Parshas Chayay SarahYishmael- Bridging the Gap

Parshas Chayay Sarah Yishmael- Bridging the Gap

(יב) וְאֵ֛לֶּה תֹּלְדֹ֥ת יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָלְדָ֜ה הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרָ֖ה לְאַבְרָהָֽם׃ (יג) וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁמוֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל בִּשְׁמֹתָ֖ם לְתוֹלְדֹתָ֑ם בְּכֹ֤ר יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ נְבָיֹ֔ת וְקֵדָ֥ר וְאַדְבְּאֵ֖ל וּמִבְשָֽׂם׃ (יד) וּמִשְׁמָ֥ע וְדוּמָ֖ה וּמַשָּֽׂא׃ (טו) חֲדַ֣ד וְתֵימָ֔א יְט֥וּר נָפִ֖ישׁ וָקֵֽדְמָה׃ (טז) אֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֞ם בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם׃ (יז) וְאֵ֗לֶּה שְׁנֵי֙ חַיֵּ֣י יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל מְאַ֥ת שָׁנָ֛ה וּשְׁלֹשִׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים וַיִּגְוַ֣ע וַיָּ֔מָת וַיֵּאָ֖סֶף אֶל־עַמָּֽיו׃ (יח) וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל׃ (פ)

Genesis 25:12-18

(12) This is the line of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham. (13) These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the first-born of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, (14) Mishma, Dumah, Massa, (15) Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedmah. (16) These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their villages and by their encampments: twelve chieftains of as many tribes.— (17) These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his kin.— (18) They dwelt from Havilah, by Shur, which is close to Egypt, all the way to Asshur; they camped alongside all their kinsmen.

קיצור בעל הטורים על בראשית כ״ה:י״ח:א׳

(יח) על פני כל אחיו נפל וסמיך ליה ואלה תולדות יצחק לומר כשיפול ישמעאל באחרית הימים אזי יצמח בן דוד שהוא מתולדות יצחק:

Kitzur Ba'al HaTurim on Genesis 25:18:1

...

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל׳:י״א

אמר בלעם משבעים לשונות שברא הקב"ה בעולמו לא שם שמו לאחד מהם אלא לישראל הואיל והשוה הקב"ה שמו של ישמעאל לשמו של ישראל אוי מי יחיה בימיו שנאמר ״אוי מי יחיה משומו אל״:

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 30:11

...

פרקי דרבי אליעזר ל״ב:ג׳

ולמה נקרא שמו ישמעאל שעתיד לשמוע הקב"ה באנקת העם ממה שעתידין בני ישמעאל לעשות בארץ באחרית הימים לפיכך נקרא שמו ישמעאל:

דניאל ז׳:י״ד

(יד) וְלֵ֨הּ יְהִ֤יב שָׁלְטָן֙ וִיקָ֣ר וּמַלְכ֔וּ וְכֹ֣ל עַֽמְמַיָּ֗א אֻמַיָּ֛א וְלִשָּׁנַיָּ֖א לֵ֣הּ יִפְלְח֑וּן שָׁלְטָנֵ֞הּ שָׁלְטָ֤ן עָלַם֙ דִּֽי־לָ֣א יֶעְדֵּ֔ה וּמַלְכוּתֵ֖הּ דִּי־לָ֥א תִתְחַבַּֽל׃ (פ)

Daniel 7:14

(14) Dominion, glory, and kingship were given to him; All peoples and nations of every language must serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, And his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed.

אבן עזרא על דניאל ז׳:י״ד:ג׳

והחיה הרביעית הנראה הוא מלכות ישמעאל

Ibn Ezra on Daniel 7:14:3

...

The Ramban says the Ibn Ezra was just scared of the Yishmaaylim and the Forth Kingdom is Rome.

Maharal in Ner Mitzva explains the Four Kingdoms take over Jewish Kingdoms and oppose the Heavenly Kingdom. Yishmael receives power due to the fact he is a son of Avraham

בראשית כ״ה:ט״ז

(טז) אֵ֣לֶּה הֵ֞ם בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ וְאֵ֣לֶּה שְׁמֹתָ֔ם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶ֖ם וּבְטִֽירֹתָ֑ם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר נְשִׂיאִ֖ם לְאֻמֹּתָֽם׃

Genesis 25:16

(16) These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their villages and by their encampments: twelve chieftains of as many tribes.—

