ANSWERS: Hagar Keturah New Game: Who or What Am I? 1. I had two names. What are they? Hagar and Keturah What do they mean? Her name Hagar, according to the Midrash, stems from this beginning of her association with Abrahams house. It comes from Ha-Agar, meaning this is the reward. After Sarahs death, the Torah now calls her Keturah, meaning tied to Abraham, for she had kept her faithful bond to Abraham; and it also means an adornment, for her good deeds. deeds were as pleasant as incense Who was I? Hagar was the daughter of King Pharaoh of Egypt. 2. I saw a miracle made for the person I lived with that made a huge impact upon me causing me to leave my home and status. What was it? According to the Midrash, Hagar was the daughter of King Pharaoh of Egypt. When she saw the miracle which G-d performed for the sake of Sarah, to save her from the hands of the Egyptian king during Abrahams visit there, she said: It is better to be a slave in Sarahs house than a princess in my own. What was my new status? Hagar became Sarahs maid. During my stay I also took on another status, what was that? when Sarah was not blessed with children, she persuaded Abraham to take Hagar as his second wife. Sarah hoped that she could bring up Hagars children and merit G-ds blessing that way, so that she, too, perhaps might be blessed with a child. Abraham took Sarahs advice and married Hagar. chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/112053/jewish/Hagar.htm 3. I was given exactly what was longed for in changing my status. What was it? A child. I became pregnant. When this happened, I changed? When Sarahs hopes began to be fulfilled, it brought her unexpected suffering. For, as soon as Hagar realized she was to have a child, she began to look down upon her mistress who apparently could not have one. As soon as Hagar felt that she was going to bear Abraham’s child, she began to assume an air of superiority and failed to give her mistress the respect due to her. What happened to teach me a lesson? When Hagar’s behavior became unbearable, Sarah finally decided it was time to show Hagar who is mistress and who is maid. Hagar was now too proud to accept her position as Sarah’s servant, and fled. Sarah reminded Hagar that she, Sarah, was the mistress, and Hagar was but her maid, and she made Hagar work harder than ever. Did it, what did I do? Not at first, Hagar then ran away into the wilderness. What happened to me? an angel of G-d appeared to her and ordered her to return to Sarah and treat her with the respect due to a mistress. He told her that for this she would merit giving birth to a son whose voice G-d would hear (Yishma-El), who would be strong fierce, a man of the wilds and respected among her people. An angel came and told Hagar to return to Sarah, for her own sake as well as for the sake of the child she was bearing. For she would bear a son and, though he would be a wild man, he would become the father of a mighty nation, because he was Abraham’s son. Was I afraid? Our Sages give Hagar much credit for not being frightened at having seen the divine angel, while even Manoah, as the Tnach tells us, feared that he would die because he had seen an angel of G-d. This, say our Sages, shows how pious Hagar was, and how she had become adjusted to the saintly life of Abrahams house, where angels came and went as constant guests. What did I do? Hagar returned and had Ishmael. 4. I committed loshon hara against my mistress. What did I say and to whom? Pharaoh’s daughter Hagar had become acquainted with Sarah when she was in her father’s palace. Sarah had made such a great impression on Hagar that she readily left her royal home to become a maidservant to Sarah. Sarah treated Hagar with respect and consideration. And when other princesses would come to visit Sarah, she would say to them: “Go and greet Hagar, the Egyptian princess, also. I don’t want her to feel slighted or shamed.” Hagar, however, did not appreciate Sarah’s kindness, and talked about her behind her back. She would say to the visiting princesses: “Don’t think Sarah is such a saint. Why has G‑d punished her, so that in all the years she has not given birth to even one child?” After Hagar gave birth to Yishmael she began to suspect that perhaps the reason Sarah did not have a child was because Sarah was not as righteous as she appeared. Was I correct in my assumption? No, The gemara (Yevamos 64) tells us that Sarah was physically incapable of having children. It would take no less than a miracle for her to have become pregnant. One would have thought that it would be a waste of breath to even daven for such an impossible turn of events. Nonetheless, explains R Nosson Wachtfogel, Avraham should have davened. There is no limit to what we can ask of Hashem in our tefilos. Of course, he may not give us what we want -- but that doesnt mean we shouldnt ask. What further happened that proved I was wrong? When Ishmael was born, Abraham thought that Ishmael would be his heir and that from him would come the great Jewish nation that G‑d had promised. But G‑d told Abraham that not Ishmael but Abraham’s son that Sarah would bear would be his heir, and only from him (and not from any other son of Abraham) would the Jewish people descend. Abraham was ninety-nine years old, and Sarah ten years younger, when this welcome information was given them. Exactly one year later, Isaac was born. One can imagine their delight. 