Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Genesis 18:12

And the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken: The doubling of the statement is a wonder. And Rashi's explanation (Rashi on Genesis 21:1) about this does not handle it. As, in fact, the birth was already stated in God's utterance (maamar) as well. And just the opposite, in God's speech (dibbur), Sarah as not mentioned at all. And it would have been possible to understand that it was about Yishmael that God spoke. Rather [the correct explantion] is the thing we have explained (on Genesis 18:12-15) - that the Holy One, blessed be He, was upset with Sarah for her laughing and being in doubt about that which she did not see any difference in the face of Avraham, like she found in herself - that she had been rejuvenated. And because of this, she was punished with the story of Avimelekh - as will still be explained - that a doubt was born in people's minds about the essence of the birth, whether [the child] was not from Avimelekh: Even as there was no longer a wonder with herself, because everyone saw her youth; this was not the case with Avraham, who still looked like a hundred year old man. And this is the meaning of, "and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken." And speech (dibbur) is an expression of harshness, as is known - [here] meaning that He did to her, that about which He was angry with her. And it ends (Genesis 21:2), "And [Sarah] conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age." But it is not written, "in her old age," as behold, she had become a youth. However the nature of Avraham's body did not change, but she nevertheless bore him a son.

Tanchuma Chayey Sarah 2 claims that there are four possible causes why premature old age suddenly settles on a person. 1) because he lives in fear of something; 2) because he is angry at his children; 3) because he is married to an evil person; 4) because of being involved in waging wars. The respective verses from Scripture quoted by that Midrash to support its claim are 1) Chronicles 1 21,30 “and David was unable to go to it to worship the Lord because he was terrified by the sword of the angel of the Lord.” We also have a verse in Kings I, 1,1 “and King David was old, advanced in years.” As to the anger caused to a person by his children aging him, we read in Samuel I 2,22: now Eli was very old. When he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, etc.” We have proof that being engaged in constant warfare ages a person from Joshua 13,1: “Joshua was old, advanced in years.” Concerning a husband’s aging prematurely due to being married to bad women, we find a verse in Kings I 11,4 “it was when Solomon grew old because his wives had turned his heart, etc.” On the other hand, we know that Avraham’s wife had always honoured him and not caused him any grief, for even when she referred to him as old (Genesis 18,12), she still called him אדוני, “my lord.”

A simpler explanation of the plural לזקוניו, would see in that word the old age of both Isaac's father and mother respectively. This would reflect Sarah's having spoken about both אחרי בלותי…ואדני זקן (18,12).

ויקח חמאה וגו AND HE TOOK חמאה, ETC. — but he did not bring bread, on account of Sarah becoming mentstruant; as the 'way of women' returned to her that day, and the dough became impure (Bava Metzia 87a).

וברבתי אותה AND I WILL BLESS HER — And in what did the blessing consist? In that she resumed her youthfulness, as it is said, (Genesis 18:12) “shall I have the pleasure of youth again?” (Genesis Rabbah 47:2)