Having just completed the drama of the righteous patriarch Yitzchak (יצחק) in parshas Toldos, we ponder the etymology of his name: ‘he laughed’. Having a name associated with laughter is great, isn’t it? What is the essence of צחק that earned Yitzchak this handle?
Certainly, we will not ignore the fact that this name was divinely ordained (Bereishis 17.19). In parshas Lech Lecha, Avraham has a revelation that he and Sarah – both past childbearing years – will have a son. What is Avraham’s response? He laughs (17.17). God replies “No, really” and even assigns a name for this as yet unborn son.
Later in parshas Vayeira, Sarah overhears a second revelation about a son and she laughs. This time, God is not amused. Confronted and in fear, Sarah denies it all. How does her laughter differ from Avraham’s laugh?
Rashi follows the lead of the great translator Onkelos and renders them differently. Avraham’s laugh is ‘וחדי’ or he ‘rejoiced’. Avraham joyously celebrated the wonderful news. On the other hand Sarah ‘וחיכת’; laughed skeptically. Their responses are similar. They both reflect with similar thoughts.
- Avraham: Then Avraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart: “Will a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? and will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?”
- Sarah: And Sarah laughed to herself, saying: “After I have aged, will I have pleasure, my husband being old, too?”
Laugh and Everyone Laughs With You
As we now know a son is indeed born to Avraham and Sarah. Yitzchak is named as instructed. There is a bris, and then a gala banquet after he is weaned. We can imagine much laughter and good times among the celebrants. Sarah says it best (21.6): “God has made laughter for me; whoever hears will laugh for me.”
The laughter ends abruptly. Sarah espies Avraham’s son Ishmael מצחק. How do we translate this word? Artscroll renders it as ‘mocking’ (and adds a possible ‘playing’ or ‘making sport’). Rashi contends that he was worshipping idols! He proves his position by citing the golden calf debacle where the Israelites got up לצחק (Shemos 32.6). Certainly, the text makes it clear: Ishmael's behavior is serious enough that it triggers this declaration from Sarah: There is no room in this house for both Yitzchak and Ishmael. This must have been no mere giggle coming from Ishmael!
Meanwhile, back in Toldos…Fleeing Avimelech, Yitzchak is caught ‘מצחק’ with his wife Rivkah: He was ‘jesting’ with her. Contextually, we presume that Yitzchak was carrying on as a husband might with his wife as Avimelech exclaims: “…but look! She is your wife”. We see a similar expression in 39.14 when Ms Potiphar accuses Yoseph of sexual advances.
Is ‘מצחק’ Just Kidding or a Sexual Come-on?
Evidently the term צחק means more that mere laughter. It must be a paradigm of sorts. The same terminology refers to expressions of joy, cynicism, worship and foreplay. Given the complexity of this expression, what does this reveal about the man that bears the name יצחק?
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