5. When a child was born to the people I lived with, the wife watched our sons very closely. What did she notice from my son that was not acceptable to her? Ishmael was then already thirteen years old and he seemed to have inherited a wild nature through his mothers ancestors, for he was a bad influence on Isaac. The Torah tells us that Ishmael mocked Isaac and often tried to frighten him. Sarah saw that Ishmael was no suitable companion for Isaac. What did she do? Sarah then demanded of Abraham that he banish Hagar and Ishmael from their home. Again, Sarah insisted that Abraham send Hagar and Ishmael away if Isaac were to be prevented from following Ishmaels evil ways. What happened to us? Abraham was very reluctant to send Hagar away, and especially his son. But G-d told him to do as Sarah wished and Ishmael would yet become the father of a great nation. Abraham was afraid that if Ishmael would be sent away he would not have the necessary supervision, and would slide down the path of proper behaviour and become a really bad man. However, G‑d said to Abraham: “Whatever Sarah says to you, do.” Abraham hesitated, G-d instructed him, whatever Sarah tells you to do, hearken to her voice. Why was this a necessary step for Avraham to take? Thus it was Sarah, the female half of Abrahams soul, who effected the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael. When Abraham hesitated, loath to relinquish the potent potentials implicit in his pagan mate and wild son, G-d said to him: whatever Sarah tells you to do, hearken to her voice. True, you are now Abraham, father of multitudes and elevator of the mundane, but in every refinement process there is the extractable ore and the unprofitable rubble. Hagar and Ishmael represent elements of My creation too crude, too volatile, to be redeemed by your efforts. Sarah, your feminine sense of differentiation, has rejected them--do as she says. 6. I lived in a household where the man of the home converted the men and the woman of the home converted the women and weaned them away from idol worship. What happened along the way for the 2nd time in my life? Hagar and Ishmael lost their way in the wilderness near Beer-Sheba and ran out of water. A terrible death from thirst threatened them, but they were saved by a Divine miracle. Hagar had put her son in the shade of a bush and moved away some distance, not bearing to watch him suffer, when an angel appeared again to her, assuring her that G-d had seen her sons suffering and would save him. He would live, and become the father of a mighty nation. As the angel spoke, Hagar immediately noticed a well nearby. Our Sages say that Hagar showed then her faith in G-d was not genuine. For when her son suffered she doubted G-ds promise. I left with something, what? Ishmael. When I left their home, what did I do? Hagar drifted back to the paganism of her homeland, and found an Egyptian wife for Ishmael. Did I change? Yes. What three things let us know this? Despite living with Ishmael so far from Abrahams influence, Hagar remained faithful to him. Therefore, after Sarahs death, Isaac himself went to her and took her back to his father to be again his fathers wife. The Torah now calls her Keturah, meaning tied to Abraham, for she had kept her faithful bond to Abraham; and it also means an adornment, for her good deeds. As the Torah tells us, she bore more children to Abraham. None, however, was as important as Ishmael. The Midrash tells us that not only was Hagar reunited with Abraham, but her son, too, became a penitent and returned to the G-d whom he had served in his fathers house, and whom he had forsaken during his wild life as a hunter and ruler of nations. Abraham thus lived to see Ishmael become his true son. Years later, however, we find Ishmael back in the Abrahamic fold, accompanying Abraham and Isaac to the akeidah. So, we find her name changed because of her good deeds. Avraham changed it to show she had done teshuva. Her son, Ishmael had also done teshuva and was a true son of Avraham. Because of her good deeds, teshuva and remaining faithful to Avraham, he was able to marry her again.
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 19:39:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015