(ג) וְעַד עַכְשָׁיו לֹא נִתְּנָה תּוֹרָה וּכְתִיב בְּאַבְרָהָם (בראשית כו, ה): וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי, וּמֵהֵיכָן לָמַד אַבְרָהָם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר נַעֲשׂוּ שְׁתֵּי כִּלְיוֹתָיו כִּשְׁתֵּי כַּדִּים שֶׁל מַיִם וְהָיוּ נוֹבְעוֹת תּוֹרָה, וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁכֵּן הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים טז, ז): אַף לֵילוֹת יִסְרוּנִי וגו'. רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר מֵעַצְמוֹ לָמַד תּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי יד, יד):
(3)At this point, the Torah had not been given, but it is written of Abraham: “[Because Abraham heeded My voice,] and he kept My charge, [My commands, My decrees, and My Torahs]” (Genesis 26:5) – from where did Abraham learn the Torah? Rabban Shimon says: His two kidneys became like two jugs of water and they would gush Torah. From where is it derived that it is so? As it is stated: “Even on nights [my kidneys] instruct me” (Psalms 16:7). Rabbi Levi said: He studied Torah on his own, as it is stated: “The dissembler in his heart shall have his fill from his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied from himself” (Proverbs 14:14).
my conscienceeLit. “kidneys.” admonishes me at night.
RaDaK (David Kimchi 1160-1235)
ושרי אשת אברם לא ילדה לו...
As mentioned already in Genesis 11,30 ותהי שרי עקרה , "Sarai was barren." Now when Sarai realized that her husband was already 85 years old, and she still had not been able to bear a child for him, while she herself had already reached the age of 75, she thought that she had no longer any hope of conceiving herself. She therefore reasoned to herself, that seeing G'd had promised Avram that he would have children of his own who would inherit the land of Canaan, G'd must have referred to his siring children from another woman. She reasoned further that it would be in her own best interest that any children born to her husband should be born by a woman under her control so that she would experience the joy of motherhood at least vicariously.
ולה שפחה מצרית, Had Hagar been of Canaanite origin, Avram would not have agreed to sleep with her. Her name is mentioned out of respect for Avram, whose sleeping with an anonymous woman would have place him in a bad light.
David Kimhi (1160–1235), also known by the Hebrew acronym as the RaDaK (רַדָּ"ק) (Rabbi David Kimhi), was a medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian......
Kimhi was born in Narbonne, a city in Hachmei Provence, Occitania, then under the rule of Philip II of France. He was the youngest son of Rabbi Joseph Kimhi and the brother of Moses Kimhi, both also biblical commentators and grammarians. Wikipedia
(ד) וַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־הָגָ֖ר וַתַּ֑הַר וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה וַתֵּקַ֥ל גְּבִרְתָּ֖הּ בְּעֵינֶֽיהָ׃ (ה) וַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֣י אֶל־אַבְרָם֮ חֲמָסִ֣י עָלֶ֒יךָ֒ אָנֹכִ֗י נָתַ֤תִּי שִׁפְחָתִי֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וַתֵּ֙רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה וָאֵקַ֖ל בְּעֵינֶ֑יהָ יִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יְהֹוָ֖ה בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽיׄךָ׃ (ו) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל־שָׂרַ֗י הִנֵּ֤ה שִׁפְחָתֵךְ֙ בְּיָדֵ֔ךְ עֲשִׂי־לָ֖הּ הַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינָ֑יִךְ וַתְּעַנֶּ֣הָ שָׂרַ֔י וַתִּבְרַ֖ח מִפָּנֶֽיהָ׃
(4) He cohabited with Hagar and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was lowered in her esteem. (5) And Sarai said to Abram, “The wrong done me is your fault! I myself put my maid in your bosom; now that she sees that she is pregnant, I am lowered in her esteem. יהוה decide between you and me!” (6) Abram said to Sarai, “Your maid is in your hands. Deal with her as you think right.” Then Sarai treated her harshly, and she ran away from her.
