Parashat Lekh Lekha

... G-d stressed that He would perform an act that would neutralise any negative decree from which Avram suffered, i.e. changing both his and his wife’s name. People called: Avraham, and: Sarah, had never been decreed to remain childless. According to the Midrash, originally Avram lacked 5 important organs: eyes, ears, as well as the glans. The glans is called “the head of the body,” as sacrificing, i.e. circumcising it is equivalent to offering one’s entire body as an offering to G-d. (Compare Talmud, Nedarim 32.) When G-d added the letter ה to his name, He supplied these missing 5 organs of his body. This is meant when G-d invited him to become תמים, “whole, a perfect specimen. (Genesis 17,1)

Know that Abraham our father unintentionally committed a great sin by bringing his righteous wife to a stumbling-block of sin on account of his fear for his life. He should have trusted that G-d would save him and his wife and all his belongings for G-d surely has the power to help and to save. His leaving the Land, concerning which he had been commanded from the beginning, on account of the famine, was also a sin he committed, for in famine G-d would redeem him from death. It was because of this deed that the exile in the land of Egypt at the hand of Pharaoh was decreed for his children. In the place of justice, there is wickedness and sin.

The verse repeats the word "famine" in order to teach us that although Abraham tried to sell his property and trust in God, the famine nonetheless affected him severely, so he fulfilled the precept, "If there is a famine, leave town." And this was a divine test for Abraham to see whether he would know what God's will was. And Ramban is wrong when he wrote that Abraham committed a sin by leaving Israel and should have had trusted God. Of course Abraham trusted God as much as possible, but this famine is what God planned...this is what is meant in the Talmud (Yevamot 63) that suffering only comes to the world in order to test Israel.

(1) הנה נא ידעתי BEHOLD NOW I KNOW — The Midrashic explanation is: Until now he had not perceived her beauty owing to the extreme modesty of both of them; now, however, through this event, he became cognisant of it (Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 5). Another explanation: Usually, because of the exertion of travelling a person becomes uncomely, but she had retained her beauty (Genesis Rabbah 40:4).

(1) למען ייטב לי, so that when you will say that you are my sister, each one will entertain the hope that I will agree to your marrying them. Therefore, none of them will have any reason to kill me. Rather, he will seek my approval by offering me a dowry for you. It was the custom in those days that the father of the bride would be bribed with money or its equivalent to agree to let his daughter marry someone.

If Pharaoh gave him sheep and slaves, it would have been appropriate (for the Torah) to say, "He gave him," as was said regarding Avimelech. Moreover, it is not conceivable to say that (the words) "it went well" (in the verse) refer to some kind of benefit (from Pharaoh.) If Pharaoh had given Abraham a large gift like this, slaves, maidservants, sheep, cattle, and camels, then why would Abraham refuse the property that the King of Sodom offered him? He did not want to accept gifts from the King of Sodom, so why would he accept gifts from Pharaoh? Rather, the meaning of the verse is that Abraham lost nothing of what he already owned.

(1) 'וינגע ה' וגו AND THE LORD PLAGUED PHARAOH etc. — He was smitten with the disease of Raathon which demands close continence

God protected Abraham so that they wouldn't punish him for what he did, and made sure that they didn't take the gifts that Pharaoh gave him because they were afraid of divine punishment. To the contrary, they gave him an escort so that nobody would touch him.