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Ishmael was Playing
(ח) וַיִּגְדַּ֥ל הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַיִּגָּמַ֑ל וַיַּ֤עַשׂ אַבְרָהָם֙ מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה גָד֔וֹל בְּי֖וֹם הִגָּמֵ֥ל אֶת־יִצְחָֽק׃ (ט) וַתֵּ֨רֶא שָׂרָ֜ה אֶֽת־בֶּן־הָגָ֧ר הַמִּצְרִ֛ית אֲשֶׁר־יָלְדָ֥ה לְאַבְרָהָ֖ם מְצַחֵֽק׃ (י) וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם גָּרֵ֛שׁ הָאָמָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את וְאֶת־בְּנָ֑הּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִירַשׁ֙ בֶּן־הָאָמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את עִם־בְּנִ֖י עִם־יִצְחָֽק׃
(8) The child grew up and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. (9) Sarah saw the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing. (10) She said to Abraham, “Cast out that slave-woman and her son, for the son of that slave shall not share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
(א) מצחק לְשׁוֹן עֲ"זָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶאֱמַר וַיָקוּמוּ לְצַחֵק (שמות ל"ב) דָּ"אַ לְשׁוֹן גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, כְּמָה דְתֵימָא לְצַחֶק בִּי (בראשית ל"ב) דָּ"אַ לְשׁוֹן רְצִיחָה, כְּמוֹ יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וְיִשַׂחַקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ וְגוֹ' (שמואל ב ב'), שֶׁהָיָה מֵרִיב עִם יִצְחָק עַל הַיְּרוּשָׁה וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי בְּכוֹר וְנוֹטֵל פִּי שְׁנַיִם, וְיוֹצְאִים בַשָׂדֶה וְנוֹטֵל קַשְׁתּוֹ וְיוֹרֶה בוֹ חִצִּים, כְּמָה דְתֵימָא כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיוֹרֶה זִקִּים וְגוֹ' וְאָמַר הֲלֹא מְשַׂחֵק אָנִי (משלי כ"ו):
(1) מצחק MAKING SPORT — This means worshipping idols, as it is said in reference of the Golden Calf, (Exodus 32:6) “And they rose up to make merry (לצחק).” Another explanation is that it refers to immoral conduct, just as you say in reference to Potiphar’s wife, (Genesis 39:17) “To mock (לצחק) at me.” Another explanation is that it refers to murder, as (2 Samuel 2:14) “Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and make sport (וישחקו) before us” (where they fought with and killed one another) From Sarah’s reply — “for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son״ — you may infer that he (Ishmael) was quarrelling with Isaac about the inheritance, saying, “I am the first-born and will, therefore, take a double portion”. They went into the field and he (Ishmael) took his bow and shot arrows at him (Isaac), just as you say (Proverbs 26:18-19) “As a madman who casteth firebrands, [arrows and death] and says: I am only מצחק mocking” (Genesis Rabbah 53:11).
(ב) מצחק מלעיג על המשתה שנעשה בבית אברהם כאמרו שנתעברה מאבימלך והטעם שלא קרה זה בעת לידת יצחק כי ישמעאל שמע כזאת אחר כך מליצני הדור ואם באולי בעת הלידה היה מצחק לא הרגישה בו שרה שהיתה אז טרודה:
(2) מצחק, making fun of the big party Avraham had given to mark the weaning of Yitzchok, He claimed that surely Sarah must have become pregnant from Avimelech. The reason he had not made such remarks already at the time when Yitzchok had been born, was because he had only overheard wicked gossip about this at a later stage, and now he repeated what he had heard.
(א) את בן הגר המצרית, מצחק כמנהג שאר ילדים ויצחק היה קטן ולא היה יכול לעשות כך לפיכך נתקנאה בו שרה ונתקשה הדבר בעיניה.
(1) את בן הגר מצחק, “showing off in front of his younger brother, as older brothers are wont to do.” (Ibn Ezra) Sarah, Yitzchok’s mother, could not stand her son being belittled by Ishmael. She was deeply offended by Ishmael’s behaviour, presumably encouraged by his mother.
(א) מצחק, כאילו מלעיג על יצחק שנולד מהזקנים:
(1) ותרא...מצחק. Ishmael was belittling Yitzchok for having a father who was so much older than he.
(א) מצחק - שכבר גדל הרבה ולא רצתה להשהותו עוד פן ירצה להחזיק בירושת אביו עם יצחק.
(1) מצחק, in the meantime Ishmael was already 16 years old. Sarah did not want him to remain in the same household any longer so that he would not get ideas about sharing in the inheritance with Yitzchok.