Parshat Lech L'Cha
In 17:17 after Hashem tells Avraham that he will be having a child, Avraham falls on his face in laughter saying in his heart can a hundred year old man have a child born? And Sarah that is 90 years old can bear a child?
What's the big deal? He just had a child a few years ago at the young age of 86? That could happen but not by 100? 86 is normal and 100 is crazy?
Even according to Rashi who compares Avraham to previous generations that had children at 130+, Rashi still says that that had been well before Avraham's time. But in Avraham's time it was normal to have children at 60 or 70. So even according to Rashi 86 was still well out of the normal range of child bearing, so why was 100 so unusual that it caused Avraham to break out in laughter while talking with Hashem?
Any ideas?
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3 comments:
I have been reading your divrei torah for a while (im your secret admirer, kinda that is) I enjoy them.. (can you write them before shabbos.. ok I'm being a bit pushy)
to answer your question about why is 90 crazy but 86 normal? easily said you only get hit by lightning once!!!
on a more serious note, I highly doubt that avrohom laughed the way we do, the way we make fun of people. the tzechok was he thought to himself how can it be. his wife hadn't had any dam nidah, for a while, it was just imposibble, that's what he was shocked about- about the baby at 90 if she was still young at heart would of been ok.
thanks again...
thanks for the kind words... I almost always write them on Wednesday or Thursday the latest. This past week I wrote them Thursday night because that was the first opportunity I had because my wife gave birth to a girl on Wednesday morning...
I think Avraham laugh was really about the capability now revealed by G-d related to Sarah: that she could bear a child.
Mazel tov for your new baby girl!
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