בראשית ל״ו:ט״ו

(טו) אֵ֖לֶּה אַלּוּפֵ֣י בְנֵֽי־עֵשָׂ֑ו בְּנֵ֤י אֱלִיפַז֙ בְּכ֣וֹר עֵשָׂ֔ו אַלּ֤וּף תֵּימָן֙ אַלּ֣וּף אוֹמָ֔ר אַלּ֥וּף צְפ֖וֹ אַלּ֥וּף קְנַֽז׃

Genesis 36:15

(15) These are the clans of the children of Esau. The descendants of Esau’s first-born Eliphaz: the clans Teman, Omar, Zepho, Kenaz,

בראשית ט״ז:י״א-י״ב

(יא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ ה' הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן וְקָרָ֤את שְׁמוֹ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע ה' אֶל־עָנְיֵֽךְ׃ (יב) וְה֤וּא יִהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָד֣וֹ בַכֹּ֔ל וְיַ֥ד כֹּ֖ל בּ֑וֹ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו יִשְׁכֹּֽן׃

Genesis 16:11-12

(11) The angel of the LORD said to her further, “Behold, you are with child And shall bear a son; You shall call him Ishmael, For the LORD has paid heed to your suffering. (12) He shall be a wild ass of a man; His hand against everyone, And everyone’s hand against him; He shall dwell alongside of all his kinsmen.”

Hirsch on Bereishit 16: 11-12
Nowhere else do we find עני as the object of שמע; rather we find it as the object of ראה. A person's suffering can be seen. But Sarah had not treated Hagar cruelly; Sarah's words alone had reminded Hagar of her dependence, and she felt this dependence.Hagar's suffering was spiritual. Only one who listened could hear her suffering.
He will not be a אדם פרא; he will be פרא אדם the פרא among mankind. פרא especially denotes being free from the yoke of man and from the constraints of the city.

בראשית י״ח:ד׳

(ד) יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃

Genesis 18:4

(4) Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree.

רש"י על בראשית י״ח:ד׳:ב׳

(ד) ורחצו רגליכם כְּסָבוּר שֶׁהֵם עַרְבִיִים שֶׁמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לַאֲבַק רַגְלֵיהֶם וִהִקְפִּיד שֶׁלֹא לְהַכְנִיס עֲ"זָ לְבֵיתוֹ;

Rashi on Genesis 18:4:2

(4) ורחצו רגליכם AND WASH YOUR FEET — He thought they were Arabians who worship the dust of their feet, and he was particular not to have the object of idolatrous worship brought into his house (Bava Metzia 86b).

במדבר כ״ד:כ״ג

(כג) וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר א֕וֹי מִ֥י יִחְיֶ֖ה מִשֻּׂמ֥וֹ אֵֽל׃

Numbers 24:23

(23) He took up his theme and said: Alas, who can survive except God has willed it!

Religious Warfare is making God subservient to your will like the dust you walk on.

רש"י על בראשית ט״ז:י״ב:ב׳

(יב) ידו בכל לִסְטִים:

Rashi on Genesis 16:12:2

(12) ידו בכל HIS HAND SHALL BE AGAINST EVERY ONE — a highway robber

THE MEANING OF BENEVOLENCE (adapted from an article written by Rav Noson Weisz)

Ishmael was Abraham's son. Abraham's chief character trait was the pursuit of benevolence. He went around the world teaching that God is endlessly benevolent and good and is the source of all blessing in the world. God does not practice benevolence as a response to human behavior, He simply does good because He is good. The world is founded on pure benevolence. (Psalms 83:3)

Of course, there is another side to this teaching as well. Abraham went on to say that the essence of this good that God doles out for no return is the provision of an opportunity. God offers man the opportunity to attain true good by perfecting himself spiritually through his own efforts and elevating himself to the point that he earns the right to become attached to God.

When one internalizes the complete message Abraham delivered to the world, he realizes that God's great goodness really amounts to a challenge: to take advantage of the opportunity provided by God's infinite goodness to earn his reward through his achievements. The world may have been founded on pure benevolence, but it was intended to end in pure justice.

Ishmael internalized only the first half of Abraham's message. He was more than ready to be the recipient of God's infinite goodness, but was not prepared to take up the challenge attached.

In Ishmael's view, man inhabits a world where God supplies everything without the expectation of any sort of return. In such a world where God supplies everything out of pure benevolence even when it is unearned, the relationship between work and ownership simply breaks down. When all human beings are given everything they have as a matter of benevolence, theft does not stand out as a great moral evil. After all, as no one needs to earn anything, no one is deserving of anything. Need, not right, becomes the central moral standard. Thieves are generally needier than their victims. Their need supplies them with the moral right to steal.

Yisachar Blinder