Comentário sobre Gênesis 21:7

מי מלל לאברהם The word מי is used as an exclamation of praise alluding to the distinguished position of the Being spoken of. The sense therefore is: See, Who it is, and to what extent He keeps his promise! The Holy One, blessed be He, promises and performs!

‘MI’ (WHO) WOULD HAVE SAID UNTO ABRAHAM. The word mi is used as an exclamation of praise and distinction. The sense of the verse is thus: “See Whom it is and to what extent He keeps His promise. He promises and performs!” Thus the language of Rashi.
But we do not find the word mi used in this way in expressions of distinction and honor. Instead, we find it used only in a derogatory sense: ‘Mi’ (Who is) Abimelech, and ‘mi’ (who is) Shechem?³¹⁹Judges 9:28. ‘Mi’ (Who is) the son of Jesse?³²⁰I Samuel 25:10.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Sarah said, “G-d hath made laughter for me; and every one that heareth will laugh on account of me,³²¹Verse 6 here. filling his mouth with song and laughter for the wonder that has been done to me, for who among the hearers would have previously said to Abraham that Sarah will suckle children? There is not a person in the world who would have told him this, even merely to console him, for the possibility would never have occurred to anyone.” Onkelos’ rendition is close to this interpretation: “How faithful is He who spoke to Abraham! He has fulfilled His word that Sarah will suckle children.” That is to say, “Everyone that heareth will laugh on account of me” for there is no person who would have maintained his credulity even in the eyes of Abraham if he were to have told him this wonder.

ותאמר: מי מלל לאברהם, everyone knows that it was the One and only G’d Who had foretold Avraham that Sarah would bear a son for him.

ותאמר, she said something else reflecting her happy surprise,

And she said: She explained that she understood that it was like this, even though no one was so brazen as to laugh in front of her. Nevertheless, she understood; as, behold, who would have declared to Avraham - in the way of those who give blessings - that he should father more children? And she did not hear anyone that came to the celebration saying to Avraham, "will Sarah nurse children" - meaning that she should give birth again. Rather [they came] because they could not believe it. And she explained the reason that they did not believe it:

מי מלל לאברהם, “who had foretold Avraham, etc.” According to Rashi, the word מלל is a form of a laudatory prediction such as an exclamation of “who would have known that Avraham is so distinguished and that HE who promised him this was capable of fulfilling his promise.” Nachmanides, on the other hand, writes that the word מי never introduces something laudatory but the contrary. Examples cited are the expressions מי אבימלך and מי דוד ומי אנשיו, in the Book of Judges and the Book of Samuel, respectively. He explains that Sarah exclaimed “the reason why all the people who hear about me nursing children will be so happy is that none ever believed that anyone who predicted that Avraham would father children was in earnest and knew what he was talking about.”

Who declared to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? Since that which Avraham fathered [a child] in his old age - he was promised about that from God. And God said to him that he would father a son from me; so this is not a wonder, that the word of God would materialize. But that which I am nursing children and have milk to nurse, there was no promise about that at all. Who declared and forecast this miracle? Is it not that this was not announced, not by God and not by an angel? So why was this miracle done, once I have already "borne him a son in his old age," and God's promise already materialized? And why should this miracle be prolonged also after the birth, that an old woman should have milk in her breasts to nurse children? As this miracle is superfluous, since I could have given him to a wet-nurse. So in that case, God did this miracle only for laughter and joy; so that the whole world would laugh and rejoice about this miracle.

An expression of praise and esteem... [Rashi is saying] that the word מי is similar to the word מה, which infers greatness and honor, such as (Tehillim 31:20): “How (מה) great is Your goodness!” and (ibid. 92:6): “How (מה) great are Your works!” (Re’m) But it seems to me that [Rashi explained as he did] because if the verse follows its plain meaning, why did Sarah ask, “Who said to Avraham?” Hashem clearly said it to him! Perforce, it is “An expression of praise...”

'ותאמר: מי מלל וגו, she said: “who would have dared predict, etc.” This was a way of giving thanks to the Lord. It is similar to Isaiah 3,10: אמרו צדיק כי טוב, “tell the righteous that he has done something good.” Sarah here gave thanks to whosoever had foretold her husband Avraham that she would bear him a son in her old age and would even be able to nurse not only him but also other babies. In other words: she thanked the Lord. An alternate interpretation of this exclamation of Sarah: “Who would have foretold that Avraham was still virile enough still to have impregnated Sarah so that she could produce a healthy son.” According to this interpretation the word מלל is similar to the word מלילות in Deuteronomy 23,26: “(plucking) ears of corn.”

Who would have declared to Avraham: Meaning to say, who would have said to Avraham that this thing occurred - that Sarah nursed children? No one would have said this to him, since he would not have believed [it] and [the speaker] would have been in his eyes, like a joker.

מי מלל, “who would have dared predict that the day would come when I would nurse children?” If someone had predicted this he would not have been believed.

מלל SAID — Scripture employs here an unusual expression and does not use דבר, said, because its numerical value (i. e. of מלל) is one hundred, signifying as much as: Who was it who spoke in reference to the end of one hundred years of Abraham’s life (Genesis Rabbah 53:9).

כי הניקה שרה בנים, such a prophecy that Sarah who had become old without ever conceiving would nurse children could only have emanated from the One and only G’d!

Since I have borne him a son in his old age - and not in my old age, but in his old age - because of this, they are in doubt and laughing to themselves about this.

מי מלל לאברהם, who would have dared foretell Avraham that Sarah would nurse babies? If G’d Himself had not been at work in this, no one would have foretold Avraham that something like this could occur.

הניקה בנים שרה THAT SARAH WILL HAVE SUCKLED CHILDREN. What is the force of the word “children”, in the plural? On the feast-day princesses brought their children with them and she (Sarah) gave them suck, for these women said, “Sarah has not given birth to a son; she has brought into her house a foundling from the street” (Bava Metzia 87a).

לזקוניו, we already explained the meaning of this word in verse 2. As to Sarah speaking of בנים, children in the plural mode, although she had given birth to only one child, she assumed that if she had been able to nurse one child there would be nothing to prevent her from nursing more children if she so desired. There is an allegorical Midrash on this verse (quoted by Rashi) saying that many women did not believe that Yitzchok was drinking mother’s milk from Sarah’s breast. In order to silence their doubts or derision, Sarah offered to nurse also the children of such women.