12:11-13
יא) וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִקְרִיב לָבוֹא מִצְרָיְמָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ הִנֵּה־נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִשָּׁה יְפַת־מַרְאֶה אָתְּ
יב) וְהָיָה כִּי־יִרְאוּ אֹתָךְ הַמִּצְרִים וְאָמְרוּ אִשְׁתּוֹ זֹאת וְהָרְגוּ אֹתִי וְאֹתָךְ יְחַיּוּ
יג) אִמְרִי־נָא אֲחֹתִי אָתְּ לְמַעַן יִיטַב־לִי בַעֲבוּרֵךְ וְחָיְתָה נַפְשִׁי בִּגְלָלֵךְ
The question is how come Abraham after being married to Sarah for many years just realizes how beautiful she is now?
Rashi asks this same question and gives two answers.
You can look into these answers or consider others you find related to what is the significance of Avraham realizing Sarah's beauty? why does he only realize now?
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ReplyDeleteThe Arizal teaches us that up until this point in Avraham’s life he had no idea of what physicality was; his spiritual level prevented him from seeing physical attributes. He was similar to Adam before sinning, with no concept of what physical attributes were. Avraham does not notice Sarah’s beauty because he does not know what beauty is, because it is a physical attribute. Until he had reached Egypt he did not know what beauty or other physical things were. Once Avraham had reach Egypt a place filled with physical appearances, of who looked the best and how to look better, his spirituality lessened and he began to see physical appearances. This really was the first time Avraham saw Sarah’s beauty, because his spiritual level had prevented him from seeing it until now; when his spiritual level was lessened, due to the people surrounding him, who were focused on appearances and physicality’s, he too started becoming involved (for the first time ever) in physical appearances. Similarly we can learn from this that we must not become too involved in the physical things surrounding us, such as whose house, or car, or clothing is nicer. We must try to stay away from these physical things in order to strengthen our spirituality, and become better Jews who are more focused on our inner souls and spirituality than our outer physical appearance.
ReplyDeletethe midrash aggadah gives a few answers. in those days, the hardship of traveling put a strain on most people and aged them a few years. therefore, it is specifically pointing out that she was rare in that her beauty stayed. he also says that they were traveling to an area populated with the cushite people and they were not accustomed to seeing people as fair as Sarah.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Avraham only realize Sarah's beauty now?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Baal Shem Tov, the reason he never saw her beauty was because he was on such a high level, he wasn't connected with the physical world. It specifically says that Avraham _decended_ to Egypt because Avraham came down from the divine world. Only then, once on the physical world, was he able to recognize her beauty.
How come Avraham just realized that Sarah is beautiful now?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Rashi הנה נא ידעתי, it says that usually it is hard when someone travels for ones looks to become attractive, except for Sarah who appeared beautiful throughout there journey.
Ariella Rand
ReplyDeleterashi says that during travel, it is hard to remain attractive,but Sarah remained beautiful. Or rashi says that Avraham always knew Sarah was beautiful, but now that they are traveling, the people they will encounter, have not seen an attractive woman.