Bereishit Rabba 45 Core Texts Use with https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/480898?editor=1

i. Now Sarai Abram's wife bore him no child ren, etc. (xvi, i). It is written, A woman of valour who can find, for her price (mikrah) is far above rubies (Prov. xxxi, 10). What does 'mikrah 1 mean? R. Abba b. Kahana said: Her pregnancy, 1 as you read, Thine origin (mekuroth) and thy nativity (Ezek. xvi, 3). 2

Now Abram was a year older than Nahor, and Nahor was a year older than Haran; [hence Abram was] two years older [than Haran; deduct] the year of pregnancy with Milcah and the year of pregnancy with Iscah, and you find that Haran begot children at six years of age, yet you say that Abram could not beget? Hence, Now Sarai Abram's wife bore HIM NO CHILDREN. 3 Did not bear to him. R. Judah said: To him teaches that she did not bear to Abram, but had she been married to another she would have borne children. R. Nehemiah said: Neither to him nor to anyone else. How then does R. Nehemiah interpret Did not bear to him? Interpret to him and to her, 4 thus: She did not bear to herself — on Sarai's own account — nor T o H I M — on Abram's account. And she had a handmaid, an Egyptian. She was a handmaid of 'plucking' 5 whom he was bound to support but might not sell. R. Simeon b. Lakish was asked: What is the meaning of what we learnt 6 : ' Servants of plucking'? 'What you pluck, you pluck/ he answered. 7

R. Simeon b. Yohai said: Hagar was Pharaoh's daughter. When Pharaoh saw what was done on Sarah's behalf in his own house, 1 he took his daughter and gave her to Sarah, saying, Better let my daughter be a handmaid in this house than a mistress in another house ' ; thus it is written, And she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar, he (Pharaoh) saying, 'Here is thy reward (agar),' 2 Abimelech, too, when he saw the miracles performed in his house on Sarah's behalf, gave his daughter to her, saying, 'Better let my daughter be a handmaid in this house than a mistress in another/ as it is written, Kings' daughters are among thy favourites (Ps. xlv, 10): viz. the daughters of [two] kings. 3 At thy right hand doth stand the queen in gold of Ophir (ib.) — this alludes to Sarai.

(2) 2. "And Sarai said to Abram, 'Look, the Lord has kept me from bearing' (Gen.16:2) as follows: "Said she, I know the source of my affliction: It is not as people say [of a barren woman], 'she needs a talisman, she needs a charm', but Look, the Lord has kept me from bearing.'"

It is taught: whoever has no child is like one who is dead, like one who is destroyed. Like dead, since it is written "And Rachel said to Yaakov: give me children [or I shall die]" (Genesis 30:1). Destroyed, as it is written "maybe I will be build from her" (Genesis 16:2) - we build only what was destroyed.

And Abram hearkened to t&e voice of Sarai. R. Jose said : To the voice of the Holy Spirit, 6 as you read, Now therefore hearken unto the voice of the words of the Lord (1 Sam. xv, 1).

(3) And Sarai, the wife of Abram, took Hagar the Egyptian, her maidservant (Genesis 16:3) - took her with words, saying "you are fortunate to be clinging to this holy body". "At the end of ten years of Avram's settlement in the land of Canaan" (Bereishit 16:3) - Rabbi Amei says in the name of Reish Lakish, from where do we know that a man who marries a woman and waits with her ten years, and she hasn't given birth, isn't permitted to nullify himself from fruitfulness and multiplying - rather, that he should leave and marry another woman?

From here, from "At the end of ten years of Avram's settlement in the land of Canaan". Behold, you say settling outside the Land isn't counted as part of the count. "And she gave her to Avram as a husband" and not to another to wife, and not to be a concubine.

(4) And he went into Hagar and she conceived (Gen. 16:4). Rabbi Levi bar Hayta said: She became pregnant at the first intimacy. Said Rabbi Eleazar: A woman never conceives by the first intimacy. An objection is raised: surely it is written, So both of Lot's daughters got pregnant by their father (Gen. 19:36)?

Said R. Tanhuma: By an effort of will power they brought forth their virginity, and conceived at the second “act of intercourse”. [The first act is what they did to themselves. Said Rabbi Chanina ben Pazi: Thorns are neither weeded nor sown, but they grow and spring up on their own. But how much suffering and effort for wheat to grow!

