בראשית רבה נ״בBereshit Rabbah 52

Section 4ד׳

וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם אַבְרָהָם, פָּנָה מִפְּנֵי רֵיחַ רָע, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לוֹט בֶּן אֲחִי אַבְרָהָם בָּא עַל שְׁתֵּי בְּנוֹתָיו. אַרְצָה הַנֶּגֶב, שִׁבְעָה שֵׁמוֹת נִקְרְאוּ לוֹ, דָּרוֹם, נֶגֶב, תֵּימָן, יָם וְיָמִין וּסְנִינִים [נֻסַּח אַחֵר: וְסִינִים]. הֵתִיבוּן וְהָכְתִיב (תהלים עה, ז): וְלֹא מִמִּדְבַּר הָרִים. אָמַר לָהֶם אַף הוּא דָּרוֹם הוּא. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בַּר אַבָּא, עָבַר הֲוֵית קַמֵּיהּ כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְּצִפּוֹרִין שְׁמָעִית מִיָּנוּקָא יְתִיבִין וְקָרְיִין וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם אַבְרָהָם, אָמַרְתִּי גְּדוֹלִים דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ הֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּגַחַלְתָּן שֶׁלֹא תִּכָּוֶה, שֶׁנְּשִׁיכָתָן נְשִׁיכַת שׁוּעָל וּלְחִישָׁתָן לְחִישַׁת שָׂרָף וְכָל דִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּגַחֲלֵי אֵשׁ, שֶׁמִּשָּׁעָה שֶׁפֵּרַשׁ אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם מִלּוֹט הָיְתָה פְּרִישָׁתוֹ פְּרִישַׁת עוֹלָם. וַיָּגָר בִּגְרָר, בִּגְרָדִיקִי. (בראשית כ, ב): וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ אֲחֹתִי הִיא, עַל כָּרְחָהּ שֶׁלֹא בְּטוֹבָתָהּ.

“Abraham traveled from there” – he turned away because of the stench, as people were saying that Lot, the son of Abraham’s brother, had consorted with his two daughters. “To the region of the south” – it [the south] is called by seven names: Darom, negev, teiman (Joshua 12:3), ḥeder (Job 37:9), yam (Psalms 107:3), yamin (I Samuel 23:19), and seninim [variant reading: sinim (Isaiah 49:12)]. They raised an objection: But is it not written: “Nor from the wilderness in the harim”? (Psalms 75:7). He said to them: That, too, is the south. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: I was passing by the synagogue in Tzippori, and I heard the children sitting and reciting the verse: “Abraham traveled from there.” I said: ‘Great are the words of the Sages who said: [Warm yourself up by the fire of the Torah scholars,] but be cautious of their glowing coals so that you not be burned, as their bite is like the bite of a fox, and their hiss is like the hiss of a fiery serpent, and all their words are like fiery coals, as from the moment that Abraham separated from Lot, his separation was an eternal separation.’ “He resided in Gerar” – in Geradiki. “Abraham said of Sarah his wife: She is my sister. Avimelekh, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah” (Genesis 20:2). “Abraham said of [el] Sarah his wife: She is my sister” – by force, against her will.

