Vayeira: The Ascendancy Over Yishmael Through the Akeida {Plus New Material}

Okay, good afternoon dear friends. Shalom aleichem, baruchim haba'im. Welcome to the Monday afternoon national Agudah pirkei avos shiur. Today's topic Dvarim ha'omdim b'rumo shel oilam, parshas Vayeira and the Akeidah. This presentation is a gift from shamayim. It's an original perspective on Akeidas Yitzchak. It's one of my favorite uh all-time shiurim. And b'ezras Hashem I hope to be able to add to it with uh Hashem's help. Um I actually want to take the opportunity to let's see if I could just bring this up. I want to take the opportunity to let everybody know about um a new publication that's coming out very soon in honor of the 50th yahrtzeit of the Tiferes Yisrael Nani. See this sefer, Birkas HaTzaddik? We're coming out with volume two. Uh hopefully it will be published in under a month. It needs to be published in under a month. Anyway, it's called Igros HaTzaddik. Original letters of the Tiferes Yisrael Nani that were never published before along with drashos of the Tiferes Yisrael Nani that were never published before from Kisvei Yad. If anybody wants to be mishtatef uh you could do so. The Akeidah. Today, for the first time in history, I would like to present to the public a chiddush of Hagaon Rabbi Yehuda Leib Volman, Hashem Yimkom Damav. So you say, "Who's Hagaon Rabbi Yehuda Leib Volman and how come I never quoted him?" Rabbi Yehuda Leib Volman was my great-grandfather. The reason I never quoted him is because he was killed in the Warsaw Ghetto as a young man and all of his Torah were lost. He had a bundle of Torah. He was the last rav of the city of Sochaczew. He had a bundle of Torah. He gave it to the of Runana. The of Runana brought it to Siberia. We do have a record that returned it and we don't know what happened to it. However, shortly ago one of was uncovered and I'm going to share with you for the first time the of Runana. Hashem come down my the last rav of the city of Sochaczew in the context of Ben David and I can ask you to talk. Parshas Vayeira begins the episode begins by here after while I can Abraham. It was after these matters and God tested Abraham. The quotes of Hashem what do you mean Hashem tested Abraham? Hashem didn't test at the very least it should say I like him as Abraham the S talk and I know you remember we dealt with this question last week. Last week we brought the question from Wasserman and we took a different approach. Today we're bringing the question from the of Hashem. It should say Abraham S talk. It wasn't tested. He was 37 years old. It's not pleasant to have one's throat slit. He's the one who's being killed. Abraham gets to go home. At the very least it should say I like him as Abraham S talk or perhaps just S talk. Then Hashem comes to Abraham and he says question. Just say why does he say this long-winded request? "Kahna as bincha as yechidcha asher ahavta as Yitzchak." >> [snorts] >> So, I know Rashi deals with this question, and Rashi says, "Well, Hashem didn't want to shock Avraham Avinu." And then people would say that Avraham Avinu in a state of tiruf daas, in a state of shock, just acceded to Hashem's request. But still, bederech hapshat, why did Hashem have to use these words? "Kahna as bincha as yechidcha asher ahavta as Yitzchak." Hashem could have brought on the test in a in a different fashion. Hashem could have said, "Avraham, sit down, have some tea, have some crackers. There's something I want to share with you. Something Everything's going to be okay." Why did Hashem bring it on? "Kahna as bincha as yechidcha asher ahavta as Yitzchak." Now, after Avraham was commanded to bring up his son, Avraham, with great alacrity, went to run to do the bidding of his creator. "Vayashkem Avraham baboker. Vayachavosh chamoro. Vayikach es shnei naarav ito." Avraham Avinu took his two attendants. Who are his two attendants? Rashi says Yishmael and Eliezer. Question. I understand Eliezer. What in [snorts] the world was Yishmael doing there? What was Yishmael doing there? Shortly before Sarah saw that Yishmael was mitzachek, and