It’s Unnatural

This week’s Parsha is the first to speak in depth about our Avos HaKedoshim, and of course the Imahos as well. As we learn these Parshios it is always important to keep in mind that our connection to the Avos and Imahos goes beyond biology or genetics—their strengths and abilities are imbued in each of us and we can access these same characteristics to be used in our own growth.

This week I would like to focus on an instance in which the strength and Emunah of Sarah Imenu can be seen, in the hopes that we can each gain from the example that she set.

After the Bris Bein HaBesarim, the Torah tells us that Sarah spoke to Avraham: “Hinei Nah Atzrani Hashem Miledes, Bo Nah El Shifchasi, Ulai Ibaneh Mimenah: Hashem has prevented me from having children, take my maid [Hagar], perhaps I will build from her.” As we know, Avraham took Sarah’s advice, which resulted in the birth of Yishmael.

The intentions of Sarah Imenu, however, are somewhat unclear. On one hand, the previous Passuk says “V’Sarai Eshes Avraham Lo Yalda Lo” and the Abarbanel says that the main Tzar of Sarah was no that she didn’t have a child, but that that she had not been able to bear a child for Avraha. Her concern was not for the fulfillment of her own motherly longings, but for the fact that there would be no one to carry on the work of her husband in brining people Tachas Kanfei Hashechina.

That being the case, it is difficult to understand why Sarah thought that giving her Shifcha over to Avraham would accomplish this: would a child born of this Shifcha Mitzris—who the Meforshim say was actually the daughter of Pharoah—really be prepared or worthy of continuing the work of Avraham Avinu? If the chief purpose of producing a son for Avraham was so that his vital Avodas Hakodesh would be perpetuated, how was this a logical Eitzah?

We may be able to understand this based on the end of Sarah’s words: “Ulai Ibaneh Mimenah”. The obvious question is how the offspring of Hagar would be connected to Sarah such that she would be “built” through the Shifcha? The Abarbanel explains that Sarah planned to raise the child herself, rearing him in the path that her husband Avraham had forged. In this sense the child would be the physical offspring of Hagar, but the spiritual progeny of Sarah. With this arrangement it would certainly be possible to produce a worthy heir to the work of Avraham, a son who would endeavor to bring more people to the way of Hashem.

There may be another way to understand Sarah’s idea, however.

Rashi explains that when Sarah said “Ulai Ibaneh Mimenah” she was not referring to the future children of Hagar, but to her own: Sarah felt that if Avraham indeed took Hagar, as his wife suggested, Sarah would herself have children “B’Zchus She’Achni Tzarasi L’Toch Baisi.” It seems from Rashi, that Sarah meant the whole arrangement with Hagar as a means to her own Yeshuah: she felt that somehow if she gave Hagar to Avraham, this would be a Zechus for her to have children. The Sifsei Chachamim explains that the words “Mimenah” in this case does not mean through her, as it would according to the Abarbanel, but rather “B’Sibasah”, because of her. This explanation, however, is itself difficult to understand. What was the Zechus involved in giving Hagar to Avraham? Obviously Sarah felt that she needed additional Zechuyos in order to be Zoche to children—Chazal tell us that Sarah knew that Avraham was capable of having children but that she was the reason they had not yet done so—but we must understand what was the great Zechus of giving her maidservant to Avraham.

This becomes an even stronger question if we look at the Medrash here, which says that Sarah knew what her deficiency was and how to solve it.

Avraham and his wife were quite famous, and it was known throughout the world that Sarah was unable to bear children. Consequently, Sarah was constantly bombarded with suggestions as to how she might merit children—which amulets she might wear, which incantations she could utter, which Segulos she might perform. But Sarah refused, she knew that these were futile paths, as the sole reason for he lack of children was the Ratzon Hashem, as she said “Atzrani Hashem Miledes.” If Sarah indeed knew why she could not bear children, it would seem that her the idea of giving Hagar to Avraham as a way to be Zoche to children was not arbitrary, but in some way addressed the exact source of Sarah’s problem.

It also appears that this idea took hold within the family of the Avos. The Medrash in Parshas VaYetzei tells us that when Rachel Imenu confronted Yaakov about her inability to have children, he advised her to follow in the path of his grandmother, Sarah. When Rachel asked what that would entail, Yaakov replied “Hichnisa Tzaras L’Soch Baisa”, referring to Hagar, and it was at that point that Rachel gave Bilha over to Yaakov, saying “V’Evneh Gam Anochi.”

It would appear, based on this Medrash, that the act of giving Hagar over to Avraham was not a Hora’as Sha’ah specific to the situation, but this was an idea that could be effective in other instances as well. Just as the desicion Sarah made to give Hagar to Avraham could be the ultimate Zechus for her, Rachel Imenu could access that same Zechus by giving her Shifcha to Yaakov.

This being the case, it would seem prudent to understand how and why this Eitzah—giving her maid to Avraham—was in fact the key to Sarah’s redemption.

