Midrasz do Rodzaju 18:10

Who perceiveth that her merchandise is good (Prov. 31:18). That was when the kings attacked them, as it is written: And he divided himself against them by night (Gen. 14:15). She stretcheth out her hand to the poor (Prov. 31:19), by giving food to passers-by. Yea, she reacheth forth her hand to the needy (ibid., v. 20); for she gave charity and clothed the naked. She is not afraid of the snow for her household (ibid., v. 21); that is, she did not fear Gehenna. And why not? Because her entire household possessed garments (shanim, punning on shnayim, “two”) (ibid.): Sabbath and circumcision. She maketh for herself coverlets (ibid., v. 22): These were the priestly garments. From the fruit of her hand she planted a vineyard (ibid., v. 16). This refers to Israel, as it is said: For a vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel (Isa. 5:7). Her husband is known in the gates (Prov. 31:23); that is, when he pleaded with the sons of Seth: Give me a possession of a burial place (Gen. 23:4). She maketh linen garments (Prov. 31:24) refers to the circumcision that took place, as it is said: The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him (Ps. 25:14). Strength and dignity are her clothing (Prov. 31:25) alludes to the clouds of glory that encircled her tent. She openeth her mouth with wisdom (ibid. 39:26). When was that? When she said to Abraham: Go, I pray thee, unto thy handmaid (Gen. 16:2). She looketh well to the ways of her household (Prov. 31:27) indicates that she watched every day for the return of the angel who had informed her: I will certainly return unto thee (Gen. 18:10).

Observe that when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to fashion Eve, He gave considerable thought to the parts of Adam’s body out of which He would create her. He said: If I create her out of a portion of his head, she will be haughty; if I fashion her from his eyes, she will be inquisitive; if I mold her out of his mouth, she will babble; from the ear, she will be an eavesdropper; from the hands, she will steal; and from the feet, she will be a gadabout. What did He do? He fashioned her out of one of Adam’s ribs, a chaste portion of the body, so that she would stay modestly at home, as it is said: And the rib which the Lord had taken (Gen. 2:22). Nevertheless, women do not lack any of these failings. He did not create her from the head of Adam lest she be haughty, nevertheless the daughters of Zion arose and were haughty, as is said: Moreover, the Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty (Isa. 3:16). He did not fashion her from his eyes lest she be inquisitive, yet Eve was inquisitive, as it is said: And the woman saw that the tree was good (Gen. 3:6). He did not mold her from his mouth lest she babble, but Leah came and babbled, as it is written: And she said unto her: “Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband?” (Gen. 30:15), and it states elsewhere: And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses (Num. 12:1). He did not create her from the ear, lest she eavesdrop, yet Sarah did eavesdrop, as is said: And Sarah heard in the tent door (Gen. 18:10); He did not fashion her out of his hand, lest she steal, nevertheless Rachel stole the teraphim, as it is said: And Rachel stole (ibid. 31:19); He did not create her from the foot, lest she be a gadabout, but Leah came and was a gadabout, as is said: And Leah went out (ibid. 30:16), and similarly Dinah went out (ibid. 34:1).

You find also that though the Holy One, blessed be He, told Ezekiel in a moment of anger: As I live, … I will not be inquired of by you (Ezek. 20:3), He later retracted this statement, as it is said: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock (ibid. 36:37). Hence the words God is not a man that He should lie refer to His promises of good, and the words When He hath said, will He not do it? allude to His threats of misfortune. You know this is so also from what is written concerning the angels’ visit to Sarah: I will certainly return to thee; and, lo, Sarah, thy wife, shall have a son (Gen. 18:10). Zabdi the son of Levi stated: The angel drew a mark upon the wall and told her: When the sun reaches that mark, you will conceive. And when the sun touched the mark, Sarah did conceive, as is said: And the Lord remembered Sarah (ibid. 21:1).

And the Lord remembered Sarah (Gen. 21:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: That confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers. That saith of Jerusalem: “She shall be inhabited”; and of the cities of Judah: “They shall be built” (Isa. 44:26). That confirmeth the word of His servant refers to Abraham, for the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I opened his womb (Abimelech) on account of Abraham, My servant, who prayed in his behalf, as it is said: And Abraham prayed unto God (Gen. 20:17). Performeth the counsel of His messengers alludes to the angels who informed Abraham that he would have an offspring, as it is said: I will certainly return unto you when the season cometh around (ibid. 18:10).

[(Gen. 34:1:) NOW < LEAH'S DAUGHTER > DINAH … WENT OUT.] This text is related (to Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY COUNSEL AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT MY REBUKE. < The verse > speaks about Eve. When the Holy One wanted to create her,⁵⁶Tanh., Gen. 9:6; Gen. R. 18:2; 80:5. the Holy One said: If I create her from Adam's head, her spirit will be haughtily above her; < if > from his eyes, < she will be > flirtatious; < if > from his mouth, she will be loquacious; < if > from his hands, she will be a thief; < if > from his feet, she will be a gadabout. The Holy One said: All this counsel I took before I created her, and I did not depart from it. I said: If I create her from his head, her spirit will be haughtily above her; < yet >, as stated (in Is. 3:16): MOREOVER, THE LORD SAID: BECAUSE THE DAUGHTERS OF ZION ARE HAUGHTY…. < If > from his eyes; < yet >, (ibid., cont.:) < HER > EYES ARE ROVING ABOUT. < If > from < the > ears; < yet >, (in Gen. 18:10:) SARAH WAS LISTENING < AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT >. < If > from his mouth; < yet >, (in Numb. 12:1:) THEN MIRIAM … SPOKE < AGAINST MOSES >. < If > from his hands; < yet >, (in Gen. 31:19) RACHEL STOLE. < If > from his feet, she will be going in and out; < yet >, (in Gen. 34:1) DINAH … WENT OUT. Ergo (in Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY COUNSEL….

