וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה אֶת בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְאַבְרָהָם מְצַחֵק. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְלִיד יִצְחָק וְהֲוָה יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּבֵיתָא דְאַבְרָהָם, לָא אִסְתַּלַּק יִשְׁמָעֵאל בִּשְׁמָא, בְּאֲתַר דְּדַהֲבָא שַׁרְיָא סוֹסְפִיתָא לָא אִדְכַּר קַמֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֶת בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית, גְּבַר דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי לְאַדְכָּרָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּיִצְחָק. AND SARAH SAW THE SON OF HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN, WHOM SHE HAD BORN UNTO ABRAHAM, MAKING SPORT. R. Hiya said: ‘After recording the birth of Isaac, the Scripture never mentions Ishmael by name so long as he was still in the house of Abraham: dross cannot be mentioned in the presence of gold. Hence Ishmael is referred to here as “the son of Hagar the Egyptian”, as it was not fitting that his name should be mentioned in the presence of Isaac.’

אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה, בְּעֵינָא דִקְלָנָא חָמַאת לֵיהּ שָׂרָה, דְּלָא חָמַאת לֵיהּ בְּעֵינָא דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָא דְּאַבְרָהָם, אֶלָּא דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָא דְּהָגָר הַמִּצְרִית, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה. דְּשָׂרָה חָמַאת לֵיהּ בְּעֵינָא דָא וְלֹא אַבְרָהָם, דְּאִילוּ בְּאַבְרָהָם לֹא כְּתִיב אֶת בֶּן הָגָר אֶלָּא אֶת בְּנוֹ. Said R. Isaac: ‘The words “and Sarah saw” imply that she looked at him disdainfully, as being the son not of Abraham but of Hagar the Egyptian, and, furthermore, only Sarah regarded him so, but not Abraham, as we read that THE THING WAS VERY GRIEVOUS IN ABRAHAM’S SIGHT ON ACCOUNT OF HIS SON-not the son of Hagar, but his son.’

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר הַאי קְרָא תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְשָׂרָה אִיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּחָמַאת לֵיהּ דְּקָא מְצַחֵק לְכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, אָמְרָה, וַדַּאי לַאו בְּרָא דָא בְּרָא דְאַבְרָהָם לְמֶעֱבַד עוֹבָדוֹי דְאַבְרָהָם, אֶלָּא בְּרָא דְּהָגָר הַמִּצְרִית אִיהוּ אֲהַדַּר לְחוּלָקָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ, בְגִין כָּךְ וַתֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָהָם גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת בְּנָהּ, כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת עִם בְּנִי עִם יִצְחָק. R. Simeon said: ‘The Scripture really speaks in praise of Sarah. For what she saw was that he was indulging in idolatrous practices. Hence she said: Surely, this is not the son of Abraham, who follows in the footsteps of Abraham, but the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who is reverting to the type of his mother. Hence: AND 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.

וְכִי סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דְּקַנֵּי לָהּ שָׂרָה אוֹ לִבְרָהּ, אִי הָכִי לא אוֹדֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִמָּהּ, דִּכְתִיב כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָהּ. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּחָמַאת לֵיהּ בְּכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת וְאִמֵּיהּ אוּלְפָא לֵיהּ נִמּוּסֵי דְּכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, בְּגִין כָּךְ אֲמְרַת שָׂרָה כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, אֲנָא יָדַעְנָא דְּלָא יָרִית לְעָלְמִין חוּלָקָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ עִם בְּרִי חוּלָקָא לָא בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וְלָא בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, וּבְגִין כָךְ אוֹדֵי עִמָּהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. It cannot be supposed that Sarah was moved by jealousy of her or her son. For if so, the Holy One would not have supported her by saying, IN ALL THAT SARAH SAITH UNTO THEE, HEARKEN UNTO HER VOICE. The truth, therefore, is that she observed him worshipping idols, and performing the practices which his mother had taught him. Hence the words of Sarah, “For the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir”, as much as to say: “I know that he will never enter the fold of the true faith and that he will have no portion with my son either in this world or in the world to come.” Therefore God supported her,

וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְאַפְרָשָׁא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי זַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, דִּבְגִין כָּךְ בָּרָא עַלְמָא דְּהָא יִשְׂרָאֵל סָלִיק בִּרְעוּתָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַד לָא יִבְרֵי עַלְמָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ נָפַק אַבְרָהָם לְעַלְמָא וְעַלְמָא מִתְקַיֵּים בְּגִינֵיהּ, וְאַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק (לא) קָיְימוּ וְלָא אִתְיַישְׁבוּ בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ עַד דְּנָפַק יַעֲקֹב לְעָלְמָא. since He wished to keep the holy seed carefully separated, for that was the end for which He created the world, as Israel was already in His thought before the creation of the world. It was therefore that Abraham appeared in the world, so that the world could be sustained for his sake. Abraham and Isaac together upheld the world, yet they were not firmly established until Jacob came into the world.

