Daily Chumash & Rashi Vayeira Chamishi – Yishmael and Hagar are expelled from the home

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Summary of Text

Chamishi

  • Avraham was 100 years old at the time of birth.
  • When Yitzchak was weaned at 24 months, Avraham and Sarah made a big feast.

 

  1. Yishmael and Hagar are expelled from the home:
  • Yishmael was mischievous and performed dangerous and forbidden activity.
  • Sarah asked Avraham to expel Yishmael and his mother from the home, and remove him from being his heir. Avraham was very distressed over this request. Hashem reassures Avraham to listen to the request of his wife, and that his son Yishmael will be looked after. Yishmael will become a great nation with many descendants.
  • Angel saves Yishmael: That morning Avraham sent off Yishmael and his mother with some bread and a flask of water. The water was quickly finished, and a sick Yishmael was placed under a bush, by his mother Hagar, who went to the side and cried in prayer. Hashem heard their prayers and sent an angel to help them. Suddenly, a well appeared, from which Hagar gave Yishmael to drink.
  • They lived in the desert of Paran, and Hashem was with the lad. Yishmael became an archer. His mother Hagar married him off to a girl from Egypt.

Rashi Q&A – Bereishit 21:5–21

Birth and Celebration

Q: How old was Abraham when Yitzchak was born?
A: 100 years old.

 

Q: What did Sarah mean by “יִצְחַק־לִי”?
A: “Will rejoice for me.” Aggadic explanation: Many barren women conceived, many sick were healed, and many prayers were answered that day.

 

Q: Why does the verse say “Who said to Abraham, ‘Sarah will nurse children’”?
A: It praises God’s faithfulness. “מִי” expresses wonder and praise. “מִלֵּל” (said) has a gematria of 100, hinting to Abraham’s age.

 

Q: Why “children” in plural?
A: Sarah nursed other children at the feast to silence rumors that Yitzchak was a foundling.

 

Q: How old was Yitzchak when weaned?
A: 24 months.

 

Q: Why was the feast called “great”?
A: Great men like Shem, Ever, and Avimelech attended.

 

Ishmael’s Behavior and Expulsion

Q: What does “מְצַחֵק” (making sport) mean?
A: It connotes idol worship, immorality, and even murder.

 

Q: Why did Sarah demand Ishmael’s expulsion?
A: He was corrupt and argued over inheritance, even shooting arrows at Yitzchak.

 

Q: What does the repetition “with my son, with Yitzchak” teach?
A: Emphasizes that Ishmael cannot inherit with Yitzchak, who is both Sarah’s son and righteous.

 

Q: Why was Abraham distressed?
A: Because Ishmael was his son, and Sarah asked to send him away.

 

Q: What did God tell Abraham?
A: Listen to Sarah—her prophecy was greater. Yitzchak is the covenantal heir.

 

Q: What promise did God make about Ishmael?
A: He would become a great nation because he is Abraham’s offspring.

 

Hagar and Ishmael in the Desert

Q: Why did Abraham give only bread and water?
A: He hated Ishmael for his evil ways.

 

Q: Why was the child placed on Hagar’s shoulder?
A: He was feverish due to Sarah’s evil eye and could not walk.

 

Q: Why did Hagar wander?
A: She returned to idolatry.

 

Q: Why did the water run out quickly?
A: Sick people drink excessively.

 

Q: Why did Hagar sit “bowshots away”?
A: To avoid seeing her child die; “bowshots” means two arrow-shooting distances.

 

Q: What does “God heard the boy’s voice” teach?
A: A sick person’s own prayer is more effective than others’ prayers.

 

Q: What does “where he is” mean?
A: God judged Ishmael by his present deeds, not future sins.

 

Q: What future sin did angels mention?
A: His descendants would kill Jews by thirst during Nebuchadnezzar’s exile.

 

Q: How did God respond?
A: “Is he righteous now?” They said yes, so God judged him by current merit.

 

Q: What miracle happened next?
A: God opened Hagar’s eyes to a well.

 

Q: What did Ishmael become?
A: An archer and a robber, fulfilling “his hand against everyone.”

 

Q: Whom did Hagar choose as Ishmael’s wife?
A: A girl from Egypt, her homeland—“a stick returns to its root.”

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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