Q&A: Our Forefather Abraham
Our Forefather Abraham
Question
Hello Rabbi, Rashi infers from the Torah (maybe this has an earlier source) that Abraham did not look at Sarah his wife for years. And I couldn’t understand what the point of that is. Is physicality something bad in itself? I understand that only physicality that contradicts values and the laws of the Torah is bad. So why would our forefather Abraham not look at his wife, even though this was halakhically permitted? We also do not find any reason to be stringent about this.
Answer
Agreed.
Discussion on Answer
You’re allowed to say anything. Say what you think.
Rashi infers it from the wording. Generally Rashi doesn’t make things up, so it’s reasonable that it’s true. Why isn’t this a question for you that should prove otherwise about our view of physicality? I think that throughout history there were many people who saw physicality as some kind of evil—so why isn’t this proof for them? I also prefer a different approach, but the question bothers me and the solution seems to be this, no?
Rashi is bringing an aggadic midrash here; he isn’t inferring anything from any word. By the way, speaking of aggadic midrashim, she is called Yiskah because everyone gazed at her beauty (everyone, including Abraham). You relate to aggadic midrashim in a rather childish way. Rashi is trying to promote a certain view about the proper attitude toward a woman and her modesty, and I don’t agree with that view. That’s all.
Can one say that it probably just isn’t true? Or is that something one may not say?