"Say, I pray you, you are my sister"

Synopsis

We learn that Abraham told his wife to say she was his sister because he was counting on her merit; whoever merits a prudent wife merits everything. Abraham saw an angel who said he would protect her, so he had no fear for his wife but some fear for himself. Sarai ordered the angel to strike Pharaoh ten times with ten plagues. Rabbi Aba talks about the difference between the redemption from Egypt, which occurred on one day from one king and one kingdom, and the final redemption that will be from all the kings of the world - everyone shall acknowledge God's reign and glorify Him. Then the Patriarchs will be resurrected with joy, and they will see the redemption of their children as before.

Abraham Fear Heart Merit Prayer Sin Torah

181. Rabbi Elazar went to see his father, accompanied by Rabbi Aba. Rabbi Aba said, Let us speak words of Torah as we walk. Rabbi Elazar started with, "Say, I pray you, you are my sister" (Beresheet 12:13). This is a difficult verse. Could it be that Abraham, who feared sin and was the friend of the Holy One, blessed be He, would speak so about his wife so as to derive benefit from it? HE ANSWERS, Even though Abraham was sin-fearing, he did not count on his own merit and did not wish the Holy One, blessed be He, to deduct from his merit, but COUNTED on his wife's merit, that through her he will gain money from other nations. For man attains money through his wife, as it is written, "House and riches are the inheritance of fathers, but a prudent wife is from Hashem" (Mishlei 19:14). Whoever merits a prudent wife merits everything. It is also written, "The heart of her husband safely trusts in her, and he shall have no lack of gain" (Mishlei 31:11).

181. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הֲוָה אָזִיל לְמֵחֱמֵי לַאֲבוּי וַהֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא. א"ר אַבָּא נֵימָא מִלִּין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא וְנֵזִיל. פָּתַח רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר וְאָמַר, אִמְרִי נָא אֲחוֹתִי אָתְּ, הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא. וְכִי אַבְרָהָם דְּאִיהוּ דָּחִיל חַטָּאָה, רְחִימוּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֲוָה אָמַר הָכִי עַל אִתְּתֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּיוֹטְבִין לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא אַבְרָהָם, אע"ג דַּהֲוָה דָּחִיל חַטָּאָה, לָא סָמִיךְ עַל זְכוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְלָא בָּעָא מִן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַפָּקָא זְכוּתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא עַל זְכוּתָא דְּאִתְּתֵיהּ, דְּיִרְוַוח בְּגִינָהּ מָמוֹנָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין, דְּהָא מָמוֹנָא בְּאִתְּתֵיהּ זָכֵי לֵיהּ ב"נ, הה"ד בַּיִת וָהוֹן נַחֲלַת אָבוֹת וּמֵיְיָ' אִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת. מַאן דְּזָכֵי בְּאִשָּׁה מַשְׂכָּלֶת, זוֹכֶה בְּכֺלָּא. וּכְתִיב, בָּטַח בָּהּ לֵב בַּעְלָהּ וְשָׁלָל לֹא יֶחְסָר.

Abraham Fear Merit Prayer

182. Abraham, through her merit, went to consume the gain of the other nations, AS IN, "AND HE SHALL HAVE NO LACK OF GAIN." He counted on her merit that they will be unable to punish him or make advances on her. For that reason he gave THEM nothing by saying, "She is my sister" (Beresheet 12:19). Moreover, he saw an angel walking before her, who said to Abraham, Do not worry for her. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent me to take money from the other nations and keep her from anything. Abraham then had no fear for his wife but for himself, because he saw the angel not with him but with his wife. He said to himself, So she is kept but I am not. For that reason he said, "Say, I pray you, you are my sister."

182. וְאַבְרָהָם הֲוָה אָזִיל בְּגִינָהּ, לְמֵיכַל שְׁלָלָא מִשְּׁאַר עַמִּין, וְסָמִיךְ עַל זְכוּתָא דִּילָהּ, דְּלָא יֵכְלוּן לְאַעְנְשָׁא לֵיהּ, וּלְחַיְיכָא בָּהּ. וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ לָא יָהִיב מִדִי לְמֵימַר אֲחוֹתִי הִיא. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּחָמָא חַד מַלְאָכָא אָזִיל קַמָהּ, וְאָמַר לֵיהּ לְאַבְרָהָם, לָא תִּדְּחַל מִנָּהּ, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁדַר לִי, לְאַפָּקָא לֵהּ מָמוֹנָא דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין, וּלְנַטְרָא לָהּ מִכֺּלָּא. וּכְדֵין לָא דָּחִיל אַבְרָהָם מְאִתְּתֵיהּ, אֶלָּא מִנֵיהּ, דְּלָא חָמָא עִמֵּיהּ מַלְאָכָא, אֶלָּא עִמָּהּ. אָמַר הָא הִיא מִתְנַטְרָא, וַאֲנָא לָא נְטִירְנָא. וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ אָמַר, אִמְרִי נָא אֲחוֹתִי אַתְּ וְגוֹ.'

Angels Death Death and the Afterlife Egyptians Soul, The

183. "That it may be well with me" (Ibid. 13). HE ASKS, It should have said, 'they may do well,' since they said, "therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see you, that they shall say, This is his wife" (Ibid. 12). Hence it should have said, 'they may do well.' HE ANSWERS, "It may be (or: 'do') well" refers to him that walks before you, NAMELY THE ANGEL. The Holy One, blessed be He, may do well with me in this world, "and my soul shall live" (Ibid. 13) in that world, "because of you" (Ibid.), if you turn not from the path of truth. For if I gain money because of you in this world and you turn from the way, I shall deserve death in that world. So beware that my soul shall live in that world for your sake.

183. יִיטַב לִי, יֵיטִיבוּ לִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב וְהָיָה כִּי יִרְאוּ אוֹתָךְ הַמִצְרִים וְאָמְרוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ זֺאת, וְעַ"ד יֵיטִיבוּ לִי מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא יִיטַב לִי, דָּא דְּאָזִיל קַמָּךְ. יִיטַב לִי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמָמוֹנָא. וְחָיְתָה נַפְשִׁי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא בִּגְלָלֵךְ, דְּלָא תִּסְטִי מִן אוֹרְחָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, דְּאִי אַזְכֵּי בְּגִינָךְ בְּמָמוֹנָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְתִסְטִי אַנְתְּ בְּאוֹרְחָא, הָא מִיתָא זְמִינָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא תִּסְתַּמֵר, דִּתְחִי נַפְשִׁי בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא בִּגְלָלֵךְ.

Abraham Angels Fear Pharaoh, The Sarah

184. וּבְגִין דְּהַהוּא מַלְאָכָא אָזִיל קַמָה לְנַטְרָא לָהּ, מַה כְּתִיב. וַיְנַגַּע יְיָ' אֶת פַּרְעֺה וְגוֹ,' עַל דְּבַר שָׂרַי וַדַּאי, דַּהֲוַת אַמְרַת לְמַלְאָכָא מָחֵי, וְהוּא מָחֵי. וְעַ"ד לָא דָּחִיל אַבְרָהָם מִנָּהּ כְּלוּם, דְּהָא הִיא מִתְנַטְרָא. וּמַה דְּדָחִיל, מִגַּרְמֵיהּ דָּחִיל, דְּלָא חָמָא עִמֵּיהּ נְטוּרָא הָכִי.

Angels Egypt Egyptians Pharaoh, The Plagues Sarah Ten

Egypt Plagues Redemption and Salvation

186. Rabbi Aba opened with, "As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I will show him marvelous things" (Michah 7:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, will display redemption for His children as in the days when the Holy One, blessed be He, sent to take Yisrael out OF EGYPT, and showed all those plagues in Egypt and smote them because of Yisrael. Come and see the difference between this redemption AT THE END OF DAYS and the redemption from Egypt. The redemption from Egypt occurred on one day, from one king and one kingdom. Here it will be from all the kings of the world. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, will be glorified over the whole world and everyone will acknowledge the reign of the Holy One, blessed be He, and everyone will be smitten with celestial plagues, twice for each one, because they all were reluctant TO RELEASE Yisrael.

186. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח, כִּימֵי צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אַרְאֶנּוּ נִפְלָאוֹת. זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַחֲזָאָה פּוּרְקָנָא לִבְנוֹי, כְּאִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּשָׁלַח קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַפָּקָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאַחְזֵי אִינּוּן מַכְתְּשִׁין בְּמִצְרָאֵי, וְאַלְקֵי לוֹן בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה בֵּין פּוּרְקָנָא דָּא, לְפוּרְקָנָא דְּמִצְרַיִם. פּוּרְקָנָא דְּמִצְרַיִם הֲוָה בְּחַד מַלְכָּא, וּבְמַלְכוּ חֲדָא. הָכָא, בְּכָל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא, וּכְדֵין יִתְיְיקָּר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּכָל עָלְמָא, וְיִנְדְּעוּן כֺּלָּא שׁוּלְטָנוּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ יִלְקוּן בְּמַכְתְּשִׁין עִלָּאִין, עַל חַד תְּרֵין, בְּגִין דְּיִסָּרְבוּן כֻּלְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.

Earth Egypt Patriarchs Redemption and Salvation Resurrection

187. The reign of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be then revealed as it is written, "And Hashem shall be king over all the earth" (Zecharyah 14:9). The nations will then be prompted to bring Yisrael to the Holy One, blessed be He. This is the meaning of, "And they shall bring all your brethren" (Yeshayah 66:20). Then the Patriarchs will resurrect joyfully to behold the redemption of their children as before. This is the meaning of, "As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I will show him marvelous things."

187. וּכְדֵין יִתְגְּלֵי שׁוּלְטָנֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב וְהָיָה יְיָ' לְמֶלֶךְ עַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ. וּכְדֵין כֻּלְּהוּ יִתְנַדְּבוּן בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הה"ד, וְהֵבִיאוּ אֶת כָּל אֲחֵיכֶם וְגוֹ.' כְּדֵין קַיְימִין אֲבָהָן בְּחֶדְוָה, לְמֵחֱמֵי פּוּרְקָנָא דִּבְנַיְיהוּ כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין. הה"ד, כִּימֵי צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אַרְאֶנּוּ נִפְלָאוֹת.