If one is supposed to pray for another and does not do so it is considered as terrible as stealing!
ashi explains Sarah’s grievance: “When you prayed to Hashem to be blessed with children you prayed only for yourself. You should have prayed for both of us; then I would have been blessed together with you.” Sarah’s words require explanation. Indeed even if her grievance was justified it would seem inappropriate to call Avraham Avinu’s lack of prayer a “theft.”
Moreover the Midrash Rabbah explains that at the time of the Mabul not only were thieves punished in the flood but also those who were robbed — since “they screamed too much.” If so it’s quite shocking that Sarah called Avraham Avinu a thief for not including her in his prayers for children.”
Sarah Imeinu was our matriarch a prophetess. Her words are accurate and precise. Hence the question must be asked: Why did she call Avraham’s Avinu’s failure to daven for his wife a robbery and a crime?
We are incapable of appreciating how lack of tefillah can be considered “theft.” Yet Sarah whose level of prophecy surpassed that of Avraham Avinu’s recognized that preventing a good thing from happening to another is indeed theft. (Rav Shach Rosh Amana)
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