“I will greatly increase your offspring,
And they shall be too many to count.” (11) The angel of the LORD said to her further,
“Behold, you are with child
And shall bear a son;
You shall call him Ishmael,
For the LORD has paid heed to your suffering. (12) He shall be a wild ass of a man;
His hand against everyone,
And everyone’s hand against him;
He shall dwell alongside of all his kinsmen.” (13) And she called the LORD who spoke to her, “You Are El-roi,” by which she meant, “Have I not gone on seeing after He saw me!”-d
~ What are the dynamics present in the story?
~ What do you think Hagar did to get Sarai angry?
~ What do you think Sarai did to Hagar that made her flee?
~ Is Sarai justified?
~ What is Avram's role in this episode?
~ How do you understand the angel's words? How bad was it under Sarai's roof?
~ Look at how the verb is used in these verses.
~ What could Sarai have done to Hagar?
~ Hagar was pregnant. Do you think that that changes how Sarai should have acted?
(ז) וַיִּמְצָאָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה' עַל עֵין הַמַּיִם וגו' (בראשית טז, ז), בְּאוֹרְחָא דַּחֲלוּצָה. (בראשית טז, ח): וַיֹּאמַר הָגָר שִׁפְחַת שָׂרַי, מַתְלָא אָמַר אִם אָמַר לָךְ חַד אוּנָיִךְ דַּחֲמַר לָא תֵיחוּשׁ, תְּרֵין עֲבֵיד לָךְ פָּרוֹכֵי. כָּךְ אַבְרָם אָמַר: הִנֵּה שִׁפְחָתֵךְ בְּיָדֵךְ, הַמַּלְאָךְ אָמַר: הָגָר שִׁפְחַת שָׂרַי. וַתֹּאמֶר מִפְּנֵי שָׂרַי גְּבִרְתִּי אָנֹכִי בֹּרַחַת. (בראשית טז, ט): וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה' שׁוּבִי אֶל גְּבִרְתֵּךְ וְהִתְעַנִּי וגו', (בראשית טז, י): וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ ה' הַרְבָּה וגו'. כַּמָּה מַלְאָכִים נִזְדַּוְּגוּ לָהּ, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא אָמַר חֲמִשָּׁה, בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֲמִירָה, מַלְאָךְ. רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי אַרְבָּעָה, בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מַלְאָךְ. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא בּוֹא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה בֵּין רִאשׁוֹנִים לְאַחֲרוֹנִים, מָנוֹחַ אָמַר לְאִשְׁתּוֹ (שופטים יג, כב): מוֹת נָמוּת כִּי אֱלֹקִים רָאִינוּ, וְהָגָר שִׁפְחַת שָׂרַי רוֹאָה חֲמִשָּׁה מַלְאָכִים בָּזֶה אַחַר זֶה וְלֹא נִתְיָרְאָה מֵהֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא צִפָּרְנָן שֶׁל אָבוֹת וְלֹא כְרֵסָן שֶׁל בָּנִים. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק (משלי לא, כז): צוֹפִיָּה הֲלִיכוֹת בֵּיתָהּ, בְּנֵי בֵיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ צוֹפִים הָיוּ, וְהָיְתָה רְגִילָה לִרְאוֹת בָּהֶם.
(7) And he went into Hagar and she conceived (Gen. 16:4). Rabbi Levi bar Hayta said: She became pregnant at the first intimacy. Said Rabbi Eleazar: A woman never conceives by the first intimacy. An objection is raised: surely it is written, So both of Lot's daughters got pregnant by their father (Gen. 19:36)? Said R. Tanhuma: By an effort of will power they brought forth their virginity, and conceived at the second “act of intercourse”. [The first act is what they did to themselves. Said Rabbi Chanina ben Pazi: Thorns are neither weeded nor sown, but they grow and spring up on their own. But how much suffering and effort for wheat to grow! Why were the matriarchs barren? Rabbi Levi said in Rabbi Shila’s name and Rabbi Chelbo in R. Yochanan’s name: Because the Holy One of Blessing yearns for their prayers and supplications, as it is written 'O my dove, you on the clefts of the rock let Me see your face, let Me hear your voice' (Song of Songs 2:14): Why did I make you barren? In order to 'see your face... hear your voice'. Rabbi Azariah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan bar Papa: So that their husbands might cling to them in their beauty. Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Hiya bar Abba said: So that they might pass the greater part of their life without hard work. Rabbi Huna and R. Avun in the name of Rabbi Meir: So that their husbands might derive pleasure from them, for when a woman is with child she is disfigured and does not care for her appearance. The ninety years that Sarah did not bear she was like a bride in her canopy. Ladies would come to ask how she was, and she would say to them, 'Go and ask about the welfare of this wretched woman [Hagar]!' Hagar would tell them: 'My mistress Sarai is not inside what she is outside: she appears to be righteous but she is not righteous, had she been a righteous woman, see how many years have passed without her conceiving, whereas I conceived in one night!' Said Sarah: 'Am I going to argue with this woman?! I should argue with her master!
