Difference between revisions of "A Portrait of Yishmael/2"
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<p>Yishmael is a neutral character.  He does not actively sin nor behave negatively in any way, but neither does he do any exemplary deeds.</p> | <p>Yishmael is a neutral character.  He does not actively sin nor behave negatively in any way, but neither does he do any exemplary deeds.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="Jubilees17-1-18" data-aht="source">Jubilees</a><a href="Jubilees17-1-18" data-aht="source">17:6-18</a><a href="Jubilees" data-aht="parshan">About Jubilees</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshit21-9" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit16-12" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16:12</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit21-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 21:9</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit21-911172021" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit16-12" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16:12</a><a href="RadakBereshit17-2025" data-aht="source">Bereshit 17:20,25</a><a href="RadakBereshit21-911172021" data-aht="source">Bereshit 21:9,11,17,20,21</a><a href="RadakBereshit25-912" data-aht="source">Bereshit 25:9, 12</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelBereshit21" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit16" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit17" data-aht="source">Bereshit 17</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit21" data-aht="source">Bereshit 21</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>, Tzeror HaMor</mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="Jubilees17-1-18" data-aht="source">Jubilees</a><a href="Jubilees17-1-18" data-aht="source">17:6-18</a><a href="Jubilees" data-aht="parshan">About Jubilees</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="IbnEzraBereshit21-9" data-aht="source">Ibn Ezra</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit16-12" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16:12</a><a href="IbnEzraBereshit21-9" data-aht="source">Bereshit 21:9</a><a href="R. Avraham ibn Ezra" data-aht="parshan">About R. Avraham ibn Ezra</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RadakBereshit21-911172021" data-aht="source">Radak</a><a href="RadakBereshit16-12" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16:12</a><a href="RadakBereshit17-2025" data-aht="source">Bereshit 17:20,25</a><a href="RadakBereshit21-911172021" data-aht="source">Bereshit 21:9,11,17,20,21</a><a href="RadakBereshit25-912" data-aht="source">Bereshit 25:9, 12</a><a href="R. David Kimchi (Radak)" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Kimchi</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelBereshit21" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit16" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit17" data-aht="source">Bereshit 17</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit21" data-aht="source">Bereshit 21</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>, Tzeror HaMor</mekorot> | ||
| − | <point><b>Prophecy to Hagar</b> – These commentators | + | <point><b>Prophecy to Hagar</b> – These commentators see in the prophecy either a positive or neutral characterization of the soon to be born Yishmael, but differ in the details:<br/> |
<ul> | <ul> | ||
| − | <li><b>Free</b> – According to Ibn Ezra, "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" is a metaphor for a non-submissive person who is | + | <li><b>Free</b> – According to Ibn Ezra, "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" is a metaphor for a non-submissive person who is free from the yoke of others.<fn>Such a prophecy would be very encouraging to Hagar who was suffering from her servitude to Sarah.</fn> The angel told Hagar that Yishmael would be a powerful individual, victorious over his neighbors ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל"), but simultaneously inviting others to fight back ("יַד כֹּל בּוֹ").</li> |
| − | <li><b>Man of the desert</b> – Radak asserts that "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" refers to a man of the desert, who due to this nomadic lifestyle will constantly be battling his neighbors ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל...").  However, he will not flee from them, but manage to dwell amongst them ("עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן").</li> | + | <li><b>Man of the desert</b> – Radak asserts that "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" refers to a man of the desert, who, due to this nomadic lifestyle, will constantly be battling his neighbors ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל...").  However, he will not flee from them, but manage to dwell amongst them ("עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן").</li> |
| − | <li><b>Man of civilization</b> – Abarbanel reads the opening words of the prophecy as a rhetorical question, "will your son be a man of the desert?"<fn> | + | <li><b>Man of civilization</b> – Abarbanel reads the opening words of the prophecy as a rhetorical question, "will your son be a man of the desert?"<fn>Abarbanel agrees with Radak's understanding of the phrase "פֶּרֶא אָדָם", but due to his new punctuation, comes to an opposite conclusion of what the prophecy says about Yishmael's abode.</fn>  The angel is, thus, informing Hagar that Yishmael will live amongst men ("עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן"), intermingling and socializing with them ‎("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל"),‎ and not alone in the wilderness.<fn>He points out that the context of the prophecy is an attempt to make Hagar return to Avraham. The angel thus tells her that her son's future lies in civilized land, amongst people and not in the desert where she presently finds herself.</fn></li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
| − | <point><b>Avraham's plea: "לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ"</b> – According to Abarbanel, Avraham is asking Hashem what will become of Yishmael once Yitzchak is born.  He worries about both Yishmael's physical and spiritual well being,<fn>Cf Rashi and Ramban who each | + | <point><b>Avraham's plea: "לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ"</b> – According to Abarbanel, Avraham is asking Hashem what will become of Yishmael once Yitzchak is born.  He worries about both Yishmael's physical and spiritual well being,<fn>Cf. Rashi and Ramban who each take one  of these two possibilities.</fn> questioning whether Yishmael will die young (being replaced by Yitzchak)<fn>See Ramban who has Avraham wonder if the reason Yitzchak is to inherit all is because Yishmael is to die before Avraham.</fn>  and whether he will be part of Hashem's covenant.  The question assumes that, in Avraham's eyes, there was no intrinsic disqualification which would automatically cause Yishmael to be rejected.</point> |
