Comentario sobre Génesis 12:11

הנה נא ידעתי BEHOLD NOW I KNOW — The Midrashic explanation is: Until now he had not perceived her beauty owing to the extreme modesty of both of them; now, however, through this event, he became cognisant of it (Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 5). Another explanation: Usually, because of the exertion of travelling a person becomes uncomely, but she had retained her beauty (Genesis Rabbah 40:4). Still, the real sense of the text is this: Behold, now the time has come when I am anxious because of thy beauty. I have long known that thou art fair of appearance: but now we are travelling among black and repulsive people, brethren of the Ethiopians (Kushim), who have never been accustomed to see a beautiful woman. A similar example is, (Genesis 19:2) “Behold, now, my lords, turn aside I pray you.”).

BEHOLD NOW, I KNOW, ETC. 13. SAY, I PRAY, THOU ART MY SISTER. I do not know why Abraham was more fearful for her now than before. And if we say, as Rashi explains, that it was because the Egyptians were black and repulsive, now, to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, he also said so,⁷⁹Genesis 20:2. he as well as Isaac,⁸⁰Ibid., 26:7. who lived in that land by command of G-d.⁸¹Ibid., Verse 3. Perhaps the Canaanites in that generation were steeped in idolatry but restrained from unchastity more than the Egyptians and the Philistines. But this is not correct. It is possible that Abraham and Sarah had no fear until they came into a royal city for it was their custom to bring the king a very beautiful woman and to slay her husband through some charge they would contrive against him.
It appears to me correct that such was their procedure from the time they left Haran. At every place he would say, “She is my sister,” for so Abraham said, And it came to pass, when G-d caused me to wander from my father’s house, etc.⁸²Ibid., 20:13. Scripture, however, mentions it only concerning those places where something happened to them on account of it. Thus Abraham now alerted Sarah as he had charged her from the beginning. Isaac, on the other hand, was not afraid in his country and in his city. Only when he came to the land of the Philistines did he adopt his father’s way.
He [Abraham] said, That it may be well with me for thy sake, and that my soul live because of thee, meaning “as long as we are strangers in this land, until the famine will pass,” for Abraham came to live in the land of Egypt on account of the famine. When the famine passes, he would return to the land concerning which he had been commanded and which G-d had given to him and his children. He thus thought that they [he and his wife] would live through the famine and that relief and succor will come to them from G-d enabling them to return, or that it may be possible for them to flee to the land of Canaan when they⁸³“They” are the Egyptians. They will no longer guard them for they will consider them permanent settlers in the land. Then they (Abraham and Sarah) will be able to flee the country and return to the land of Canaan. will give them up.
Now Rashi wrote, “ ‘Hinei na’ (Behold now), I know. A Midrash Agada:⁸⁴A Midrash by that name. See Buber’s edition of this Midrash, p. 27. Until now he had not perceived her beauty on account of her⁸⁵In our text of Rashi: “on account of the modesty of both of them.” The Midrash Agada ascribes the modesty to Abraham. modesty. Now, however, [he became cognizant of it] through an event.⁸⁶Wading through a stream, he saw the reflection of her beauty in the water. (Midrash Agada.) Another interpretation is that because of the exertion of travelling a person usually becomes uncomely, but she [Sarah] has retained her beauty. Still the plain sense of the text is this: ‘Behold, now the time has come to be anxious because of your beauty. I have long known that you are a woman of beautiful appearance, but now we are travelling among black people, brethren of the Ethiopians, who have never been accustomed to see a beautiful woman.’ A similar example [where the Hebrew word na does not denote a request, as it usually does, but means “now”] is found in the verse, Behold ‘na’ (now), my lords, turn aside, I pray you.”⁸⁷Genesis 19:2. The Hebrew reads, hinei na adonai suru na. Now since the request is covered by the second na (suru na — turn aside, I pray you), the first na (at the beginning of the expression) can no longer mean a request; rather it means “now.” All this is the language of the Rabbi [Rashi].
This Midrash concerning the modesty between Abraham and Sarah is traditional and it has been adjoined to the verse, but there is no need for all these matters. The word na [hinei na — behold now] does not indicate only a newly arisen matter; it may be used with reference to anything which is presently in existence for it is a statement alluding to the present state of things. Behold now I know — from then until now — that thou art a woman of beautiful appearance. Of similar meaning is the verse, Behold ‘na’ (now), the Eternal hath restrained me from having children,⁸⁸Genesis 16:2. meaning from my youth until this day. Likewise is the verse, Behold ‘na’ (now), I have two daughters,⁸⁹Ibid., 19:8. for they were not born to him now. All [verses containing this expression] are to be interpreted in like manner.
It would seem from the simple meaning of the verses that Sarah did not obligate herself to say so, [i.e., that she is Abraham’s sister], but when the Egyptians, who were wicked and sinners exceedingly,⁹⁰Ibid., 13:13. saw her and they praised her to Pharaoh,⁹¹Verse 15 here. she was taken to his house. They did not ask them at all whether she is his wife or his sister, and she remained silent and did not tell them that she is his wife. It was Abraham himself who told them that she is his sister, and therefore they did well by him for her sake.⁹²Verse 16. This is the intent of the verse quoting Pharaoh, which says, What is this that thou hadst done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?⁹³Verse 18. He [Pharaoh] accused him for when he saw the princes of Pharaoh taking her, he should have told Pharaoh that she is his wife. Again, he accused him for saying afterwards to the princes and the household of Pharaoh that she is his sister.⁹⁴Verse 19. But he did not at all accuse the woman for it is not proper that she contradict her husband, the suitable thing being for her to remain silent.

