Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 18:15/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ח:ט״ו

אוַתְּכַחֵשׁ שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר אֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ בַּנְּבִיאָה הַצַּדֶּקֶת, אֵיךְ תְּכַחֵשׁ בַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר הַשֵּׁם לַנָּבִיא, וְגַם לָמָּה לֹא הֶאֱמִינָה לְדִבְרֵי מַלְאֲכֵי אֱלֹהִים. וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי כִּי הַמַּלְאָכִים הָאֵלֶּה הַנִּרְאִים כַּאֲנָשִׁים בָּאוּ אֶל אַבְרָהָם, וְהוּא בְּחָכְמָתוֹ הִכִּיר בָּהֶם, וּבִשֵּׂר אוֹתוֹ "שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ וּלְשָׂרָה בֵן", וְשָׂרָה שׁוֹמַעַת וְלֹא יָדְעָה כִּי מַלְאֲכֵי עֶלְיוֹן הֵם, כָּעִנְיָן בְּאֵשֶׁת מָנוֹחַ (שופטים יג ו), וְאוּלַי לֹא רָאֲתָה אוֹתָם כְּלָל. וַתִּצְחַק בְּקִרְבָּהּ, לְלַעַג, כְּמוֹ "יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם יִשְׂחָק ה' יִלְעַג לָמוֹ" (תהלים ב ד), כִּי הַשְּׂחוֹק לְשִׂמְחָה הוּא בַּפֶּה, "אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק פִּינוּ" (שם קכו ב), אֲבָל הַשְּׂחֹק בַּלֵּב לֹא יֵאָמֵר בַּשִּׂמְחָה. והקב"ה הֶאֱשִׁים אוֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם, לָמָּה הָיָה הַדָּבָר נִמְנָע בְּעֵינֶיהָ, וְרָאוּי לָהּ שֶׁתַּאֲמִין אוֹ שֶׁתֹּאמַר "אָמֵן כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה ה'". וְהִנֵּה אַבְרָהָם אָמַר אֵלֶיהָ, לָמָּה צָחַקְתְּ, הֲיִפָּלֵא מֵה' דָּבָר, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ אֵלֶיהָ כִּי הַשֵּׁם גִּלָּה אֵלָיו סוֹדָהּ, וְהִיא מִפְּנֵי יִרְאָתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם תְּכַחֵשׁ, כִּי חָשְׁבָה שֶׁאַבְרָהָם בְּהַכָּרַת פָּנֶיהָ יֹאמַר כֵּן, אוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשָּׁתְקָה וְלֹא נָתְנָה שֶׁבַח וְהוֹדָאָה בַּדָּבָר וְלֹא שָׂמְחָה. וְהוּא אָמַר "לֹא כִּי צָחָקְתְּ", אָז הֵבִינָה כִּי בִּנְבוּאָה נֶאֱמַר לוֹ כֵּן, וְשָׁתְקָה וְלֹא עָנְתָה אוֹתוֹ דָּבָר. וְרָאוּי שֶׁנֹּאמַר עוֹד כִּי אַבְרָהָם לֹא גִּלָּה לָהּ הַנֶּאֱמָר לוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה (בראשית י"ז:י"ט) "אֲבָל שָׂרָה אִשְׁתְּךָ יֹלֶדֶת לְךָ בֵּן", אוּלַי הִמְתִּין עַד שְׁלֹחַ הַשֵּׁם אֵלֶיהָ הַבְּשׂוֹרָה בְּיוֹם מָחָר, כִּי יָדַע "כִּי לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה ה' אֱלֹהִים דָּבָר כִּי אִם גָּלָה סוֹדוֹ אֶל עֲבָדָיו הַנְּבִיאִים" (עמוס ג ז), אוֹ מֵרֹב זְרִיזוּתוֹ בַּמִּצְוֹת הָיָה טָרוּד בְּמִילָתוֹ וּמִילַת עַם רַב אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵיתוֹ, וְאַחַר כֵּן בְּחֻלְשָׁתוֹ יָשַׁב לוֹ פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל, וְהַמַּלְאָכִים בָּאוּ טֶרֶם שֶׁהִגִּיד לָהּ דָּבָר:

1AND SARAH DENIED, SAYING. I wonder about the righteous prophetess:¹⁰³ How did she deny that which G-d had said to the prophet,¹⁰⁴ and also, why did she not believe in the words of G-d’s angels?The answer appears to me to be that these angels who appeared as men came to Abraham, and he, in his wisdom, recognized them. They announced to him, “I will certainly return unto thee,¹⁰⁵ and Sarah shall have a son.” And Sarah heard it, but she did not know that they were angels of the Supreme One, as was the case with the wife of Manoah.¹⁰⁶ It is even possible that she did not see them at all. Therefore she laughed within herself in derision, just [as the word “laugh” is used in the verse]: He that sitteth in heaven laugheth, the Eternal hath them in derision.¹⁰⁷ For joyous laughter is [expressed in Hebrew as originating] in the mouth — Then was our mouth filled with laughter¹⁰⁸, 126:2. — but laughter originating in the heart is not spoken of as joyous. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, accused her before Abraham as to why the matter appeared to her to be impossible. It was fitting for her to believe, or she should have said, “Amen, G-d do so!” Now Abraham said to her, “Why did you laugh? Is anything too hard for the Eternal?” He did not explain to her that G-d had revealed her secret to him. And she, because of Abraham’s fear of G-d, denied it for she thought that Abraham had said so through recognition of the expressions on her face or because she had kept quiet and gave no expression of praise and thanksgiving or joy. And he said to her, Nay, but thou didst laugh. Then she understood that it was told to him in a prophecy, and so she remained quiet and did not answer a word.It is proper that we also say that Abraham had not revealed to her what had originally been told to him: Indeed, Sarah, thy wife shall bear thee a son.¹⁰⁹ Perhaps he waited until G-d would send her the announcement on the following day for he knew that the Eternal G-d will do nothing, but He revealed His counsel unto His servants the prophets.¹¹⁰ It may be that due to his great diligence in fulfilling commandments, he was occupied with his circumcision and the circumcision of the many people in his house. Afterward, on account of his weakness, he sat at the doorway of the tent, and the angels came before he had told her anything.