Why were the matriarchs barren? Rabbi Levi said in Rabbi Shila’s name and Rabbi Chelbo in R. Yochanan’s name: Because the Holy One of Blessing yearns for their prayers and supplications, as it is written 'O my dove, you on the clefts of the rock let Me see your face, let Me hear your voice' (Song of Songs 2:14): Why did I make you barren? In order to 'see your face... hear your voice'.

Rabbi ‘Azariah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan bar Papa: So that their husbands might cling to them in their beauty. Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Hiya bar Abba said: So that they might pass the greater part of their life without hard work. Rabbi Huna and R. Avun in the name of Rabbi Meir: So that their husbands might derive pleasure from them, for when a woman is with child she is disfigured and does not care for her appearance. The ninety years that Sarah did not bear she was like a bride in her canopy. Ladies would come to ask how she was, and she would say to them, 'Go and ask about the welfare of this wretched woman [Hagar]!'’ Hagar would tell them: 'My mistress Sarai is not inside what she is outside: she appears to be righteous but she is not righteous, had she been a righteous woman, see how many years have passed without her conceiving, whereas I conceived in one night!' Said Sarah: 'Am I going to argue with this woman?! I should argue with her master!

(5) (5) And Sarai said to Avram: My anger is on you! (Genesis 16:5) Rabbi Yudan says, in the name of Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon: You made violence on me with your words. Why? Because you heard my being despised and you were silent.

Rabbi Berachia in the name of Rabbi Aba bar Kahana said: I have a grievance against you! This is similar to two men who are imprisoned, and when the king passes through one says: King! Make justice for me! The king says to let him go.

His companion said: I have a grievance against you! If you had said 'make justice for us' both of us would be free, but since you said 'make justice for me' he released you but not me.

So too, had you [Avram] said "and we go childless" just as you got a child I would have gotten a child. But since you said "and I go childless" (Genesis 15:2) you received a child but not I.

This may [also] be compared to two people who went to borrow seed from the king. One of them asked, 'Lend me seed/ and he ordered, 'Give it to him/ Said his companion to him, 'I have a grievance against you. Had you asked, "Lend us seed/' he would have given me just as he gave you; now however that you said, "Lend me seed/' he has given you but not me/ Similarly, hadst thou said, 'Behold, to us Thou hast given no seed/ then as He gave thee so had He given me. Now however that thou didst say, 'Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed' {ib. 3), He gave to thee but not to me. R. Menahema [Nehemiah] said in R. Abin's name : She scratched his face. 1

The Rabbis said: Women are said to possess four traits : they are greedy, eavesdroppers, slothful, and envious. Greedy, as it says, And she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat {ib. in, 6) ; eavesdroppers : And Sarah heard in the tent door {ib. xvin, 10); slothful: Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal {ib. 6) ; envious : Rachel envied her sister {ib. xxx, 1).

R. Joshua b. Nehemiah said: She is also a scratcher and talkative. A scratcher : And Sarai said unto Abram: My scratch be upon thee. Talkative : And Miriam spoke against Moses (Num. xii, 1). R. Levi said: She is also prone to steal and a gad- about. Prone to steal : And Rachel stole the teraphim (Gen. xxxi, 19). A gadabout: And Dinah went out {ib. xxxiv, i). 2 The Lord judge between me and thee (u- beneka).

R. Tanhuma said in the name of R. Hiyya the Elder, and R. Berekiah said in R. Eleazar's name: Whoever plunges eagerly into litigation does not escape from it unscathed.

Sarah should have reached Abraham's years, but because she said, The Lord judge between me and thee, her life was reduced by forty-eight years

Seeing that it is already written, And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived, why is it further stated, Behold, thou wilt con- ceive (ib. 11)? 2 This, however, teaches that an evil eye took possession of her and she miscarried.

3 R. Hanina observed: Had the prophet Elisha told her that by the Holy Spirit, it would have sufficed her. 4

(7) "And an angel of God found her by a spring of water..." by the path of the armed one(?). "and said: Hagar, slave of Sarai," a parable: he said, if one person says "your ears are those of an ass" do not worry, two make for you canopies. "So Avram said: behold, your slave is in your hand,... and the angel said: Hagar, slave of Sarai... And she said, I am fleeing because of Sarai my mistress,... and the angel said to her, return to your mistress and be oppressed... and the angel said to her, God has greatly increased..." how many angels were paired with her? Rabbi Yosei son of Chanina said, five: in every place where it says, "said", a new angel. The rabbis say, four, in every place where it says "angel". Rabbi Chiya says, come and see how many are between the first ones and the last ones. Manoach said to his wife, "we will surely die, for we have seen God" (Shoftim 13:22), and Hagar slave of Sarai saw five angels one after the other and was not afread of them. Rabbi Chiya said, the fingernails of the parents and not the bellies of the children. Rabbi Yitzchak says, she searches the ways of her house (Mishlei 31:27), the children of Avraham our father's house were searching, and she was accustomed to see them.