כאשר הקריב, close to the time when it became necessary to take such precautions, so that he would not forget.

ויהי כאשר הקריב לבא מצרימה, It happened as he came closer to Egypt, etc. Our sages (Baba Batra 16) use this verse to demonstrate how chaste Abraham was, that he had not even seen Sarah's beauty up until now. We need to understand why Abraham spoke to Sarah about her beauty.

ויהי כאשר הקריב, not just he himself, but when he had brought his camp close to the Egyptian border. He was traveling slowly, in keeping with the pace of those animals that could not move quickly. Seeing that the word הקריב is in a transitive mode, the verse must refer to Avram’s entire entourage. We encounter the same construction when the Torah reports the pursuit of the Israelites by Pharaoh in Exodus 14,10, i.e. ויהי כאשר הקריב פרעה, when the reference is to Pharaoh and his army.

He became aware of her due to an event. They crossed a river and she had to lift her clothes, so he saw she was beautiful. The Midrash says he recognized her great beauty when he saw her reflection in the water as they crossed.

הנה נא ידעתי כי אשה יפת מראה את, “I am well aware that you are a physically attractive woman;” according to the interpretation of Rabbi Joseph Kara, the Torah abbreviated what Avraham said to Sarah, the full sentence including what is reported here as a separate sentence: “I know that because you are a beautiful –white skinned – woman as soon as they see you they will kill me and take you to the king’s palace to be part of his harem. In order to save my life, say that you are my sister, instead of my wife.” Although the Egyptians were idolaters, they observed the law of not sleeping with someone else’s wife. As a result, they resorted to murder instead. This sounds strange, as the same lawgiver that prohibited adultery also prohibited murder. Their reasoning was-presumably, that it is better to murder and commit that sin once, than to commit the sin of adultery day after day. Besides, they were afraid that any husband, whose wife had been kidnapped, would complain to their respective kings about this. Once the original husband was dead, no restitution could be made.

כאשר הקריב, “as he brought his camp closer.” We find a sample of a similar construction, [instead of כאשר קרב “as he approached,” as we would have expected. Ed.] in Exodus 14,10: ופרעה הקריב, “and Pharaoh brought his army closer to the camp of the Israelites.”

לבא מצרימה, a country which was equivalent to a giant brothel. This is mentioned even more forcefully in Ezekiel 23,20 where the prophet describes the carnal attitudes of the Egyptians as אשר בשר חמורים בשרם, וזרמת סוסים זרמתם, “those whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys, and whose sperm is the sperm of horses.”

הנה נא ידעתי, even though the word נא generally describes a knowledge which one has just acquired, Avram did not want Sarai to think that he had only now discovered her good looks. He therefore used a formulation which indicated that he had been aware of her beauty ever since he had first met her. Similar constructions without the addition of ידעתי in the past tense are found in 19,2 הנה נא אדני, “now my lords,” or in 19,19 הנה נא מצא עבדך , חן, “now that your servant has found favour.” The comparison with these examples shows that the addition of the word ידעתי in our example had as its purpose to reassure Sarai that he had not only suddenly discovered that she was physically attractive.