Sarah says to Avraham, "Chase him out. Chase him out of the house. Do not put up with him. None of this None of these uh innovative chinuch approaches. You need to throw him out of the house." And Avraham was very upset by that. It bothered Avraham. And Hashem says to Avraham, "Do not be disturbed. Whatever Sarah tells you, "Kol asher tomar Sarah, shma bekola." And Abraham summarily banished Ishmael from the house and Ishmael moved to Midbar Paran and he got married in Egypt. >> [snorts] >> So what was Ishmael doing there when the passage says Abraham woke up in the morning and he took his two attendants with him and one of them was Ishmael. How in the world was Ishmael there in the first place? You know ask this question, Tosfos. Tosfos al Torah asks, where did Ishmael come from? He was in Midbar Paran. >> [snorts] >> Says Tosfos, it was visiting day. For the first time in many, many years. Well, Ishmael had a bris milah at age 13. And Isaac at this time is 37 years old. So it's it's been a while. Ishmael was chased out of the house. He decided to visit 20 years later. And while Ishmael was in the house, Hashem comes to Abraham. "Take now your son." So Abraham says to himself, you know, wait a second. You know, Ishmael hasn't been here in so many years and now Hashem wants me to take my son. Obviously, Hashem means Ishmael. Ishmael hasn't been home in all these years. If Hashem would have come to me any other time, I figured I would have figured it's Isaac because I don't have any choice. But why would Hashem pink love come to tell me "Take now your son, your only son" the one day that Ishmael came back to the house? So therefore Hashem says, no. Isaac. So even though Ishmael was not living by his father, he came to visit that night. And the question we have to ask ourselves is the way God made the world. We have to understand why did Hashem allow Ishmael to cause it, navigate it, that Ishmael should be home specifically at the time of the command of Akedah Yitzchak. >> [snorts] >> We continue. Avram and Yitzchak are going on the road together with Eliezer and Yishmael and after 3 days Avram and Yitzchak see the cloud clinging to the top of Har HaMoriyah, which was a sign of the Hashra'as HaShchinah, and Avram says to Eliezer and Yishmael, "Stay right here and Yitzchak and I will go up to the mountain." Avram utters the famous words, "Shvu lachem po im hachamor." "Stay here with the donkey." Says the Gemara Kiddushin, "How do I know shifcha Kena'anis kiddushin is not tofes?" Am Rav Huna, "We learn it from the pasuk, 'Shvu lachem po im hachamor am hadomeh lachamor.'" When Avram Avinu said about Yishmael and Eliezer, "Shvu lachem po im hachamor," he meant to compare them to a donkey. That they have a lineage, they have an ancestry like a donkey. Asks the Beis HaLevi, "Why do we dafka darshen the lowly status of these individuals here at the Akedah? Why is this drasha specifically apparent here at this juncture in time?" >> [snorts] >> So, we have a few questions over here. Why does it say "Elokim nisa Avram"? Why not Yitzchak? Why did Hashem say "Kach na es bincha es yechidcha asher ahavta"? What was Yishmael even doing there in the first place? How did he get there? Why do Chazal darshen "Shvu lachem po im hachamor"? I remember where I was. It's about 20 years ago when this hit me. I was in the Otzar HaSefarim in Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim Rabbinical Seminary of America. And this is namash matanah min Hashamayim. Comes the Da'as Zekeinim Ba'alei Tosafos. He quotes a mattress that when Abraham saw from far away with the cloud tied over the mountain. He says to what do you see? So you said I see the mountain and I see the cloud. He then turns to his such as his attendance and he say what do you see Eliezer and Ishmael? They say see what? We don't see nothing. So Abraham says you and the donkey are equal. Just like the donkey doesn't see anything, you don't see anything. So I am a hammer. This is what I am a doer. Therefore an has no use. This comes from the mattress rather. So when Abraham lifted up his eyes and he saw Maria, he saw