Comentário sobre Gênesis 20:16

ולשרה אמר AND UNTO SARAH HE SAID — Abimelech said — out of respect for her and to mollify her: “Behold I have shown you this mark of respect, viz., I have given money to your brother — to him of whom thou didst say “he is my brother”. הנה BEHOLD, this money and this evidence of respect

BEHOLD, I HAVE GIVEN THY BROTHER A THOUSAND PIECES OF SILVER. The sheep, the cattle and the servants which he gave him were worth a thousand pieces of silver. He thus said to Sarah: “Behold, I have given much money to your brother. Now the money will serve you as a cause for the covering of the eyes of all those who look at your beauty,²⁸⁴“Had I given the money to you, people might say it was a harlot’s hire. But now that I have given it to your brother, people will say that I had to redeem myself against my will, and this will thus enable you to speak freely in your defense.” (Bachya.) closing their eyes, and those of their leaders, the seers,²⁸⁵See Isaiah 29:10, And your heads, the seers hath He covered. to prevent them looking at you and at all that belongs to you, even your manservants and maidservants. Thus your being taken forcibly to my house was for your benefit as they will fear you and cover their eyes to avoid looking at you, saying: ‘The king had to redeem himself for having stretched forth his hand to the prophet’s wife.’”
The verse thus tells that Abimelech mollified Abraham with money, and Sarah with words, so that he should not be punished on account of either of them. The verse states in conclusion, venochachath,²⁸⁶According to Ramban, as is clear from the text further on, the translation of this word is, “and she continued to protest.” as Sarah did not accept his apology, for with all this,²⁸⁷The money he gave to Abraham and the words of apology he offered her. she yet continued arguing with him, saying that she would not forgive him. The verse thus speaks in her praise. Abraham, however, was appeased, and he prayed for the king. The word venochachath is similar in usage to these verses: And with Israel ‘yithvakach’ (He has an argument);²⁸⁸Micah 6:2. But my ways ‘ochiach’ (will I argue) before Him;²⁸⁹Job 13:15. There the upright ‘nochach’ (might reason) with Him.²⁹⁰Ibid., 23:7.
It is possible that the expression, a thousand pieces of silver to thy brother, means thousands of pieces of silver, much wealth, according to the bounty of the king.²⁹¹Esther 1:7. Similarly, The smallest shall become a thousand,²⁹²Isaiah 60:22. [means that the smallest will become] a great people. Similarly: Restore, I pray you, to them even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundred pieces of silver, and the corn, the wine, and oil, that ye exact of them²⁹³Nehemiah 5:11. — [here too the hundred pieces of silver refer to] many hundreds, a great deal of money.

ולשרה אמר, words of appeasement and consolation, explaining to her that when he had first taken her he had not employed forceful means but had treated her as if she had been a willing bride, giving her a dowry as was customary in those days for the groom to do. He had given 1000 pieces of silver to her brother, seeing that he had assumed that Avraham was no more than her brother to her as he had been led to believe. She herself had said so. This is not to be confused with the livestock which Avimelech gave Avraham at the conclusion of this story, the gifts mentioned in verse 14. The 1000 pieces of silver he had given before Sarah was taken to his palace. Even Pharaoh who had been punished more severely had made generous gifts not only to Avraham but even Lot had been enriched. (12,15). All this had been before any marriage ceremony. Avimelech clearly had been at least as generous.

הנה נתתי אלף כסף לאחיך, as dowry, as was the custom for any groom marrying the daughter or sister of a man.

ולשרה אמר הנה נתתי אלף כסף, in addition to the livestock, men and women servants he had given Avraham, mentioned in verse 14. The purpose of the cash was to enable her to buy herself elegant clothing.

הנה הוא לך כסות עינים, “let this be a visible proof of your vindication, etc.” Avimelech referred to the financial compensation he had felt forced to pay to Avraham in order to mollify him. The word אלף is not to be understood literally, but means the “thousands of shekel, etc.” The expression כסות עינים extends also to Avraham’s entire entourage, including any unattached women. Anyone even looking at these girls would be liable to a monetary fine for having done so. Knowing that even the King had been forced to pay a fine, the ordinary people would be most careful not to become subject to similar penalties.

Avimelech said it was out of respect for her, in order to mollify her... This means as follows: Avimelech really gave them to Avraham so that Avraham would pray for him, as Rashi explained on v. 14. If so, why did Avimelech say to Sarah that it was to honor her? [The answer is:] He said the opposite [of the truth] in order to mollify her. The Re’m asks: How does Rashi know that Avimelech gave them to Avraham in order to mollify him? Perhaps he really gave them in Sarah’s honor! The Re’m answers: Since Hashem said, “Now return the man’s wife... and he will pray for you,” we learn that Avimelech’s goal [in returning Sarah] was to mollify Avraham so he would pray for him. Assumedly, Avimelech gave the gifts for the same reason. But it seems to me [that the answer is:] If Avimelech really gave for her honor, why did he give to Avraham? According to what Avimelech said [his intentions were], he should have given them to Sarah, which would have honored her more! Perforce, the main [reason for] giving the gifts to Avraham was so Avraham would pray for him, and Avimelech said what he did to Sarah only to honor and mollify her.

