Abraham, Sarah and Abimelech: "Call and Promise"

There must be, and the remainder of Avrohom's request of his wife further underscores the absurdity of a simple and superficial reading of this incident. Avrohom virtually asks Sarah to put her life on the line "so that they will treat me well on your account." Rashi explains the good treatment as "they will give me gifts." Was it the gifts that motivated Avrohom to endanger Sarah?

Furthermore, this "farce" is reenacted by Avrohom and Sarah when they enter the land of the Philistines. The last straw for any rational human being occurs when Yitzchak and Rivkah do the exact same thing that got their parents into so much trouble. Upon entering Philistine territory, he asks his wife to say that she is his sister. Rivkah cooperates. It sounds like quite a good idea to her. After all, what can possibly happen?

The classical Torah commentaries of the "Malbim" and Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch both - quite characteristically - use their unique insight of combining common sense with meticulous textual analysis to clarify what is really going on. I ask the reader to go directly to the source. I will condense their commentary and elaborate slightly (the volleyball business below will obviously not be found in either Malbim or Hirsch).

Avrohom arrives in an immoral society. These people are suspect of killing a stranger in order to forcibly take his beautiful wife. Of course he is afraid of being found one day floating on the Nile - who wouldn't? But he is equally afraid of what will happen to Sarah. A fate worse than death is literally what awaits her if he is killed. The holy Sarah would die a thousand deaths in the harem of a heathen Egyptian.

The wise and shrewd Avrohom recognizes, however, that Egypt in his day was the leading civilization of the time. They can both be saved by the fact that these Egyptians may be immoral pagans, but they are civilized people. But wait - can civilization and immorality coexist in the same society? I truly hope that anyone living in the United States of America in the 1990s would not ask this question. This coexistence is alive and well and this is how it works. Civilization works wonders to enable a citizen to get what he wants. One cannot have a functional society without civilization. However, when civilization won't work to get what one wants, one can always resort to immorality. Whatever works! The saving grace is that in a civilized society one will first try the civilized means. (The interesting aspect about the coexistence of civilization and immorality is that when a civilized person acts immorally, he ingeniously rationalizes a justification for his actions)

Avrohom knows that he is entering a civilized country. If a father arrives with an unmarried daughter, or an older brother with an unmarried sister, the Egyptian citizen is guided by a tradition of civilized behavior. He will first ask the older brother for permission to court. He will offer gifts! He will do everything to ingratiate himself to the older brother. Exquisite manners and courtesy are the order of the day. Avrohom was confident that he could outsmart and out negotiate the Egyptians so that both he and his beloved wife will remain safe. The Egyptian will offer 10 camels. Avrohom will come back with the exorbitant sum of 40 camels for such a beauty. Negotiations will continue. The situation will be under control.

But what if he introduces Sarah as his wife? The message to the Egyptians is hands off! You have no way of getting what you want through civilized means! No way you can ever get your hands on her. Avrohom would be saying the proverbial "over my dead body" and the Egyptians would be only too glad to oblige. When one cannot get what he wants through civilized means, one bops civilization over the head and throws it into the river. Avrohom would be bopped on the head and floating on the Nile and Sarah would be the plaything of a pagan sheik.

However, there was one scenario that neither Sarah or Avrohom foresaw. Their simple yet ingenious plan would work with everyone in Egypt with the exception of one person - the king. But, after all, what are the chances of Sarah being noticed and desired by Pharaoh himself? Probably one in at least several million. This is obviously the reason why Avrohom and Sarah used the same method when entering the Philistines. Lightning cannot strike twice. And this is the same reason why Yitzchak and Rivkah used the same method. Lightning, after all, will never strike three times in the same place.

A Paradigm for Future Generations

It makes as much sense as accusing a Jew who was forcibly converted to Christianity of being deceitful when he is caught secretly practicing Judaism. The Spaniards killed his relatives, confiscated his money, tortured him until he converted. The Jew is, of course, the unethical one. This happened!

When all professions were declared illegal for Jews other than money lending, the Jews were accused of being unethical usurers. This happened!

Avrohom is less than truthful with the people who would kill him and enslave his wife were he to tell the truth. So the king accuses our father of being unethical. The Medrash teaches us "Maaseh Avot siman L'banim", the actions of our forefathers are a paradigm for future generations.

Negotiations and Volleyball

There are two ways to hit a volleyball. One way is to hit it over the net towards the opponent. But sometimes circumstances require a different approach. The ball has been smashed by the opponent and is about to hit the ground. I make a diving save but succeed only in hitting the ball up into the air on my side of the net. What have I accomplished? I have kept the volley alive and have given the opportunity for my teammate to save the situation.

HaShem is our partner in this volleyball game. Avrohom knows it is not right to directly confront his enemies. So he begins negotiations. He keeps the volley alive, having total faith in his "teammate", his Lord and Master to come up with a lightning approach to save the future of his infant nation.

Many of us confront such situations in our daily lives. Perhaps the nation of Israel is confronting such a situation in its negotiations with those whose real intent is to drive it into the sea. To play volleyball successfully, one must believe in his teammate. We have the best "Player" of all on our side.

Lightning Three Times

Rabbi Sholom Tendler is the Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva of Los Angeles, and the spiritual leader of Young Israel of North Beverly Hills.