 | It's okay to be afraid during times of uncertainty, especially when much is at stake. But when we let fears rule us without lovingly questioning them, we tend to make what we fear more likely to impact us. And then who are we really? |
| Recent Divrei Torah on this portion: • Wresting a Blessing (2023) • Where Are We Going? (2024) |
We live in times of uncertainty and mistrust. Uncertainty and mistrust sometimes drive us to assume the worst of what others intend, how they'll treat us and who's a threat.
When we're wrong, our pre-judgments can land us and others in hot water. Just ask Avram and Sarai (later Avraham and Sarah), ancestors of Western monotheism.
Avram famously hears a Voice tell him to "go... to the land that I will show you ... and I will make you a great nation" (Gen. 12:1-2). He and Sarai, his wife and half-sister (Gen. 20:12), get up and go... and nearly immediately encounter a narrative they think we know (Gen. 12:10):
When we're wrong, our pre-judgments can land us and others in hot water. Just ask Avram and Sarai (later Avraham and Sarah), ancestors of Western monotheism.
Avram famously hears a Voice tell him to "go... to the land that I will show you ... and I will make you a great nation" (Gen. 12:1-2). He and Sarai, his wife and half-sister (Gen. 20:12), get up and go... and nearly immediately encounter a narrative they think we know (Gen. 12:10):
| וַיְהִ֥י רָעָ֖ב בָּאָ֑רֶץ וַיֵּ֨רֶד אַבְרָ֤ם מִצְרַ֙יְמָה֙ לָג֣וּר שָׁ֔ם כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד הָרָעָ֖ב בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | There was a famine in the land. Avram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. |
Egypt? Where Pharaoh is? Uh oh! Better be on guard! Avram believed he'd be in danger, even though the Voice just promised him that God "would make [him] a great nation." And would we blame him? After all, we know the Pharaoh-Egypt-bondage story that comes later.
Anticipating the worst, Avram goes on defense. He asks his sister-wife to tell the Egyptians a partial truth about herself, for Avram's sake. Avram asked her (Gen. 12:11-13):
Anticipating the worst, Avram goes on defense. He asks his sister-wife to tell the Egyptians a partial truth about herself, for Avram's sake. Avram asked her (Gen. 12:11-13):
| הִנֵּה־נָ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֛י אִשָּׁ֥ה יְפַת־מַרְאֶ֖ה אָֽתְּ׃ וְהָיָ֗ה כִּֽי־יִרְא֤וּ אֹתָךְ֙ הַמִּצְרִ֔ים וְאָמְר֖וּ אִשְׁתּ֣וֹ זֹ֑את וְהָרְג֥וּ אֹתִ֖י וְאֹתָ֥ךְ יְחַיּֽוּ׃ אִמְרִי־נָ֖א אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יִֽיטַב־לִ֣י בַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ וְחָיְתָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ׃ | “I know what a beautiful woman you are. If the Egyptians see you, and think, ‘She is his wife,’ they will kill me and let you live. Please say that you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that I may remain alive thanks to you.” |
Torah says nothing about Sarai's response, but Avram got his way. The Egyptians take Sarai, see her wonders and pass her off to Pharaoh to become his wife. (Obviously we can take offense at the misogyny – Torah silencing Sarai, Avram secreting his marriage, and Avram letting the Egyptians think that Sarai is single and marriageable.)
Why all of this? Torah had a lesson to teach. Once Avram got rich off Pharaoh's favors, Torah continues (Gen. 12:17-19):
Why all of this? Torah had a lesson to teach. Once Avram got rich off Pharaoh's favors, Torah continues (Gen. 12:17-19):
| וַיְנַגַּ֨ע יְהֹוָ֧''ה אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה נְגָעִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים וְאֶת־בֵּית֑וֹ עַל־דְּבַ֥ר שָׂרַ֖י אֵ֥שֶׁת אַבְרָֽם׃ וַיִּקְרָ֤א פַרְעֹה֙ לְאַבְרָ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־זֹּ֖את עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֑י לָ֚מָּה לֹא־הִגַּ֣דְתָּ לִּ֔י כִּ֥י אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ הִֽוא׃ לָמָ֤ה אָמַ֙רְתָּ֙ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֔וא וָאֶקַּ֥ח אֹתָ֛הּ לִ֖י לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְעַתָּ֕ה הִנֵּ֥ה אִשְׁתְּךָ֖ קַ֥ח וָלֵֽךְ׃ | YHVH afflicted Pharaoh and his household with mighty plagues on account of Sarai, wife of Avram. Pharaoh sent for Avram and said, “What is this that you did to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now, here is your wife; take her and be gone!” |
In essence, Pharaoh asked, "Why didn't you trust me?"
Most commentators weren't so generous: they figured that all Pharaohs are evil. But Ovadia ben Yaakov Sforno (1475-1549) saw that Pharaoh couldn't be ordinary with integrity.
The Sforno imagined Pharaoh telling Avram, "Even if you had reason to suspect that ordinary people would harm you, you could have told me the truth, because as king it is my task to rule with justice" (Sforno, Gen. 12:18). In essence: "Why couldn't you give me the benefit of the doubt?"
Even with so much at stake, Torah is teaching that Avram still should have trusted. By fearing the worst, Avram brought the worst on his beloved. Besides, God had just assured Avram that it'd be okay, even if it didn't seem so.
As for Avram, so for us. Our fears are real, but we are more than fear and mistrust. When we project the worst onto others, we make the worst more likely, and we end up treating others more poorly than they deserve. We needn't be naïve, but spirituality asks us to question our fear and worst-case thinking before giving into them.
Most commentators weren't so generous: they figured that all Pharaohs are evil. But Ovadia ben Yaakov Sforno (1475-1549) saw that Pharaoh couldn't be ordinary with integrity.
The Sforno imagined Pharaoh telling Avram, "Even if you had reason to suspect that ordinary people would harm you, you could have told me the truth, because as king it is my task to rule with justice" (Sforno, Gen. 12:18). In essence: "Why couldn't you give me the benefit of the doubt?"
Even with so much at stake, Torah is teaching that Avram still should have trusted. By fearing the worst, Avram brought the worst on his beloved. Besides, God had just assured Avram that it'd be okay, even if it didn't seem so.
As for Avram, so for us. Our fears are real, but we are more than fear and mistrust. When we project the worst onto others, we make the worst more likely, and we end up treating others more poorly than they deserve. We needn't be naïve, but spirituality asks us to question our fear and worst-case thinking before giving into them.
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