Literary Devices – Bereshit 21/0

Literary Devices – Bereshit 21

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Key Words

צחק

• צחק – One of the guiding words in the story of Yitzchak's birth and the Banishment of Yishmael (Bereshit 21:1-21) is “צחק".  Yitzchak is mentioned six times, the verb "צחק" two times, and the noun "צחוק" once.¹ The use of this word reflects the tension between the exultant joy of Sarah and Avraham and the scorn of Yishmael, both of which are expressed in laughter.² 
• Articles – For exploration and analysis of the significance of laughter in the Yitzchak narratives, see:
  
  • מ' גרסיאל, מדרשי שמות במקרא, (רמת-גן תשמ"ח): 156-157
  • "מילות מפתח ככותרת תת-קרקעית לפרשיות במקרא ושאלת ממחרת השבת" by Professor Yehuda Elitzur which explores the phenomenon of key words that are associated with particular characters in Tanakh.  .
  • Leitwort (IV) by Professor Yonatan Grossman which suggests that the repeted root "צחק" alludes to Hashem’s miraculous suspension of natural law in Yitzchak’s birth.  Later in the narrative, the same root refers to Yishmael’s scorn of moral law.  .
  • Parshat Vayera - Laughter and Isaac by R. Alex Israel, which suggests that the motif of laughter in Yitzchak’s life represents the unexpectedness and apparent absurdity of aspects of his experience and religious faith.   .

בן (Son)

• See Tanakh Lab that the word which appears most frequently in Bereshit 20:1-21 is "בן", son, appearing a full 14 times. The word reflects the central question of the unit – which of Avraham's sons are to be considered his spiritual heirs?

שמע (to hear)

• Though this word appears only five times, being only three times more prevalent here than elsewhere in Tanakh, since the entire story revolves around ישמעאל (who is nonetheless not mentioned by name), it might take on more significance than otherwise.
• Articles – See רא"ה ושמ"ע כצמד מלים מנחות by Amos Frisch who notes that while the root "שמע" plays a significant role in this chapter, in Chapter 22., the root "ראה" is central to the story. He notes that the thematic connection between the words makes them a "a leitwort pair" and serves to connect the two chapters.

Character Titles

Yishmael

Yishmael is given several appellations in this chapter, including: the son of Hagar or of the handmaid, Avraham's son, the "child", and the "youth". Notably, his name, Yishmael, is never mentioned in this chapter.

• בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית / בֶּן הָאָמָה – In verses 9-10, when Yishmael is spoken of from the perspective of Sarah, he is always referred to in relationship to Hagar, as the son of the maidservant. When Hashem promises Avraham that Yishmael also will be a great nation (verse 13), He also refers to him as "the son of the maidservant", perhaps to emphasize that despite the blessing, he is still not equal in stature to Yitzchak.
• Avraham's son  (בנו) – In verse 11, Yishmael is spoken of from Avraham's perspective, as his son, revealing his paternal love.
• הילד – In verses 14-16, when Yishmael is banished and falls sick, he is referred to as "child" by both the narrator and Hagar, evoking pity in the reader. 
• הנער – In verses 12, 17, 18, 19, and 20, when Hashem refers to Yishmael, he calls him a "נער", a term which perhaps implying more maturity and moral accountability than the term "ילד".

These different titles reflect different perspectives on Yishmael’s personality and identity.  In the eyes of Sarah, he is simply the son of the handmaid Hagar.  In contrast, Avraham looks upon Yishmael with a feeling of paternal affection and closeness.  Hagar, the mother, sees him as a young child.  From the omniscient perspective of Hashem, Yishmael is a child, a youth, and Hagar’s son.  However, Hashem makes explicit in verse 12 that the one title Yishmael does not really hold is that of Avraham’s heir.³  

Hagar

Hagar is referred to in several ways in the chapter:

• אמה – In verse 10, Sarah refers to Hagar not only as a handmaid but as “הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת” (this handmaid), a formulation which bespeaks contempt. By contrast, though Hashem also refers to Hagar as an "אמה" (verse 12-13), He does so without the pejorative “הַזֹּאת” and moreover conveys Avraham’s connection to Hagar through the use of the term “אֲמָתֶךָ” (your handmaid).
• הגר – Hagar is referred to by her personal name when she is banished in verse 14, and by the angel in verse 17. Verse 14 speaks of her last interactions with Avraham and might be told from his perspective, perhaps suggesting that Avraham does not view Hagar as merely a servant. Verse 17 and the words of the angel reflects Hashem's perspective. In her moment of need, Hashem no longer speaks of Hagar as a handmaid, but with her proper name, making a personal connection.⁴

Parallelism

• Bereshit 21:1 is arranged in a parallelistic structure:"וַי״י פָּקַד אֶת שָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמָר / וַיַּעַשׂ י״י לְשָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר". In this case, the parallelism serves to impart a formal, poetic structure to the jubilant verse. 
• The same type of parallelism exists in Sarah’s joyful declaration in Bereshit 21:7: "מִי מִלֵּל לְאַבְרָהָם / הֵינִיקָה בָנִים שָׂרָה / כִּי יָלַדְתִּי בֵן לִזְקֻנָיו".

Wordplay

• The two references in verse 17 to Hashem’s hearing the cries (וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים) of the unnamed Yishmael serve as an allusion to his name (ישמעאל), which is associated with the assurance “Hashem has heard your suffering” (16:11).
• The various forms of the root "שבע" (oath-taking) in verses 23-31 form a play on words with the word “שֶׁבַע" (seven) in verses 28-30, the place name בְאֵר שָׁבַע (verses 21-22) and the word “וַיָּשֻׁבוּ” (return) in verse 32.

¹ As seen in the concordance, the root plays a role throughout the Yitzchak narratives, starting with the divine promise of Yitzchak’s birth.

² It also indicates the release from the norms of nature manifest both in the birth of Yitzchak and, according to Chazal’s reading, in Yishmael’s breach of moral boundaries.

³ By contrast, Yitzchak is referred to as Avraham’s son in verse 4.

⁴ As above, the omniscient Hashem views His creatures in multiple ways.