~ According to this midrash, what did Hagar do? Is it consistent with the Torah text?
~ Does this midrash side with either Sarai or Hagar?
~ What competition is being highlighted?
(ו) וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֶל שָׂרַי עֲשִׂי לָהּ הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינָיִךְ (בראשית טז, ו), אָמַר לָהּ מָה אִכְפַּת לִי לֹא בְטוֹבָתָהּ וְלֹא בְרָעָתָהּ. כְּתִיב (דברים כא, יד): לֹא תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עִנִּיתָהּ, וְזוֹ מֵאַחַר שֶׁצִּעַרְנוּ אוֹתָהּ אָנוּ מִשְׁתַּעְבְּדִין בָּהּ, לֹא אִכְפַּת לִי לֹא בְטוֹבָתָהּ וְלֹא בְרָעָתָהּ. כְּתִיב (שמות כא, ח): לְעַם נָכְרִי לֹא יִמְשֹׁל לְמָכְרָהּ בְּבִגְדוֹ בָהּ, וְזוֹ מֵאַחַר שֶׁעָשִׂינוּ אוֹתָהּ גְּבִירָה אָנוּ עוֹשִׂין אוֹתָהּ שִׁפְחָה, לֹא אִכְפַּת לִי לֹא בְטוֹבָתָהּ וְלֹא בְרָעָתָהּ. (בראשית טז, ו): וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שָׂרַי וַתִּבְרַח מִפָּנֶיהָ, רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר מְנָעַתָּהּ מִתַּשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אָמַר טְפָחַתָּהּ בְּקוֹרְדִּקַיָסוֹן עַל פָּנֶיהָ. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא דְּלָיִים וּפַנְדִּיּוֹת הוֹלִיכָה לָהּ לַמֶּרְחָץ.
(6) 'And Avram said to Sarai: do to her what is good in your eyes!' (Gen. 19:6) He said to her: "what do I care about her well being or her harm? [But] It is written: 'You will not deal with her as a slave since you humbled her' (Deuteronomy 21:14), and this one, after we made her suffer, we will enslave her? I don't care about her well being or her harm, [but] it is written 'he shall not have the right to sell her to foreigners, since he broke faith with her' (Exodus 21:8) and this one, after we made her a master we will make her a slave? I don't care about her well being or her harm." 'Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from her.' Rabbi Aba bar Kahana said: she forbade her from having sexual relations. Rabbi Berachia said: she slapped her face with a slipper. Rabbi Berachia in the name of Rabbi Aba Bar Kahana said: She made her carry water buckets and bath towels to the baths.
~ How is Avram being portrayed here?
~ What is the midrash doing to the figure of Avram?
~ How is Sarai being portrayed?
