“It was upon Abram’s arrival in Egypt, the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful” (Genesis 12:14). “It was upon Abram’s arrival in Egypt, the Egyptians saw” – and where was Sarah?20“It was upon Abram’s arrival” implies that he was alone, without Sarai. He had placed her in a chest and locked her in it. When they arrived at customs, they said to him: ‘Pay the duty.’
He said: ‘I will pay the duty.’ They said to him: ‘[Perhaps] you are transporting garments?’ He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for garments.’ They said to him: ‘[Perhaps] you are transporting gold?’
He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for gold.’ They said to him:’ Perhaps you are transporting silk garments?’ He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for silk garments.’ ‘[Perhaps] you are transporting gems?’ He said: ‘I will pay [the duty] for gems.’ [Nevertheless,] they said to him: ‘It is not possible [for you to pass] unless you open [the chest] and show us what is inside it.’
When he opened it, the entire land of Egypt shone with her radiance. Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan bar Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: An image of Eve was passed down to the leaders of [all] the generations.21As a standard of unsurpassed beauty. Elsewhere it is written: “The young woman [Avishag] was very [ad meod] beautiful” (I Kings 1:4) – she approximated the image of Eve.22Ad means: Up to but not including.
Me’od refers to the image of Eve (see next note). Avishag approximated Eve’s beauty, but did not reach that level. However, here it says: “That she was very [meod] beautiful” – meod is the image of Eve.23The letters of meod are the same letters as Adam. Eve is called Adam in the verse: “He called their name Adam” (Genesis 5:2).
Therefore, Eve’s beauty is represented by the word me’od. “Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh, and the woman was taken to Pharaoh’s house” (Genesis 12:15). “Pharaoh’s officials saw her […and the woman was taken [vatukaḥ] to Pharaoh’s house]” – she was continuously increasing in price. One said: ‘I will give one hundred dinars and I will enter with her.’24I will present her to the king.
This is expounded from the word vatukaḥ – indicating raising up. Another said: ‘I will give two hundred and enter with her.’ I know that this is so [regarding the righteous]25That people vie for the right to attend to them. only when they are ascendant.26When the righteous are on the ascent in their lives, as was Sarai at this point. From where do I derive that it is so [even] when they are descendant?
“They pulled Jeremiah with the ropes and raised [vayaalu] him from the pit” (Jeremiah 38:13).27They sought to outbid one another [vayaalu] for the right to extricate Jeremiah from the pit. I know this only regarding this world, regarding the World to Come,28The messianic future. from where is it derived? The verse states: “The peoples will take them [ulkaḥum] and bring them to their place” (Isaiah 14:2).29The nations will vie with each other in sending the Jewish exiles among them back to the land of Israel.