Sarah Denies Laughing and How the LORD Spoke With the Righteous Woman

"And Sarah denied it, saying" (Genesis 18:15): from here we learn that women are unfit to give testimony. And had the Holy One, blessed be He, not told Abraham that He would give a son from Sarah, she would not have given birth, for she did not believe. "And He said, No, but you did laugh" (Genesis 18:15): Never did the Holy One, blessed be He, see fit to speak and converse with a woman, except with that righteous woman, and even she only by way of a pretext. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Uri: how many circlings did He circle in order to converse with her: "And He said, No, but you did laugh." Rabbi Eliezer says: But is it not written, "And she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her" (Genesis 16:13)? That was by way of an angel. But is it not written, "And the LORD said to her" (Genesis 25:23)? Rabbi Hama said: by way of an angel. Rabbi Yose ben Zimra said: by way of Shem. "And Abraham went with them to see them off" (Genesis 18:16): the proverb says, You have fed and given drink, now escort. So, "And Abraham went with them to see them off." "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham?" (Genesis 18:17). Rabbi Yitzhak opened: "The memory of the righteous is for a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot" (Proverbs 10:7). Anyone who mentions the righteous and does not bless him transgresses a positive command. What is the reason? "The memory of the righteous is for a blessing." And anyone who mentions the wicked and does not curse him transgresses a positive command. What is the reason? "But the name of the wicked shall rot," as in "Cursed be Haman, cursed be his sons, Harvona be remembered for good." We find that the Holy One, blessed be He, mentions the name of Israel and blesses them, as it is said, "The LORD has remembered us, He will bless" (Psalms 115:12). I know only of the six hundred thousand; how do I know that for each and every one of Israel the Holy One, blessed be He, mentions his name and blesses him? As it is said, "And the LORD said, Shall I hide" and so on, and it is written, "And Abraham shall surely become" (Genesis 18:18). The verse need not have said this; it need only have said, "And the LORD said, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah" (Genesis 18:20). Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I have mentioned the righteous one and shall I not bless him? "And Abraham shall surely become."