EXTRA 1 on Lech Lecha 12:13

EXTRA · Ohr HaChaim · Parashas Lech Lecha · Passuk 12:13

Complete Passuk

אִמְרִי־נָ֖א אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יִֽיטַב־לִ֣י בַעֲבוּרֵ֔ךְ וְחָיְתָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י בִּגְלָלֵֽךְ׃

Please say that you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account.

Source

Ohr HaChaim on Genesis 12:13

Core Text

Core Text טַעַם שֶׁאֲנִי מְצַוֵּךְ לוֹמַר אֲחוֹתִי, וְלֹא אֲנִי מוֹסִיף לְהַרְחִיק יוֹתֵר שֶׁתֹּאמַר עָלָיו אִישׁ נָכְרִי… לְמַעַן יִיטַב… וְאִם יִהְיֶה נָכְרִי אֵין לוֹ עִנְיָן שֶׁיֵּטִיבוּהוּ בִּשְׁבִילָהּ.
English: The reason I command you to say ‘my sister,’ and do not go further and have you say he is a stranger… is ‘so that it may go well with me’ — if he were a stranger there would be no reason for them to treat him well for her sake.
Context: The sister-claim is calibrated: close enough to generate benefit, not so distant as to erase it.

What Is Learned

The chosen cover preserves both survival and potential favor.