The Birth of Isaac (Genesis 21)

 

Verse 1

“Un der Boss up dere visited Sarah, azoy vi er hot gezogt—‘Nu, a promise is a promise, bubbala!’—and der Boss did for Sarah exactly what he had texted Avraham mit WhatsApp long ago.”

Commentary:

This is not just any verse, this is a Rosh Hashanah special. Why? Because on Rosh Hashanah, Hashem opened the fertility app of heaven and sent Sarah a push notification: “Mazal tov, you’re pregnant!”

Rashi: “If you pray for somebody else’s problem, while you’re kvetching about the same problem, Hashem gives you first dibs. Avraham prayed for Abimelech’s ladies to get pregnant, and boom—Sarah gets the first maternity coupon.”

Takeaway: If you’re single, pray for your single friends. If you’re broke, pray for your broke uncle. If you’re hangry, pray for your neighbor’s fridge. Who knows, maybe Hashem will Amazon Prime the blessing to you first.

Verse 2

“And Sarah conceived—yes, a 90-year-old influencer with zero IVF treatments—and she bore Abraham a son, mamash in his golden years, exactly when G-d said, ‘Mark your Google calendar, next year at this time, baby pics incoming.’”

Commentary:

Rabbi Yudan says: Isaac was born after nine months—don’t let anybody start rumors about Abimelech being the baby-daddy. Rabbi Chama says: nu, seven months, Amazon Prime delivery.

Lesson: On Rosh Hashanah, timing is everything. Hashem is never late. Sometimes He even shows up early—like your uncle at kiddush who starts eating before the blessing.

Verse 3

“Avraham called the name of his son, whom Sarah bore him—Yitzchak. Which in Hebrew means: ‘LOL.’”

Commentary:

Why “Yitzchak”? Because everyone was laughing:

  • Abraham laughed: “I’m 100 years old, diaper duty at my age? Oy.”

  • Sarah laughed: “I’m 90, and I just subscribed to the maternity club. What’s next, TikTok?”

  • The neighbors laughed: “These two need a Netflix series.”

  • Hashem laughed: “Told ya!”

Lesson: Rosh Hashanah is not just about crying shofar tears—it’s about laughter too. G-d flips the script so ridiculous, the only response is a good belly laugh.

Verse 4

“And Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchak on the eighth day—like Hashem commanded, no procrastination, no ‘I’ll do it after Shabbos’ excuses.”

Commentary:

Abraham obeyed, even though it was, let’s be honest, a bloody mitzvah. That’s covenant, baby.
Parallel in Luke: They circumcised John the Baptist on day eight too. Different kid, same bris party.

Takeaway: Covenant is serious business. No shortcuts. (Except maybe a little snip at eight days.)

Rosh Hashanah Connection:

The birth of Isaac is read on Rosh Hashanah because it’s a reminder:

  • Hashem keeps promises, even when they sound like comedy.

  • Prayer works better when it’s unselfish.

  • Sometimes the biggest blessings come wrapped in a punchline.

And don’t forget the shofar: the horn we blow to remember the ram that replaced Isaac on Mount Moriah. It’s basically Hashem saying, “Don’t sacrifice the kid, but blow the horn, and don’t forget to laugh while you do it.”

Life Application:

  1. When life looks impossible, get ready for Hashem’s holy comedy show.

  2. Pray for others—your own blessing may sneak in first.

  3. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Even the Patriarchs laughed.

  4. Rosh Hashanah isn’t only judgment—it’s G-d winking at history.

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