The Torah in Parashat Lekh-Lekha tells of how Sara had Avraham marry her maidservant, Hagar, in order for her to have children through Hagar, and how Hagar began acting disrespectfully towards Sara upon conceiving. As Sara was childless, Hagar viewed her pregnancy as heralding her status of superiority in the home. In response, Sara expressed anger to Avraham: “Sara said to Avraham: My fury is upon you; I placed my maidservant in your bosom, and when she saw she was pregnant, she belittled me” (16:5).
Rashi, commenting on the words, “Chamasi alekha” (“My fury is upon you”), explains, based on the Midrash, that Sara was telling Avraham, “Devarekha ata chomeis mimeni” – “You are robbing your words from me.” Sara was angry because Avraham should have intervened to defend her honor. By failing to do so, Avraham was “robbing his words,” keeping to himself the words that ought to have been clearly spoken.
Rashi’s interpretation of the word “chamas” in this context is striking. He builds upon the common usage of this term as a reference to theft, and applies this usage to a situation where one withheld something that should have been shared. Avraham is said to have “robbed” Sara in the sense that he did not speak the words that needed to be said, and failed to intervene when his intervention was vitally needed. Rashi’s interpretation of “chamasi alekha” teaches us that failing to help when help is needed and we are able to provide it constitutes a form of “chamas” – “theft.” Efforts that could be made to help others need to be made. If we have the time and resources to assist people in their time of need, and we fail to do so, then we are guilty of a form of “theft,” withholding for ourselves assets that should be used to help others. The fact that Avraham is described as “robbing” his wife by failing to provide the assistance and support she needed demonstrates the need to feel responsible and obliged to provide needed help when we are capable of doing so.