(ה) וַתֹּאמֶר שָׂרַי אֶל אַבְרָם חֲמָסִי עָלֶיךָ (בראשית טז, ה), רַבִּי יוּדָן בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר סִימוֹן חוֹמְסֵנִי אַתָּה בִּדְבָרִים, לָמָּה, שֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ בִּקְלוֹנִי וְשׁוֹתֵק. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא אָמַר בָּעֵי דִינִי גַבָּךְ. מָשָׁל לִשְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם חֲבוּשִׁים בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים, נִמְצָא הַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹבֵר, אֲמַר לֵיהּ חַד, תְּבַע דִּיקָיוֹן דִּידִי, אֲמַר אַפְקוּהוּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ חַבְרֵיהּ יִבְעֵי דִינִי גַּבָּךְ, אִלּוּ אֲמַרְתְּ תָּבוֹעַ דִּיקָיוֹן דִּידָן, כְּמָה דְּאַפְקָךְ כֵּן אַפְקַנִי, וְכַדּוּ דַאֲמַרְתְּ תְּבַע דִּיקָיוֹן דִּידִי, לָךְ אַפֵּיק לִי לָא אַפֵּיק. כָּךְ אִלּוּ אֲמַרְתְּ וְאָנוּ הוֹלְכִים עֲרִירִים, כְּמָה דִּיהַב לָךְ כֵּן יְהַב לִי, וְכַדּוּ דַּאֲמַרְתְּ (בראשית טו, ב): אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי, לָךְ יָהֵיב וְלִי לָא יָהֵיב. ... רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא אָמַר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה וְרַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אָמַר בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חִיָּא, כָּל מִי שֶׁהִרְתִּיק אַחַר מִדַּת הַדִּין לֹא יָצָא שָׁפוּי מִתַּחַת יָדֶיהָ, רְאוּיָה הָיְתָה שָׂרָה לְהַגִּיעַ לְשָׁנָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם, וְעַל יְדֵי שֶׁאָמְרָה (בראשית טז, ה): יִשְׁפֹּט ה' בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶיךָ, נִמְנְעוּ מֵחַיֶּיהָ שְׁלשִׁים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנָה. כְּתִיב (בראשית טז, ד): וַיָּבֹא אֶל הָגָר וַתַּהַר, וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (בראשית טז, יא): הִנָּךְ הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן, אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִכְנִיסָה בָּהּ שָׂרָה עַיִן רָעָה וְהִפִּילָה עֻבָּרָהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ, וּבְנֵךְ כְּתִיב. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אִלּוּ אֱלִישָׁע הַנָּבִיא אָמַר כֵּן בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ דַּיִּי, אֶלָּא שֶׁזָּכְתָה לְדַבֵּר עִמָּהּ הַמַּלְאָךְ.
(5) And Sarai said to Avram: My anger is on you! (Genesis 16:5) Rabbi Yudan says, in the name of Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon: You made violence on me with your words. Why? Because you heard my being despised and you were silent. Rabbi Berachia in the name of Rabbi Aba bar Kahana said: I have a grievance against you! This is similar to two men who are imprisoned, and when the king passes through one says: King! Make justice for me! The king says to let him go. His companion said: I have a grievance against you! If you had said 'make justice for us' both of us would be free, but since you said 'make justice for me' he released you but not me. So too, had you [Avram] said "and we go childless" just as you got a child I would have gotten a child. But since you said "and I go childless" (Genesis 15:2) you received a child but not I. ... Rabbi Tanchuma said, in the name of Rabbi Chiyah... whoever runs after the characteristic of judgment does not escape its hands. Sarah should have reached the same age as Avraham, but because she said "may God judge between you and me" (Genesis 16:5) 38 years were deducted from her. Behold, it is written "And he came to Hagar, and she conceived" (Genesis 16:4) but it also says "behold you are pregnant and you will give birth to a son"(Genesis 16:11) it teaches you that Sarah set the evil eye upon Hagar, and she miscarried. Rabbi Chanina said: even if just the prophet Elisha had said that to her it would have been enough, rather, she merited to receive these news through the angel.
~ How does Avram come through in this midrash?
~ What is a basic value the rabbis want to teach?
~ How is Hagar being portrayed? What is surprising about the angel's words?
(2) אבנה ממנה I SHALL BE BUILT UP THROUGH HER— through the merit that I admit her as a rival into my house.
~ Rashi's commentary in this section is mostly based on the midrashim above. This is an exception. What is Rashi adding that is not present in the midrash?
~ How is Sarai similar or different, in the light of this comment by Rashi?
Behold your maidservant is in your hands - I myself can't do anything to her, since she is my wife. But she is your maidservant.
~ How is the position of Hagar different in the household? How can that bring about conflict?
ותענה שרי, Sarai's objective in maltreating Hagar was to remind her of the fact that she remained her slave. She was not to insult her mistress any more.
~ Is Sarai justified in her actions, according to Sforno?
~ How is Avram portrayed?
(ה-ט) ופירש השי״ת שהצדק עם שרי ושהגר חייבת להיות שפחתה עד שתשוב להיות מצייתת לה. כי כשעינתה אותה, ככתוב: ותענה שרי, אמר לה המלאך בכמו זה: שובי אל גברתך והתעני תחת ידיה. ומזה אנו יודעים שלא חטאה שרה בהטלת עול בלתי הגון על הגר, כי לו היה כך לא היה המלאך מסכים לכך.