(ד) וַיָּבֹא אֶל הָגָר וַתַּהַר (בראשית טז, ד), וְהָיוּ מַטְרוֹנִיּוֹת בָּאוֹת לִשְׁאֹל בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל שָׂרָה וְהָיְתָה שָׂרָה אוֹמֶרֶת לָהֶם צְאוּ וְשַׁאֲלוּ בִּשְׁלוֹמָהּ שֶׁל עֲלוּבָה, וְהָיְתָה הָגָר אוֹמֶרֶת לָהֶם שָׂרַי גְבִרְתִּי אֵין סִתְרָהּ כְּגִלּוּיָהּ, נִרְאֵית צַדֶּקֶת וְאֵינָהּ צַדֶּקֶת, אִלּוּ הָיְתָה צַדֶּקֶת רְאוּ כַּמָּה שָׁנִים שֶׁלֹא נִתְעַבְּרָה וַאֲנִי בְּלַיְלָה אֶחָד נִתְעַבַּרְתִּי, וְהָיְתָה אוֹמֶרֶת עִם דָּא אֲנָא מִסַּב וּמִתַּן, הַלְוַאי מִסַּב וּמִתַּן עִם מָרָהּ.
(4) “He consorted with Hagar, and she conceived; she saw that she conceived, and her mistress was diminished in her eyes” (Genesis 16:4).
Noblewomen would come and inquire after Sarah’s wellbeing, and Sarah would say: ‘Go and inquire after the wellbeing of that meek woman’ [Hagar]. Hagar would say to them: ‘My mistress Sarah, her inner reality is not like her outward impression. She gives the impression of being a righteous woman, but she is not a righteous woman. Were she a righteous woman, look at how many years that she did not conceive, whereas I conceived in one night.’ Sarah would then say: ‘Should I have a discussion with this woman? Better that I should have a discussion with her master.’22She then went to Abraham and complained about Hagar, as the next verse relates.
Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: בְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה, B'reshith Rabba) is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical interpretations of the Book of Genesis (B'reshith in Hebrew).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genesis_Rabbah
Commentary by Rabbi Moses ben Nahman (1194–1270), commonly known as the Ramban. The Ramban lived in Spain until his move to Jerusalem toward the end of his life. His commentary reflects his love of Eretz Yisrael. He usually begins his comments with Rashi’s explanation and then expounds further with insights from Kabbalah and Oral Tradition. His comments include respectful criticism of Rashi, Ibn Ezra and Rambam. (Sefaria)
Hevrutah:
Read the following passage (Genesis 16:7-15)
- What questions does the angel of God ask Hagar? Why?
- What does the angel of God tell Hagar to do? Why do you think?
- What does the angel of God promise Hagar?
- What does Hagar name the place she was in? Why?
- If you have time read Phyllis Trible's comment below. How do you think Hagar is"the prototype of not only special but all mothers in Israel"?
Hagar is a pivotal figure in biblical theology. She is the first person in scripture whom a divine messenger visits and the only person who dares to name the deity. Within the historical memories of Israel, she is the first woman to bear a child. This conception and birth make her an extraordinary figure in the story of faith: the first woman to hear an annunciation, the only one to receive a divine promise of descendants, and the first to weep for her dying child. Truly, Hagar the Egyptian is the prototype of not only special but all mothers in Israel.
Phyllis Trible, Texts of Terror: Literary-feminist Readings of Biblical Narratives. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984. p. 28
Phyllis Trible is a feminist theologian and Bible scholar.
(יב) וְכַאֲשֶׁר֙ יְעַנּ֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ כֵּ֥ן יִרְבֶּ֖ה וְכֵ֣ן יִפְרֹ֑ץ וַיָּקֻ֕צוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(כג) וַיְהִי֩ בַיָּמִ֨ים הָֽרַבִּ֜ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיָּ֙מׇת֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֵּאָנְח֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מִן־הָעֲבֹדָ֖ה וַיִּזְעָ֑קוּ וַתַּ֧עַל שַׁוְעָתָ֛ם אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים מִן־הָעֲבֹדָֽה׃ (כד) וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־נַאֲקָתָ֑ם וַיִּזְכֹּ֤ר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־בְּרִית֔וֹ אֶת־אַבְרָהָ֖ם אֶת־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽת־יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כה) וַיַּ֥רְא אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיֵּ֖דַע אֱלֹהִֽים׃ {ס}
(ה) וַיֻּגַּד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח הָעָ֑ם וַ֠יֵּהָפֵ֠ךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעׇבְדֵֽנוּ׃