לקוטי שיחות חלק ל״ה - חיי שרה ג

Parshas Chayei Sarah

1. "And Avraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him . . ."

There is a well-known question about this. In a number of earlier verses it is stated explicitly that the birth of Yitzchak when Avraham was a hundred years old was a miraculous thing (not only because of Sarah's age, but also) because Avraham was at an age at which, according to nature, he could not father children:

"And Avraham fell on his face and laughed, and he said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to one who is a hundred years old? (And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?)'"; "And Avraham and Sarah were old, advancing in days . . . And Sarah laughed within herself, saying, 'After I have withered shall I have smoothness, and my master is old'"; "And she said, 'Who would have said to Avraham . . . for I have borne a son in his old age'"; and even "the scoffers of the generation were saying, 'Sarah conceived from Avimelech.'"

Accordingly one must understand why, when six more sons were born to Avraham, forty years after the birth of Yitzchak, when he was a hundred and forty years old, the verse does not state that this was something miraculous and wondrous, etc.

Now the Ramban writes regarding the birth of Yitzchak that there is no wonder in a hundred-year-old fathering a child, and he brings proof from the above — that "forty years after this he fathered many sons from Keturah." But one cannot explain Rashi's approach and view this way, for this is not implied by the plain sense of the above verses, and if Rashi held so he should have explained it. Moreover, from his own commentary the opposite is implied, for he writes: "Although the early generations would father children at five hundred years, in Avraham's days the years had already diminished and weakness had come into the world. Go and learn from the ten generations from Noach to Avraham, who hastened to have offspring at sixty and seventy years."

And even if you were to say that in Avraham's case there was no weakness until he was a hundred [or that (after the time of "And Avraham and Sarah were old") he returned to his youth and fathered a child at a hundred], after this it says in our parsha (once again) "And Avraham was old, advanced in days" — that is, he had an old age that came on in addition after that. If so, the birth of the sons of Keturah when he was a hundred and forty is something miraculous.

This is also understood from the words of the Midrash on the verse "And Avraham was old . . .": "Rabbi Yochanan said: It is already written, 'And Avraham and Sarah were old'; why does it say 'And Avraham was old'? Rather, since the Holy One, blessed be He, had restored him to the days of his youth, it was necessary to write a second time, 'And Avraham was old.' Rav Ami said: Here it is old age that has moisture (vigor), and there it is old age that has no moisture." Thus, even if you say that the birth of Yitzchak was a miracle on Avraham's part (that old age and the weakness relating to fathering children did not affect him), nevertheless a miracle is needed for the birth of the sons from Keturah, which came after it had already been said once again, "And Avraham was old, advanced in days."

2. The point of the explanation of this may be said as follows:

In the account of the birth of Yitzchak it says, "And Sarah said, 'G‑d has made laughter for me; whoever hears will laugh with me,'" and Rashi explains: "Many barren women were remembered together with her, many sick people were healed on that day, many prayers were answered together with her, and there was much laughter in the world." Thus the miracle of Yitzchak's birth was of such a kind that it brought salvation and deliverance throughout the world, to the point that there was joy and "much laughter in the world."

With this we will understand what Rashi writes there on the verse "Sarah has nursed children": "Why 'children,' in the plural? On the day of the feast the noblewomen brought their children with them, and she nursed them, for they had been saying, 'Sarah did not give birth; rather, she brought a foundling from the marketplace.'" Likewise in Parshas Lech Lecha Rashi explains: "And in nursing from the breasts, when she needed it on the day of Yitzchak's feast, for they were murmuring about them that they had brought a foundling from the marketplace and were saying, 'He is our son'; and each woman brought her son with her, but not his nurse, and she nursed all of them."

For seemingly, if the reason were only to prove that Sarah gave birth to Yitzchak and that he was not a foundling from the marketplace, it would have been enough for everyone to see that she was nursing Yitzchak, or that she nursed a few more children. Why did she need to nurse "all of them"? Rather, there was an additional matter here: the miracle of Yitzchak's birth brought about a great many matters of influence, up to "much laughter . . . in the world," and therefore this was expressed also in her nursing the children of all the noblewomen.