Another explanation: It is usual ... [Despite Rashi’s first explanation,] the verse is still selfcontradictory: הנה נא is present tense, while ידעתי is past tense. Therefore he offers another explanation. (Maharshal) The simple explanation ... I now realize the time has come to be concerned. In this explanation, the verse must be divided. [The first part is:] “Behold I now realize the time has come ... .” And the [second] part starts with ידעתי: “I have known this for a long time.” Rashi then proves that a verse may be so divided (19:2): “See now my lords, please turn ... ’” [“See now” means:] “Behold, the time has come that you must be careful in regard to these cruel people.” [And “Please turn” means: “Turn off the main road to my home.” See Rashi there.] Some ask: It says in Kiddushin 41a that it is forbidden to marry a woman without seeing her first. [Why then did Avraham not know she was beautiful?] It seems the answer is: Avraham surely saw her before they married and he knew she was beautiful. But then she was very young, when it is natural to be beautiful. But now she was 65, and beauty usually changes. Thus, Avraham did not know until now [that she still was beautiful]. (Nachalas Yaakov)

If it was merely because he planned to have her describe him as her brother instead of as her husband, this would not diminish the danger they found themselves in. Sarah would be in danger of being killed if she resisted rape, or else would have to submit voluntarily to someone who fancied her. Abraham wanted to forestall Sarah's argument that he should never have brought her to Egypt in the first place and have endangered them both. While it is true that righteous people have to place their trust in G'd, this rule applies when one does not deliberately place oneself in a dangerous situation. No one has the right to make his survival depend on a miracle. We know this from the prophet Samuel who took along an animal to sacrifice when he set out to anoint David as king. He did this even though G'd Himself told him to go on that mission. When he remonstrated with G'd that the mission could be fatal for him if Saul would hear about it, G'd Himself told Samuel to camouflage it (Samuel I 16,1-5). Abraham therefore told Sarah that had he but known earlier how beautiful she was he would indeed not have undertaken such a dangerous journey. He would have taken her elsewhere. Now that they had already come close to Egypt he had found out more about the Egyptians' lack of sexual mores and the fact that they had ugly faces (or were black-skinned). He therefore had reason to fear for his life if he were to be known as Sarah's husband. He examined Sarah's beauty critically in order to understand the degree of danger that this could pose for him. Abraham did not describe Sarah as merely יפת מראה; he described her as אשה יפת מראה. There is a subtle difference here. He realised that her beauty was unique. Her beauty was bound to arouse the carnal instincts of the Egyptians.

הנה נא ידעתי, see Rashi’s commentary on this formulation, and similar examples of it in Genesis 19,2, where Lot greets the angels. [Our author refers to the part ofRashi’s commentary in which Avraham states that Sarai’s physical beauty has for the first time become something critically important. [Similarly, he compares it to Lot, who at this juncture realised for the first time how critically important an offer of hospitality to these angels may become. Ed.] He also understands the word נא in this context not as a plea, but as a reference to time being of the essence in making a decision.

Among black people. [You might ask:] The people of Avimelech were not black. Why did Avraham say there (20:2), “She is my sister”? Avraham himself already answered this by saying (20:11), “There is no fear of Elohim in this place, and they will kill me to take my wife.” Rashi explains (ad loc) that Avraham knew this since he was asked about his wife as soon as he arrived, rather than being asked about food and lodging. This is preferable to the Re’m’s answer that word had already spread that she was his sister, [thus they needed to continue saying so].

We must not question how Abraham could take a chance and take Sarah to the land of the Philistines after his experience in Egypt. Whereas the Egyptians had ugly faces, this did not apply to the Philistines. Sarah's beauty therefore did not represent such a contrast to what the Philistines were used to. This is why Abraham never ordered Sarah herself to say that he was her brother. He contented himself with describing Sarah as his sister (20,2).

כי אשה יפת מראה את, “for you are an extraordinarily beautiful woman.” This comment is an introduction to the verse following in which Avram suggests how to neutralise the danger to him that Sarai’s beauty now poses.