Section 5ה׳

וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים וגו' בַּחֲלוֹם הַלָּיְלָה (בראשית כ, ג), אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִגְלָה עַל נְבִיאֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁדֶּרֶךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם לִפְרשׁ זֶה מִזֶּה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב ד, יב יג): בִּשְׂעִפִּים מֵחֶזְיוֹנוֹת לָיְלָה, וְאֵלַי דָּבָר יְגֻנָּב וגו', מַה בֵּין נְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִנְבִיאֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פַּפָּא וְרַבָּנָן, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פַּפָּא אָמַר מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה נָתוּן הוּא וְאוֹהֲבוֹ בִּטְרַקְלִין, וִילוֹן מֻנָּח בֵּינֵיהֶם, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהָיָה רוֹצֶה לְדַבֵּר עִם אוֹהֲבוֹ הָיָה קוֹפֵל אֶת הַוִּילוֹן וּמְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ, אֲבָל לִנְבִיאֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ מְקַפֵּל אוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא מְדַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם מֵאַחֲרֵי הַוִּילוֹן. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ אִשָּׁה וּפִילֶגֶשׁ, כְּשֶׁהוּא הוֹלֵךְ אֵצֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ הוּא הוֹלֵךְ בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא, וּכְשֶׁהוּא הוֹלֵךְ אֵצֶל שִׁפְחָתוֹ הוֹלֵךְ בְּמַטְמוֹנִיּוֹת. כָּךְ אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִגְלָה עַל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא בַּלַּיְלָה (במדבר כב, כ): וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם לַיְלָה, (בראשית לא, כד): וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי בַּחֲלֹם הַלָּיְלָה, (בראשית כ, ג): וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּחֲלוֹם הַלָּיְלָה. מַה בֵּין נְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִנְבִיאֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, רַבִּי חָמָא בֶּן רַבִּי חֲנִינָא וְרַבִּי יִשָׂשׂכָר מִכְּפַר מַנְדִי, רַבִּי חָמָא אָמַר אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִגְלָה עַל נְבִיאֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא בַּחֲצִי דִּבּוּר, הֵיךְ מַה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (במדבר כג, ד): וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם. אָמַר רַבִּי יִשָׂשׂכָר דִּכְפַר מַנְדִי אֵין הַלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה וַיִּקָּר אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן טֻמְאָה, הֵיךְ מַה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (דברים כג, יא): כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִהְיֶה טָהוֹר מִקְרֶה, אֲבָל נְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּדִבּוּר שָׁלֵם בִּלְשׁוֹן חִבָּה בְּלָשׁוֹן קְדֻשָּׁה בְּלָשׁוֹן שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מְקַלְסִין אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ו, ג): וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן בֵּיבָה (משלי טו, כט): רָחוֹק ה' מֵרְשָׁעִים, אֵלּוּ נְבִיאֵי אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, (משלי טו, כט): וּתְפִלַּת צַדִּיקִים יִשְׁמָע, אֵלּוּ נְבִיאֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הִנְּךָ מֵת עַל הָאִשָּׁה וגו', מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין הַתְרָאָה בִּבְנֵי נֹחַ. וְהִיא בְּעֻלַּת בָּעַל, אָמַר רַבִּי אַחָא בַּעֲלָהּ נִתְעַטֵּר בָּהּ וְהִיא לֹא נִתְעַטְּרָה בְּבַעֲלָהּ. רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי מָרְתָא דְבַעֲלָהּ, בְּכָל מָקוֹם הָאִישׁ גּוֹזֵר, בְּרַם הָכָא (בראשית כא, יב): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָהּ.

“God came to Avimelekh in a dream at night, and He said to him: Behold, you will die because of the woman that you have taken, as she is married to a husband” (Genesis 20:3). “God came to Avimelekh in a dream at night” – Rabbi Yosei said: The Holy One blessed be He appears to the prophets of the nations of the world only at a time that people typically have taken their leave from one another. That is what is written: “In thoughts from visions of the night,” (Job 4:13) “a matter stealthily came to me” (Job 4:12). What is the difference between the prophets of Israel and the prophets of the nations of the world? Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and the Rabbis, Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: This is analogous to a king who was situated with his friend in a great hall, with a curtain placed between them. Whenever he would seek to speak with his friend, he would draw the curtain back and speak with him. But for the prophets of the nations of the world, He does not draw it back, but, rather, he speaks to them from behind the curtain. The Rabbis say: It is analogous to a king who had a wife and a concubine. When he goes to his wife, he goes publicly, but when he goes to his maidservant [the concubine], he goes clandestinely. So, the Holy One blessed be He appears to those of the nations of the world only at night: “God came to Bilam at night” (Numbers 22:20); “God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night” (Genesis 31:24); “God came to Avimelekh in a dream at night.” What is the difference between the prophets of Israel and the prophets of the nations of the world? Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina and Rabbi Yisakhar of Kefar Mandi, Rabbi Ḥama said: The Holy One blessed be He appears to the prophets of the nations of the world only with a truncated form of speech, as it says: “God happened [vayikar] upon Bilam” (Numbers 23:4). Rabbi Yisakhar of Kefar Mandi said: This expression vayikar is nothing other than an expression of impurity, just as it says: “If there will be among you a man who will not be pure due to an…incident [mikre]” (Deuteronomy 23:11). But to the prophets of Israel [He appears] with a complete form of speech, with an expression of endearment, with an expression of sanctity, with the expression with which the ministering angels laud Him, as it is stated: “And this one called to that one and said: Holy, …” (Isaiah 6:3). Rabbi Yosei ben Beiva said: “The Lord is far from the wicked” (Proverbs 15:29) – this refers to the prophets of the nations of the world; “and He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29) – this refers to the prophets of Israel. “God came to Avimelekh in a dream at night, and He said to him: Behold, you will die because of the woman…” – from here we learn that there is no forewarning [necessary] for Noahides. “And she is married to a husband [be’ulat baal]” – Rabbi Aḥa said: Her [Sarah’s] husband was crowned with her but she was not crowned with her husband. The Rabbis say: She was her husband’s superior. Everywhere, the man gives the orders; here, however, “Everything that Sarah says to you, heed her voice” (Genesis 21:12).