently chiding Avraham for doing the same? The answer is that Avraham responded with surprise to the news as soon as he heard it, while Sarah’s response was far from spontaneous. She had already heard it from Avraham a while beforehand, and enough time had passed to accustom her to the wondrous idea that she would be blessed with a child even at her advanced age. It is therefore clear that her "laughter" was not of happiness and surprise, but rather of lack of belief.

Incidentally, had Sarah heard the news from an angel, her skepticism would not have been blameworthy – for why should she believe mortal men? The very fact that Hashem saw fit to rebuke her proves our answer to Question 2 above, namely, that the prophecy was delivered by Hashem and not by the angels.

Hashem therefore reiterates to here: “No, you laughed! This laughter is significant, and it will in fact be the name of your son. But it depends what kind of laughter: Avraham’s was acceptable, but yours was fraught with weakness of faith.”

Hashem is also giving her a hint regarding the future: “There is a third type of laughter as well – one that, unlike yours and Avraham's, is totally beyond the pale – and that is the laughter of Yishmael.” Sarah understands the hint very clearly – and that is what is meant by “Sarah heard.” She hears what Avraham does not hear, and that is that Hashem will yet return and guide them in how to raise and educate Yitzchak. She also hears that the time for that will be at that critical moment when the negative laughter is heard – from Yishmael.

The time soon comes:

וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה אֶת בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְאַבְרָהָם מְצַחֵק.
Sarah saw Hagar’s son, whom she bore to Avraham, laughing. (B'reshit 21,9)

Sarah sees Yishmael's laughter of scorn, of idol-worship, and of wildness (as Hashem had predicted: He will be a wild man (B'reshit 16,12)) – and she understands that this is a different type of laughter, one that has nothing to do with the holy name Yitzchak. She remembers what G-d had told her about the different types of laughter, and she realizes that the time has come for her to separate between the two half-brothers. Yishmael must be distanced from their home and from the option of inheriting the Land, so that Yitzchak can be raised in a manner appropriate for his entry into the covenant with G-d. The Torah therefore tells us that as soon as she saw Yishmael’s laughter, she took action, telling Avraham: 'Banish this maidservant and her son, for he [must] not inherit with my son Yitzchak.'" (verse 10)

All this, because his laughter is foreign – not like Avraham’s, and not even like Sarah’s, after which Yitzchak was named.

In short: G-d did return to Avraham – not when Yitzchak was born, but afterwards – to deliver the critical message regarding the various types of laughter and what they mean for Yitzchak's education. Sarah, the first to be told that there was positive and negative laughter, understood this message even more clearly than Avraham. This is why the Sages said Avraham was secondary to Sarah in prophecy, and also why Hashem no longer appeared to Avraham after Sarah died.

Sarah’s prophetic “hearing” was perfect, and she thus received G-d’s blanket approval: “Whatever Sarah says, abide by her voice.”