A Portrait of Yishmael/2

Yishmael – Overview

Exegetical Approaches

Neutral to Positive

Yishmael does not actively sin, and may even have some merits.

Sources:Jubilees17:6-18About Jubilees, Ibn EzraBereshit 16:12Bereshit 21:9About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RadakBereshit 16:12Bereshit 17:20,25Bereshit 21:9,11,17,20,21Bereshit 25:9, 12About R. David Kimchi,Tzeror HaMorBereshit 16:1,3,5,12Bereshit 21:9,11,14About R. Avraham Saba, AbarbanelBereshit 16Bereshit 17Bereshit 21About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

Prophecy to Hagar – These commentators all view the prophecy as either a positive or neutral characterization of the soon to be born Yishmael, but they 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 causing 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 his nomadic lifestyle, will constantly be battling his neighbors ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל וְיַד כֹּל בּוֹ").  However, he will not flee from them, but manage to dwell amongst them ("עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן")‎.²
• Man of civilization – Abarbanel reads the opening words of the angel as a rhetorical question, "Will your son be a man of the desert?"³  The angel is, thus, informing Hagar that Yishmael will live amongst men ("עַל פְּנֵי כָל אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן"), intermingling and socializing with them ‎("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל"),‎ rather than alone in the wilderness.⁴

Avraham's plea: "לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ" – According to Abarbanel, Avraham is asking Hashem what will become of Yishmael once Yitzchak is born.  He is worried about both Yishmael's physical and spiritual well being,⁵ questioning whether Yishmael will die young (being replaced by Yitzchak)⁶ 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 have caused Yishmael to be automatically rejected.

"מְצַחֵק" – Most of these commentators⁷ suggest that Yishmael was simply happily dancing,⁸ playing or laughing⁹ and that the word carries no derogatory connotation at all.

Why did Sarah want Yishmael expelled?

• According to Jubilees and Ibn Ezra, Sarah was simply jealous,¹⁰ while the Tzeror HaMor asserts that she was insulted as she mistakenly thought that Yishmael was laughing at her.¹¹  
• 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 the Tzeror HaMor,  Yishmael's actions did not warrant an expulsion and Sarah sinned in her actions.¹²  Her descendants were later punished when Yishmael's descendants refused water to the Children of Israel, resulting in many deaths.¹³ Radak, too, suggests that Sarah was deserving of rebuke, saying that Avraham kept quiet only for the sake of "household peace" (שלום בית).

Why did Hashem reject Yishmael? Abarbanel explains that Yitzchak alone was to inherit, as Hashem wanted the chosen line to emerge from Avraham and Sarah.  Hashem, thus, agreed with Sarah that in order to ensure this and prevent any contesting of the inheritance, Yishmael needed to be expelled from the home.¹⁴

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"‎.¹⁵

בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא שָׁם

Yishmael after the expulsion – Radak points to Yishmael's achievements 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.

Sources:R. Shimon b. YochaiTosefta Sotah 6:6Sifre Devarim 31Bereshit Rabbah 53:11About the ToseftaAbout the SifreAbout Bereshit Rabbah, R. Saadia GaonBereshit 16:11Bereshit 21:9About R. Saadia Gaon, R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 21:9-10, 13,17, 20About R. Avraham Maimonides, RambanBereshit 16:6,12Bereshit 17:18Bereshit 21:9,17Bereshit 25:17About R. Moshe Nachmanides, SefornoBereshit 16:6,12Bereshit 21:9-14About R. Ovadyah Seforno

Prophecy to Hagar – Both Ramban and Seforno¹⁶ assert that the prophecy pointed to some of Yishmael's negative character traits:

• Militancy – Ramban maintains that  Yishmael was to become a "פֶּרֶא אָדָם",‎ a militant personality who spends his days ready to pounce on and devour others.¹⁷  He sees in this a punishment to Avraham and Sarah who had sinned in the harsh treatment of Hagar. They were meted a measure for measure punishment, for Yishmael's descendants were to similarly oppress their offspring.

• Donkey-like nature – According to Seforno, the dual term "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" reflects what Yishmael inherited from both parents, from his mom, a donkey-like nature,¹⁸ and from his father, a more human side, reflected in his repentance later in life.¹⁹

Avraham's plea: "לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ" – According to Ramban, Avraham is literally praying for Yishmael's life.  Knowing that Yitzchak is to inherit alone makes him wonder whether Yishmael is destined to die early.  Though Yishmael might have faults, Avraham had always viewed him as the heir, and as his father, he was filled with love for him.