According to this it may be said that just as we find with Sarah, that the miracle of Yitzchak's birth brought about a number of further miracles with her and in her merit — miracles that brought salvation and deliverance in the world ("Many barren women were remembered together with her . . . answered together with her," up to nursing the children of all the noblewomen) — so too with regard to Avraham: the miracle of Yitzchak's birth brought about further miracles with him, in that more sons were born to him in a wondrous and miraculous way (after "Avraham was old, advanced in days"), and these sons were not Children of Israel but from the nations of the world (similar to the above regarding Sarah).

3. But a reason is needed: Why did the miracle of Yitzchak's birth bring about further miracles, so that there would be "laughter . . . in the world"?

One must also understand the difference in this between Avraham and Sarah:

a) With Sarah, this effect on the world came immediately — "many barren women were remembered on that day," and likewise her nursing children — whereas with Avraham it came a long time — forty years — after the birth of Yitzchak.

b) With Sarah, it came as an automatic result of the birth of Yitzchak, without any special action on Sarah's part, whereas with Avraham it was a matter in its own right: the birth of sons — of the nations of the world (from Keturah) — in a miraculous way.

It may be said that in this there is an allusion to a fundamental and essential matter in the influence of the Jewish people on the nations of the world.

We find that before the birth of Yitzchak, the names of Avraham and Sarah had to be changed, as Rashi explains: "Avram has no son, but Avraham has a son; likewise Sarai will not give birth, but Sarah will give birth." The reason is that "I will call you by another name, and the mazal will change." Together with this, it stands to reason that the birth of Yitzchak is connected with the content of the two new names, "Avraham" and "Sarah."

Seemingly this is puzzling. The content of the names "Avraham" and "Sarah" (in relation to "Avram" and "Sarai") indicates dominion over the whole world: "I have made you the father of a multitude of nations" — not only "Avram," "father of Aram," but "father of the whole world"; and "Sarah" means (as Rashi explains) "[not] Sarai, 'my princess' (which implies) for me and not for others, for 'Sarah,' unqualified, is her name, that she be princess over all." What connection is there between the change of these names and the birth of Yitzchak, who is the beginning of the Jewish people — "for through Yitzchak shall offspring be called yours"?

From this it is implied that a main aspect of the birth of Yitzchak (and of the Jewish people) is its effect on (and dominion over) the nations of the world.

According to this it may be said that this is the content of the miracles that came in the wake of Yitzchak's birth, bringing about "much laughter . . . in the world": through them their sovereignty over the whole world was emphasized — that they are the ones who bring about salvation in the world. And within this there were two kinds — the miracles connected with Sarah and the miracles of Avraham (the birth of the sons of Keturah) — in keeping with the difference between Avraham's role and Sarah's role, as will be explained.

4. This will be understood by first citing the words of the Rambam regarding the obligation of the seven Noahide mitzvos: "Moshe Rabbeinu commanded, from the mouth of the Almighty, to compel all who come into the world to accept the mitzvos commanded to the descendants of Noach"; "Whoever accepts the seven mitzvos and is careful to observe them is one of the pious of the nations of the world and has a share in the World to Come — provided that he accepts them and observes them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moshe Rabbeinu, etc. But if he observed them because of a rational conclusion . . . he is not one of the pious of the nations of the world."

This requires examination: "Moshe Rabbeinu bequeathed the Torah and the mitzvos only to Israel." What connection do the descendants of Noach have to the Giving of the Torah and to the Jewish people, to the point that the Jewish people must compel all who come into the world to accept the mitzvos commanded to the descendants of Noach, and that they should observe them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded so in the Torah?

This has been explained a number of times according to the saying of our Sages that the whole of creation is for the sake of Israel, who are called "first," and for the sake of the Torah, which is called "first" —

that is, this is not something added to the existence of creation, but is bound up with its very existence. Therefore, after the birth of the Jewish people and the giving of the Torah, there cannot be any command of G‑d to the world without the medium of the Torah and Israel — and therefore the observance of the seven Noahide mitzvos depends on the Torah and on Israel.

One should note a precise point in the above Rambam: the two details mentioned — (a) "Moshe Rabbeinu commanded, from the mouth of the Almighty, to compel all who come into the world to accept the mitzvos commanded to the descendants of Noach," and (b) that they must observe them "because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moshe Rabbeinu" — the Rambam wrote in two separate halachos.

