Yishmael: the star of Rosh Hashana?
Everyone knows that we read the story of Akeidat Yitzchak on Rosh Hashana, and the symbolic meaning thereof: just as Abraham suppressed his fatherly love for Yitzchak and was ready to kill him to do (what he thought was) God's will, so we ask God to suppress His anger towards us in our sinfulness and let mercy triumph.
But we can't read that BOTH days; so we divide the appropriate part of Parshat Va'yera into two; the actual Akeida is read on the second day.
As I was layning on the first day this year, though, it suddenly struck me...almost the entire first day's story is about Yishmael! The person whose descendants are now seen as Israel's worst enemy is the star of the show!
The reason for this is that there is a connection between Yitzhak and Yishmael that cannot be broken, and that influences the ultimate Geula. Rav Shlomo Riskin speaks about the connection, and about Yitzchak's obsession with Yishmael, in this d'var Torah.
There is more. Rav Risken has also spoken of the opinion of HaRav J.B. Soloveitchik zt"l, that the Akeida was a PUNISHMENT for Avraham for the near death of his first-born! Avraham had to send Yishmael away, but he should have given him a gala farewell, with wealth and provisions, as befitted a prince; for as the son of Avraham that is what he was. Instead, Avraham gave Hagar a little food, a little water, and sent them off in the desert to face almost certain death. So, says Rav Soloveitchik, just as Hagar was forced to watch her son almost die, mida k'neged mida, Avraham was sent to Har HaMoriah to see his son almost die. (There are numerous parallels in the stories that bear this out.)
In part the connection between the two sons is a reflection on Avraham's goodness. Yishmael did not turn out to be the Tzaddik of a son Avraham had hoped for. But when God tells him Sara will bear him another son, his first hope is, "Would that Yishmael would live before You." (B'reishit 17:18) Instead of hating his son for his aveirot, Avraham prays for him to do T'shuva. After assuring Avraham that he will indeed have a new son, Yitzhak, Hashem goes back (v. 20) and tells him "And as for Yishmael I have heard you: behold, I have blessed him, and I have made him fruitful and have multiplied him very greatly; he will bear 12 princes, and I have made him a great nation."
So Yishmael's power is a result of Avraham's wishes. But wait a minute, here. What Hashem promised is not what Avraham asked for! Most commentators agree that what Avraham prayed for was for Yishmael to do T'shuva--to "live before God" is to live in a righteous manner. But what was given was greatness and power!
The answer is, he got both. When God says, "I have heard you," the Targum translates, "Kabeilit T'zlotach--I have accepted your request." (The same language as we use to God during the full Kaddish...Titkabel T'zlot'chon.) IN ADDITION, as the son of Avraham, God promises all of the rest. (Note that the Or HaChaim says the next part of the pasuk, "I have blessed him," refers as well to his being blessed with the ability to do T'shuva.) And the commentators tell us that Yishmael indeed did T'shuva, based on the fact that he came together with Yitchak to bury their father (B'reishit 25:9.)
We have a principle in the story of the Avot, "the deeds of the Avot are a sign for the children." I believe it applies here as well to this relative of the Avot, Yishmael, and his children. Since our entire purpose in the world is "to perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty," we must try to bring ALL of the world into the realization of Hashem's Kinship...INCLUDING Yishmael! This promise that Yishmael will do T'shuva, then, is also a prophecy for the end of days; only when we have been able to teach the descendants of Yishmael the truth of God's ways will be able to bring about the ultimate Geula.
In all fairness I must point out that Rav Riskin gave a possibly conflicting view in the same D'var Torah I linked to above. He says there is at least one Midrash that interprets Bilaam's words in BaMidbar 24:23-24 as saying that Yisrael will destroy Yishmael in the time before the Mashiach.
My answer to this comes from another d'var Torah of Rav Riskin's that I saw in the Jerusalem Post; unfortunately I don't remember what Parsha and I haven't been able to locate it. I know he mentions Bilaam's prophecy about Yishmael and he may also have mentioned the Divine promise that Yishmael will do T'shuva. But in a more general sense he spoke of the fact that some of our prophecies about the time of the Geula seem to contradict; the final outcome depends on us and how well we fulfill Hashem's Divine mission.
It's a famous contradiction in Yeshayahu 60:22, which we read in the Haftara for Parshat Ki Tavo. It is one of the 7 Haftarot of Consolation after Tisha B'Av, so it is speaking of the ultimate Geula, and it ends, "Ani Hashem, B'Ita Achishena--I am Hashem, in it's time I will hasten it." If it's on time how can it be hastened? Or if it's hastened, how can we say it is on time? Chazal answer that it is a multiple-choice offer. If B'nei Yisrael EARN the Geula by doing everything they can to bring it about, God will bring it early. If we fail, He still has a planned date when He will bring it about. (I have much to say about this particular concept, but not in this post.)
That is where the conflicting prophecies come in. If it is Achishena, if we earn it, the transition to Geula should be much easier and all the horrid account in the writings of the prophets about how many Jews have to die will not happen. If we fail, we will have to endure another "forge of iron" to deserve the Geula, and all those bad things will happen.
With Yishmael, I can see it going both ways; but you know by now I don't ever want to see anyone have to die unnecessarily. So it seems to me, if we fail, God will have no choice but to destroy Yishmael to save Yisrael, just as Bilaam predicted. (And it will be on our conscience: just as Hashem was upset when He had to drown the Mitzrim in the Red Sea.) But if we succeed, if we truly become an Or La'Goyim, then Hashem's promise to Avraham will come true, and Yishamel and all the other nations will truly live before Him.
