Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 16:2/רמב"ן על בראשית ט״ז:ב׳

אוַיִּשְׁמַע אַבְרָם לְקוֹל שָׂרָי לֹא אָמַר הַכָּתוּב "וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן", אֲבָל אָמַר כִּי שָׁמַע לְקוֹל שָׂרַי, יִרְמֹז כִּי אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאַבְרָם מִתְאַוֶּה מְאֹד לְבָנִים, לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן בְּלֹא רְשׁוּת שָׂרַי. וְגַם עַתָּה לֹא נִתְכַּוֵּן שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה הוּא מֵהָגָר וְיִהְיֶה זַרְעוֹ מִמֶּנָּה, אֲבָל כָּל כַּוָּנָתוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן שָׂרָה שֶׁתִּבָּנֶה מִמֶּנָּה, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָהּ נַחַת רוּחַ בִּבְנֵי שִׁפְחָתָהּ, אוֹ זְכוּת שֶׁתִּזְכֶּה הִיא לְבָנִים בַּעֲבוּר כֵּן כְּדִבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (ב"ר מב ב עא ז). וְאָמַר עוֹד "וַתִּקַּח שָׂרַי", לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁלֹּא מִהֵר אַבְרָם לַדָּבָר עַד שֶׁלָּקְחָה שָׂרַי וְנָתְנָה בְּחֵיקוֹ. וְהִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב "שָׂרַי אֵשֶׁת אַבְרָם" "לְאַבְרָם אִישָׁהּ", לִרְמֹז כִּי שָׂרָה לֹא נִתְיָאֲשָׁה מֵאַבְרָם וְלֹא הִרְחִיקָה עַצְמָהּ מֵאֶצְלוֹ, כִּי הִיא אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהוּא אִישָׁהּ, אֲבָל רָצְתָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה גַּם הָגָר אִשְׁתּוֹ, וּלְכָךְ אָמַר "לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה", שֶׁלֹּא תִּהְיֶה כְּפִלֶגֶשׁ רַק כְּאִשָּׁה נְשׂוּאָה לוֹ. וְכָל זֶה מוּסַר שָׂרָה וְהַכָּבוֹד שֶׁהִיא נוֹהֶגֶת בְּבַעְלָהּ:

1AND 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.³⁵¹Scripture further says, And Sarai took,³⁵² 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,³⁵² 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,³⁵² 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.