Why Sarai Persuaded Hagar to Wed Abram After Ten Years

Midrash Aggadah, Genesis 16:3

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar" — she took her with words. Thus she said to her: "Happy are you if you marry this righteous man" — because she did not want to take him on account of his being old. "At the end of ten years" — from here they said that a man is obligated to marry another woman if he has remained with his wife ten years and she has not given birth. "Of Abram's dwelling" — from here they said that only ten years of dwelling in the land of Israel count for him. "To him as a wife" — and not as a maidservant.

Themes

AbrahamWomenWisdomHumorWit

Biblical References

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