Dass ich, der König, der es nur versuchte, dir zu nahen, diesen Versuch so offenkundig büßte und so glänzend zu sühnen mich bestrebte, das wird dir fortan im ganzen Lande einen solchen Augenschutz gewähren, es wird fortan so wenig irgend jemand es wagen, sein Auge zu dir ungeziemend zu erheben, dass du von nun an gegen jedermann dich nicht zu verleugnen brauchst, sondern geradezu als Abrahams Weib auftreten kannst. —

הנה נתתי אלף כסף לאחיך, “here I have given one thousand silver pieces to your brother;” The root אלף has different meanings in different contexts. For instance, in Job 33,33, ואאלפך חכמה, it means: “I will teach you wisdom.” It also appears as an expression for excessive desire, as in Genesis 31,30: כי נכסוף נכספת, where Lot acknowledges Yaakov’s great “longing to return to his father’s home after so many years of absence.” In our verse the correct interpretation is that Avimelech having given this amount of silver to Sarah’s brother Avraham who had told him that he was her brother, means that it should teach her a lesson to really love him. An alternate interpretation is that it is used as an expression for craving after material wealth as in Deuteronomy 7,13: שגר אלפיך, “the exceptional increase in your flocks and sheep, the example quoted by Rashi who says that it is a metaphor for riches, something nearly everyone is craving for. הנה לך כסות עינים, “here it shall serve you as a cover for the eyes;” Avimelech refers to the word אחיך, saying that Sarah had described her husband as her brother out of a sense of chastity. Had she referred to him as “my husband,” anyone hearing her say this would immediately have understood it as “my sexual partner.” She was too chaste to refer to anyone other than to her husband in such terms.

הנה נתתי אלף כסף לאחיך, “here I have given 1000 pieces of silver to your brother;” Avimelech uses the word “your brother” sarcastically, meaning that he had given this amount of money to the person whom she had described as her brother. It was customary in those days to give expensive gifts to a bride’s brother. (Rash’bam) (We find that Eliezer had done the same to Rivkah’s brother and family.)

לך כסות עינים לכל אשר אתך SHALL BE UNTO THEE A COVERING OF THY EYES TO ALL WHO ARE WITH THEE — these will put a covering over the eyes of all who are with thee so that they shall not hold you in light esteem. But had I sent you back empty-handed, they might have said, “After he abused her he sent her back”; now, however, that I have had to lavish money and to mollify you they will understand that I have sent you back against my own will forced to do so by a miracle.

נתתי אלף כסף, the distant past tense, i.e. “I had given it “ at the very beginning. The same sequence occurred when Pharaoh abducted Sarah, and the same procedure was offered by Shechem and Chamor in Genesis 34,12 as part of the offer to marry Dinah. Also, in Genesis 24,53 we find Eliezer making such generous gifts prior to obtaining Lavan’s consent for Rivkah to marry Yitzchok.

הנה לך כסות עינים, clothing consisting of a variety of colours which women used to wear as a mark of distinction. The dowry he gave her brother was intended to show that he did not consider her a whore but someone reputable, and that he did not mean her to be his concubine but his regular wife. Also, he meant that he would not have let Sarah go so easily except for Divine intervention which forced him to let her go.

וכל אשר אתך, all your entourage should also have been outfitted with elegant clothing. Anyone belonging to your household was meant to look their best thanks to this money I gave to your brother.

ונוכחת. “and you will be vindicated.” You will have a valid argument in countering any gossip spread about you (Sarah). Alternatively, the meaning of the expression is the Torah’s way of saying that whereas the money compensated Avraham for the wrong done to him, it did not mollify Sarah’s injured dignity. She would continue to argue that the wrong done to her could not be righted by money; the Torah mentioned this in tribute to Sarah’s lofty principles. Some commentators understand the expression כסות עינים as meaning that the monetary compensation would have the same effect as stunningly beautiful garments, which would raise the image of the wearer in the eyes of the beholder. The money would enable both her and her servant maids to buy beautiful clothes.

ואת כל ונוכחת, “and you will be found justified before all and sundry.” Avimelech warns her that not everyone understands such lofty moral standards; therefore they would have taken you at your word, not knowing that they were a metaphor. In future, therefore, she is not to mislead people by describing her husband as her brother. The only people who do not misunderstand your reference to your ”brother”, are the ones that are part of your household. Beware not to be the source of being so misunderstood.

הנה הוא לך כסות עינים לכל אשר אתך, “this is to enable you to call your husband your brother, i.e. as a cover up, but this is to be used only as an explanation to your immediate entourage.

ואת כל AND WITH ALL — means and with all people in the world.

הנה הוא לך כסות עינים לכל אשר אתך ואת כל, the thousand pieces of silver I had given to your brother represent a great honour for you, and they will serve as proof for one and all that you have not been disgraced in any way. Nobody will ever be able to claim that you have been treated as helpless, as a woman who had no honour to lose.

