Genesis Rabbah 47

¹“God said to Abraham: Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, as Sarah is her name” (Genesis 17:15). “God said to Abraham: Sarai your wife…” – it is written: “A woman of valor is her husband’s crown” (Proverbs 12:4). Rabbi Aḥa said: Her [Sarah’s] husband was crowned with her, but she was not crowned with her husband. The Rabbis say: She was her husband’s superior. Everywhere the man gives the orders; here, however, “Everything that Sarah says to you, heed her voice” (Genesis 21:12). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa said: The yod that the Holy One blessed be He took from Sarai was removed and a heh inserted in its place. was divided – half for Sarah and half for Abraham. is ten. Half is five, represented by the letter heh , which is the letter that was added to the names of both Abraham and Sarah. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: The yod that the Holy One blessed be He took from Sarai soared and flew up before the throne of the Holy One blessed be He. It said before Him: ‘Master of the universe: Because I am the smallest of the letters, You have removed me from the righteous Sarah?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to it: ‘In the past, you were part of the name of a female and at the end of the letters; now I shall place you into the name of a male and at the beginning of the letters, as it is stated: “Moses called Hoshea son of Nun, Joshua [Yehoshua]” (Numbers 13:16). added at the beginning changed the name from Hoshea to Yehoshua. Rabbi Mana said: In the past she was a princess for her people. Now she will be a princess for all the inhabitants of the world. ²“I will bless her, and I will also give you a son from her; I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples will be from her” (Genesis 17:16). “I will bless her, and I will also give you a son from her; [I will bless her…]” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: I will bless her by giving her a son, and I will bless her with the blessing of milk. Rabbi Neḥemya said to him: Was she already given tidings regarding milk? Why, she was not even pregnant yet. Rather, it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He restored her body to the days of her youth. Rabbi Abahu in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina: [God said:] ‘I will impose fear of her over all the idolaters so that they will not torment her and call her the barren woman.’ Rabbi Yudan in the name of Reish Lakish: She did not even have a womb, and the Holy One blessed be He now carved out a womb for her. “Kings of peoples will be from her” – Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: From here Abraham expounded when he remarried Ketura. ³“Abraham fell upon his face, and he laughed. He said in his heart: Shall a child be born to one who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, a ninety - year - old woman, give birth?” (Genesis 17:17). “Abraham fell upon his face, and he laughed” – Abraham fell on his face twice, and corresponding to them, circumcision was twice withheld from his descendants – once in Egypt and once in the wilderness. In Egypt, Moses came and circumcised them; in the wilderness, Joshua came and circumcised them. “He said in his heart: Shall a child be born to one who is one hundred years old?” Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Azarya, Rabbi Yudan said: “Shall a child be born to one who is one hundred years old” – why? Because “Shall Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” A man does not grow old, but a woman grows old. Rabbi Azarya said: Regarding this, too, it was not necessary, as Sarah at ninety years old had not grown old. What is an old woman? It is one whom they call: Mother So-and so, and she does not mind. ⁴“Abraham said to God: Would that Ishmael might live before You” (Genesis 17:18). “God said: But Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will keep My covenant with him for an eternal covenant, for his descendants after him” (Genesis 17:19). “Would that Ishmael might live before You” – Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: This is analogous to a friend of the king, to whom he would provide a stipend. The king said to him: ‘I wish to double your stipend.’ He said to him: ‘Do not seek to provide me such great satisfaction; would that you not revoke the previous one.’ So, [Abraham said:] “Would that Ishmael might live before You.” “God said: But Sarah your wife.” ⁵“And regarding Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him. I will make him fruitful, and I will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 17:20). “And regarding Ishmael, I have heard you” – Rabbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥanina: The son of the maidservant may be derived from the son of the mistress. . “Behold, I have blessed him” – this refers to Isaac. “I will make him fruitful” – this refers to Isaac. “I will multiply him” – this refers to Isaac. “And regarding Ishmael” – I have already heard him [and blessed him] through an angel. “But My covenant I will keep with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear you at this designated time next year” (Genesis 17:21). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Beiri: Here, the son of the mistress may be derived from the son of the maidservant. “Behold, I have blessed him” – this refers to Ishmael. “I will make him fruitful” – this refers to Ishmael. “I will multiply him” – this refers to Ishmael, and all the more so: “But My covenant I will keep with Isaac.” Rabbi Yitzḥak said: “All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve” (Genesis 49:28) – these are the descendants of the mistress, but Ishmael would produce only those twelve nesi’im , ] shall he beget.” just as it says: “Clouds [ nesi’im ], wind, but no rain (Proverbs 25:14). But these are tribes [ matot ], just as it says: “The oaths to the tribes [ matot ], an enduring word” (Habakkuk 3:9). “But My covenant I will keep with Isaac, [whom Sarah shall bear you at this designated time [ lamo’ed ] next year]” – Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Idi – that year was a leap year. ]. The longest interval between festivals is the six months between Sukkot and Passover, but that is not enough time for a pregnancy to come to term. The Midrash explains that that year was a leap year, so there was a seven-month interval between those holidays, long enough for a viable pregnancy. ⁶“He concluded speaking with him, and God ascended from upon Abraham” (Genesis 17:22). It is taught: One who departs from another person, whether of greater or lesser stature, must take his leave from him. From whom do you derive this? From Abraham. On one occasion, Abraham was speaking with the Holy One blessed be He, when the ministering angels came to speak with him. He said to them: ‘Let me first take my leave from the Divine Presence, which is of greater stature than you, then I will speak with you.’ When he finished saying to the Holy One blessed be He all that he needed [to say], he said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I must speak [with the angels].’ He said: ‘You may leave in peace.’ That is what is written: “[He concluded speaking with him,] and God ascended from upon Abraham.” Reish Lakish said: The patriarchs are themselves the divine chariot, as it is stated: “God ascended from upon Abraham,” “God ascended from upon him,” (Genesis 35:13) “And behold, the Lord stood upon him” (Genesis 28:13). ⁷“Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those purchased with his money, every male among the people of Abraham’s household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken with him” (Genesis 17:23). “Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house” – Rabbi Aivu said: When Abraham circumcised [the foreskins of] all those born in his house, he stacked them into a mound of foreskins. When the sun shone upon them, they became wormy, and their odor rose before the Holy One blessed be He like the incense of the spices, and like a burnt offering that is given over completely into the [altar’s] fire. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘When the descendants of this man will come to commit transgressions and evil deeds, I will remember this aroma and become filled with mercy for them, and I will take pity on them.’ ⁸“Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin” (Genesis 17:24). “And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin” (Genesis 17:25). “Abraham was ninety-nine [years] old…” – here, [regarding Abraham], it says: “The flesh of his foreskin [ besar orlato ].” But there, [regarding Yishmael], it says: “The flesh of his foreskin [ et besar orlato ].” indicates that something extra is being included. The explanation is that regarding Abraham, because his organ had been softened by means of a woman, it is written: “ Besar orlato .” Regarding Ishmael, whose organ had not been softened by means of a woman, it is written: “ Et besar orlato .” ⁹“On that very day, Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son” (Genesis 17:26). “On that very day, Abraham was circumcised” – Rabbi Berekhya said: [God said:] “From the beginning, I did not speak in secret” (Isaiah 48:16). The Holy One blessed be He said: Had Abraham circumcised himself at night, all the people of his generation would have said: ‘We declare, had we seen him, we would have not allowed him to circumcise himself.’ However, it was “on that very day, [Abraham was circumcised]” – if someone is bothered by it, let him speak up. “Abraham was circumcised” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He ached and suffered pain, so that the Holy One blessed be He could double his reward. Rabbi Levi said: “Abraham circumcised himself” is not written here, but rather, “was circumcised.” He examined himself and discovered that he was [miraculously] circumcised. At that moment, Rabbi Abba bar Kahana disparaged Rabbi Levi. He said to him: ‘You are a fabricator and a falsifier. It is, rather, that he ached and suffered pain, so that the Holy One blessed be He could double his reward.’ ¹⁰“And all the men of his household, born in the house or purchased with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him” (Genesis 17:27). “And all the men of his household, born in the house or purchased with money” – it is taught: One may go to an idolatrous fair, [even] during the intermediate days of the Festival, to purchase from them houses, fields, vineyards, slaves and maidservants. Rabbi Ami said in the name of Reish Lakish; It is not only for circumcised slaves that it is permitted for him, but even for uncircumcised ones, because he brings them under the wings of the Divine Presence. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked before Reish Lakish, saying to him: ‘What is the ruling regarding the purchase of slaves from idolaters?’ He said to him: ‘Regarding when are you asking me, on a Festival? It is taught: Even on Shabbat. Likewise, if one purchases a courtyard in the Land of Israel [on Shabbat], he says to him: I offer such and such a price, to be paid tomorrow.’ It is because the Land of Israel is so beloved that it is permitted for him to say so. Ḥizkiya taught: “[…to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you,] until it is subdued” (Deuteronomy 20:20) – even on Shabbat, as we find that Jericho was conquered only on Shabbat. There are three [idolatrous] fairs: The Gaza fair, the Akko fair, and the Botnan fair, and the most obvious one of all is the Botnan fair. Abraham said: ‘Before I was circumcised, passersby would come in to me. Perhaps now that I am circumcised they will no longer come in to me.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Before you were circumcised, people would come to you. Now, I, in My glory, am coming and revealing Myself to you.’ That is what is written: “The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1).