EXTRA on Lech Lecha 17:17

Complete Passuk

וַיִּפֹּ֧ל אַבְרָהָ֛ם עַל־פָּנָ֖יו וַיִּצְחָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמֶר בְּלִבּ֗וֹ הַלְּבֶ֤ן מֵאָָה֙ שָׁנָה֙ יִוָּלֵ֔ד…

Avraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, Can a child be born to a man a hundred years old…

Core Text

וַיִּצְחָק — יֵשׁ צוֹחֲקִים מִתּוֹךְ אֱמוּנָה וְיֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ תְּמִיהָה. אַבְרָהָם צָחַק מִתּוֹךְ שִׂמְחָה וְאֱמוּנָה; שָׂרָה צָחֲקָה מִתּוֹךְ תְּמִיהָה, לְפִיכָךְ נִזְקְקָה לְתוֹכָחָה.

English: And he laughed — there is laughter from faith and laughter from doubt. Avraham laughed from joy and faith; Sarah laughed from astonishment, and therefore required rebuke.

On the daf / in context: The midrash distinguishes Avraham’s laughter (joyous acceptance) from Sarah’s later laughter (incredulity), explaining why only Sarah is challenged for laughing.

What Is Learned: The same verb “laugh” carries opposite valences: Avraham’s fall-on-face laughter is covenantal joy; Sarah’s is still mixed with human impossibility.

Supplementary classical material not listed by Torah Temimah under this exact passuk.