| − | <point><b>"מְצַחֵק"</b> – Most of these commentators suggest that Yishmael was simply happily dancing,<fn>This is Jubilees stance.</fn> playing or laughing<fn>See Ibn Ezra, "מצחק כי כן מנהג כל נער" Abarbanel similarly depicts him happily playing("שהי' משתעשע בבית") as everyone around tried to please and serve him.</fn> and that the word holds no derogatory connotation at all. | + | <point><b>"מְצַחֵק"</b> – Most of these commentators<fn>Radak is the one exception. He suggests that Yishmael was laughing at Yitzchak for having been born to such old parents. Radak apparently does not consider this laughter particularly negative, though, as he says of Yishmael immediately afterwards, "ובדרך טובה היה מהלך". Such behavior, though not laudable, is nonetheless quite normal in youthful bantering.</fn> suggest that Yishmael was simply happily dancing,<fn>This is Jubilees' stance.</fn> playing or laughing<fn>See Ibn Ezra, "מצחק כי כן מנהג כל נער" Abarbanel similarly depicts him happily playing("שהי' משתעשע בבית") as everyone around tried to please and serve him.</fn> and that the word holds no derogatory connotation at all.</point> |
<point><b>Why did Sarah want Yishmael expelled?</b><ul> | <point><b>Why did Sarah want Yishmael expelled?</b><ul> | ||
| − | <li>According to Jubilees and Ibn Ezra, Sarah was simply jealous, while Tzeror HaMor asserts that she was insulted as she mistakenly thought that Yishmael was laughing at her.<fn>He suggests that the elderly in general are very sensitive to people's laughter, assuming that they might be the subject.  Thus, too, Sarah in her old age, concluded that she was being made fun of. | + | <li>According to Jubilees and Ibn Ezra, Sarah was simply jealous, while Tzeror HaMor asserts that she was insulted as she mistakenly thought that Yishmael was laughing at her.<fn>He suggests that the elderly in general are very sensitive to people's laughter, assuming that they might be the subject.  Thus, too, Sarah, in her old age, concluded that she was being made fun of.</fn>  </li> |
| − | <li>Abarbanel asserts that even before the incident | + | <li>Abarbanel asserts that even before the incident Sarah was planning to expel Yishmael, fearing that otherwise he would claim rights to the inheritance. Seeing Yishmael being the center of attention simply confirmed her suspicions that the longer he stayed, the more difficult disinheriting him would become.</li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
| − | <point><b>Evaluation of Sarah</b> – According to Tzeror HaMor  Yishmael's actions did not warrant an expulsion and Sarah sinned in her actions.<fn>He assumes that the original harsh treatment of Hagar in chapter 16 was similarly sinful, and blames both Avraham and Sarah for their part.  Avraham should never have agreed to take Hagar as a wife in the first place nor allow Sarah's treatment of her afterwards.  Yishmael's birth itself served as a punishment, for his descendants were to bring destruction to Israel.  Cf. the | + | <point><b>Evaluation of Sarah</b> – According to Tzeror HaMor,  Yishmael's actions did not warrant an expulsion and Sarah sinned in her actions.<fn>He assumes that the original harsh treatment of Hagar in chapter 16 was similarly sinful, and blames both Avraham and Sarah for their part.  Avraham should never have agreed to take Hagar as a wife in the first place nor allow Sarah's treatment of her afterwards.  Yishmael's birth itself served as a punishment, for his descendants were to bring destruction to Israel.  Cf. the Ramban below who probably influenced Tzeror HaMor's reading.  Ramban differs, though, in his understanding of Yishmael's actions in chapter 21 where he justifies the banishment.</fn>  Her descendants were later punished when the Yishmaelites refused water to the Children of Israel, resulting in many deaths.<fn>Tzeror HaMor suggests that it would have been better had Yishamel died from the lack of water, since then he would never have borne a nation who was to oppress the Israelites.</fn> Radak too suggests that Sarah was deserving of rebuke, sayingthat Avraham only kept quiet for "peace in the house" (שלום בית).</point> |
| − | <point><b>Why did Hashem reject Yishmael?</b></point> | + | <point><b>Why did Hashem reject Yishmael?</b> According to Abarbanel, as Hashem wanted the chosen line to emerge form Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak alone was to inherit.  Hashem, thus, agreed with Sarah that in order to ensure this and prevent any contesting of the inheritance, Yishmael had to be expelled from the home.<fn>The expulsion then had nothing to do with the specifc actions of Yishmael.</fn></point> |
| − | <point><b>Why is Avraham "upset about his son"?</b> Avraham's reaction is understandable given that Yishmael did nothing to deserve expulsion.  Radak asserts that Avraham loved him, for after all, "בדרך טובה היה הולך".</point> | + | <point><b>Why is Avraham "upset about his son"?</b> Avraham's reaction is understandable given that Yishmael did nothing to deserve expulsion.  Radak asserts that Avraham loved him, for after all, "בדרך טובה היה הולך".<fn>See above that Avraham would have rebuked Sarah for her request had it not been that he wanted to preserve peace between them.</fn></point> |
<point><b>בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם</b></point> | <point><b>בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם</b></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Yishmael after the expulsion</b> – Radak points to Yishmael's success as an archer, and lauds him for teaching this skill to his descendants, the Children of Kedar.  He even suggests that this part of the story was written so that all can learn from Yishmael the important lesson of passing on skills to one's children.</point> | ||
<point><b>Polemical Motivations?</b></point> | <point><b>Polemical Motivations?</b></point> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
Version as of 13:32, 13 November 2014
Yishmael – Overview
Exegetical Approaches
Neutral to Positive
Yishmael is a neutral character. He does not actively sin nor behave negatively in any way, but neither does he do any exemplary deeds.
