ספר בראשית

‎Genesis 15,2. “Avram said: ‘My Lord, what will You give me., ‎seeing that I walk on earth without a biological ‎heir?’”15,7. G’d responded immediately, by saying:‎והנה דבר ה' ‏אליו לאמור וגו'‏‎, it is difficult to understand the word ‎לאמור‎, ‎‎“saying, or to say,” since to whom was Avram supposed to tell ‎what follows next?We may better understand this ‎formulation by looking at Numbers 14,13-20 where Moses asks ‎G’d how by wiping out the Jewish people at that time, His name ‎would be exalted amongst the gentiles; on the contrary the ‎gentiles would interpret this as a sign of G’d’s inability to keep His ‎promise to His people. Upon listening to Moses’ argument at that ‎time, G’d relented and forgave the people in accordance with ‎Moses’ argument. On the last words, Rashi comments: “on ‎account of Moses having said due to G’d’s inability, etc.” It is ‎difficult to see in what way Rashi added anything to what Moses ‎had said, as reported by the Torah.Upon reflection, Moses’ ‎comment to G’d about what the Egyptians would say if G’d were ‎to wipe out the Jewish nation is difficult. Did Moses really think ‎that omniscient G’d needed him to tell Him about this? It appears ‎from the fact that Moses bothered to mention this to G’d that the ‎words of a tzaddik do have an influence on G’d’s decisions. ‎This is confirmed in Job 22,28, ‎ותגזר אומר ויקם לך‎, “you will decree ‎and it will be fulfilled;” In the verses quoted from Numbers 14 we ‎find that G’d immediately responded to Moses’ argument by ‎changing the decree. Had G’d wanted to prevent the Egyptians to ‎make the kind of comments Moses had assumed they would make ‎if Israel would be destroyed, He could have brought this about. ‎The fact that He did not, and preferred to cancel His own decree, ‎bears witness to the effectiveness of Moses’ prayer. Moses’ prayer ‎prompted G’d to say: ‎סלחתי‎, “I have forgiven, etc.” It is this that ‎‎Rashi had in mind when he commented on our verse above ‎by saying. “on account of Moses having said, etc.”; Rashi ‎meant if Avram not mentioned the fact that he had no biological ‎heir to G’d, G’d would not have changed a heavenly decree that ‎had been in existence since before he had been born. In order for ‎the decree that Avram would not sire any children to be rescinded ‎or altered, he himself had to mention his grief about such a ‎decree in a prayer. Only then could G’d respond to this prayer. ‎G’d had to use provocative statements in order to get the ‎obedient and unquestioningly loyal Avram to be provoked into ‎making a comment that appeared to question G’d’s promise that ‎he would have children to be converted. The word ‎לאמור‎ in verse ‎‎1 is the Torah’s hint that G’d engaged Avram in the conversation ‎following in order for him in the course of this conversation to ‎reveal to Him that he experienced mental anguish at not having ‎children of his own. Once Avram had revealed this in an ‎unmistakable manner, G’d was able to take into consideration the ‎prayer of a tzaddik and to change the decree Avram had ‎read in the stars. Accordingly, Avram had to be induced to say ‎that Eliezer would be his heir.