Laughing Our Way to Redemption

There are three ways we can view G-d’s role in our lives. The first is to see His role in nature. The second is to see his role in inspiring us with His wisdom. The third is to see His supernatural role.

Sarah’s Laughter

One of the enigmas of the Torah is the way in which Sarah received the news that she was going to be a mother at the age of 90. In this week’s parsha, the Torah states, “And Sarah laughed at her insides, saying, ‘After I have withered shall I again have clear skin? And my husband is old!’”

The Torah then recounts how G-d expressed his displeasure with Sarah’s laughter to Abraham, “Why is it that Sarah laughed saying, ‘Is it even true that I shall give birth, though I have aged?’ Is anything beyond G-d?! At this appointed time I will return to you at this time next year, there will be life, and Sarah will have a son.”

As it appears, from even a cursory examination of the text, Sarah was expressing doubts and even mocking her ability to bear a child. The question has been raised, how could a woman as righteous as Sarah express such misgivings?

Moreover, Rashi informs us that Sarah was even greater than Abraham when it came to prophecy. A prophet is one whose head is in the heavens but his feet are on the ground. In other words, a prophet is more in touch with the Divine and its message for us on earth. How then could Sarah so miss or ignore G-d’s message to her that she would have a child.

Sarah’s Defense and its Refutation

While a simple defense of her laughter could be that she did not hear this news the fact that she heard the news prophetically and directly from G-d as did Abraham. Indeed, she overhears a pagan looking wayfarer mention this to Abraham. Why then should she be faulted for doubting the blessing of a pagan?

This, however, does not seem to be a valid defense for Sarah. Her superior intuition (another form of prophecy) should have told her that there is something to that message. The mere fact that these strange, unexpected guests “landed” in their home, in the scorching heat when no human could possibly venture outside, should have alerted her to take their words seriously; that they were G-d’s conduit to deliver a Divine message.

Moreover, this occurred, as Rashi states, just three days after Abraham circumcised himself and entered into an eternal, covenant. Shouldn’t that have alerted her to the reality that G-d was using them to convey a special message. Sarah, of all people, should have seen through the veil and recognized that their blessing truly emanated from G-d.

Now, we are back to square one. Considering her heightened level of spiritual perception, Sarah could now be justifiably faulted for her lack of seeing through the veil. The question thus arises anew, why did she laugh and express doubt?

Another question: When G-d reprimands her and states: “Is anything beyond G-d?” Rashi comments on the term for “beyond-hayipalei” and translates it three ways:

“Is there anything mufla-wondrous, muvdalseparated and mechusah-covered?”

Why the three translations? And why didn’t it just state “is it impossible for G-d?”

When discussing truly righteous people we have to be cautious not to impute our own sense of weakness and shortcoming to them. Their “flaws” are on a completely different plane. This is especially true with regard to the Patriarchs, and arguably, even more so with respect to the Matriarchs, who were in total sync with G-d.

Never Doubted

Keeping this introduction in mind, one may suggest that Sarah never doubted G-d’s ability to grant her a child at the age of 90. On the contrary, Sarah sought to magnify the miracle and extol its extraordinary and unparalleled nature to cause her greater excitement to combat a nefarious syndrome that seeks to desensitize us to G-d’s miracles.

To explain:

One of the tactics of the insidious force of Amalek (the nation that attacked the Jews upon their departure from Egypt and a symbol of an internal evil force that seeks to destroy whatever warmth we experience for matters of holiness) is to diminish our excitement when we witness a miracle. To the more sophisticated souls Amalek’s reaction to the miracle is this: “Don’t get excited about the miracle. After all, G-d could do anything; what’s the big deal?!”

Sarah knew that the likelihood is that if this miracle will occur there will be all sorts of cynics who will attempt to minimize the ardor and enthusiasm.

Sarah therefore sought to accentuate the sheer impossibility of her becoming a mother. She was way beyond the age of child-bearing, and according to our Sages, she never even possessed a womb. In addition, Abraham too was old and beyond the natural age of siring a child.

The more she engaged in this reflection of the sheer impossibility of her having a child, the more impressive the miracle would be not only to the cynics but also to herself. By focusing on the impossibility of this miracle she sought to enhance her own excitement and utter amazement over the miracle of having a child.