Seemingly, from the fact that the Rambam did not mention, in continuation of the obligation "to compel all who come into the world to accept the mitzvos commanded," that this obligation includes that their acceptance of the mitzvos be because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah, but wrote this condition ("provided that he accepts, etc.") in a separate halachah, in the definition of "the pious of the nations of the world," it is understood that this law ("provided that he accepts them . . . because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah") is a law in its own right [and it requires examination whether there is an obligation upon the Jewish people to compel all who come into the world to be pious of the nations of the world].

But from the fact that the Rambam brings this condition too in continuation of the obligation of Israel to compel, etc., it is implied that although it is not part of the first obligation, nevertheless the completeness of the acceptance by the descendant of Noach (whose beginning comes through the compulsion of Israel) — that he accepts the mitzvos because of the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the Torah — is also connected with the Jewish people.

Perhaps it may be said that there are two ways in which the Jewish people act upon the nations of the world: a) influence through compulsion (whether literally or through compelling words) — to accept the mitzvos commanded to the descendants of Noach; b) an indirect effect: following this compulsion, the nations of the world come to recognize that they must accept the mitzvos "because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moshe Rabbeinu, etc."

5. It may be said that these two ways are also alluded to in the conclusions of the last two chapters of the Rambam's work, at the end of the Laws of Kings (and Their Wars):

At the end of chapter 11 the Rambam concludes: "And he will gather the dispersed of Israel . . . and he will perfect the entire world to serve G‑d together, as it says, 'For then I will transform the peoples to a pure language, that they all call upon the name of G‑d and serve Him with one accord.'" And at the end of chapter 12 he concludes: "In that time there will be neither famine, etc., for the good will flow in abundance, etc., and the occupation of the entire world will be only to know G‑d. Therefore Israel will be great sages and will know hidden matters and will attain knowledge of their Creator to the extent of human capacity, as it says, 'For the earth will be full of the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the sea.'"

That is: the end of chapter 11 speaks of the action of Moshiach and the Jewish people upon the nations of the world — "and he will perfect the entire world, etc." — whereas the end of chapter 12 speaks of what is brought about in the nations of the world automatically. For the plain sense of the words "the occupation of the entire world will be only to know G‑d" (which refers to mankind as a whole, including the nations of the world) is not that the Jewish people will occupy themselves with them. Nevertheless, it is connected with the Jewish people — that is, it is a result of the service of the Jewish people — as is proven from the fact that he includes in the same halachah both the distinction of the Jewish people's knowledge of G‑d and that the occupation of the entire world will be to know G‑d. That is, "the occupation of the entire world will be only to know G‑d" will be connected with, and a result of, the state of the Jewish people at that time.

With this we will understand the precise wording of the Rambam in the preceding halachah: "The sages and the prophets did not long for the days of Moshiach in order to rule over the whole world, nor in order to have dominion over the nations, nor in order to be exalted by the peoples, nor in order to eat and drink and rejoice, but in order to be free for Torah and its wisdom." For seemingly this is puzzling: How could it enter one's mind to explain that "the sages and the prophets longed for the days of Moshiach . . . in order to rule over the whole world . . . have dominion over the nations . . . in order to be exalted by the peoples"? Even regarding the sages of the nations of the world we find that their main occupation and aspiration is in intellectual matters, and they have no desire to rule and dominate — all the more so regarding the sages and prophets of Israel!

But the Rambam's intent is this: one might have thought that the ultimate distinction for which the sages, etc., longed is to perfect the world, that is, to teach the world the knowledge of G‑d by way of action and influence (as he writes in chapter 11), which is a matter of true rule and dominion (in spirituality). The Rambam teaches us here that this is not the completeness of the matter, and not for this did the sages and prophets long for the days of Moshiach, but in order to be free for Torah and its wisdom, and to be great sages who know hidden matters.

Nevertheless he continues, as above, that this lofty level of the Jewish people also acts upon the world, so that automatically the state of the whole world will be most elevated, that "the occupation of the entire world will be only to know G‑d, etc., as it says, 'For the earth will be full of the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the sea.'"

6. According to all the above, the content of the matter that before the birth of Yitzchak the names of Avraham and Sarah had to be changed — "father of a multitude of nations" and "princess over all" — is also understood. For at the very beginning of the formation of the Jewish people, in the birth of Yitzchak through Avraham and Sarah, it had to be emphasized that the existence of Israel is (not a matter and detail within creation, but) the essence and purpose of the whole of creation.

