Daf 111b (דַּף קי״א ע״ב)

“And Avraham journeyed from there toward the land of the Negev” (וַיִּסַּע מִשָּׁם אַבְרָהָם אַרְצָה הַנֶּגֶב). All of his travelings were toward the side of the south (כָּל מַטְלָנוֹי הֲווּ לְסִטְרָא דְּדָרוֹמָא), more than toward any Sitra achra (יַתִּיר מִסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא), because in wisdom he acted to be joined to the south (בְּגִין דְּהָא בְּחָכְמָתָא עֲבַד לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּדָרוֹמָא). “And Avraham said to Sarah his wife: She is my sister” (וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ: אֲחוֹתִי הִיא). We have learned (תָּנִינָן): a person should not rely on a miracle (לָא לִיבָּעֵי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְסָמְכָא עַל נִיסָא), and even if Kudsha Berikh Hu performs a miracle for a person (וְאִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַרְחִישׁ נִיסָא לְבַּר נָשׁ), he should not rely on miracles regularly (לָא אִית לֵיהּ לְסָמְכָא תָּדִיר עַל נִיסָא), for miracles do not occur at every moment (בְּגִין דְּלָאו בְּכָל שַׁעֲתָא וְשַׁעֲתָא אִתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָא). And if a person brings himself into a place of danger and is found guilty before the eye (וְאִי יֵיעוּל בַּר נָשׁ גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּאֲתַר דְּנִזְקָא אִשְׁתְּכַח לְעֵינָא), then all the merits he performed previously are nullified-this has been established (הָא פָּקַע כָּל זְכוּתֵיהּ דְּעֲבַד בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְאוּקְמוּהָ). As it is written: “I am diminished by all the kindness and all the truth…” (Bereshit 32:11) (כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר: קָטוֹנְתִּי מִכָּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכָּל הָאֱמֶת וְגו׳). And Avraham, once he had gone up from Egypt and had been saved once (וְאַבְרָהָם, כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק מִמִּצְרַיִם וְאִשְׁתְּזִיב זִמְנָא חָדָא), why would he now bring himself again into danger as before and say “She is my sister”? (הַשְׁתָּא אַמַּאי אָעִיל גַרְמֵיהּ בְּצַעֲרָא כְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְאָמַר אֲחוֹתִי הִיא). Rather, Avraham did not rely on himself at all (אֶלָּא אַבְרָהָם לָא סָמִיךְ עַל גַּרְמֵיהּ כְּלוּם). And he saw the Shekhinta was constantly in the dwelling of Sarah and did not depart from there (וְחָמָא שְׁכִינְתָּא תָּדִיר בְּדִיּוּרָהּ דְּשָׂרָה, וְלָא אַעֲדֵי מִתַּמָּן). And because she was there, Avraham relied and said: “She is my sister” (וּבְגִין דְּהֲוַת תַּמָּן, אַסְמִיךְ אַבְרָהָם וְאָמַר: אֲחוֹתִי הִיא), as it is written: “Say to wisdom, you are my sister” (Proverbs 7:4) (כְּמָה דִכְתִיב: אֱמֹר לַחָכְמָה אֲחוֹתִי אָתּ). And because of this, he said “She is my sister”-(some say: “You are my sister” (וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר אֲחוֹתִי הִיא (ס״א: אַתּ).

“And Elohim came to Avimelekh…” (וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וְגו׳) (Bereshit 20:3). And when Kudsha Berikh Hu came to those wicked ones (וְכִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֲתָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ דְּרַשִּׁיעַיָּא), as it is written (כְּמָה דִכְתִיב), “And Elohim came to Bil‘am” (וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם) (Numbers 22), “And Elohim came to Lavan” (וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל לָבָן) (Bereshit 31). Rather (אֶלָּא): that appointed officer, the messenger who was appointed over them, it was he (הַהוּא מְמַנָּא שְׁלִיחָא דְּאִתְפַּקְּדָא עֲלַיְיהוּ הֲוָה). For they all, when doing a mission, bear that name (בְּגִין דְּכֻלְהוּ, כַּד עָבְדֵי שְׁלִיחוּתָא, נָטְלֵי שְׁמָא דָא), and they come from the side of judgment (וּמִסִּטְרָא דְדִינָא קָא אַתְיָין). And this is what is written: “And Elohim came to Avimelekh in a dream of the night and said to him: Behold, you are to die over the woman you have taken…” (Bereshit 20:3) (וְעַל דָּא: וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ בַּחֲלוֹם הַלַּיְלָה, וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ: הִנְּךָ מֵת עַל הָאִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתָּ וְגו׳).