Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Genesis 12:18/אור החיים על בראשית י״ב:י״ח
א(יח-יט) וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה וְגוֹ׳ לָמָּה וְגוֹ׳, לָמָה וְגוֹ׳. קָשֶׁה לָמָּה כָּפַל הַקֻּשְׁיָא שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים בְּאוֹפֶן מְשֻׁנֶּה? וְאוּלַי שֶׁיְּכַוֵּן לוֹמַר שְׁתֵּי הַדְרָגוֹת בִּתְמִיהָתוֹ עַל זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ: הָאַחַת, מִן הָרָאוּי הָיָה לְךָ לָחוּשׁ לִי שֶׁמָּא לֹא נֵדַע כִּי הִיא אִשְׁתְּךָ וְאֶקָּחֶנָּה, וְעוֹד שֶׁהוֹסַפְתָּ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּמַה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ ״אֲחוֹתִי הִיא״.
1 ויקרא פרעה לאברם. Pharaoh called in Abram. Why does the Torah quote Pharaoh as saying למה, why, twice in succession? Perhaps he wanted to give expressions to two levels of his astonishment at Abraham's conduct. First he accused Abraham of entrapping him by withholding the information that Sarah was married, a fact which could cause Pharaoh to commit a sin. Secondly, Pharaoh could not understand that Abraham had not only withheld relevant information but had deliberately misinformed him when he described Sarah as his sister.
בעוֹד יִתְבָּאֵר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (רש״י) כִּי טַעַם פַּרְעֹה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ ״הִנֵּה אִשְׁתְּךָ קַח וָלֵךְ״, וַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ אָמַר אֵלָיו ״הִנֵּה אַרְצִי לְפָנֶיךָ״ וְגוֹ׳, כִּי פַּרְעֹה לֶהֱיוֹת אֲנָשָׁיו כְּעוּרִים וּשְׁטוּפֵי זִמָּה חָשׁ עַל הַדָּבָר שֶׁיִּכָּשְׁלוּ בּוֹ וְיֵעָנְשׁוּ, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן אֲבִימֶלֶךְ שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ כְּעוּרִים וְכוּ׳. וְלָזֶה תִּמְצָא שֶׁאֲבִימֶלֶךְ אָמַר אֵלָיו ״מָה רָאִיתָ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ״ וְגוֹ׳, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן פַּרְעֹה כִּי יוֹדֵעַ טַעְמוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם כִּי יָרֵא פֶּן יָמוּת עָלֶיהָ. וּמֵעַתָּה יִתְבָּאֵר הַכָּתוּב עַל נָכוֹן, לֶהֱיוֹת שֶׁיָּדַע פַּרְעֹה הַטַּעַם לֹא יֻצְדַּק לוֹמַר לוֹ ״לָמָה אָמַרְתָּ אֲחוֹתִי הִיא״, כִּי אִם שְׁאֵלָה רִאשׁוֹנָה ״לָמָּה לֹא הִגַּדְתָּ לִי״ בְּיִחוּד כִּי הִיא אִשְׁתְּךָ. וּבָזֶה, הֲגַם שֶׁתֹּאמַר ״אֲחוֹתִי הִיא״ תִּהְיֶה לְךָ שְׁמִירָה מֵהָעָם וְלֹא הָיִיתָ גּוֹרֵם לִי רָעָה לְהִכָּשֵׁל בָּהּ, כִּי פַּרְעֹה הָיָה מַחְזִיק עַצְמוֹ וַדַּאי שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה דָּבָר מְגֻנֶּה בְּיָדְעוֹ כִּי הִיא אִשְׁתּוֹ וְלֹא יַחְשְׁדֶנּוּ אַבְרָהָם. וְהַהַגָּדָה הָיְתָה מוֹעֶלֶת לְאַבְרָהָם לְאֶחָד מִשְּׁנֵי דְרָכִים: אוֹ יְצַו עָלָיו פַּרְעֹה אֲנָשִׁים לְשָׁמְרוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אַחַר כָּךְ בִּזְמַן מוּעָט, אוֹ הָיָה מְמַהֵר לְשַׁלְּחוֹ. וְהוֹסִיף לוֹמַר לָמָה אָמַרְתָּ וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ: וְאִם תֹּאמַר וְכִי חוֹבַת גַּבְרָא הוּא שֶׁכָּל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יָבִיא אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ יֵלֵךְ וְיַגִּיד לְפַרְעֹה כִּי אִשְׁתּוֹ זֹאת? לָזֶה אָמַר ״לָמָה אָמַרְתָּ״ וְגוֹ׳, וּמֵהַטַּעַם עַצְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ ״אֲחוֹתִי הִיא״ לְצַד מַעֲלַת יָפְיָהּ, לָזֶה עָלֶיךָ בִּפְרָט מֻטָּל לְהוֹדִיעַ.
