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As Abraham was hosting his guests, with the utmost willingness to do kindness, the guests ask him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" Abraham answered, "Behold she is in the tent." A guest responds, with a blessing, that Sarah will give birth to a son this time next year; Isaac was to be born (Genesis 18:9-10).

At the time, Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 89 years of age. Sarah reacted to the good news by laughing inwardly. When God informed Abraham of Sarah's reactions, Sarah denied the accusation, saying, "I did not laugh". Sarah was frightened, But Abraham retorted abruptly, "No, but you did laugh" (Genesis 18:15).

According to Nahmanides (1194-1270), Abraham understood that these guests were angels of God. Sarah had no idea. The guests had appeared as ordinary people traveling through the area. Abraham constantly had guests and Sarah just happened to overhear one of them predicting a child for her. Nahmanides even suggests that Sarah may not have seen the guests but just overheard the conversation.

Why then was Sarah criticized for laughing inwardly when she overheard an ostensibly ludicrous prediction from an unknown traveler? Because, Nahmanides explains, even had it truly been a preposterous suggestion, Sarah still should have had faith and answered "Amen".

A casual reader may be inclined to join in the criticism. After all, Sarah was a prophetess who conversed with God, witnessed miracles, and, according to tradition, was on a higher spiritual level than Abraham. How could she not recognize that God's salvation could come in the blink of an eye?

Yet, aren't we all guilty of Sarah's mistake? Do we need to have conversations with God or witness miracles to realize that the master of the universe can save anyone in an instant? How often have we seen someone terminally ill or in a desperate situation and lost hope? Or wished them luck not expecting our wishes to be of any help? Nahmanides is telling us that the Torah recites this passage for our benefit, that we should never lose hope.

All blessings, those given and those received should be taken seriously. No matter the odds, it is not for us to say what God will or will not do or whose blessing He will or will not regard. Just as Sarah, knowing God's salvation can come at any time from any place, should have appreciated her guest's unlikely blessing, so should we.

Rabbi Chaim Lobel is spiritual leader of Young Israel of Aberdeen.
www.yiaberdeen.com