First conversation between husband and wife in the Torah

A friend of mine, David Tauber, shared an interesting dvar Torah Friday night about the first conversation recorded in the Torah between husband, and wife. There were extenuating circumstances that brought about this conversation - namely, Avraham thought he would be killed because the Egyptians would be enraptured by his wife. That notwithstanding, the first time Avraham turned to his wife was to tell her, "Now I know how beautiful you are. (Given your beauty) the Egyptians will kill me, but not kill you. Please say you are my sister, so that I will benefit in turn thanks to you, and will live in your merit."

An odd conversation, make no doubt about it.

The rest of the story is known, Sarah is taken into Pharaoh's home, captive, bereft of her husband, and then the plagues brought upon Pharaoh's household lead him to introspect and realize that he has been dooped. 

David explained the communication between Avraham and Sarah in the following manner. The famine brought upon Egypt was firstly material, but also, spiritual, hinted at by the fact that famine was mentioned twice in the verse. 

Avraham was essentially going down to Egypt to better the people spiritually, to serve as a beacon not only for the Egyptians but also for his offspring who would later be enslaved there. 

Avraham, thus, was turning and saying our fate is intertwined, yours and mine. You too will benefit from me being alive, for if I am killed, you will have no one to wed, and with whom you can perpetuate Hashem's mission on Earth. Please, then, do me this favor, as my role - and yours - is to enhance the recognition of Hashem's name in this world, the wealth we will attain to serve as a tool to bring closer to Hashem. Avraham simply did his part in plotting the first step in a very trying situation; the rest, though, was in God's hands, as clearly evidenced by how the events unfolded from thereon in. 

Shavuah tov,

Yoav

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