Sarah conceived on Rosh Hashanah, and Isaac was born in the seventh month, on the night of Passover, as is said: I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh around (Gen. 18:10). Four barren women conceived on Rosh Hashanah: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sichnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: "And He built" is written; He contemplated from where to create her. He said: I will not create her from the head, lest she be haughty; I will not create her from the eye, lest she be coquettish; I will not create her from the ear, lest she be an eavesdropper; I will not create her from the mouth, lest she be a chatter-box; I will not create her from the heart, lest she be jealous; I will not create her from the hand, lest she be a thief; I will not create her from the leg, lest she be a run-about; rather, I will create create her from the most modest place on a person, as even when a person stands naked this place is covered. And as He created each and every limb of the woman, He would say to her: be a modest woman, be a modest woman! Nevertheless, "And they have disregarded all of my counsel" (Proverbs 1:25). I did not create her from the head, and yet she is haughty, as it says: "And they walk with stretched-forth necks" (Isaiah 3:16). And not from the eye, yet she is coquettish, as it says: "and with wanton eyes" (ibid.). And not from the ear, and yet she is an eavesdropper, as it says: "And Sarah listened from the entrance of the tent" (Genesis 18:10). And not from the heart, and yet she is jealous, as it says: "And Rachel was jealous of her sister" (Genesis 30:1). And not from the hand, and yet she is a thief, as it says: "And Rachel stole the idols" (Genesis 31:19). And not from the leg, and yet she is a run-about, as it says: "And Dinah went out..." (Genesis 34:1).

THE SIN OF SODOM
THE third descent which He descended || was at Sodom, as it is said, "I will go down now and see" (Gen. 18:21). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Shall I not tell My friend Abraham an important matter which I will do in My world in the future, as it is said, "And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that which I do?" (Gen. 18:17). Rabbi Chanina, son of Dosa, said: The Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed, and three angels (appeared) unto our father Abraham, as it is said, "And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men" (Gen. 18:2). He began to inform him about the conception of the womb by Sarah his wife, as it is said, "I will certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round" (Gen. 18:10). Afterwards He told (him) about the doom of Sodom, as it is said, "And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great" (Gen. 18:20).

[(Gen. 21:1:) THEN THE LORD VISITED SARAH.] This text is related (to Hab. 3:17): FOR THOUGH THE FIG TREE SHALL NOT BLOSSOM.¹¹⁸Gen. R. 53:3; PR 42:5. Who is this < fig tree >? This is Abraham, since it is stated (in Hos. 9:10): I SAW YOUR FATHERS AS THE FIRST FRUIT OF A FIG TREE IN ITS FIRST SEASON. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) AND THERE IS NO YIELD ON THE VINES. ON THE VINE [sic] refers to Sarah, since it is stated (in Ps. 128:3): YOUR WIFE IS LIKE A FRUITFUL VINE. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) THOUGH THE WORK OF THE OLIVE HAS FAILED. Were the words which the ministering angels brought as good tidings to Sarah deceptive? < They had said > (in Gen. 18:10): I WILL SURELY RETURN UNTO YOU. (Hab. 3:17:) THE WORK OF THE OLIVE. As the olive gives light to the world (through its oil), so the angels enlightened < Sarah > with their words.¹¹⁹Cf. Gen. R. 53:3, according to which THE WORK OF THE OLIVE alludes to the fact that the faces of the angels who gave Sarah the good tidings shone like an olive. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) AND THE GRAINFIELDS (ShDMH) PRODUCE NO FOOD. Those breasts (ShDYM)¹²⁰ShDYM in an unvocalized text could easily be read as a plural of SDH, a common word meaning “field,” although not quite the word designating GRAINFIELDS in Hab. 3:17. suckle no one. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) HE HAS DECREED¹²¹The midrash requires this translation. See the following note. A FLOCK FROM THE FOLD. Have you not raised up from her (i.e., from Sarah, the fold) the assembly of Israel, which is called a flock, where it is stated (in Ezek. 34:17): AND YOU, MY FLOCK?

(5) And Sarai said to Avram: My anger is on you! (Genesis 16:5) Rabbi Yudan says, in the name of Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon: You made violence on me with your words. Why? Because you heard my being despised and you were silent. Rabbi Berachia in the name of Rabbi Aba bar Kahana said: I have a grievance against you! This is similar to two men who are imprisoned, and when the king passes through one says: King! Make justice for me! The king says to let him go. His companion said: I have a grievance against you! If you had said 'make justice for us' both of us would be free, but since you said 'make justice for me' he released you but not me. So too, had you [Avram] said "and we go childless" just as you got a child I would have gotten a child. But since you said "and I go childless" (Genesis 15:2) you received a child but not I. ... Rabbi Tanchuma said, in the name of Rabbi Chiyah... whoever runs after the characteristic of judgment does not escape its hands. Sarah should have reached the same age as Avraham, but because she said "may God judge between you and me" (Genesis 16:5) 38 years were deducted from her. Behold, it is written "And he came to Hagar, and she conceived" (Genesis 16:4) but it also says "behold you are pregnant and you will give birth to a son"(Genesis 16:11) it teaches you that Sarah set the evil eye upon Hagar, and she miscarried. Rabbi Chanina said: even if just the prophet Elisha had said that to her it would have been enough, rather, she merited to receive these news through the angel.