Difference between revisions of "Sarah's Treatment of Hagar/2"
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<point><b>Was Hagar freed?</b></point> | <point><b>Was Hagar freed?</b></point> | ||
<point><b>Angel's command to return</b></point> | <point><b>Angel's command to return</b></point> | ||
| − | <point><b>"כִּי שָׁמַע י"י אֶל עׇנְיֵךְ"</b></point> | + | <point><b>"כִּי שָׁמַע י"י אֶל עׇנְיֵךְ"</b> – Radak understands the verse as a blessing.  In compensation for the oppression, if she returns, she will have many descendants from Avraham.</point> |
<point><b>Relationship to the banishment</b></point> | <point><b>Relationship to the banishment</b></point> | ||
<point><b>Purpose of the story:</b><ul> | <point><b>Purpose of the story:</b><ul> | ||
| Line 23: | Line 23: | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Sarah was Justified | <category>Sarah was Justified | ||
| − | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RSaadiaGaonCommentaryBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">R. Saadia Gaon</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonCommentaryBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">Commentary Bereshit 16:6</a><a href="R. Saadia Gaon" data-aht="parshan">About R. Saadia Gaon</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RChananelcitedbyRYehoshuaibnShuibBereshit16-5" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RChananelcitedbyRYehoshuaibnShuibBereshit16-5" data-aht="source">(cited by R. Yehoshua ibn Shuib Bereshit 16:5)</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel b. Chushiel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16:6</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>,</mekorot> | + | <mekorot><multilink><a href="PhiloQuestionsandAnswersonGenesisIII-25-26" data-aht="source">Philo</a><a href="PhiloQuestionsandAnswersonGenesisIII-25-26" data-aht="source">Questions and Answers on Genesis, III:25-26</a><a href="Philo" data-aht="parshan">About Philo</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RSaadiaGaonCommentaryBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">R. Saadia Gaon</a><a href="RSaadiaGaonCommentaryBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">Commentary Bereshit 16:6</a><a href="R. Saadia Gaon" data-aht="parshan">About R. Saadia Gaon</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RChananelcitedbyRYehoshuaibnShuibBereshit16-5" data-aht="source">R. Chananel</a><a href="RChananelcitedbyRYehoshuaibnShuibBereshit16-5" data-aht="source">(cited by R. Yehoshua ibn Shuib Bereshit 16:5)</a><a href="R. Chananel b. Chushiel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chananel b. Chushiel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="AbarbanelBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">Abarbanel</a><a href="AbarbanelBereshit16-6" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16:6</a><a href="R. Yitzchak Abarbanel" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="RDavidZviHoffmannBereshit16-5-6" data-aht="source">R. David Zvi Hoffmann</a><a href="RDavidZviHoffmannBereshit16-5-6" data-aht="source">Bereshit 16:5-6</a><a href="R. David Zvi Hoffmann" data-aht="parshan">About R. David Zvi Hoffmann</a></multilink></mekorot> |
<point><b>"וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ"</b><ul> | <point><b>"וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ"</b><ul> | ||
| − | <li>Oppression</li> | + | <li>Oppression – Abarbanel maintains the simple meaning of the word, and tries to justify Hagar's oppression.  He says that in order to mend Hagar's pride, Sarah needed to humble her more than she was in the beginning by oppressing her more.</li> |
| − | <li>Rebuke</li> | + | <li>Rebuke – Philo explains "וַתְּעַנֶּהָ" means rebuke rather than oppress.  Sarah rebuked Hagar about her actions, but Hagar couldn't handle the reproof and ran away.  A weakness of this explanation is that Hagar ran away alone to the desert while she is pregnant after just being told to be more humble.</li> |
| − | <li>Took her back as a servant maid</li> | + | <li>Took her back as a servant maid – R. D"Z Hoffmann says Sarah freed Hagar when she handed her over to Avraham, but once she disrespected her, Sarah took her back as a maid.  He seems to say that Sarah didn't torture Hagar, rather told her to do her tasks like she used to, but she after being free could no longer endure her slave status.</li> |
</ul></point> | </ul></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Avraham's role</b></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>"וַתֵּקַל גְּבִרְתָּהּ בְּעֵינֶיהָ"</b></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Was Hagar freed?</b></point> | ||
<point><b>Angel's command to return</b> – R. Saadia proves from the command that Sarah did not torture Hagar, for otherwise the angel would not have told Hagar to return.</point> | <point><b>Angel's command to return</b> – R. Saadia proves from the command that Sarah did not torture Hagar, for otherwise the angel would not have told Hagar to return.</point> | ||
| + | <point><b>"כִּי שָׁמַע י"י אֶל עׇנְיֵךְ"</b></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Relationship to the banishment</b></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>Purpose of the story:</b></point> | ||
| + | <point><b>"וַתִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָם"</b></point> | ||
</category> | </category> | ||
</approaches> | </approaches> | ||
</page> | </page> | ||
</aht-xml> | </aht-xml> | ||
Version as of 07:51, 27 December 2015
Sarah's Treatment of Hagar
Exegetical Approaches
Sarah Sinned
"וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ" – These commentators read "וַתְּעַנֶּהָ" as torture. Radak says that Sarah went overboard laboring Hagar, hitting and cursing her, until she ran away because she couldn't bare the suffering any more. Ramban and R. Avraham Saba add that they were punished for these actions, that Yishmael will torture Sarah's descendants.
Avraham's role – Radak asserts that Avraham didn't interfere even though he was bothered, not to anger Sarah. Ramban says Avraham was equally at fault, and he should have stopped Sarah. R. Avraham Saba goes a step further to say that Avraham already sinned when he agreed to marry Hagar and questioned Hashem's promise of children.
"וַתֵּקַל גְּבִרְתָּהּ בְּעֵינֶיהָ"
Was Hagar freed?
Angel's command to return
"כִּי שָׁמַע י"י אֶל עׇנְיֵךְ" – Radak understands the verse as a blessing. In compensation for the oppression, if she returns, she will have many descendants from Avraham.
Relationship to the banishment
Purpose of the story:
- Radak says the story is coming to teach us good virtues.
- R. Avraham Saba asserts that the story informs why the Children of Israel were exiled, as a punishment for taking Hagar to be a wife for Avraham.
"וַתִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָם"
Sarah was Justified
"וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ"
- Oppression – Abarbanel maintains the simple meaning of the word, and tries to justify Hagar's oppression. He says that in order to mend Hagar's pride, Sarah needed to humble her more than she was in the beginning by oppressing her more.
- Rebuke – Philo explains "וַתְּעַנֶּהָ" means rebuke rather than oppress. Sarah rebuked Hagar about her actions, but Hagar couldn't handle the reproof and ran away. A weakness of this explanation is that Hagar ran away alone to the desert while she is pregnant after just being told to be more humble.
- Took her back as a servant maid – R. D"Z Hoffmann says Sarah freed Hagar when she handed her over to Avraham, but once she disrespected her, Sarah took her back as a maid. He seems to say that Sarah didn't torture Hagar, rather told her to do her tasks like she used to, but she after being free could no longer endure her slave status.
Avraham's role
"וַתֵּקַל גְּבִרְתָּהּ בְּעֵינֶיהָ"
Was Hagar freed?
Angel's command to return – R. Saadia proves from the command that Sarah did not torture Hagar, for otherwise the angel would not have told Hagar to return.
"כִּי שָׁמַע י"י אֶל עׇנְיֵךְ"
Relationship to the banishment
Purpose of the story:
"וַתִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָם"
