The verse in question? "He said: I will return to you at this time next year and, behold, a son for Sarah your wife. And Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, and it was behind him." Seems straightforward, right? But as always, there's more than meets the eye.
Bereshit Rabbah, the ancient Rabbinic commentary on Genesis, teases out some intriguing interpretations. It focuses on that seemingly simple phrase, "and it was behind him." Who or what was "behind him," and why does it matter?
One interpretation, surprisingly, connects it to Ishmael. The text says, "He said: I will return to you at this time next year… and it was behind him' – this is Ishmael." Why Ishmael? Because, the Rabbis suggest, Ishmael was acting as a guard of sorts, standing at the entrance of the tent to prevent any inappropriate yichud (seclusion) between Sarah and other men. This was to ensure "that men would not enter it when Sarah was alone, to avoid the seclusion of a man and a woman, which is forbidden." How's that for a twist? Ishmael, often portrayed in a less-than-favorable light, is here depicted as a protector of Sarah's honor!
But wait, there’s another layer. "And it was behind him" could also refer to an angel! According to Bereshit Rabbah, the angel "looked behind him, sensing that light was coming from behind him." What light? The light emanating from Sarah herself! The commentary suggests that "Sarah’s body virtually glowed from her righteousness." Imagine that – Sarah, radiating with such intense spiritual light that even an angel could sense it. It's a powerful image, isn’t it?
The passage then shifts to another verse, Genesis 18:11: "Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah the manner of women." The Rabbis, never ones to shy away from a good textual puzzle, ask a pointed question. We already know Abraham and Sarah were old, right? So why does the Torah later state, in Genesis 24:1, "Abraham was old, advanced in age"?
Rabbi Yoḥanan offers a fascinating explanation. That later verse, he says, refers to a time forty years after the events in our passage. The explanation is "that the Holy One blessed be He restored him to the days of his youth." So, when the angels visited, Abraham was reinvigorated, rejuvenated! He had to go through the aging process again, hence the need for a second declaration of his old age.
Rabbi Ami offers another perspective: "Here it refers to old age with vitality, and there it refers to old age without vitality."
Finally, the commentary tackles the phrase "it had ceased [ḥadal] to be with Sarah the manner of women." The Rabbis connect the word ḥadal to other instances where it signifies ceasing or refraining. For example, "If you refrain [teḥdal] from vowing" (Deuteronomy 23:23) or "And he refrained [veḥadal] from offering the Paschal lamb" (Numbers 9:13). It simply emphasizes the complete and utter cessation of Sarah's fertility.
So, what do we take away from this deep dive into Bereshit Rabbah? It's a reminder that even the most familiar stories are brimming with hidden depths. It encourages us to look beyond the surface, to consider multiple interpretations, and to appreciate the richness and complexity of Jewish tradition. And perhaps, it also invites us to see the world, and the people around us, in a new light – maybe even to see the light radiating from their righteousness.