Toldos

The passuk says, “Esav said in his heart… ‘and I’ll kill Yaakov my brother.'” The next passuk continues “and it was told to Rivka…” Rashi explains it was told to her with ruach hakodesh, because Esav only thought in his heart what to do to Yaakov. Rivka then calls Yaakov and commands him “and get up and run away to Lavan.” A few pesukim later Rivka tells Yitzchak that the Bnos Chais are no good to marry… Yitzchak then tells Yaakov to go to Padan Aram to find a wife to marry.

Avi Mori shlita from the Ohr HaChaim says: here we see that Rivka sent Yaakov “running away for his life”, but Yitzchak didn’t know this because Rivka was careful from the issur rechilus and never told him. Rather Yitzchak sent Yaakov to “go and find a wife.”

The passuk says (in Parshas Vayeira) “and Sara saw the son of Hagar the Mitzris was מצחק.” Rashi explains this means gilui arayos, or shfichas damim, or avodah zara. Meaning, Sara saw that Yishmael was doing from the 3 most stringent aveiros. She then tells Avraham “send away the maidservant and her son because her son will not inherit with my son, with Yitzchak.” In her telling Avraham to send away Yishmael she mentioned nothing about the aveira that she saw Yishamel doing. She only claimed he’s not fitting to inherit.

Rav Schwab zatzal says we see from here an unbelievable example of how careful one needs to be not to do any chait with one’s tongue!

We learn very similar lessons from Sara and Rivka. Although they had ruach hakodesh and knew many hidden things, still they were careful not to add anything bad when it wasn’t necessary.

Why does the Torah hint to us this message from the Imahos? Maybe we can explain with what I heard from Avi Mori shlita. A mother teaches her children how to speak, from the lashon אמירה.  (A mother also teaches her children to speak אמת, and to have אמונה. All these three words come from lashon אם, mother.) Therefore the Torah teaches the message of speaking properly through the Imahos.

May Hashem help us be careful with what we say and follow the ways of the Imahos!