Vayera 18:6
לושי ועשי עוגות Knead and make loaves
It sounds like Avraham thinks he is talking to a child who he needs to educate. His real intent, however, was to tell her to do it herself and not have the maidservants prepare the food. yetzer hora (evil inclination), he did not want to serve them chometz (leavened bread) which symbolizes the yetzer hora.
He also wanted her to be careful to make loaves that were matzo, unleavened, for two reasons. First of all, it was Pesach, secondly as they would be served to angels who have no
Vayera 18:7
וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃ And Avraham ran to the cattle and took a young, soft calf and gave it to his lad and hurried to prepare it.
Our Sages tell us that he slaughtered three calves in order to serve each of his guests a tongue with mustard. Why then does the verse describe the event in the singular בן בקר, אותו. It would seem that even though each guest received an entire tongue it would have been gauche to serve three complete calves on the table at the same time. It would have indicated that he thought they were gluttonous like bears or a pack of wolves.
Vayera 18:10
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו
And he said, I will surely return to you at this time (next year) and behold there will be a son to Sara your wife. And Sara heard from the doorway of the tent which was behind
Why was it necessary for the angels to provide the good tidings if God Himself had already told Avraham? Due to Avraham's great modesty and sense of privacy he did not tell Sara what God had told him. God desire that the righteous Sara should also be aware of the good news and rejoice over the good that was coming to her.
Vayera 18:15
וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ שָׂרָ֧ה ׀ לֵאמֹ֛ר לֹ֥א צָחַ֖קְתִּי כִּ֣י ׀ יָרֵ֑אָה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ׀ לֹ֖א כִּ֥י צָחָֽקְתְּ׃ And Sara lied, saying, "I did not laugh," as she was afraid. And he said, "No, indeed you laughed."
Why did this righteous woman lie and contradict the word of God? It would seem that she had laughed only in her heart and not out loud, which she assumed was meaningless. From her perspective she was telling the truth.
Our Sages say that it was God who said, "No, indeed you laughed." She did not respond as she was embarrassed and frightened as God knows what lurks in a person's heart.
Why did God care about her denial, that He found it necessary to contradict her, over a fleeting thought that caused no harm? There are two reasons. First of all to teach her to have more control over her inner reactions as God is aware of them.
The primary reason is because Avraham had already been told to give the name Yitzchok to the child who would be born, as he would bring laughter and happiness to the world. This is the light of Gevura (strength) that came into the world with the birth of Yitzchok which permeated both the masculine (giving) and feminine (receiving) worlds. There had to be an impetus on earth to awaken this spiritual power to manifest itself. Just as Avraham's laughter had served as the masculine side impetus, so too the laughter of Sara would serve the feminine side. This is why God insisted, "No! You laughed!" in order to establish the laughter so that it would serve the intended purpose.
לושי ועשי עוגות Knead and make loaves
It sounds like Avraham thinks he is talking to a child who he needs to educate. His real intent, however, was to tell her to do it herself and not have the maidservants prepare the food. yetzer hora (evil inclination), he did not want to serve them chometz (leavened bread) which symbolizes the yetzer hora.
He also wanted her to be careful to make loaves that were matzo, unleavened, for two reasons. First of all, it was Pesach, secondly as they would be served to angels who have no
Vayera 18:7
וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃ And Avraham ran to the cattle and took a young, soft calf and gave it to his lad and hurried to prepare it.
Our Sages tell us that he slaughtered three calves in order to serve each of his guests a tongue with mustard. Why then does the verse describe the event in the singular בן בקר, אותו. It would seem that even though each guest received an entire tongue it would have been gauche to serve three complete calves on the table at the same time. It would have indicated that he thought they were gluttonous like bears or a pack of wolves.
Vayera 18:10
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו
And he said, I will surely return to you at this time (next year) and behold there will be a son to Sara your wife. And Sara heard from the doorway of the tent which was behind
Why was it necessary for the angels to provide the good tidings if God Himself had already told Avraham? Due to Avraham's great modesty and sense of privacy he did not tell Sara what God had told him. God desire that the righteous Sara should also be aware of the good news and rejoice over the good that was coming to her.
Vayera 18:15
וַתְּכַחֵ֨שׁ שָׂרָ֧ה ׀ לֵאמֹ֛ר לֹ֥א צָחַ֖קְתִּי כִּ֣י ׀ יָרֵ֑אָה וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ׀ לֹ֖א כִּ֥י צָחָֽקְתְּ׃ And Sara lied, saying, "I did not laugh," as she was afraid. And he said, "No, indeed you laughed."
Why did this righteous woman lie and contradict the word of God? It would seem that she had laughed only in her heart and not out loud, which she assumed was meaningless. From her perspective she was telling the truth.
Our Sages say that it was God who said, "No, indeed you laughed." She did not respond as she was embarrassed and frightened as God knows what lurks in a person's heart.
Why did God care about her denial, that He found it necessary to contradict her, over a fleeting thought that caused no harm? There are two reasons. First of all to teach her to have more control over her inner reactions as God is aware of them.
The primary reason is because Avraham had already been told to give the name Yitzchok to the child who would be born, as he would bring laughter and happiness to the world. This is the light of Gevura (strength) that came into the world with the birth of Yitzchok which permeated both the masculine (giving) and feminine (receiving) worlds. There had to be an impetus on earth to awaken this spiritual power to manifest itself. Just as Avraham's laughter had served as the masculine side impetus, so too the laughter of Sara would serve the feminine side. This is why God insisted, "No! You laughed!" in order to establish the laughter so that it would serve the intended purpose.
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