ארבע נשים יפיפיות היו בעולם - קשה אמאי לא חשיב חוה דהא אמרינן בפ' חזקת הבתים (ב"ב דף נח.) שרה לפני חוה כקוף בפני אדם ויש לומר דלא חשיב אלא אותן הנולדות מאשה:
There were four women of extraordinary beauty in the world: this is difficult. Why is Eve not mentioned, als is written in Bava Batra, chapter 3: "Sara compared to Eve is like a monkey compared to a human"? The Braita only mentions women born to women.
“He consorted with Hagar, and she conceived” – Rabbi Levi bar Ḥayata said: She conceived from the initial act of intercourse. Rabbi Elazar said: A woman never conceives from her initial act of intercourse. But is it not written: “Lot’s two daughters conceived from their father”? (Genesis 19:36). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: They manipulated themselves, broke their hymens, and conceived as though it were from a second act of intercourse.
Rabbi Ḥanina ben Pazi said: Thornbushes are neither weeded nor sown, yet they emerge on their own, grow tall, and rise up; as for wheat, [however,] how much travail and how much toil [must one undertake] until they grow. Why were the matriarchs barren? Rabbi Sheila of Kefar Temarta and Rabbi Ḥelbo in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: It is because the Holy One blessed be He desires their prayers and desires their supplications, as it is stated: “My dove, in the clefts of the rock” (Song of Songs 2:14). “My dove, in the clefts” – why did I render you barren? It is for this reason: “Show me your countenance, let me hear your voice” (Song of Songs 2:14).
Rabbi Azarya in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan bar Pappa: It was so that they would become beloved to their husbands in their beauty. Rabbi Huna in name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: So that most of the years would pass without enslavement.
Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Avun said in the name of Rabbi Meir: It was so that their husbands could enjoy them, for whenever a woman carries a fetus, she becomes unsightly and neglected. All ninety years that Sarah did not bear children, she was as [beautiful as] a bride under her wedding canopy.
Noblewomen would come and inquire after Sarah’s wellbeing, and Sarah would say: ‘Go and inquire after the wellbeing of that meek woman’ [Hagar]. Hagar would say to them: ‘My mistress Sarah, her inner reality is not like her outward impression. She gives the impression of being a righteous woman, but she is not a righteous woman. Were she a righteous woman, look at how many years that she did not conceive, whereas I conceived in one night.’ Sarah would then say: ‘Should I have a discussion with this woman? Better that I should have a discussion with her master.’
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹקינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁכָּֽכָה לּוֹ בְּעוֹלָמוֹ.
Upon seeing a beautiful person, tree or field:
Blessed are You... who has such in G-d's universe.
Beauty is illusory;
It is for her fear of the LORD
That a woman is to be praised.
תנו רבנן לעולם יהא אדם רך כקנה ואל יהא קשה כארז מעשה שבא רבי אלעזר (בן ר') שמעון ממגדל גדור מבית רבו והיה רכוב על החמור ומטייל על שפת נהר ושמח שמחה גדולה והיתה דעתו גסה עליו מפני שלמד תורה הרבה נזדמן לו אדם אחד שהיה מכוער ביותר אמר לו שלום עליך רבי ולא החזיר לו אמר לו ריקה כמה מכוער אותו האיש שמא כל בני עירך מכוערין כמותך אמר לו איני יודע אלא לך ואמור לאומן שעשאני כמה מכוער כלי זה שעשית כיון שידע בעצמו שחטא ירד מן החמור ונשתטח לפניו ואמר לו נעניתי לך מחול לי אמר לו איני מוחל לך עד שתלך לאומן שעשאני ואמור לו כמה מכוער כלי זה שעשית היה מטייל אחריו עד שהגיע לעירו יצאו בני עירו לקראתו והיו אומרים לו שלום עליך רבי רבי מורי מורי אמר להם למי אתם קורין רבי רבי אמרו לו לזה שמטייל אחריך אמר להם אם זה רבי אל ירבו כמותו בישראל אמרו לו מפני מה אמר להם כך וכך עשה לי אמרו לו אעפ"כ מחול לו שאדם גדול בתורה הוא אמר להם בשבילכם הריני מוחל לו ובלבד שלא יהא רגיל לעשות כן מיד נכנס רבי אלעזר בן רבי שמעון ודרש לעולם יהא אדם רך כקנה ואל יהא קשה כארז ולפיכך זכה קנה ליטול הימנה קולמוס לכתוב בו ספר תורה תפילין ומזוזות:
