Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: Pharaoh was stricken with raatan.10A kind of skin disease. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: A certain elder afflicted with a skin disease encountered me in Tzippori. He said to me: ‘There are twenty-four types of skin disease and none is more difficult regarding [sexual relations with] women than raatan.’ It was this with which Pharaoh was afflicted.
Rabbi Aḥa said: Even the beams of his palace were afflicted.11This is the meaning of “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his household [beito],” the literal meaning of beito being “his house.” And everyone was saying: “It is over the matter of Sarai, Abram’s wife.”12There was no other explanation as to how the beams of the house could become diseased other than through divine intervention. Rabbi Berekhya said: All the insolent ones have come in to touch the noblewoman’s shoe.13This is a saying, referring to insolent behavior on the part of lowly people who dare to touch the princess’s shoes, and are severely punished.
The Midrash applies this saying to the members of Pharaoh’s household who acted disrespectfully toward Sarah. Throughout that night Sarah was prostrated on her face and saying: ‘Master of the universe, Abraham departed [from our home country] with a promise,14Abraham was told by God that He would protect him. and I departed only on faith. Abraham departed outside the cage, but I am in the cage.’15I am here is the cage with all these beasts.
The Holy One blessed be He said to her: ‘Everything I do, I do on your behalf.’ And all of them were saying: “…over the matter of Sarai, Abram’s wife.” Rabbi Levi said: Throughout that night, an angel was standing with a rod in his hand. He said to her: ‘If you say: Strike, I will strike; if you say: Cease, I will cease.’16This is what is meant by “over the matter [al devar] of Sarai.”
Al devar Sarai can also mean “by Sarai’s word.” Why [was Pharaoh punished] to such an extent? It is because she kept telling him: ‘I am a married woman,’ but he would not keep away from her.17“Over the matter of [al devar] Sarai, Abram’s wife” is expounded to mean: “by the words of Sarai, who said that she was Abram’s wife.” Rabbi Elazar taught it in the name of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov: We have heard that Pharaoh was afflicted with leprosy18The word nega’im, translated here as “afflictions,” often refers specifically to leprosy. and Avimelekh was afflicted with obstruction.19They were afflicted with obstruction of their bodily orifices (see Bereshit Rabba 52:13).
From where is it derived to apply this [affliction] to there, and that [affliction] to here?20Pharaoh and Avimelekh were both afflicted with leprosy and obstruction. It is from al devar, al devar21“For the Lord had obstructed all wombs of the house of Avimelekh, over the matter [al devar] of Sarah, Abraham's wife” (Genesis 20:18). for a verbal analogy.