Vayeira 18:9 · unit 4

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 18:9

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵׄלָ֔יׄוׄ אַיֵּ֖ה שָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר הִנֵּ֥ה בָאֹֽהֶל׃

They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “Behold, in the tent.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bava Metzia 87a.

TT lemma: הנה באהל.

Sefaria — Bava Metzia 87a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
הִנֵּה בָאֹהֶל. לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁשָּׂרָה אִמֵּנוּ צְנוּעָה הָיְתָה.

English: “Behold, in the tent.” This is to inform us that Sarah our mother was modest.

On the daf / in context: The same answer is also taken as evidence of Sarah’s personal tzeniut—she remained inside rather than coming out to the visitors.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The location of Sarah is read as a character trait of modesty.

What Is Learned

Sarah remained inside the tent, demonstrating the virtue of modesty.