The Sages further taught in praise of the reed: A person should always be soft like a reed, and he should not be stiff like a cedar. An incident occurred in which Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, came from Migdal Gedor, from his rabbi’s house, and he was riding on a donkey and strolling on the bank of the river. And he was very happy, and his head was swollen with pride because he had studied much Torah. He happened upon an exceedingly ugly person, who said to him: Greetings to you, my rabbi, but Rabbi Elazar did not return his greeting. Instead, Rabbi Elazar said to him: Worthless [reika] person, how ugly is that man. Are all the people of your city as ugly as you? The man said to him: I do not know, but you should go and say to the Craftsman Who made me: How ugly is the vessel you made. When Rabbi Elazar realized that he had sinned and insulted this man merely on account of his appearance, he descended from his donkey and prostrated himself before him, and he said to the man: I have sinned against you; forgive me. The man said to him: I will not forgive you go until you go to the Craftsman Who made me and say: How ugly is the vessel you made. He walked behind the man, trying to appease him, until they reached Rabbi Elazar’s city. The people of his city came out to greet him, saying to him: Greetings to you, my rabbi, my rabbi, my master, my master. The man said to them: Who are you calling my rabbi, my rabbi? They said to him: To this man, who is walking behind you. He said to them: If this man is a rabbi, may there not be many like him among the Jewish people. They asked him: For what reason do you say this? He said to them: He did such and such to me. They said to him: Even so, forgive him, as he is a great Torah scholar. He said to them: For your sakes I forgive him, provided that he accepts upon himself not to become accustomed to behave like this. Immediately, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, entered the study hall and taught: A person should always be soft like a reed and he should not be stiff like a cedar, as one who is proud like a cedar is likely to sin. And therefore, due to its gentle qualities, the reed merited that a quill is taken from it to write with it a Torah scroll, phylacteries, and mezuzot.
מדרשי תימן, מהדורת ליברמן, עמ' 19
מעשה בר' אלעזר שהיה יפה תואר ביותר והיו שתי עיניו כשתי מרגליות וביקש לישא בת ר' ישמעאל והיה לה אף גסה.
מה עשה אביה? נתן לה אלף דינר בחיקה ואמר לה: אם יאמר לך מפני האף תני לו אלף דינר.
נשאה וישב עמה, מצא אפה גסה ונתכרכמו פניו.
אמרה לו : מה לך רבי?
אמר: "כי יגרתי מפני האף" (דברים ט, יט)
אמרה לו : "מתן בסתר יכפה אף" (משלי כא, יד). ונתנה לו האלף דינר והיתה אשתו עד יום מותו.
Midrashei Teiman, Edição Liberman, p.19
Uma história de Rabi Elazar, que era muito belo, e seus dois olhos eram como pérolas. Ele pediu para se casar com a filha de Rabi Ishmael, e ela tinha um nariz 'grosseiro'.
O que seu pai fez? Deu a ela 1000 dinares em seu colo e disse: Se ele falar alguma coisa para você sobre seu nariz, dê a ele os 1000 dinares.
Se casaram e ele se sentou com ela, encontrou seu nariz grosseiro e tornou-se sombrio.
Ela disse a ele: O que foi Rabi?
Disse: "Pois atemorizei-me diante da ira*" (Deuteronômio 9:19)
Ela disse a ele: "Um presente em segredo apazigua a ira*" (Provérbios 21:14). E lhe deu os 1000 dinares e foi sua esposa até o dia de sua morte.