<b>And there was a famine in the land (Gen. 12:10)</b> What is stated in Scripture prior to this verse? It is written: <i>And the Lord said to Abraham: “Get thee.”</i> Blessed be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, who tested this righteous man in order to make his meritorious deeds known throughout the world. Forthwith, a famine came into the world and when the famine reached the Land of Israel, Abraham said to his wife Sarah: “There is a famine in our land.” Our sages have maintained that no famine ever equaled it. He said to her: “Egypt is a pleasant land in which to dwell; let us go there, since there is a huge supply of bread and meat in that land.” Thereupon, the two of them departed for Egypt. When they reached the Egyptian border, and were standing on the bank of the Nile, our patriarch Abraham noticed that Sarah’s reflection in the river was like the radiance of the sun.<sup class="footnote-marker">7</sup><i class="footnote">Zohar I, 81b Cf. Bava Batra 16a, Ginzberg, <i>Legends of the Jews</i> 1:222.</i> Our sages concluded from this episode that any woman compared to Sarah was like a monkey in comparison to a human. Abraham said to her: <i>Now, indeed, I know that you are a beautiful woman</i> (ibid., v. 11). From this statement, we may conclude that he had not previously been aware of her beauty. He told her: “The Egyptians are a dissolute lot, for it is written of them: <i>Whole flesh is as the flesh of asses</i> (Ezek. 23:20), and so, I will hide you in this cabinet and lock it, for I fear for my safety if the Egyptians should see you.” He did so.
As he was about to cross the Nile, the tax-collectors gathered about him and asked: “What are you carrying in the cabinet?” “Barley,” he replied. They retorted: “It is not barley, but wheat.” “Then charge me the duty for wheat,” said he. “But it may be pepper,” they argued. “Then take the tax for pepper,” he insisted. They said to him: “It must be gold coins.” Finally, they compelled him to open the box. When they beheld her countenance, which was as radiant as the sun, they said to him: “Truly, she is not meant for a commoner.” <i>And the princes of Pharaoh saw her, and praised her unto Pharaoh</i> (Gen. 12:15). When Abraham saw this, he began to weep, and to supplicate the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the Universe, is this to be my reward for my abiding faith in You? For the sake of Your compassion and Your loving-kindness, do not put my trust in You to shame.” Sarah likewise cried out: “Master of the Universe, I knew nothing at all, but when he told me that you commanded him: <i>Get thee out of thy country,</i> I trusted in Your word. Now I have been separated from my father, my mother, and my husband, and this evil man will approach me and abuse me. Act for the sake of Your great name, and because of my trust in Your word.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: You may be certain that no harm will befall you or your husband, as it is written: <i>There shall no mischief befall the righteous, but the wicked are filled with evil</i> (Prov. 12:12).
Furthermore, I will make an example of Pharaoh and his household, as it is said: <i>And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of the word of Sarai</i> (Gen. 12:17). What is indicated by the phrase <i>Because of the word of Sarai?</i> An angel descended with a staff from heaven at that moment, and when Pharaoh later approached her to remove her shoe, he struck him upon the hand, and when he approached to touch her clothing, the angel struck him again. However, the angel consulted Sarah before administering each blow. How do we know that? We know that because it is written: <i>Because of the word of Sarai.</i> Scripture does not say “Because of” or “For the sake of” or “On account of her merit,” but simply, <i>Because of the word of Sarai.</i> If Sarah told the angel to strike him, he struck him, and if she told him to desist, momentarily, he desisted. The officials, the officers, and all the members of his household were smitten by the angel simultaneously, as it is said: <i>And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of the word of Sarai.</i> Every plague already known to man, and those yet to be experienced by mankind, descended upon him, his household, his many servants, the walls, the columns, the utensils, and all his possessions to fulfill the verse: <i>There shall no mischief befall the righteous, but the wicked are filled with evil</i> (Prov. 12:21).
Scripture states concerning Abraham: <i>The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon</i> (Ps. 92:13). R. Tanhuma the son of Abba began the discussion of this verse with the query: Why are the righteous compared to a palm tree and a cedar tree? You find that some trees are not visible from a distance because they are short, but the palm and the cedar tree can be seen from afar because they are taller than other trees. Indeed, they are so tall that a man standing beneath them must raise his eyes to see their uppermost branches. Therefore, the righteous are compared to a palm tree and a cedar because the Holy One, blessed be He, causes them to be exalted in the world. The righteous are compared to a palm tree and a cedar for another reason. You find that when other trees grow old, they are hewn, and their sprouts, once planted, grow large quickly, but when the palm tree and the cedar are hewn down, another can be grown to replace it only after many years. Similarly, when the righteous man perishes, who can replace him immediately? Many years must first pass by. <i>Therefore, the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,</i> etc.