The three angels, disguised as men, are visiting Abraham, and they ask him, "Where is Sarah your wife?" He replies, "Behold, in the tent.” Simple enough, right?
But here’s the thing: in some Torah scrolls, three letters in the word "elav" (to him), when the angels speak to him, are dotted: alef, yod, and vav. These are the three letters in elav. The lamed isn't. What does it mean? Why are these dots there?
This is where the Rabbis get to work. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar offers a fascinating rule of interpretation: If there are more undotted letters than dotted ones, we focus on the undotted letters. But if the dotted letters outnumber the undotted, we pay special attention to the dotted letters. In this case, with three dotted letters and only one undotted, the dots are shouting something at us.
So, what are they saying? According to Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar's interpretation, those three dotted letters – alef, yod, and vav – can be rearranged to spell "ayo" – "where is he?" Suddenly, the question isn't just about Sarah. It's also, subtly, about Abraham. "Where is he?"
Rabbi Azarya takes this idea even further. Just as the angels inquired about Sarah's whereabouts, he suggests they also asked Sarah, "Where is Abraham?" It's a beautiful symmetry, isn't it? A subtle reminder that both Abraham and Sarah are vital.
The verse says that Sarah is “Behold, in the tent.” This leads to a discussion about the significance of the tent, and who resides within it.
Then, the text shifts to the story of Yael from the Book of Judges (5:24): "Blessed beyond women is Yael, wife of Ḥever the Kenite; beyond the women in the tent, she shall be blessed." Why is Yael singled out for such praise?
Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman offer two different perspectives. Rabbi Elazar says that Yael is more blessed than the women of the generation who wandered in the wilderness, who also dwelled in tents, as Numbers 11:10 says, "Each man at the entrance of his tent." These women bore children and kept the world going, but according to Rabbi Elazar, without Yael, Israel would have been eradicated.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, however, suggests that Yael is even more blessed than the matriarchs themselves – Sarah, Rebecca (Genesis 24:67), and Leah and Rachel (Genesis 31:33), all of whom are associated with tents. Again, they bore children and kept the world going, but were it not for her, they would have been eradicated.
Both Rabbis highlight the crucial role Yael played in saving the Israelites, emphasizing the power and importance of women, especially those associated with the tent. The tent, then, becomes a symbol of protection, of domesticity, but also of hidden strength and influence.
So, what's the takeaway? It's easy to skim over seemingly minor details in the Torah. But, as this passage from Bereshit Rabbah illustrates, these "small" things – like a few dots above some letters – can unlock layers of meaning and reveal profound insights into our tradition.
Next time you're reading the Torah, pay attention to those little whispers. You never know what secrets they might be trying to tell you.