JTF.ORG Forum
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Dr. Dan on October 22, 2021, 05:17:49 PM
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Why does God ask Abraham, “Why is Sarah laughing after hearing she will give birth to a boy?”
Doesn’t God already know what a person thinks to ask such a question?
(Perhaps God asks Abraham the question to inform him of Sarah’s doubt?)
However in the following lines, she does an Eve move by denying responsibility of her lack of emuna or perhaps disparaging thoughts or comments about her husband.
In the previous parasha Abraham also laughs when hears the same thing. What’s the difference between his laughter and Sarah’s?
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Question #2
Since when does God have second thoughts as He asks himself whether or not he will not tell Abraham what he will do to Sodom and Amorah. That’s a peculiar thing that God has a moment of doubt. An all powerful Creator doesn’t doubt.
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It is a general principle that the Torah speaks about God in the language of man using anthropomorphism, as explained in Tractate Berachot 31b. Such expressions are not meant to be taken as if God literally doesn't know what a person thinks or that He has second thoughts.
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In regards to this instance of asking the reader if He should tell Abraham of the destruction that was about to happen, it may have been a rhetorical question with an answer explain to us why it was necessary to tell such a decent righteous man about what kind of justice God carries.
Abraham did have a lapse of judgement when he made a pact with abimelech by letting him keep a part of Eretz yisrael that God had promised Abraham. What immediately followed was the akedah.
One can learn that Jewish land for peace can lead to a parent sacrificing his children to wars and terrorism.
Nobody taught this lesson except for rabbi Kahane.