But we can't read that BOTH days; so we divide the appropriate part of Parshat Va'yera into two; the actual Akeida is read on the second day.
As I was layning on the first day this year, though, it suddenly struck me...almost the entire first day's story is about Yishmael! The person whose descendants are now seen as Israel's worst enemy is the star of the show!
The reason for this is that there is a connection between Yitzhak and Yishmael that cannot be broken, and that influences the ultimate Geula. Rav Shlomo Riskin speaks about the connection, and about Yitzchak's obsession with Yishmael, in this d'var Torah.
There is more. Rav Risken has also spoken of the opinion of HaRav J.B. Soloveitchik zt"l, that the Akeida was a PUNISHMENT for Avraham for the near death of his first-born! Avraham had to send Yishmael away, but he should have given him a gala farewell, with wealth and provisions, as befitted a prince; for as the son of Avraham that is what he was. Instead, Avraham gave Hagar a little food, a little water, and sent them off in the desert to face almost certain death. So, says Rav Soloveitchik, just as Hagar was forced to watch her son almost die, mida k'neged mida, Avraham was sent to Har HaMoriah to see his son almost die. (There are numerous parallels in the stories that bear this out.)
In part the connection between the two sons is a reflection on Avraham's goodness. Yishmael did not turn out to be the Tzaddik of a son Avraham had hoped for. But when God tells him Sara will bear him another son, his first hope is, "Would that Yishmael would live before You." (B'reishit 17:18) Instead of hating his son for his aveirot, Avraham prays for him to do T'shuva. After assuring Avraham that he will indeed have a new son, Yitzhak, Hashem goes back (v. 20) and tells him "And as for Yishmael I have heard you: behold, I have blessed him, and I have made him fruitful and have multiplied him very greatly; he will bear 12 princes, and I have made him a great nation."
So Yishmael's power is a result of Avraham's wishes. But wait a minute, here. What Hashem promised is not what Avraham asked for! Most commentators agree that what Avraham prayed for was for Yishmael to do T'shuva--to "live before God" is to live in a righteous manner. But what was given was greatness and power!
The answer is, he got both. When God says, "I have heard you," the Targum translates, "Kabeilit T'zlotach--I have accepted your request." (The same language as we use to God during the full Kaddish...Titkabel T'zlot'chon.) IN ADDITION, as the son of Avraham, God promises all of the rest. (Note that the Or HaChaim says the next part of the pasuk, "I have blessed him," refers as well to his being blessed with the ability to do T'shuva.) And the commentators tell us that Yishmael indeed did T'shuva, based on the fact that he came together with Yitchak to bury their father (B'reishit 25:9.)
We have a principle in the story of the Avot, "the deeds of the Avot are a sign for the children." I believe it applies here as well to this relative of the Avot, Yishmael, and his children. Since our entire purpose in the world is "to perfect the world in the Kingdom of the Almighty," we must try to bring ALL of the world into the realization of Hashem's Kinship...INCLUDING Yishmael! This promise that Yishmael will do T'shuva, then, is also a prophecy for the end of days; only when we have been able to teach the descendants of Yishmael the truth of God's ways will be able to bring about the ultimate Geula.
In all fairness I must point out that Rav Riskin gave a possibly conflicting view in the same D'var Torah I linked to above. He says there is at least one Midrash that interprets Bilaam's words in BaMidbar 24:23-24 as saying that Yisrael will destroy Yishmael in the time before the Mashiach.
My answer to this comes from another d'var Torah of Rav Riskin's that I saw in the Jerusalem Post; unfortunately I don't remember what Parsha and I haven't been able to locate it. I know he mentions Bilaam's prophecy about Yishmael and he may also have mentioned the Divine promise that Yishmael will do T'shuva. But in a more general sense he spoke of the fact that some of our prophecies about the time of the Geula seem to contradict; the final outcome depends on us and how well we fulfill Hashem's Divine mission.
It's a famous contradiction in Yeshayahu 60:22, which we read in the Haftara for Parshat Ki Tavo. It is one of the 7 Haftarot of Consolation after Tisha B'Av, so it is speaking of the ultimate Geula, and it ends, "Ani Hashem, B'Ita Achishena--I am Hashem, in it's time I will hasten it." If it's on time how can it be hastened? Or if it's hastened, how can we say it is on time? Chazal answer that it is a multiple-choice offer. If B'nei Yisrael EARN the Geula by doing everything they can to bring it about, God will bring it early. If we fail, He still has a planned date when He will bring it about. (I have much to say about this particular concept, but not in this post.)
That is where the conflicting prophecies come in. If it is Achishena, if we earn it, the transition to Geula should be much easier and all the horrid account in the writings of the prophets about how many Jews have to die will not happen. If we fail, we will have to endure another "forge of iron" to deserve the Geula, and all those bad things will happen.
With Yishmael, I can see it going both ways; but you know by now I don't ever want to see anyone have to die unnecessarily. So it seems to me, if we fail, God will have no choice but to destroy Yishmael to save Yisrael, just as Bilaam predicted. (And it will be on our conscience: just as Hashem was upset when He had to drown the Mitzrim in the Red Sea.) But if we succeed, if we truly become an Or La'Goyim, then Hashem's promise to Avraham will come true, and Yishamel and all the other nations will truly live before Him.
posted by meturgeman | 5:32 PM