כֵּיוָן דְּנָפַק יַעֲקֹב לְעַלְמָא אִתְקָיְימוּ אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְאִתְקְיַּים כָּל עַלְמָא, וּמִתַּמָּן נָפַק עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא לְעַלְמָא, וְאִתְקְיַּים כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא קַדִּישָׁא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָהּ כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע, וְלֹא בְּיִשְׁמָעֵאל. מַה כְּתִיב לְבָתַר וַתֵּלֶךְ וַתֵּתַע בְּמִדְבַּר בְּאֵר שָׁבַע. When Jacob appeared, both Abraham and Isaac became firmly established and the whole world with them. From Jacob the holy people gradually emerged into the world, and so the whole of existence became duly established according to the holy pattern. Hence God said, “In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee”, i.e. in Isaac and not in Ishmael. The text proceeds: AND SHE DEPARTED AND STRAYED IN THE WILDERNESS OF BEERSHEBA.

כְּתִיב הָכָא וַתֵּתַע וּכְתִיב הָתָם (ירמיהו י׳:ט״ו) הֶבֶל הֵמָּה מַעֲשֵׂה תַּעְתּוּעִים. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם לָא שָׁבִיק. לָהּ וְלִבְרָהּ. The term vatetha (and she strayed) indicates idolatry, like the kindred term in the verse, “They are vanity, work of delusion (tha’athuim, lit. “goings astray”) (Jer. 10, 15). Thus it was only for the sake of Abraham that the Holy One did not abandon her or her son.

תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּקַדְמִיתָא כַד אָזְלַת מִקַּמָּהּ דְּשָׂרָה מַה כְּתִיב כִּי שָׁמַע יְיָ אֶל עָנְיֵיךְ. וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּטָעַאת בָּתַר כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אַף עַל גַּב דִּכְתִיב וַתִּשָּׂא אֶת קוֹלָהּ וַתֵּבְךָ. מַה כְּתִיב כִּי שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל קוֹל הַנַּעַר. וְלָא כְּתִיב כִּי שָׁמַע אֱלהִים אֶת קוֹלֵךְ. Observe that on the previous occasion when she fled from Sarah, it was said to her: “The Lord hath heard thy affliction” (Gen. 16, 11); but now since she went astray after idols, although she lifted up her voice and wept, yet it says, FOR GOD HATH HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LAD WHERE HE IS.

בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם. הָא אוּקְמוּהָ דְּלָאו בַּר עוֹנָשָׁא הוּא לְגַבֵּי בֵּי דִינָא דִּלְעֵילָא, דְּהָא בֵּי דִינָא דִלְתַתָּא עָנְשִׁין מִתְּלֵיסַר שְׁנִין וּלְעֵילָא, וּבֵי דִינָא דִלְעֵילָא מֵעֶשְׂרִים שְׁנִין וּלְהָלְאָה. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּחַיָּיבָא הֲוָה, לָאו בַּר עוֹנָשָׁא אִיהוּ. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וְדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם. The expression “where he is” we interpret to imply that he was still a minor in the eyes of the heavenly court. For whereas in the human court, here below, the age of liability is reached at thirteen years, in the heavenly court it is reached only at twenty years; before that age, even if one is guilty, he is not punishable. Hence the phrase “where he is”.

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אִי הָכִי מַאן דְּאִסְתַּלַּק מֵעַלְמָא עָד לָא מָטוּן יוֹמוֹי לְעֶשְׂרִין שְׁנִין, מֵאָן אֲתַר אִתְעַנָּשׁ, בְּגִין דְּהָא מִתְּלֵיסַר שְׁנִין וּלְתַתָּא לָאו בַּר עוֹנָשָׁא אִיהוּ אֶלָא בְּחֶטְאוֹי דְּאֲבוֹי. אֲבָל מִתְּלֵיסַר שְׁנִין וּלְעֵילָא מַהוּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עֲלֵיהּ דְּלֵימוּת זַכַּאי (ולא לימות חייב) וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ אֲגַר טַב בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְלָא לֵימוּת חַיָּיב דְּיִתְעַנָּשׁ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא וְאוּקְמוּהָ. Said R. Eleazar: ‘If that be so, why should anyone be punished by dying before twenty? Before thirteen, it is true, he may die for the sins of his father, but why after thirteen?’ R. Hiya replied: ‘The Holy One has mercy on such a one so that he should die whilst still innocent, and obtain a reward in the other world, instead of dying in guilt and receiving punishment in that world.’