AND THE MEN OF THE PLACE ASKED HIM OF HIS WIFE; AND HE SAID: SHE IS MY SISTER. Like Abraham before him, he referred with these words to the Shekinah, which was with him as well as with Rebekah his wife; for like Abraham he carried out the injunction: “Say unto wisdom: Thou art my sister” (Prov. 7, 4). They were further entitled to call her sister in virtue of the verse, “My sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled” (S. S. 5, 2), for it is for this that the righteous cleave to God.
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE HAD BEEN THERE A LONG TIME… WITH REBEKAH HIS WIFE. The particle eth (with) indicates that it was the Shekinah that was with Rebekah. In any case it is not to be supposed that Abimelech saw Isaac having intercourse with his wife in the daytime, for this would be contrary to the dictum: “Israel are holy and they abstain from cohabitation in the daytime.”
But the truth is that Abimelech was an astrologer, and the window through which he looked was nothing but the planetary constellation. [The word “window” is similarly used in the passage: “Through the window she looked forth, and peered, the mother of Sisera” (Jud. 5, 28).] Abimelech by this means discovered that, contrary to Isaac’s assertion, Rebekah was his wife. SO ABIMELECH CALLED ISAAC, AND SAID, ETC. R. Jose said: ‘Abimelech would have behaved toward Isaac as he behaved toward Abraham, were it not that God had reproved him in the previous case.
Note that when Abraham said, “Surely the fear of God is not in this place” (Gen. 20, 11), his reason for thinking so was that the people lacked faith, and had they possessed faith, he would have had no need to act as he did.’
R. Eleazar said: ‘The Shekinah does not abide outside the Holy Land, and that is what Abram meant by saying that “the fear of God is not in this place”, namely, that this was not the place where the Shekinah could find abode. Isaac, however, held fast to the true faith under the inspiration of the Shekinah, which he saw residing, as it were, within his wife.’
(בראשית כ״ו:ז׳) וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם לְאִשְׁתּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר אֲחוֹתִי הִיא, כְּמָה דְּאָמַר אַבְרָהָם בְּגִין דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא הֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ וְעִם אִתְּתֵיהּ, וּבְגִין שְׁכִינְתָּא קָאֲמַר, דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ז׳:ד׳) אֱמוֹר לַחָכְמָה אֲחוֹתִי אָתְּ. וְעַל דָּא אִתְתַּקַּף וְאָמַר אֲחוֹתִי הִיא. תוּ, אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק, הָכִי אִתְחֲזֵי, דְּוַדַּאי בְּגִין קְרָא דִּכְתִיב (שיר השירים ה׳:ב׳) אֲחוֹתִי רַעֲיָתִי יוֹנָתִי תַמָּתִי, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַדַּאי אִתְחֲזֵי לוֹן לוֹמַר, אֲחוֹתִי הִיא, וְעַל דָּא אִתְתַּקָּפוּ צַדִּיקַיָיא בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
AND THE MEN OF THE PLACE ASKED HIM OF HIS WIFE; AND HE SAID: SHE IS MY SISTER. Like Abraham before him, he referred with these words to the Shekinah, which was with him as well as with Rebekah his wife; for like Abraham he carried out the injunction: “Say unto wisdom: Thou art my sister” (Prov. 7, 4). They were further entitled to call her sister in virtue of the verse, “My sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled” (S. S. 5, 2), for it is for this that the righteous cleave to God.
(בראשית כ״ו:ח׳) וַיְהִי כִּי אָרְכוּ לוֹ שָׁם הַיָּמִים וְגו'. אֶת רִבְקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ דַּיְיקָא, (ודא שכינתא, כמה דעבודה זרה כתיב בה (שמות ל״ב:ו׳) ויקומו לצחק הכי נמי מצחק את) דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא דְּהֲוַת עִמָּהּ דְּרִבְקָה. דָבָר אַחֵר, וְכִי סַלְּקָא דַּעְתָּךְ דְּיִצְחָק הֲוָה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עַרְסֵיהּ בִּימָמָא, דְּהָא תָּנִינָן יִשְׂרָאֵל קַדִּישִׁין אִינוּן וְלָא מְשַׁמְשֵׁי עַרְסַיְיהוּ בִּימָמָא, וְיִצְחָק דְּהֲוָה קַדִּישׁ, הֲוָה מְשַׁמֵּשׁ עַרְסֵיהּ בִּימָמָא.
AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN HE HAD BEEN THERE A LONG TIME… WITH REBEKAH HIS WIFE. The particle eth (with) indicates that it was the Shekinah that was with Rebekah. In any case it is not to be supposed that Abimelech saw Isaac having intercourse with his wife in the daytime, for this would be contrary to the dictum: “Israel are holy and they abstain from cohabitation in the daytime.”
אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ חַכִּים הֲוָה, וְאִיהוּ אִסְתַּכַּל בְּאִצְטַגְנִינוּתָא דִילֵיהּ, דְּאִיהוּ חַלּוֹן. כְּתִיב הָכָא (בראשית כ״ו:ח׳) בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (שופטים ה׳:כ״ח) בְּעַד הַחַלּוֹן נִשְׁקָפָה וַתְּיַבֵּב אֵם סִיסְרָא, מַה לְּהַלָּן בְּאִצְטַגְנִינוּתָא, אוּף הָכִי נָמֵי בְּאִצְטַגְנִינוּתָא, וְחָמָא דְּלָא הֲוָה כְּמָה דְהֲוָה אָמַר יִצְחָק. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי אִיהוּ מְצַחֵק עִמָּהּ, וְאִיהִי אִתְּתֵיהּ. וּכְדֵין (בראשית כ״ו:ט׳) וַיִּקְרָא אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לְיִצְחָק וַיֹּאמֶר וְגו'. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, יָאוֹת הֲוָה אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לְמֶעְבַּד לְיִצְחָק כְּמָה דְעֲבַד לְאַבְרָהָם, בַּר דְּהָא אוֹכַח לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּקַדְמִיתָא.
But the truth is that Abimelech was an astrologer, and the window through which he looked was nothing but the planetary constellation. [The word “window” is similarly used in the passage: “Through the window she looked forth, and peered, the mother of Sisera” (Jud. 5, 28).] Abimelech by this means discovered that, contrary to Isaac’s assertion, Rebekah was his wife. SO ABIMELECH CALLED ISAAC, AND SAID, ETC. R. Jose said: ‘Abimelech would have behaved toward Isaac as he behaved toward Abraham, were it not that God had reproved him in the previous case.
תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב כִּי אָמַרְתִּי רַק אֵין יִרְאַת אֱלהִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, בְּגִין כָּךְ אָמַר אֲחוֹתִי הִיא, בְּגִין לְאִתְדַּבָּקָא בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דִּכְתִיב, (משלי ז׳:ד׳) אֱמוֹר לַחָכְמָה אֲחוֹתִי אָתְּ. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דְּבְּהוּ לָא הֲוָה מְהֵימְנוּתָא, דְּאִי מְהֵימְנוּתָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בֵּינַיְיהוּ, לָא הֲוָה אִצְטְרִיךְ. אֲבָל מִגּוֹ דְּלָא הֲוָה בֵּינַיְיהוּ מְהֵימְנוּתָא, אָמַר הָכִי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר (בראשית כ׳:י״א) כִּי אָמַרְתִּי רַק אֵין יִרְאַת אֱלהִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶה. אֵין יִרְאַת אֱלהִים, דָּא מְהֵימְנוּתָא.
Note that when Abraham said, “Surely the fear of God is not in this place” (Gen. 20, 11), his reason for thinking so was that the people lacked faith, and had they possessed faith, he would have had no need to act as he did.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, בְּגִין דְּלָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא וְעַל דָּא אֵין יִרְאַת אֱלהִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, דְּלַאו אַתְרֵיהּ הוּא, וְלָא שַׁרְיָא הָכָא. וְיִצְחָק אִתְתַּקַּף בֵּיהּ בִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, דְּחָמָא דְהָא שְׁכִינְתָּא גוֹ אִתְּתֵיהּ שַׁרְיָא.
R. Eleazar said: ‘The Shekinah does not abide outside the Holy Land, and that is what Abram meant by saying that “the fear of God is not in this place”, namely, that this was not the place where the Shekinah could find abode. Isaac, however, held fast to the true faith under the inspiration of the Shekinah, which he saw residing, as it were, within his wife.’