[Avodah] VAYERA ? WHO IS HKBH TALKING TO?

[Sholom Simon]

Rabbi Meir G. Rabi notes/asks:

>Sara laughs [18:12]  Gd is not happy
>
>[18:13] HKBH confronts Avraham, ?Why did Sara laugh off the blessing 
>that she have a child? Am I not able to arrange she give birth? I 
>assure you, I?ll be back and you?ll see she will have a child.?
>
>But why is HKBH asking this of Avraham?  Does HKBH expect Avraham to 
>be able to explain?
>
>It seems this question is really an indictment of sorts.
>
>Is Avraham being blamed for Sara?s weakness?
>
>Why does Avraham confront [18:19] Sara? He does not doubt what HKBH 
>has told him?
>
>And when Sara denies it, why does Avraham rebuke her? Is it 
>Avraham?s responsibility to ensure she confesses?

I just heard a shiur (YUTorah!) from RHS who addressed this.  He also 
threw in the question: why is H" telling loshon harah to Avraham?

RMF brings that In the Gemara (somewhere) it says that it's 
permissible to tell loshon harah to the subject's rebbe, so that the 
rebbe can give tochacha or musar to the subject, and RMF (or RHS) 
says that's what's happenning here (viewing Avraham as Sarah's rebbe, 
in a way).

-- Sholom