6. But Abram said unto Sarai: Behold, thy maid is in thy hand (xvi, 6). Said he: 'I am constrained to do her neither good 5 nor harm/ 6 It is written, Thou shalt not deal with her as a slave, because thou hast humbled her (Deut. xxi, 14): after we have vexed her, can we now enslave her again? I am constrained to do her neither good nor harm.

It is written, And Sarah dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face (Gen. loc. cit.), while it is written, To sell her unto a foreign people he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her (Ex. xxi, 8): after we have made her a mistress, 7 shall we make her a bondmaid again? I am constrained to do her neither good nor harm; hence it is written, And Sarah dealt harshly with her, and she fled from her face. 8 R. Abba said: She restrained her from cohabitation. R. Berekiah said: She slapped her face with a slipper. R. Berekiah said in R. Abba's name: She bade her carry her water buckets and bath towels to the baths. 9

(7) "And an angel of God found her by a spring of water..." by the path of the armed one(?). "and said: Hagar, slave of Sarai," a parable: he said, if one person says "your ears are those of an ass" do not worry, two make for you canopies. "So Avram said: behold, your slave is in your hand,... and the angel said: Hagar, slave of Sarai... And she said, I am fleeing because of Sarai my mistress,... and the angel said to her, return to your mistress and be oppressed...

and the angel said to her, God has greatly increased..." how many angels were paired with her? Rabbi Yosei son of Chanina said, five: in every place where it says, "said", a new angel. The rabbis say, four, in every place where it says "angel".

Rabbi Chiya says, come and see how many are between the first ones and the last ones. Manoach said to his wife, "we will surely die, for we have seen God" (Shoftim 13:22), and Hagar slave of Sarai saw five angels one after the other and was not afraid of them.

Rabbi Chiya said, the fingernails of the parents and not the bellies of the children. Rabbi Yitzchak says, she searches the ways of her house (Mishlei 31:27), the children of Avraham our father's house were searching, and she was accustomed to see them.

And the angel of the Lord said unto her: Behold, thou art with child, etc. (xvi, 11). R. Isaac said: Three were called by their names before they were born, Isaac, Solomon, and Josiah. What is said in the case of Isaac? And God said: Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt coil his name Isaac (Gen. xvn, 19). In the case of Solomon? Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon (1 Chron. xxn, 9). In the case of Josiah? And he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord : O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord : Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name (1 Kings xm, 2). Some add Ishmael among the nations [i.e. non-Jews] : Behold, THOU ART WITH CHILD, AND SHALT BEAR A SON; AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME ISHMAEL.

(10) And she called the name of Ad-nai who talked to her 'You are El-Roi' (Gen. 16:13) Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon and Rabbi Yochanan said, in the name of Rabbi Eleazar Bar Shimeon: The Holy One of Blessing did not grant speaking with women, with the exception of that righteous one [Sarah], and even that had a particular reason. Rabbi Aba said, in the name of Rabbi Beiri: How many roundabouts He did in order to talk to her! 'He said: 'no, you did laugh!'' (Gen. 18:16)

But it is written: 'and she called the name of Ad-nai who talked to her 'You are El-Roi''! Rabbi Yehoshua Bar Nechemiah said: it was through an angel.

But it is written: 'And God said to her'(Gen. 25:23)! Said Rabbi Levi, in the name of Rabbi Eleazar, in the name of Rabbi Yosi ben Zimra: it was through a name.

'You are El Roi' - said Rabbi Aivu: You are the one who sees the sufferings of the persecuted. 'Since she said: also, here [halom], I have seen after the One Who sees me.' She said: Not only I was granted a talk, but even royalty, as it is written: 'You that brought me this far [halom] (II Sam. 7:18). Not only I was granted to see with my mistress, but even if my mistress were with me right now she would not have seen.

Another interpretation: Not only I was granted to see with my mistress, but now even when I am alone! Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman said: this is similar to a lady to whom the king said 'pass before me'. She passed before him but was relying on her slave, and hiding her face, and she did not see the king - but the slave did.