Comentários de Citação sobre Gênesis 12:17

Elokim came. An angel appeared to him on Avraham’s behalf. Pharaoh was afflicted with severe plagues (12:17) whereas regarding Avimelech it is written only that Hashem “restrained every womb.” This is because Avimelech was less wicked than Pharaoh.

יהי לתנין “it will turn into a serpent.” Seeing that Pharaoh had proclaimed himself as equivalent to a giant monster, G–d was going to show him Who it was that created such monsters. (Compare Ezekiel 29,3.) The principal feature of serpents is that they bend and twist, so Pharaoh would also be forced to bend and twist. (Sh’mot Rabbah 9,4) He also afflicted him with the plague of tzoraat, (Exodus 11,1) reminding him that he should have learned a lesson from what happened to the first Pharaoh when he tried to rape the wife of the first Hebrew, Avraham (Genesis 12,17).

Even if you merely say that you would give, etc. Since the word הדבר (this thing) is written, they expounded it as being related to the word דיבור (speech). Likewise the verse (Bereishis 12:17), “Regarding the matter (דבר) of Sarah,” is expounded as, “Through Sarah’s speech.” Otherwise, why is the term, “this thing,” needed? Rather it should simply say, “Because of this, Adonoy will bless you.”

and He reproved kings on their account (Gen. 12:17): “And the Lord plagued Pharaoh”; (ibid. 20:18), “For the Lord had closed up every womb of the house of Abimelech.”

כי כמוך כפרעה FOR THOU ART EVEN AS PHARAOH — In my sight you are as important as the king. This is the literal meaning, but a Midrashic explanation is: You will ultimately be stricken with leprosy for detaining Benjamin even as your ancestor Pharaoh was stricken because he detained my ancestress Sarah one night. Another explanation is: you are as unreliable as Pharaoh — just as Pharaoh issues decrees and does not carry them out, makes promises and does not fulfil them, so also do you. Is this what you meant by “setting your eyes” upon him when you said (Genesis 44:21) “Bring him down and I will set mine eyes upon him”? Still another interpretation of כי כמוך כפרעה FOR THOU SHALT BECOME EVEN AS PHARAOH: if you provoke me I will slay you and your master (Genesis Rabbah 93:6).