GEN1083 If one strikes his friend, even though he recompenses him for the injury, his pain, his medical expenses, his unemployment, and his shame, he is not forgiven until he asks him for forgiveness, as it is written: “And now, return the wife of the man, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you” [that you be forgiven]. Baba Kamma 92a TEMIMAH-GEN 94

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GEN1086 If he were not a prophet, it would not be necessary to return her? – This is the meaning: “Return the wife of the man,” and as to your saying: “Did he not say to me: ‘She is my sister’? he is a prophet and has divined your motives from your deportment.  If a visitor comes to a city, is it customary to ask him: “Is she your wife or your sister”! From here it is to be derived that a Noachide incurs the death penalty in such instances of capital offense where he could have learned the truth and did not. Makkoth 96 TEMIMAH-GEN 94

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GEN1089 The Omnipotence of God created in the heart of the Jew a sense of reverence for the life around him and a holy awe for its mysteries. The pages of Holy Writ reflect such longings and sensation. [this verse, Exodus 1:17, 3:6; Psalm 2:11; 8; 111:5; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10, 15:33, 16:6].   LEHRMAN 153

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GEN1087 Here Abraham is speaking to someone who is foreign to the religion of ancient Israel, but he assumes that Abimelech would understand exactly what he meant by “fear of God” – a sense of common decency or ethical awareness which would keep Abimelech from murdering him to acquire his wife. This meaning is evident also in the case of the (probably Egyptian) midwives who refrain from killing the Israelite newborn males because “they feared God” Exodus 1:21. Conversely, in the aftermath of the Exodus, when the Amalekites attacked the Israelites who were particularly defenseless and vulnerable, Deuteronomy demands that they be wiped out because they did not “Fear God” Deuteronomy 25:18; contrast with Genesis 42:18. (By Elaine Adler Goodfriend, “Ethical Theory and Practice in the Hebrew Bible) OXFORD 36

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GEN1090 The only factor that can ultimately prevent someone from murdering is fear of God.   After God warned Avimelech to restore Sara to her husband, Avimelech summoned Avraham, and demanded an explanation for his claiming to be Sara’s brother.   Avraham told Avimelech that individuals or nations might appear to be great philosophers and humanitarians; they might even have proper manners and good character traits.  But as long as their morality is based on their own logic, we can never be certain that when their desire to do evil is strong, their logic will be able to overcome that desire.  There is only one restraint that we can rely upon to prevent a person from committing a crime: fear of God.  When a person has an overpowering desire to do something wrong, but realizes that God is aware of every hidden act, he will be ashamed to commit the offense.   Avraham therefore said in effect: “Even if you are righteous, since you lack fear of God, I fear that you will murder me to take my wife.” Malbim, commentary on this verse.   PLYN 81

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GEN1088 See [[GEN790]] Genesis 12:13 sister SINAI1 273

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GEN1091 We should forgive people who have wronged us. Avimelech caused Avraham much grief by trying to take away his wife, Sara.   Nevertheless, when Avimelech apologized, Avraham forgave him and prayed to God on his behalf.  The Mishnah cites Abraham’s behavior as an example of how we are obligated to react when asked for forgiveness.  We are forbidden to be cruel toward someone who sincerely seeks our forgiveness; rather we must forgive him wholeheartedly.   Baba Kama 92a; Hilchot Diaso 6:6; Choshen Mishpat 422:1.   It should be noted that Avimelech did not regret his behavior on his own.   He asked Abraham for forgiveness only after God appeared to him in a dream and threatened his life unless he returned Sara to Abraham.   Nevertheless, Abraham forgave him wholeheartedly and prayer for his welfare. Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Finkel in Yad Eliezer, vol. 1, p. 174.  [See also, detailed discussion of laws of forgiveness].   PLYN 82

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GEN1092 … Judaism’s dual covenant represents … On the one hand that we are human, and we share a set of basic obligations to one another by virtue of that fact. We are all in the image and likeness of God. We are all bound by the basic rules of justice and fairness. Every life is sacred. Violence and murder are assaults against the human condition. This is what Abraham meant when he explained to Avimelekh, king of Gerar, why he said Sarah was his sister, not his wife: “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me’” [this verse]. Fear of God-identified as Elokim rather than Hashem -- is assumed in Genesis to be a basic, shared set of principles as to what morality requires, even between strangers.  On the other hand, the covenant of Sinai is not addressed to humanity as a whole. It is addressed specifically to the Israelites in their role as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” Exodus 19:6. This is more demanding than the Noah covenant, both because the Israelites are expected to be exemplars and role models of the holy life, and because there are strong ties of kinship between them. They share a past, a set of memories, and a fate. They are like an extended family. Much of the social legislation, for example in Leviticus 25, uses the language of kinship: “When your brother becomes poor….” There have been ages in which the primary group has been the tribe. The result was war. There have also been attempts to abolish groups altogether in favor of the universal. A classic example was the European Enlightenment. However, group identity returned in the 19th century, in the form of the nation–state and the [worship of] race. The result of European nation– states was two world wars. The worship of race brought about the Holocaust. We cannot escape identity, and hence the tension between in-group and out-group. The only solution known to me that addresses this issue clearly and in a principled way is that of the Torah with its two covenants, one representing our duties to humanity as a whole, the other our duties to our fellow members of the community of fate and faith. This unusual duality represents the two great features of the moral life: the universality of justice and the particularity of love. On this, see Jonathan Sacks, Not in God’s Name (New York: Schocken, 2015), and Avishai Margalit, The Ethics of Memory (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2002).  SACKS xxxi

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GEN1093 … gratitude is a fundamental principle of our holy Torah as the author of the Chinuch notes in his commentary on [this verse]: “The roots of this commandment are that one ought to be grateful and benevolent towards one who did something good for him, and not be duplicitous, two-faced and ungrateful.   For this is an evil trait, and one that is utterly despicable in the eyes of God and men … And when he will imbed this trait in his soul, he will be elevated by it to recognize the goodness of God towards him.” EYES 68

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GEN1094 If one is able, by word of mouth, to prevent harm befalling another, this also constitutes chesed.  An instance of this would be if, by chance, someone happened to meet a group of suspected robbers.  He believed that they intended to rob someone, since he overheard them discussing this person’s wealth.  It is his moral duty to misrepresent, to say that the intended victim is poor, even though he knows, in his heart, that this is not true ... So we find Abraham telling Sarah [this verse].  It would be even better if the person could forewarn the intended victim to guard himself against their nefarious designs.   He is certainly obliged to do so, according to the law of the Torah (end of the Chosen Mishpat).  AHAVCH 225

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