(2-3) AND ABRAM HEARKENED TO THE VOICE OF SARAI. Scripture does not state, "And he did so." Rather it says that he hearkened to the voice of Sarai, thus indicating that even though Abram was very desirous of having children, he did not do so without permission of Sarai. Even now it was not his intention to build up a family from Hagar, and that his children be from her. His intent was merely to do Sarai's will so that she may build a family from Hagar for she will find satisfaction in her handmaid's children, or that by the merit of this act she will become worthy to have children, as our Rabbis have said. Scripture further says, And Sarai took, to inform us that Abram did not hurry the matter until Sarai took Hagar and gave her to him. Again, Scripture mentions Sarai Abram's wife… to Abram her husband, to allude that Sarah did not despair of Abraham and that she did not render herself distant from him as she was his wife and he her husband, but she wanted that Hagar also be his wife. This is why the verse states, And she gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife, meaning that she was not to be as a concubine but as a woman married to him. All this reflects the ethical conduct of Sarah and her respect towards her husband. | (ב-ג) [וישמע אברם לקול שרי – לא אמר הכתוב: ויעש כן, אבל אמר: כי שמע לקול שרי, ירמוז כי אף על פי שאברם מתאוה מאד לבנים לא עשה כן בלא רשות שרי, וגם עתה לא נתכוון שיבנה הוא מהגר ויהיה זרעו ממנה, אבל כל כונתו לעשות רצון שרה שתבנה ממנה, שיהיה לה נחת רוח בבני שפחתה, או זכות שתזכה היא לבנים בעבור כן כדברי רבותינו (בראשית רבה ע״א:ז׳). ואמר עוד: ותקח שרי – להודיע שלא מהר אברהם לדבר עד שלקחה שרי ונתנה בחיקו. והזכיר הכתוב: שרי אשת אברם ולאברם אישה – לרמוז כי שרה לא נתיאשה מאברם, ולא הרחיקה עצמה מאצלו כי היא אשתו והוא אישה, אבל רצתה שתהיה גם הגר אשתו, ולכך אמר: לו לאשה – שלא תהיה כפילגש, רק כאשה נשואה לו. וכל זה מוסר שרה והכבוד שהיא נוהגת בבעלה.] |