And this is also the reason why the miraculous birth of Yitzchak was of such a kind that it acted upon the nations of the world, as above: "Many barren women were remembered together with her, many sick people were healed on that day, many prayers were answered together with her, and there was much laughter in the world," and an additional influence in Sarah, in the manner of "Sarah has nursed children." And likewise with Avraham: the wonder and the kindness to Avraham in the birth of Yitzchak brought about also that he fathered (six) more sons from Keturah. For in order that the Jewish people be able to act upon the nations of the world, there was a special action by the Holy One, blessed be He, so that the nations of the world too would sense this very thing: that the essence of the existence of the world, including the existence of the descendants of Noach, is Israel.

[Similar to what we find regarding the Torah, as our Sages said: "When the Torah was given to Israel, its sound went from one end of the world to the other, and all the kings of the idolaters were seized with trembling in their palaces, etc. They all gathered to Bilam the wicked and said to him, 'What is the sound of the tumult that we have heard? Perhaps a flood is coming upon the world, etc.' He said to them, 'He has a precious treasure in His storehouse, etc., and He wishes to give it to His children, as it says, "G‑d will give strength to His people."' Immediately they all opened and said, 'G‑d will bless His people with peace.'"]

According to this the following question is simply resolved. It is known that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not perform a miracle for nothing — and this is simply understood: since G‑d established creation in an orderly and natural way ("they shall not cease"), He does not change the order of creation except for a special need.

If so, it is puzzling: what was the need and necessity for the miracle of Yitzchak's birth to bring about and cause further miracles — "Sarah has nursed children," etc. — that so great a miracle should be done, that many barren women were remembered, etc., contrary to the nature of creation?

But this was not an additional miracle; it was a continuation and result of the miracle of Yitzchak's birth as a whole. For the birth of Yitzchak was not a private miracle, only for Avraham and Sarah, but a general miracle from the outset: in order for Yitzchak to be born, Avraham and Sarah became "father of the whole world" and "princess over all." And so, automatically, when the miracle occurred it had its effect and was drawn into "the whole world" and into "all," and the order of creation (including the nations of the world) was changed.

7. Now, in the effect of the miracle of Yitzchak's birth on the nations of the world itself there were two details (on the part of Avraham and on the part of Sarah, as above). It may be said that these two matters are the root of the two ways mentioned above in which Israel acts upon the nations of the world — in keeping with the difference in the content of the service of Avraham and of Sarah, which is emphasized also in the new names given them before the birth of Yitzchak:

Avraham, named for "father of a multitude of nations," "father of the whole world," indicates a connection with "a multitude of nations," "the whole world." Therefore the miraculous influence brought about through him in "a multitude of nations" also came through a special action on Avraham's part (adding in the world): "And Avraham again took a wife . . . and she bore him . . ." (and for this reason it came (not close to the birth of Yitzchak but) after some time, for this emphasizes that it came by way of a new action).

Whereas Sarah, who is "princess over all," is in the category of sovereignty and kingship, and the king is set apart from his people. Therefore Sarah's effect on the nations of the world, which came together with the birth of Yitzchak, was automatic — an abundance of blessings among the nations of the world.

And the completeness of this matter will be at the end of the time of exile, with the coming of our righteous Moshiach, in the fulfillment of the promise "And it shall come to pass in the end of days that the mountain of G‑d's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains . . . and all the nations shall stream to it. And many peoples shall go and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of G‑d, to the house of the G‑d of Yaakov, and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths . . .'" Because the revelation to the Jewish people will be in utmost completeness, it will automatically influence many nations and peoples, up to the state of "the earth will be full of the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the sea."

(From the talks of Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sarah and Shabbos Parshas Toldos 5745; Yud-Tes Kislev 5743)

Key Lesson

The miraculous birth of Yitzchak brought blessing to the whole world: through Sarah at once and without effort, as barren women gave birth and she nursed all the noblewomen's children, and through Avraham later, by a new act, in the sons of Keturah. For the Jewish people are the purpose of all creation, and they affect the nations in two ways: by actively teaching them the Noahide mitzvos, and simply by being what they are, so that their light radiates on its own. Its completion will come with Moshiach, when "the earth will be full of the knowledge of G‑d."