לכל אשר אתך, before the eyes of everybody, so that they know in your household that everything is above board.

לאחיך, to the person you had described to me as “your brother.”

את כל ונוכחת, “he prepared all this when he purchased for her a wardrobe, in order to demonstrate to everyone that he felt the need to mollify Sarah.” The word נוכחת means preparing something, inviting someone, and appears in this context in Genesis 24,44 אשר הוכיח ה' לבן אדוני, “the one whom the Lord has prepared for the son of my master (as a wife)”. Ibn Ezra explains the words הנה הוא לך כסות עינים as Avimelch saying to Sarah: “concerning Avraham whom you had told me that he was your brother, it fulfils the function of an “eye-cover” (veil) for you to ensure no one will dare raise his eyes to you”. At the same time his stature also protects all your maids against anyone daring to take advantage of them. They will all enjoy the protection of the status of being wives of his servants. Yet another explanation of the words הנה הוא לך כסות עינים understands it as a reference to Sarah having described Avraham as her brother as a defensive stratagem, to protect his life, and the fact that all the entourage of Avraham and Sarah conspired together in this deception so as not to endanger their master’s life. At any, rate, Avimelech added, now that everything has been cleared up, ונוכת, you will be safe and do not need to misrepresent yourself.

ואת כל, but concerning the general population in my country you must not continue to describe your husband as your brother. Otherwise other people may become the victims of the same error I have become a victim of. The letter ו in the word: ונוכחת is superfluous, as are numerous letters, [especially when the Torah quotes human beings rather than G-d as the speaker. Ed] In the Jerusalem Targum we find the following translation/exegesis: “the money I have given to your brother as compensation that he has been deprived of your presence for a single night; even if I would give you all my wealth it would not be enough to compensate you for the embarrassment that I have caused you. Suffice it to say that your husband Avraham is a righteous man who is aware that I have not violated you.”An alternate exegesis: הנה נתתי, if I have only given 1000 pieces of silver and nothing else to the person whom you describe as your brother, this will serve as something small enough for him to hide, and you would become embarrassed because people would say that I have paid a bribe to your brother to keep him from raising a fuss, but they would still think that I have violated you. Now that I have also given you sheep and cattle, male and female slaves, openly, everyone will know that you and I have nothing to hide. You will be able to hold your head high and argue with everyone, seeing that your hands are clean and I have returned you to your husband against my will. Yet another explanation of this difficult verse: “Your brother Avraham is the one that can serve as your blindfold. It was he who had hidden from one and all that he was your husband and that you were his wife. He had commanded your entire entourage to go along with this charade, You have also played along, so that my sin must be viewed in that context and not be considered as so severe.”

ונכחת AND THOU MAYEST FACE EVERY ONE — You will have an opening of the mouth (an opportunity) to defend yourself (להתוכח) and to point to these evident facts. This expression יכח in the Hiphil means everywhere making a thing plain; in old French éprouver; English to prove. Onkelos translated in a different manner, and the words of the text fit in with the Targum in the following way: Behold this shall be to you as a veil of honour on account of my eyes which have gazed upon (literally, ruled over) you and upon all who are with you; and that is why he translates it by: “because that I saw you and your people that are with you”. There are Midrashic explanations, but I have given the more exact meaning of the text.

כסות עינים, they will not be able to look at you as someone who had been discredited. We find the word כסה used in a similar sense in Exodus 10,5 וכסה את עין הארץ, “it (the locust) will cover the visible part of the earth, i.e. the earth will not be “naked,” “exposed.” A similar sequence appears in this sense in Ezekiel 28,17 לראוה בך, “so that they may gaze upon,” (not turn away in shame and disgust). The expression also occurs in a similar sense in Micah 7,10 עיני תראינה בה, “my eyes shall behold her.”

ואת כל ונוכחת, and you will be perceived exonerated in every respect even in the eyes of those who would have felt tempted to interpret what happened to you in a negative light, reflecting discredit upon you.

כסות עינים, something appealing to your eyes and all those who look at you. Your brother was supposed to use this money to buy such garments for you. What are meant are specifically coloured garments, as the word עינים frequently describes gay colours. Compare the Torah’s description of the appearance of the manna in Numbers 11,7 as ועינו כעין הבדולח, “and its colour like the colour of crystal.” Or, Ezekiel 1,16 כעין תרשיש, “as the colour of beryl.” It is possible that the embroidering on the garment consisted of a variety of colours.

ונוכחת, you will be able to hold your head high in view of the fact that you have been treated with so much honour and respect. Avimelech said all this in honour of Sarah and not as a rebuke to her.

ואת כל ונוכחת, the Torah tells its readers that after all that Sarah had experienced at the hands of Pharaoh and Avimelech, she never again described Avraham as her brother instead of as her husband. If the word ונוכחת were to be understood as part of what Avimelech had said to Sarah, the letter ת at the end of this word would have required to have a dot, dagesh in it, whereas it is spelled “weak,” i.e. without such a dagesh, to indicate that it is in a third person feminine mode and not part of direct speech, second person feminine. (compare a similar construction in Isaiah 23,15)