Saadia Gaon on Genesis 16:5-9
And through these words the Holy Blessed Name explained that Sarai was correct and that Hagar was obligated to return to her condition of slave. When Sarai afflicted her it is written "And Sarai afflicted her" and now the angel says "return to your mistress and subject yourself to affliction under her hand". And from this we understand that Sarah did not sin with putting too heavy a yoke on Hagar, if it were so, the angel would have agreed [with Hagar].
~ How does Saadia Gaon defend the lack of culpability on Sarah's side?
כי שמע ה׳ אל עניך – באף מקום אחר איננו מוצאים ״עֳנִי״ כמושא של ״שמע״; אלא רק כמושא של ״ראה״. ייסוריו של אדם יכולים אכן להראות. אך שרה לא נהגה בהגר באכזריות; רק דבריה של שרה הזכירו להגר את תלותה, והיא אכן חשה בתלות זו. ייסורי הגר היו רוחניים, ורק ״שומע״ יכל לשמוע אותם.
S.R.Hirsch on Genesis 16:11
Because God heard your affliction - There is no other place in the Torah that we find "affliction" as being "heard", in every other place it is "seen", the suffering of the people is so obvious that it is seen. But Sarah did not act towards Hagar with cruelty, she only used words to remind Hagar of her place, and she was indeed in that station. The sufferings of Hagar were spiritual, and only the Listener could hear them.
~ What does Samson Raphael Hirsch point out?
~ Nachmanides takes a different position. How does he prove that Sarai was wrong?
Her mistress was lowered - she thought that now that it was clear that Avram's seed would be from her she would become the top ranking wife of Avram. As a result, she refused to carry out instructions given to her by Sarai.
Sarai afflicted her - Sarai overburdened her with work, and made her perform the work in an intolerably harsh manner. It is even possible that the word ותענה (afflicted) includes physical as well as verbal abuse of Hagar by Sarai. The Torah testifies that Sarai did not act piously or morally toward her, although Avram had given up his own participation and given her a free hand when he said "do to her as appears fit in your eyes," from a moral point of view she should have treated Hagar in a manner befitting her status as a wife or legal companion of Avram, and not to afflict her. From the point of view of practicing kindness and being a good soul a person should not do everything they can once someone is under their hand. The scholar Ibn Gabirol said "how beautiful is the attribute of practicing forgiveness in circumstances when this is possible!" Sarai's actions as reported were not pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. This is reflected in the words of the angel to Hagar (verse 11) כי שמע ה' אל עניך, "for the Lord has listened to the oppression you have endured." This is why the angel gave her a blessing as compensation for the harsh treatment she had suffered. Avram did not prevent Sarai from acting as she did, even though it was displeasing in his eyes, because he was concerned primarily with eyes, because he was concerned primarily with preserving his relations with Sarai. The reason why this whole story is preserved for all future generations in our chapter is to teach moral-ethical lessons, and to warn us not to indulge in injustice.
~ How does David Kimchi understand the treatment of Hagar by Sarai?
~ Why is this story here, according to him?
אחר כך אמר ושרי אשת אברם לא ילדה לו. להורות על הגליות וסבתם כי לפי שהיתה שרי עקרה הוצרך לבא אל שפחתה ואמרה אולי אבנה ממנה כי אני זקנה. ולא ראתה כי יצא מכאן ישמעאל שלקח ארצנו ובית קדשינו והוא שולט בכל א"י וכל זה בא לו בזכות המילה שנשאר להם אע"פ שאין להם פריעה כמוזכר במדרש הנעלם. וכל זה סיבב אברהם באומרו ה' אלקים מה תתן לי וכן בשמעו לקול שרי ליקח פילגש מצרית אחר שהשם הבטיחו בבנים מה לו למהר את הקץ. ולכן כתב בכאן ותקח שרי אשת אברם את הגר המצרית מארץ טמאה ומעם טמא. ועוד היות שפחתה והיא היתה הגברת ונהפוך הוא ושפחה כי תירש גבירתה. והעד על זה ותקל גבירתה בעיניה עד שחזרה להיות שפחה. וכשראתה שרי הרע שעשתה. התחילה לדבר דברים... וזהו אנכי נתתי שפחתי בחיקך ואם כן מה חטא אברהם. ... והוא לא השיב לה דבר לומר בענותנותו או לפי שראה שהוא חטא בזה. ועתה הוסיף לחטוא ואמר הנה שפחתך בידך וגומר