The Hebrew letter י (yud), whose gematria (numerical value) is 10, HKB"H took from the name of the Matriarch Sarah was divided. Half, i.e. one ה (heh), whose value is 5, was given to Sarah when her name was changed from שָרַי (Sarai) to שָרָה (Sarah), and half, the other ה (heh) to Avraham when his name was changed from אַבְרָם (Avram) to אַבְרָהָם (Avraham). (Yerushalmi Sahedrin 2:6)
There were four beautiful women in the world, Sarah, Rachav, Avigayil, and Ester (Megillah 15a). Yiskah (Bereishit 11:29) is also Sarah. Why was she called יִסְכָּה (Yiskah). This was because she was so beautiful that everyone would gaze סָכָה (sachah) at her beauty. (Rashi; Taanit; Bava Metzia). There was another reason that she was called Yiskah; she was a prophetess, and with divine inspiration she could gaze (sachah) into the future.
Since the name signifies a person's essence, the fact that Sarah has two major names teaches us that she has a dual nature. As Avraham's wife performing the will of her husband, she is called Sarah; as the prophetess who sees with prophetic spirit, she is called Yiskah.
Yiskah is a childhood name, which changes when the young woman understands tzniut (modesty) and she no longer allows people to admire her. The name she chooses for herself is Sarai. Interestingly, Rashi writes that “alternatively, Yiskah is an expression denoting princedom (n’sichut) just as Sarah is an expression of dominion (s’rara) [from Talmud, Megillah 14a].”
Bereishit 12:11
הִנֵּה-נָא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אִשָּׁה יְפַת-מַרְאֶה אָתְּ
hineh-na yadati ki ishah yefat-mar'eh at
Behold, I am well aware that you are a woman of beautiful appearance.
The word הנה (hineh) usually appears as an introduction to something new as in Bereishit 19:20 where Lot introduces his request to spare the town of Tzo'ar by saying, "behold, after all, is this city which is nearby." Another example of a new subject being introduced with the word "hineh" appears in Bereishit 22:6 when Yitzchak prefaces his inquiry about where the lamb for the sacrifice is with the word "hineh."
On the other hand, the word נא (na) is usually an expression introducing a request which appeals to the goodwill of the other party as that particular request cannot be justified legally. The person making the request uses the word נא to put his opposite number in a forgiving mood, a state of mind in which it is easier to grant the request about to be made of him. When Avram wanted to get Sarai's approval to tell a white lie he prefaced his request by complimenting her physical attractiveness. According to Bereishit Rabbah 40:4 what Avram meant was that although under normal circumstances travel and the strains experienced on a journey detract from a woman's beauty, at least temporarily, he found that Sarai's beauty had not only not been diminished but appeared to have been enhanced further by that experience. This proved to be an unexpected source of danger to his life; hence he made this request that she should tell a white lie.
Tanchuma on Lech Lecha 5 claims that Avraham had never looked at Sarai in a way that made him notice her beauty as he had made a promise to his eyes not to use them in a manner which would arouse his desire for physical gratification. A reference to such conduct is found in Iyov 31:1, I have covenanted with my eyes not to gaze at a maiden." It is not unusual to find that the righteous enter into such "covenants" with a number of their organs in order to ensure that these organs would not cause them any harm. This is similar to someone make a treaty with a former enemy that he would not harm him. The Torah urges us, "do not make a treaty with them or their god" (Shemot 23:32) - the Gentile nations resident in the land of Kenaan. Chazal in Bava Batra 16 commented on this that there is no ememy who causes as much harm to another person as do his own deeds. Chazal on the same folio comment, "earth in his mouth." They ridiculed what appeared to be Iyov's superior piety by saying, "granted Iyov had undertaken not to look at other maidens but he had not denied himself the pleasure of admiring the beauty of his own wife." Avram, however, had not even looked at the beauty of his own wife prior to his arrival at the border of Egypt.
The simple meaning of the verse is ‘the time has come when we must be concerned about your beauty. I have known already for a long time that you are of fair appearance, but now we are coming among the brothers of Kushim, and they are not accustomed to a [fair and] beautiful woman.’
Bereishit 17
וַיֹּאמֶר אלוקים אֶל-אַבְרָהָם שָׂרַי אִשְׁתְּךָ לֹא-תִקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמָהּ שָׂרָי כִּי שָׂרָה שְׁמָהּ
Vayomer ELOKIM el-Avraham Sarai ishtecha lo-tikra et-shemah Sarai ki Sarah shemah
G-d said to Avraham, "Sarai your wife, do not call her by the name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.
The name change is connected with their ability to have children. The Hebrew words for man and woman are ish and isha. The letters that distinguish them are yud and heh. Kli Yakar explains that Hashem exchanged the masculine letter י (yud) of Sarai’s name with the letter ה (heh), in order to empower her with feminine energy and enable her to give birth. Hashem created the world with the letter ה (heh). Therefore this letter is endowed with the power of procreation (See Rashi on Bereishit 2:4).
“The י (yud) has the numerical value of ten whereas the ה (heh) is equal to five. Thus the י (yud) in Sarai’s name equals the sum of both the ה (heh) for which it was exchanged and the ה (heh) that was added to Avram’s name. The heh with its birthing power was added to Avram’s name from the י (yud) of Sarai to indicate that it was Sarah’s merit that caused both of them to give birth to the progenitor of the Jewish people.”
While Avraham was the father of many nations, Sarah alone was selected to be the mother of the Jewish people. From this we learn that Jewish descent follows the mother.Chava is the prototype of all women, Sarah is the prototype of all Jewish women.
At her death, Sarah is not given the title of “The wife of Avraham.” She is simply mentioned in her own right, as the verse reads, “Sarah died in Kiriat Arba” (Bereishit 23:2). When she left this world, having fulfilled her life, she did not need to stand in the shadow of her husband; her individual perfection and merit stood alone. This is Yiskah, the true Jewish princess. From her, we learn that every Jewish woman, aside from being her husband's right hand, must develop her own spiritual connection with Hashem. This level of holiness enables her to become “a woman of valor [who] is a crown to her husband” (Mishlei 12:4).
May HASHEM continue to enlighten us with the Light of His Torah.
- Chazal
