After they entered and were seated, the Slonimer Rebbe gave an apple to the young Chaim, who proceeded to take a voracious bite without first making a blessing. The Rebbe voiced his disapproval to his chossid, noting that if he were a better teacher, his student would understand the importance of reciting a blessing before eating. The young Chaim rejoined by passing the buck one step higher and impudently suggesting that if the Rebbe were on a higher level, his chassidim would be better teachers, who in turn would have better students.

            The Darkei Mussar similarly suggests that Hashem understood that Sorah’s knowledge and beliefs were learned from Avrohom. If she demonstrated a deficiency in her emunah and bitachon (faith and trust), she must have subconsciously picked it up through observing Avrohom. It was for this reason that Hashem transferred the ultimate blame to Avrohom and approached him to demand an explanation.

V’Hashem pakad es Sorah ka’asher amar vaya’as Hashem l’Sorah ka’asher dibeir (21:1)

Rashi writes that the section recounting Sorah’s conception of Yitzchok is juxtaposed to Avrohom’s prayers that Avimelech’s wife and maids be able to conceive (20:17-18) to teach that if a person prays on behalf of somebody else when he himself needs that same thing, he will be answered first. A man once approached Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein with a fascinating question about this concept.

It is traditionally understood that this procedure works as a reward for the selflessness demonstrated by somebody who desperately needs something himself, yet is able to magnanimously overlook his own personal needs to pray for another person in need of that very same thing. The man questioned whether this technique will still be effective when a person needs something and knows of somebody else who needs the same thing and prays for that person only out of a hope that doing so will cause him to be answered, or must the prayers for the other be genuine in order for this method to work?

Rav Zilberstein answered based on the Maharal’s explanation of this idea. The Maharal writes that Hashem is the source of all blessings which come to the world. However, in order for His blessings to descend upon a person, there must be a conduit which connects that person to the Heavenly source of goodness and facilitates the transfer. One such channel is prayer. When we pray to Hashem, we connect ourselves to Him and allow Him to bestow His bounty upon us. When one prays on behalf of another and his prayers are answered, he becomes the channel which links his friend to the Divine source of blessing.

When a person uses a hose to water his lawn, the hose – which serves as the conduit for the transfer of water – becomes wet even before the grass does. Similarly, a person who merits serving as the medium by which Hashem bestows His kindness upon another becomes “wet” with the goodness even before it reaches its ultimate target. Therefore, although it may be contrary to conventional wisdom, the power of prayer is so great that one who prays for his friend – even for ulterior motives – will still merit to be answered first.

Parsha Points to Ponder (and sources which discuss them):

1)     Rashi writes (18:8) that although Avrohom had requested Sorah to make bread, it wasn’t served because it became impure when Sorah touched it, and the Gemora in Bava Metzia (87a) teaches that Avrohom was careful to eat all of his food in a state of ritual purity. Although Avrohom observed this stringency, why did he impose it on the guests and deny them the opportunity to enjoy the bread? (Rabbeinu Bechaye, Pardes Yosef, Peninim Vol. 6, Chavatzeles HaSharon)

2)     The angel which informed Sorah that she would merit to bear a child promised that he would return to visit them later, at which time Sorah would have a child (18:10). Where do we find that the angel ever returned? (Tosefos Rid)

3)     Because she violated she commandment (19:17) not to look back at the destruction of Sodom, Lot’s wife was punished and turned into a pillar of salt (19:26). Was her punishment considered a unique punishment for violating the specific command against looking back at Sodom, or by looking back did she lose her merit to be saved and was therefore destroyed as part of the more general decree to wipe out Sodom? (Biurei Mahar”i, Nesivos Rabboseinu, Tzafnas Paneiach)

4)     Tosefos writes (Shabbos 130a) that Avrohom made a festive meal on the day of Yitzchok’s circumcision (21:8). If a person is invited to attend a circumcision and a pidyon haben (redemption of the first-born son) which are occurring at the same time and he may attend only one, to which one should he go? (Shu”t Shraga HaMeir 2:89, Bishvilei HaParsha)