ואיה רחמנותו ואיה תורתו שלמד שכתוב בה לא תסגיר עבד אל אדוניו. ובלא תורה השכל יחייבהו בעניין שבעון זה נמסרו בניו ביד ישמעאל. ורעה עוד מזאת ותעניה שרה. האם זה דרך מוסר הצדקת שאברהם אמר לה עשי לה הטוב בעיניך לקרר דעתה. והיא עשתה והצליחה ותעניה שרה. והיה ראוי שתקרר דעתה ותאמר עכשיו שנתנה בידי לא יגע בה רע כי זה מדרך מוסר. ולכן ברחה מפניה. ממדרש אמריה צועקת ברוב כחה בוכה משתי עיניה ואומרת. אוי ואבוי כי הגביר הסגירני והבעל והגברה עיניתני. והשם שמע צעקתה וראה דמעתה ושלח אליה מלאך והשגיח בה. וזהו וימצאה מלאך ה' על עין המים כמו מי יתן ראשי מים. וכפל ואמר במדבר על העין לרמוז שבכתה בשתי עיניה ולכן השגיח בה וזה בדרך שור כמו עלי שור. וכל זה להורות כי שערי דמעה לא ננעלו. ולכן אמר לה אי מזה באת כלומר למה ברחת כי כל זה לטובתך שובי אל גבירתך והתעני תחת ידיה. כי זה יסבב כי ברוב הימים תענה את בניה וזהו הרבה ארבה את זרעך. ולכן תמצא בכאן ארבעה פעמים גברת. ותקל גבירתה בעיניה ותברח מפניה שהוא כמו מפני הגבירה. מפני שרי גבירתי אנכי בורחת שובי אל גבירתך. הרי ד' כנגד ארבע גליות אשר שפחה תירש גבירתה. או יהיה הראשון הנה שפחתך בידך כי זה אכזריות גדולה. ולכן חזר מלאך ה' ואמר לה הנך הרה ויולדת בן וקראת שמו ישמעאל כי שמע ה' אל ענייך וברוב הימים תמצאנו:
...And Sarai did not see that from this Yishmael would come, who would take our land and our Holy House, and would reign over all the Land of Israel... And all this is due to avram having said the Hashem El-him "what will You give me?" and also due to his listening to the voice of Sarai and taking an Egyptian concubine after the Holy One had promised him children when the right time arrived. And therefore the text says that Sarai, the wife of Avram, took Hagar the Egyptian, from an unclean land, and more, that she was a maidservant, and that she was the mistress, and the situation became upside down with the mistress lowering her own status: "and her mistress was lowered" - until she went back to being a maidservant. ... And Sarai understood what she herself had done: "I gave my maidservant on your bosom." ... Now Avram did not say anything against it due to his humility, or maybe because he saw that he sinned by having relations with Hagar. But now he added to his sin, by saying "here is your maidservant in your hand, etc" - and where is his compassion, and where is his Torah?! The text says "do not return a fugitive slave to his master" (Deut. 23:16). And even without Torah the logic mind can show us that this was wrong, since through this sin Avram's children were given under the hands of Yishmael. And there was more evil than this, since "and Sarai afflicted her." Is this the way of righteous piety [musar], that Avram should say "do what you wish with her" to cool Sarai's anger toward himself? And surely she did and oppressed her. And it would have been proper for Sarai to cool off and say "now that he has given her to me, I am not going to do evil toward her, because this is the way of piety [musar]." But she didn't, so "she fled". And in the midrash it is written that she cried out loud, with all her might, and said "Oy vavoy, the Powerful One has shut me out, and the master and the mistress are afflicting me!" And the Name heard her cries, and saw her tears, and sent her an angel, and took care of her. And this is "the angel of Hashem met her on the water fountain", and water is mentioned twice to hint that she was crying with her two eyes... and this is all to teach us that the gate of tears is never closed. And therefore the angel said "from where are you coming" meaning, you are fleeing but all this will be for your good, return and submit to your mistress, in due time you will afflict her children, and this is "I will multiply your seed." The fourfold repetition of "mistress" symbolizes the four times that we were exiled, and had other masters over us. The first one is "here is your maidservant in your hand, do what you wish" - this is a great cruelty, and therefore the angel said "behold you are pregnant and you will give birth to a son, and you will call him Yishmael because God heard your oppression" - and in due time, you will see it.
~ What is the position of R. Avraham Saba? Who was in the wrong, and why?