Vayeira 21:1 · unit 2

Parashas Vayeira · Passuk 21:1

The Complete Passuk

וַֽיהֹוָ֛ה פָּקַ֥ד אֶת־שָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמָ֑ר וַיַּ֧עַשׂ יְהֹוָ֛ה לְשָׂרָ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר׃

And Hashem visited Sarah as He had said, and Hashem did for Sarah as He had spoken.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Bava Kamma 92a.

TT lemma: כאשר אמר.

Sefaria — Bava Kamma 92a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמָר. אָמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא לְרַבָּה בַּר מָרִי, מְנָא הָא מִילְּתָא דַּאֲמוּר רַבָּנַן כָּל הַמְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל חֲבֵרוֹ וְהוּא צָרִיךְ לְאוֹתוֹ דָּבָר הוּא נַעֲנֶה תְּחִלָּה? דִּכְתִיב וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אַבְרָהָם [עַל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ] וּכְתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ וַה׳ פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמָר – כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר אַבְרָהָם עַל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ.

English: “As He had said.” Rava said to Rabbah bar Mari: From where is the matter that the Sages said, “Whoever seeks mercy for his fellow when he himself needs that same thing is answered first”? As it is written, “And Avraham prayed [for Avimelech],” and immediately afterward, “And Hashem visited Sarah as He had said”—as Avraham had said concerning Avimelech.

On the daf / in context: Avraham’s prayer for Avimelech’s household is immediately followed by Sarah’s own visitation, proving the principle that one who prays for another in need is answered first for himself.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Narrative sequence yields a rule of intercessory prayer.

What Is Learned

One who prays for his fellow when he himself needs the same thing is answered first; Avraham prayed for Avimelech and was immediately answered for Sarah.