Sarah's Joy: Nothing Is a Wonder to Hashem

21aOr “And Sarah laughed” may teach a lesson about marveling. The tzaddik must sanctify himself so much, and come so to recognize the wonders and great deeds of the Creator, blessed be He, that he reaches a level where even if he sees some wonder, it does not strike him as a great novelty. Set against the wonders of the Creator, Who has it in His power to do wonder upon wonder, more and more without end, it is nothing new. So when a person marvels at some wonder as a great novelty, he diminishes the praise of the Omnipresent. This is in the spirit of Chazal's words, “Have you finished your Master's praise?”, with their parable of a king who had a million gold dinars and was praised for silver ones.¹

21bThat is “And Sarah laughed”: the word speaks of joy. She was rejoicing over the greatness of the wonder Hashem had done for her, “after I have withered …” “And Hashem said, ‘Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying, Shall I truly give birth?’” Why does this seem such a novelty and great wonder in her eyes? “Is anything too wondrous for Hashem?”:² is there anything that could be a wonder against My power, when I can do greater and greater wonders? Sarah was afraid that Avraham would think she had been laughing and mocking, since tzachakah, “laughed,” can speak not only of joy but also of jest and mockery. Therefore “Sarah denied it, saying, ‘I did not laugh,’ for she was afraid”: that is, she meant, “In my eyes it was not mockery.” And that was the truth; she had only been rejoicing over the greatness of the wonder done for her. “And Avraham said, ‘No, but you did laugh’”:³ even the joy you felt counts as laughter and mockery, Heaven forbid. For this is no novelty before Him, blessed be He, and it is as though one had said, “Have you finished your Master's praise?” It is not the right way for a tzaddik to marvel like this. This is easy to understand.