2One reason why Pharaoh and Avimelech reacted differently to Abraham's deception may have to do with the ugliness of the Egyptians. Pharaoh expelled Abraham (12,20), whereas Avimelech put the whole country at his disposal (20,15). Pharaoh could not be sure that some other member of his people would not rape Sarah even after he had released her since Sarah's beauty was in such contrast to that of his own people and his people were steeped in sexual permissiveness. Avimelech had no such concerns. This is why he asked Abraham: "what did you see, etc?" He meant "why did you have reason to be worried?" Pharaoh understood very well that Abraham would never feel safe once the people knew Sarah was his wife. He had to be given safe conduct out of the country. The Torah tells us of the hypocrisy of Pharaoh by adding his second question. Pharaoh was entitled to the first question. He could claim that Abraham should have told him at least privately that Sarah was his wife. He claimed to have been insulted by Abraham's lie since he would have provided Abraham with security once he knew that he was Sarah's husband. Abraham had made it plain by his lie that he even suspected Pharaoh himself of being unable to restrain his lust. He wanted Abraham to believe that either a) he would have provided him with a security escort, or b) he would have sent him out of the country immediately. We might well ask why every husband who comes to a foreign country has to identify his entourage and point out to the king who is his wife.
גאוֹ יֹאמַר עַל זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ: לָמָה אָמַרְתָּ וְגוֹ׳, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ הָיָה לְךָ לָחוּשׁ לִי לְקַחְתָּהּ לְאִשָּׁה. הֵן אֱמֶת אִם לֹא הָיִיתָ אוֹמֵר, אֲנִי הָיִיתִי חוֹשֵׁשׁ לָהּ מֵאֵשֶׁת אִישׁ, אֲבָל כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ ״אֲחוֹתִי״ הָיָה לְךָ לָחוּשׁ לִי שֶׁאֶקָּחֶנָּה לְאִשָּׁה וְתַגִּיד לִי בְּסוֹד. וְלֹא הֵשִׁיב אַבְרָהָם דָּבָר כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵשִׁיב לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ, כִּי אַבְרָהָם טַעְמוֹ הָיָה שֶׁהָיָה חוֹשֵׁד לְפַרְעֹה עַצְמוֹ וְאֵין רָאוּי לְהָשִׁיב עַל זֶה. וְאוּלַי כִּי לָזֶה חָשׁ פַּרְעֹה וּמִהֵר לְשַׁלְּחוֹ מֵאַרְצוֹ, וְזוּלַת זֶה יְצַו עָלָיו בִּתְמִידוּת אֲנָשִׁים.
3Pharaoh asked why Abraham told a lie though normally there had not been a need for him to say anything regarding this woman. Nonetheless Sarah's extraordinary beauty should have prompted him to come forward and tell the truth in order to ensure his and her safety. The moment Abraham misrepresented the facts, he only had himself to blame if Pharaoh decided to take Sarah for himself. Abraham could not answer Pharaoh without insulting him further by telling him that he placed no trust in his assurances, that he thought Pharaoh perfectly capable of doing what he did even had he known that Sarah was married to him. Pharaoh may well have got the hint; this may be why he hastened to expel Abraham and entourage from Egypt.