Devar/5769/Chayei Sarah
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עברית
וַתֹּאמֶר, לְאַבְרָהָם, גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, וְאֶת-בְּנָהּ: כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן-הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, עִם-בְּנִי עִם-יִצְחָק (בראשית כא:ט,י)
English
And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport.
Wherefore she said unto Abraham: 'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.' (Gen 21:9,10)
Sarah calls Ishmael "the son of this bondwoman", and not Abraham's son. And the next verse states: And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son. Sarah relates Ishmael only to Hagar the Egyptian, even though she gave Hagar to Abraham, it may be that I shall be builded up through her (Gen 16:2). And Abraham relates to him as his son. And we must ask: Sarah indeed knows that Ishmael is actually Abraham's son! Why, then, does she relate to him in such a manner?
Sarah saw that Ishmael had adopted evil ways -- making sport. According to the Midrash Rabbah, this means "lewd relations", or (perhaps also) "idol worship", or (again, perhaps also) "bloodshed". That is, he behaved in complete opposition to what Abraham our forefather had taught him.
As is known, the students of a Sage are his true children -- since because of him they inherit the World to Come. And since Ishmael abandoned the path of Abraham our forefather, he lost the title "son", as Sarah saw and understood -- and therefore she said, he "shall not be heir", because he will not inherit the World to Come. Therefore, she knew it was imperative to distance the evildoer from her son Isaac, so he would not be ruined. Whereas Abraham stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from looking upon evil (Isa 33:15), like the words of the Midrash. And in this matter, God commanded Abraham in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice (Gen 21:12).
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