"מְצַחֵק" – All these commentators understand the word to refer to scornful laughter or mockery:

• Related to the inheritance – R. Shimon B. Yochai portrays Yishmael laughing at the concept of Yitzchak inheriting²⁰ while Seforno has him suggest that Yitzchak was born of Avimelekh (which would thereby disqualify him).
• Degrading Yitzchak – R. Saadia suggests that Yishmael was scornfully speaking of Yitzchak's death while Ramban presents him as more simply poking fun at Yitzchak and the party.
• Foolish play – According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Yishmael was acting foolishly, laughing and speaking in an unbecoming manner. 

Why did Sarah want Yishmael expelled?

• Protect Yitzchak's character– According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Sarah wanted to prevent Yitzchak from learning from the bad example set by Yishmael.  Sarah was not worried about his sharing in a monetary inheritance, but about the two brothers inheriting together, in the sense of growing up together.
• Prevent Yishmael's inheritance – Seforno asserts that since Hagar was trying to ensure, through her son's libel, that Yishmael inherit all, Sarah banished them so that they would not inherit at all.
• Punishment – Ramban maintains that Sarah viewed Yishmael's actions as a forgetting of his rightful place as servant. Though this normally would deserve death or corporeal punishment, Sarah instead decided to expel Hagar and Yishmael.

Why did Hashem reject Yishmael? This approach might suggest that Yishmael was rejected due to both his parentage and his lesser character.  Seforno adds that Hashem agreed with Sarah that Yishmael was to be a negative influence

Why is Yishmael made into a great nation? Seforno asserts that this promise is a reward to Avraham.  Yishmael himself was not worthy of such grandeur.²¹

Why is Avraham "upset about his son"? Ramban suggests that Avraham's natural love for his son made it painful for him to banish him. Though Yishmael's actions were wrong, and Avraham might have even understood Sarah's desire for the expulsion, they were not so terrible to prevent his anguish at the action.  Seforno further suggests that Avraham was oblivious to the true nature of his son, favoring him since he was the first born.²²

Yishmael after the expulsion

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?

¹ Such a prophecy would be very encouraging to Hagar who was suffering from her servitude to Sarah.

² Compare R. Yosef Bekhor Shor who similarly connects Yishmael's future with the wilderness but suggests that Yishmael will be a merchant who travels in the desert, buying and selling his wares ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל וְיַד כֹּל בּוֹ").  This fits with the later mentions of Yishmaelite caravans, such as the one which is featured in the sale of Yosef.

³ 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.

⁴ 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.

⁵ Cf. Rashi and Ramban who each take one  of these two possibilities.

⁶ See Ramban who has Avraham wonder if the reason Yitzchak is to inherit all is because Yishmael is to die before Avraham.

⁷ 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.

⁸ This is Jubilees' stance.

⁹ 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.

¹⁰ The BiurBereshit 21:8About Netivot HaShalom questions this read, finding it inconceivable that the righteous Sarah could possibly banish Hagar and Yishmael to the desert simply out of petty jealousy.  See, though, below, that Tzeror HaMor asserts that this was indeed considered a sin and that Sarah was punished for her actions.

¹¹ 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.

¹² 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.

¹³ 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.

¹⁴ The expulsion then had nothing to do with the specifc actions of Yishmael.

¹⁵ See above that Avraham would have rebuked Sarah for her request had it not been that he wanted to preserve peace between them.

¹⁶ R. Saadia reads the angel's words much more neutrally, suggesting that Yishmael is to grow to be  a man of the desert, yet one who will still maintain contact with people ("יָדוֹ בַכֹּל וְיַד כֹּל בּוֹ") and civilization, marrying and doing business with them.

¹⁷ It is unclear from Ramban whether he thinks it is Yishmael himself, or his descendants, who will take on this character trait and oppress others. In the first part of his comments he suggests that the phrase "פֶּרֶא אָדָם" refers to Yishmael, but later he understands it to refer to his offspring.

¹⁸ In the continuation of his comments, Seforno softens his tone, suggesting that this implies a nomadic existence in the desert.

¹⁹ Seforno points to the discussion in Bava Batra 16b which discusses this.

²⁰ In the version in the Sifre, R. Shimon b. Yochai presents Yishmael not just as laughing but more actively arguing with Yitzchak over the inheritance.  Ramban questions this variation, arguing that it does not fit with the chronology of the verses, since the chapter assumes a very young Yitzchak.  A toddler would not be arguing with his older brother over such matters.

²¹ Ramban similarly claims that this promise was made since Yishmael was Avaraham's seed, but does not state that Yishmael alone would not have been worthy.

²² He asserts that Sarah alone noted his negative character but hid the truth from her husband knowing that it would pain him.