Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Genesis 21:2/אור החיים על בראשית כ״א:ב׳

אוַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד שָׂרָה לְאַבְרָהָם בֵּן. אָמַר ״וַתַּהַר״ יִתְבָּאֵר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בראשית רבה נג:ה) בֵּית מַטְרִין לֹא הָיָה לָהּ, לָזֶה מוֹדִיעַ כִּי הָיָה נֵס גַּם בַּהֵרָיוֹן. וְאָמְרוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם רָמַז בֵּן זֶה לְאַבְרָהָם וְלֹא יִשְׁמָעֵאל לְאַבְרָהָם, כִּי לֹא יִקָּרֵא שְׁמוֹ בֶּן אַבְרָהָם, דִּכְתִיב (בראשית כא:יב) ״כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע״. וַהֲגַם שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית טז:טו) ״וַתֵּלֶד הָגָר לְאַבְרָם בֵּן״, שָׁם נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אַבְרָם, אֲבָל אַחַר שֶׁנֶּעֱקַר שֵׁם אַבְרָם שֶׁלֹּא יִזָּכֵר עוֹד שֵׁם זֶה עָלָיו אֶלָּא אַבְרָהָם, יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֵין לוֹ לִיקָּרֵא בֶּן אַבְרָהָם. וְאוּלַי כִּי לָזֶה הַקּוֹרֵא לְאַבְרָהָם אַבְרָם עוֹבֵר בַּעֲשֵׂה (ברכות י״ג), טַעַם הַקְפָּדָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ כִּי כְּשֶׁיִּקָּרֵא לוֹ אַבְרָם מְיַחֵס אֵלָיו יִשְׁמָעֵאל לְבֵן, וַה׳ אָמַר ״כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע״, וְאֵין זֶה אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁיֵּעָקֵר שֵׁם אַבְרָם. וְטַעַם זֶה אֵינוֹ בְּיַעֲקֹב, לָזֶה הֲגַם שֶׁנִּקְרָא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין קְפֵידָא שֶׁיִּקָּרֵא יַעֲקֹב. וְעַיֵּן מַה שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בְּפָסוּק (בראשית לה:י) ״לֹא יִקָּרֵא״ וְגוֹ׳ וְתִמְצָא טַעַם אַחֵר:
1 ותהר ותלד שרה לאברהם בן. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son for Abraham. The Torah needed to mention the pregnancy because we had learned that Sarah did not have a womb. This shows that G'd performed an additional miracle for her (Bereshit Rabbah 53,5). The reason the Torah underlines לאברהם is to make it clear that only this son is to be viewed as an extension of Abraham, not Ishmael, as we read later in 21,12. Even though the Torah described Hagar as bearing a son "for Abraham" (16,15), the fact is that at that time Abraham was still called Abram. Once his name was changed, Abraham was no longer to be referred to by his original name. This means inter alia that Ishmael was not a son of Abraham. Perhaps the statement in Berachot 13 that someone who calls Abraham Abram is guilty of violating a positive commandment is precisely for that reason. Our sages do not want Ishmael characterised as a son of Abraham. Such considerations did not apply to Jacob whose name was changed to Israel as he could comfortably identify with all his sons. I have written some more about this subject on 35,10.
בלִזְקֻנָיו. טַעַם הַהוֹדָעָה, גַּם אָמְרוֹ לִזְקֻנָיו וְלֹא אָמַר לְזִקְנָתוֹ, לְמַה שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ כִּי הָיָה חָסֵר בְּעֵת הַלֵּידָה נֶפֶשׁ מֵעוֹלָם הָעֶלְיוֹן לְהוֹלִיד, וְלֹא הָיְתָה לוֹ אֶלָּא מֵעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא. יְכַוֵּין הַכָּתוּב כִּי יָלְדָה אָז, וְגַם יָלְדָה בּוֹ הֲכָנַת לֵידָה אַחֶרֶת לְזִקְנָה שֵׁנִית שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם, כִּי יֵשׁ לְךָ לָדַעַת כִּי מִן הַהֶחְלֵט הוּא לְהַשִּׂיג אָדָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה דָּבָר חָדָשׁ אִם לֹא יַקְדִּים הֲכָנַת הַמְקַבֵּל, כַּיָּדוּעַ לְחַכְמֵי אֱמֶת. וְאִם לֹא הָיְתָה לְיִצְחָק אֶלָּא הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁמֵּעָלְמָא דְּנוּקְבָּא וְהָיָה חָסֵר הֲכָנַת הַקַּבָּלַת נֶפֶשׁ מֵעָלְמָא דִּדְכוּרָא, לֹא תוֹעִיל לוֹ הָעֲקֵדָה. וְזֶה הוּא שֶׁדִּקְדֵּק לוֹמַר וַתֵּלֶד וְגוֹ׳, הוֹדִיעַ שֶׁיָּלְדָה לִשְׁנֵי זְמַנֵּי זִקְנָתוֹ: הָא׳ הוּא עֵת לֵידָתוֹ, וְהַב׳ הִיא הֲכָנָה לְעֵת זִקְנָה אַחֶרֶת שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהוּא זְמַן הָעֲקֵדָה.
2לזקוניו. In his old age. The Torah adds this word and does not content itself with the more appropriate לזקנתו, because, as I wrote earlier, there was an element of the divine soul missing in Isaac at the time he was born. Isaac had only been equipped with a soul which originated in the female emanations. The repetition of the words denoting birth in verses 2 and 3, are an allusion to the eventual birth of another soul during another stage of Abraham's old age. [לזקוניו, literally: "in his old ages." Ed.] In order for someone in this world to receive something, such as an additional dimension to his soul, it is essential that the one from whom the something new is imparted has prepared himself suitably prior to imparting it. This is a concept that kabbalists are familiar with. If Isaac had possessed only the "female" soul at the time of the עקדה, the fact that he himself was ready to receive an additional soul would not have sufficed. The Torah wrote here ותלד…לזקוניו, to indicate she gave birth "twice." When Abraham offered his son on the altar this was his preparation for the "second" birth of Isaac.
גאוֹ יִרְמוֹז לִזְקֻנָיו – זִקְנָתוֹ וְזִקְנַת אִשְׁתּוֹ, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרוֹ ״אַחֲרֵי בְלוֹתִי וְגוֹ׳ וַאדֹנִי זָקֵן״ (בראשית יח:יב).
3A 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).