Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“They asked him, “Where is Sarah, your wife?” He said, “There, in the tent.” He said, “I will certainly return to you at about this time next year; and behold, Sarah your wife will have a son.” Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well advanced in age. Sarah had passed the age of childbearing. Sarah laughed within herself, saying, “After I have grown old will I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”
(Genesis 18:9-12)

If they didn’t know their visitors were special before, they definitely knew now because they called Abraham’s wife by her name – without having met her before. They also knew her ‘new’ name, so they clearly didn’t know her from far-off reputation.

We see this encounter mostly from Abraham’s point of view, but Sarah was intrigued enough by these visitors to be listening through the tent.

We are clearly establishing that while Abraham had still been able to sire children at the age of eighty-six (thirteen years previous), Sarah was absolutely past the ability to bear children. Anything happening from this point on regarding a natural pregnancy between these two people would be a complete and absolute miracle. It is also proof that God’s blessings (Genesis 17:16) are transformative. God didn’t mess with her plumbing. He SPOKE BLESSING and it renewed her. God’s words hold power.

Sarah’s laughter was not motivated by joy and wonder at the miracle that was bound to come – because trusting in God means that when He says it, you believe it (Genesis 17:16-17). Sarah was not trusting in God for this. She had no belief in her heart at this point. She laughed because she believed it was ridiculous and impossible. However, she did not remain in this condition. At some point, she chose to trust in God and received the promised child (Hebrews 11:11).

The sage Sforno writes: ‘Where is Sarah. Avraham already knew of Yitzchok’s impending conception (see 17:19). Thus the angels were sent specifically to inform Sarah. This was in order that her rejoicing would have a positive influence on the fetus.’

The sage Or HaChaim writes: ‘ויאמרו אליו איה שדה אשתך, They said: “Where is your wife Sarah?” The angels wanted that Abraham should realise that the message they had to deliver was primarily for Sarah; this is why they enquired about her whereabouts. Abraham indicated that she was within the tent ready to listen to what they had to say to her.’

The sage Radak writes: ‘באים בימים, this is the standard mode in which the Torah describes people who feel that aging has affected their general physique and imposed limitations on them. What the Torah means is that both Avraham and Sarah had reached the years when other people are subject to the limitations of old age. These are the years when the soul begins to separate from the body. אורח כנשים, the signal of old age for women, i.e. cessation of their menstrual cycle. The Torah uses a euphemism to describe that phenomenon. Rachel used the same euphemism when she explained to her father Lavan why she could not let him search her camel (Genesis 31,35). During old age, due to the body drying out, the flow of blood stops, i.e. a woman no longer ovulates. Our sages in Ketuvot 10 relate that the volume of such a flow of blood is in direct relation to the number of children a woman is likely to bear. There was a well known family by the name of Dorkaty in those days, whose female members never experienced either menstrual blood, nor the blood associated with the puncturing of the hymen. This is why the family was named Dorkaty, meaning that something was radically wrong. None of the females in that family ever had children, the reason being attributed to this abnormal condition of their not menstruating.’