Prophecy to Hagar – These commentators see in the prophecy either a positive or neutral characterization of the soon to be born Yishmael, but differ in the details:
- Free – According to Ibn Ezra, "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" is a metaphor for a non-submissive person who is free from the yoke of others.1 The angel told Hagar that Yishmael would be a powerful individual, victorious over his neighbors ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל"), but simultaneously inviting others to fight back ("יַד כֹּל בּוֹ").
- Man of the desert – Radak asserts that "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" refers to a man of the desert, who, due to this nomadic lifestyle, will constantly be battling his neighbors ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל..."). However, he will not flee from them, but manage to dwell amongst them ("עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן").
- Man of civilization – Abarbanel reads the opening words of the prophecy as a rhetorical question, "will your son be a man of the desert?"2 The angel is, thus, informing Hagar that Yishmael will live amongst men ("עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן"), intermingling and socializing with them ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל"), and not alone in the wilderness.3
Avraham's plea: "לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ" – According to Abarbanel, Avraham is asking Hashem what will become of Yishmael once Yitzchak is born. He worries about both Yishmael's physical and spiritual well being,4 questioning whether Yishmael will die young (being replaced by Yitzchak)5 and whether he will be part of Hashem's covenant. The question assumes that, in Avraham's eyes, there was no intrinsic disqualification which would automatically cause Yishmael to be rejected.
"מְצַחֵק" – Most of these commentators6 suggest that Yishmael was simply happily dancing,7 playing or laughing8 and that the word holds no derogatory connotation at all.
Why did Sarah want Yishmael expelled?
- According to Jubilees and Ibn Ezra, Sarah was simply jealous, while Tzeror HaMor asserts that she was insulted as she mistakenly thought that Yishmael was laughing at her.9
- Abarbanel asserts that even before the incident Sarah was planning to expel Yishmael, fearing that otherwise he would claim rights to the inheritance. Seeing Yishmael being the center of attention simply confirmed her suspicions that the longer he stayed, the more difficult disinheriting him would become.
Evaluation of Sarah – According to Tzeror HaMor, Yishmael's actions did not warrant an expulsion and Sarah sinned in her actions.10 Her descendants were later punished when the Yishmaelites refused water to the Children of Israel, resulting in many deaths.11 Radak too suggests that Sarah was deserving of rebuke, sayingthat Avraham only kept quiet for "peace in the house" (שלום בית).
Why did Hashem reject Yishmael? According to Abarbanel, as Hashem wanted the chosen line to emerge form Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak alone was to inherit. Hashem, thus, agreed with Sarah that in order to ensure this and prevent any contesting of the inheritance, Yishmael had to be expelled from the home.12
Why is Avraham "upset about his son"? Avraham's reaction is understandable given that Yishmael did nothing to deserve expulsion. Radak asserts that Avraham loved him, for after all, "בדרך טובה היה הולך".13
בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם
Yishmael after the expulsion – Radak points to Yishmael's success as an archer, and lauds him for teaching this skill to his descendants, the Children of Kedar. He even suggests that this part of the story was written so that all can learn from Yishmael the important lesson of passing on skills to one's children.
Polemical Motivations?
Mildly Negative
Yishmael has several negative traits, but he is not completely wicked.
Prophecy to Hagar
Avraham's plea: "לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ"
"מְצַחֵק"
Why did Sarah want Yishmael expelled?
Why did Hashem reject Yishmael?
Why is Avraham "upset about his son"?
Polemical Motivations?
Extremely Negative
The character of Yishmael is evil, and he commits the most heinous of crimes, including the threesome of idolatry, murder and illicit relations.
Prophecy to Hagar
Avraham's plea: "לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ"
"מְצַחֵק"
Why did Sarah want Yishmael expelled?
Why did Hashem reject Yishmael?
Why is Avraham "upset about his son"?
Polemical Motivations?