There is a story told of the famous 19th century Sage, Rabbi Moshe Sofer (known for his classic work Chasam Sofer), who made a loan to a business man who was on the brink of bankruptcy. When the man returned from a successful business trip enabled by the loan he returned the money he had borrowed and also brought the rabbi a beautiful watch as a gift and token of his appreciation. In front of his students the rabbi took the watch and expressed his admiration for its beauty and effusive praise for this exquisite piece of jewelry. After he concluded to do so he returned it to the astonished businessman saying that he was forbidden to take the watch since it would constitute interest which a Jew is forbidden to give or take.

Now it was the turn of the students to be puzzled. If he was forbidden to take it why did he show such admiration for it and relished holding and caressing it when he had no intention of keeping it?

The Chasam Sofer explained that not charging interest on a loan was a great Mitzvah that he would rarely have an opportunity to fulfill. He therefore wanted to magnify the value and beauty of this piece of jewelry to enhance the joy of the Mitzvah.

Here too, we may posit, Sarah’s incredulity was not doubt, G-d forbid. On the contrary, it was her way of increasing the degree of wonderment at this miracle, demonstrating that it had absolutely no natural basis. At face value this was an admirable gesture.

It’s Beneath Sarah

Why then was G-d upset with her?

The answer may be that Sarah was expected to be at an even higher level where the most incredible miracles should not elicit amazement. Sarah was at the level where she was in touch with G-d’s transcendent order. She should have become excited and filled with joy without having to reflect on all the reasons why it was an incredible miracle. Sarah’s closeness to G-d and sensitivity to His transcendence should have made this miracle seem normal. In other words, she should have been excited by her close proximity to G-d and not to the extraordinary miracle.

Thus G-d tells Abraham, “Is anything wondrous, separated and covered from G-d.” Is there anything that G-d would consider unusual, why then should Sarah think it was wondrous?

The reason Rashi takes the one word used here “hayipalei” and renders it with the three aforementioned translations: “wondrous, separated and covered,” is because G-d manifests Himself in three ways, as will be explained:

The Three Dimensions of the Aleph

The Rebbe would frequently refer to the teaching of the Alter Rebbe that the difference between Golahexile and Geulah-Redemption is the sole letter Aleph. This letter has three meanings: On the lowest level is means Master, referring to G-d’s role as the Force behind everything that exists. In the days of exile, G- d’s presence within creation is hidden; with the advent of Geulah it will be revealed.

The second level represented by the Aleph is the dimension of G-d as the Teacher of the world; the One whose knowledge is presently separated from us. G-d’s wisdom is unfathomable and in the Messianic Age even that dimension of G-d will become accessible.

The third level rearranges the letters of the word Aleph to read peleh, which means wonder. While G- d’s intellect is elusive and separated from us it is still in some way connected to the world. In the Messianic Age we will be exposed to the most inscrutable aspects of the Divine which even transcend His hidden wisdom.

This, then, might be the underlying meaning of G- d’s rebuke to Sarah. “Sarah, you are on such a high level; you are in touch with the concealed dimension of G-d.” Sarah, like Abraham, would go around and reveal to people that there is a Creator and Master of this universe. For you G-d is not covered.

Moreover, G-d intimates to Sarah, “You have even penetrated into the hidden knowledge behind creation. Sarah, like Abraham, was exposed to esoteric knowledge. Abraham, our tradition informs us, was the author of the Kabbalistic work, Sefer Yetzirah, which contains Divine wisdom.

G-d then goes beyond that, alluding to Sarah’s connection to the most wondrous and esoteric dimension of G-d. On that level there is no more incredulity than there is about the most natural phenomena. Sarah should not have to have “psyched” herself into excitement about this miracle.

Sarah’s Humility not Cynicism

When Sarah denied that she laughed she was sincere because her laughter was not, G-d forbid, cynicism. Sarah, in her humility, could not imagine that she was at the level where laughing to enhance excitement for the miracle was considered a flaw. G- d, who knew her true value, felt that it was out of place.

As we stand on the threshold of the Final Redemption through Moshiach, we will soon be exposed to, and elevated through, the three levels of the Aleph. We will uncover the Divine within creation; fathom elusive Divine wisdom and experience G-d’s utter transcendent wonders. At that time we will all laugh, but not with incredulity, but with unmitigated joy at having realized the level where we no longer have to be amazed about G-d and His miracles because we will be one with Him.

From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Vayeira by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.