R’ Shalom Schwadron writes that the approach Sarah was taking was that of Sheviras HaTevah, overcoming one’s natural tendencies. In the normal order of the world, a woman does not seek to share her husband with another—these relationships can cause much angst and strife, hence the use of the word Tzarah to describe a co-wife. By bringing Hagar into her home, and giving her over to Avraham, Sarah was going beyond this inclination, overpowering her personal wishes in order to provide Avraham a chance to have a child.

It is certainly understandable that true Sheviras HaTeva, especially with regard to such a sensitive area of life, is a monumental accomplishment—by allowing another woman into her home, Sarah showed great Gevurah. But why was this the end-all-be-all? Why was this approach, Sheviras HaTeva, the only Eitzah that Sarah felt would work? Certainly there are many Midos upon which one can improve, or Mitzvos that one can perform—why did Sarah Imenu feel that she could only be redeemed through an act that defied her very nature?

I would like to suggest an approach based on an idea of R’ Chaim Shmulevitz.

We know that when a person is punished through Tzaras, there is a progession that occurs. First a person finds Tzaras on his house, and undergoes the Tahara process for that. If he still requires punishment, his clothes will be stricken next. If that does not convince him to change his ways, he will be afflicted with Tzaras on his body—the ultimate form of this punishment which requires an arduous Tahara process and brings much pain and shame to a person.

Chazal tell us that Tzaras of the house and clothing are total Nissim—such symptoms do not present themselves under any circumstance other than Tzaras. These two forms of punishment are therefore totally L’Maalah Min HaTevah. Tzaras of the body, however, is different: there are a variety of skin conditions that can appear as a Negah does and only through the expert eye of the Kohen is it possible to determine that the Negah on this particular individual is in fact one of Tzaras.

Seeing as these punishments occur in a fixed progression, undoubtedly from less severe to more severe forms, we would expect that the lesser forms of punishment are more in line with nature and the more severe to be Al Pi Nes. We might assume that if a person is not first awoken by the more subtle hints, he will need a punishment that is much more blatant, like the Makkos Mitzrayim. As we explained above, however, this is not the case—the first forms of Tzaras are more open Nissim than the last and most severe form. Why is this the case?

R’ Chaim explains that this is because the worst form of punishment imaginable is to be outside the comfort of the Yad Hashem.

In the Tochacha of Parshas Bechukosai the Torah says that if Bnei Yisroel fail to see the Yad Hashem “Im Telchu Imi B’Keri” they will be subject to punishments are totally devoid of any hint of the Yad Hashem, which are sent “B’Chamas HaKeri.” When we fail to see the Yad ashem in our lives, we are forced to face circumstances in which the Hashhachas Hashem is completely hidden.

Many people face trials and personal tragedy throughout their lives, but in many cases they are able to see the Yad Hashem. Even amid the darkness of life’s most challenging situations, people take solace in the Bracha that can nonetheless be found. If a person were to come up against a situation in which no Hashgacha or Yad Hashem could be found, this would indeed be very discomforting. If a person were to undergo two separate rounds of Tzaras, both of which are open displays of the Yad Hashem, and not be affected, only then will he be subject to Tzaras HaGuf, which is Al Pi Teva and does not have the comfort of a discernable aspect Yad Hashem.

We see from the words of R’ Chaim that the most severe punishment, the worst situation in which one can find themselves, is one that is governed only by Teva and not by the Yad Hashem, and that one ends up in such a position if they are blind to the Yad Hashem and ascribe events in their life to Teva.

I think that with this in mind we can understand the actions of Sarah Imenu.

Chazal tell us that Sarah knew that the she herself was the reason she and Avraham had not yet had children. The Passuk says “VaTihi Sarah Akara Ein La Vlad” and the Gemarah says that Sarah had no “Bais Vlad”, she was missing one of the organs that is physically necessary to bear children. While there are a variety of factors that can prevent one from producing offspring, it is understood that someone who was born without certain physiological features will be unable to bear children.

Sarah was in a situation that Teva, nature, was the dominant factor. There was no way that she would ever be able to have children unless she removed herself from the natural order of the world and was Zoche to an open miracle, one in which the presence of the Yad Hashem was readily apparent.

As we have seen, the punishment for being a slave to Teva, for failing to see the Hashgachas Hashem, is to be put into a situation that is only Teva and has no discernible Yad Hashem. Therefore, Sarah knew that the only way for her to have children, a phenomenon that could not be possible within the bounds of Teva, would be to show that she is in no way governed by the laws of nature.

By bringing Hagar into her home, and giving her over to Avraham, Sarah performed an act that was the opposite of her very nature. This act of Sheviras HaTeva, ignoring her own inclinations in favor of the feelings of others, showed that Sarah Imenu was not at all a victim of Teva. It was only through such an act that she could be Zoche to the Nes Nistar that would be required in order for her to have a child. It was this act, and this act alone, that would allow her to bring a son into the world who could carry on the work of his father, Avraham, fulfilling Sarah’s dream of Ulai Ibaneh Mimenah.

Just as Yaakov understood that his grandmother’s strategy could help Rochel in her time of need, we too can follow Sarah’s example. If we try to go beyond our own comfort zone, triumphing over our own nature in favor of others, we can be Zoche to that which we may believe is beyond Teva, creating a world for ourselves that is defined by a clear presence of Hashgachas Hashem.