Illustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Commentary פַּרְשָׁנוּת
When Hagar and her son, Yishmael, are sent away from the home of Avraham and Sarah, they wander in the hot desert for a long time, and their water runs out. Yishmael looks like he might die from thirst, and Hagar can’t bear to watch, so she places Yishmael under a bush and bursts into tears. God immediately hears Yishmael’s voice, and this is what happens:
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אֱלֹהִים֮ אֶת־ק֣וֹל הַנַּ֒עַר֒ וַיִּקְרָא֩ מַלְאַ֨ךְ אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶל־הָגָר֙ מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לָ֖הּ מַה־לָּ֣ךְ הָגָ֑ר אַל־תִּ֣ירְאִ֔י כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֧ע אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶל־ק֥וֹל הַנַּ֖עַר בַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר הוּא־שָֽׁם׃
God heard the cry of the boy, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the cry of the boy where he is.”
What does the angel mean when he tells Hagar that God heard the cry of Yishmael “בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם (ba-asher hu sham, where he is)”? Here are two opinions on this question:
הוֹדִיעַ אוֹתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא תִּצְטָרֵךְ לָלֶכֶת מִשָּׁם אֶל מַעְיָן וּבוֹר כִּי בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא יִרְוֶה צָמְאוֹ מִיָּד
[God] informed [Hagar] that she will not need to go from there to a fountain or well, for in that very place he will quench his thirst immediately.
However, Rashi has a very different understanding (his reading is based on Talmud Bavli Rosh Hashanah 16b):
לְפִי מַעֲשִׂים שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה עַכְשָׁו הוּא נִדּוֹן, וְלֹא לְפִי מַה שֶּׁהוּא עָתִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מְקַטְרְגִים וְאוֹמְרִים רִבּוֹנו שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מִי שֶׁעָתִיד זַרְעוֹ לְהָמִית בָּנֶיךָ בַּצָּמָא אַתָּה מַעֲלֶה לוֹ בְּאֵר, וְהוּא מְשִׁיבָם עַכְשָׁו מַה הוּא, צַדִּיק אוֹ רָשָׁע? אָמְרוּ לוֹ צַדִּיק, אָמַר לָהֶם לְפִי מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁל עַכְשָׁו אֲנִי דָנוֹ
According to his actions now he will be judged, and not according to what he may do in future. The angels had made claims against him, saying, “Master of the Universe, for him [Yishmael] whose descendants will in the future kill your children with thirst, will You provide a well?” God asked them, “What is he now, righteous or wicked?” They replied, “Righteous.” God said to them, “According to his present deeds will I judge him.”
Rashi says “where he is'' refers to who Yishmael is at that moment. The angels look into the future and see that Yishmael’s future children would cause harm to the Jewish people. So, they say he should not be saved. However, God refuses to judge Yishmael harshly based on the future, and instead creates a well to save him because he is righteous “where he is”—in that moment in time.
- What do you think the Torah is emphasizing about Yishmael being “where he is” when God appears? Why is it important for the Torah to specify this detail?
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