Weekly DAFootnotes Bava Kama 93-99 Issue #14 Week of 11-17 Cheshvan 5762 / 28 Oct.-3 Nov. 2001 By Rabbi Mendel Weinbach, Dean, Ohr Somayach Institutions ===================================== DANGEROUS SUMMONS "You are guilty of the injustice done to me," said the childless Sarah to Avraham when she sensed that Hagar, the maidservant Sarah had given to him as a wife, stopped respecting her after Hagar became pregnant. Sarah was outraged that Avraham had remained silent as Hagar abused her, and she concluded her charge with the words "Let Hashem judge between us!" (Bereishet 16:5) This summoning of Heavenly judgment, says Rabbi Chanan in our gemara, boomerangs against the initiator, who is punished by Heaven even before the accused is. The proof is that Sarah died before Avraham, who "came to eulogize Sarah and weep over her." (Bereishet 23:2) The impropriety of summoning Heavenly judgment, qualifies the gemara, is only in a situation where there is an alternative of seeking justice in a court here on earth. What alternative existed for Sarah, who is cited as the classical example of such impropriety? Tosefot explains that she had the alternative of bringing her complaint against Avraham before the court of Shem, the son of Noach. Rabbeinu Nissim (Rosh Hashanah 16b) offers another approach. Even if Sarah had no court to turn to, she was wrong in not first bringing her complaint to her husband before summoning Heavenly judgment against him. Heavenly judgment improperly summoned by the wounded party is a two-edged sword. Hashem declared that if the victim cries out to Him the outcry will be heeded and there will be severe consequences (Shmot 22:22-23). The implication is that both the accuser and the accused will be punished, but the first to suffer will be the accuser. Maharsha points out that in the case of Sarah, her husband was punished with the loss of his wife, for the greatest tragedy of a person's death is suffered by the bereaved spouse. But her punishment of death preceded his punishment, for his grief began only when he returned to Hebron and became aware of her passing. An interesting historical footnote to this chapter is provided by Ramban in his commentary on Torah. Sarah's oppression of Hagar, and Avraham's consent to her action which eventually forced her to flee, was improper. As a result "Hashem heeded her pain and gave her a son (Yishmael) who would be a wild man oppressing the descendants of Avraham and Sarah in so many ways." Bava Kama 93a TWO SIDES OF THE COIN When Hashem commanded Avraham to leave his homeland and family and go to the land which He would reveal to him, one of the rewards He promised him was "I shall make great your name." (Bereishet 12:2) The Midrash presents one dimension of this greatness as the fame he achieved through the issuing of a special coin. On one side of this coin were the words "zakein" and "zakeinah" — old man and old woman — a reference to Avraham and Sarah. On the other side of the coin were written the words "bachur" and "betulah" — young man and young woman. Rashi explains that the youths on this other side of Avraham's coin referred to his son Yitzchak and Yitzchak's wife, Rivka. Marharsha, however, suggests an alternative approach based on the reaction of Sarah when she heard the visitors inform her husband Avraham that she would bear a son. She expressed wonder that such an old couple — Avraham was 99 years old and she only ten years younger — could be rejuvenated and have children (Bereishet 18:12-13). It was this miraculous rejuvenation which found expression on Avraham's coin, advanced age being represented on one side of the coin and youth on the other. Although the language of the gemara might suggest that Avraham's coin actually bore his likeness and that of his wife, as is customary even today in coinage throughout the world, the commentaries point out that it was only the aforementioned words which were engraved in this coin and not any human likeness. Tosefot explains that it is inconceivable that Avraham's likeness should appear on his coin because it is forbidden to make an engraving of any human likeness. (See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 141:4). The same source cited by the gemara for Avraham's coin also mentions a special coin that was issued in Yerushalayim. On one side were written the words David and Shlomo and on the other, Yerushalayim the Holy City. Bava Kama 97b ===================================== If you like this e-mail please share it with a friend. ===================================== To subscribe to this list please e-mail DafYomi-subscribe@ohr.edu To unsubscribe e-mail DafYomi-unsubscribe@ohr.edu ===================================== (C) 2001 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.