the cloud tied onto the mountain. Also saw it, but and didn't see anything. Therefore Abraham says I am a doer. Why does the Torah tell us this distinction between and Ishmael that only saw the unknown and didn't see it. Why is the Torah telling me this in the context of a truck? You understand? We could understand that had greater spiritual perception than Ishmael in terms of recognizing the cleaner on the on Maria. But why is this an important and to this juncture in time? So the dishwasher in Aruba, I would like to present to you a innovative to understand the whole episode of the arcade. And the minor that cloud is rather achieved. And let's begin with the following brother that Abraham received at the arcade. >> [snorts] >> Keep it up. Haha. The other is a choir of a shaman that I shall say I am the rash is a >> What was Abraham Avinu promised that as a merit for the Akedah his descendants will inherit the gates of Yevav of his enemy. But a very specific word for enemy is employed. The word is Oyev. We know in Lashon Kodesh we have two words that denote enemy. We have Oyev and Sone. >> [snorts] >> Like it says in So the Torah mentions two kinds of enemies. Oyev is Yishmael, Sone is Esau. Michah also prophesies about them. He says Oyev is a nickname for Yishmael, Sone is a nickname for Esau. They are the historic enemies that distress the Jewish people. Rabbeinu Bechaye goes on to explain why Yishmael is called an Oyev and Esau is called a Sone. The Rabbeinu Bechaye says by the way this is the opinion of Rabbeinu Bechaye. In our humble Sefer Maggid Mesharim we bring the opinion of the Ramban in the Sefer Avnei Ezel. He argues, he says Oyev is Esau and Sone is Yishmael. And the Rabbeinu Bechaye in the Kad Hakemach agrees to the Ramban. However, now we're working with the Rabbeinu Bechaye in Devarim. And Rabbeinu Bechaye explains that Oyev is worse than a Sone. An Oyev his enmity is preserved for eternity. The word Oyev is Avoy. It's a Lashon of Tsar. It to fall into the hands of Yishmael Oyev Avoy. Therefore, the Bnei Yishmael are worse than Esau. They're called Oyev. So therefore, one thing we need to learn. When Hashem tells Abraham Zari'ach Ishar Oyevav, what Hashem is telling Ishmael, I'm sorry, what Hashem is telling Abraham is that through the Akedah, Klal Yisrael will gain ascendancy over Ishmael. The name of this year is the ascendancy of the Jewish people over Ishmael through the Akedah. And as a merit for the Akedah, Hashem promises Abraham the Jewish people will conquer Ishmael. But the question, how through the Akedah did we achieve the ability to overcome Ishmael? And now we come to some amazing Chiddushim. The Akedah begins, Vayehi Vayehi Achar Hadvarim Ha'Eleh Vayehi Achar Hadvarim Ha'Eleh V'Ha'Elohim Nisah Es Avraham Vayomer Lo Avraham Vayomer Hineni Hineni. Okay. After these matters, God tested Abraham. He says, "Abraham." And Abraham says, "Behold, here I am." Rashi says, "After what matters? What do you mean Achar Hadvarim Ha'Eleh?" Says Rashi, some of our Rabbeim say, "After the words of the Satan." The Satan was Mekatreg. The Satan said, "From all the Sudos that Abraham did, Abraham never brought one Korban to me." So, the Hashem said, "What do you mean? Everything Abraham does is for his son. And yet, if I would ask him to offer his son, he would not be Ma'akev." But then Rashi brings another P'shat. So, according to the first P'shat, the Hemshech Hadvarim is this Abraham Avinu just made a party, and the Satan said, "Hey, why doesn't Abraham bring any carbonites to you?" So Hashem says, "Look, this is the biggest carbon of all." But then Rashi brings another p'shat. It was following a conversation of Ishmael and Yitzchak. Ishmael had milah at 13 years old with no protest. So Ishmael said, "Yitzchak, I'm the true heir of Abraham Avinu. In order to be the con- continuity of Abraham, in order to take possession of Eretz Yisrael, you need to display mesirus nefesh. And therefore, I am the true heir of Abraham. I had milah at 13. I was commanded an adult. You're a baby when you have a milah." Yitzchak said, "You're frightening me with one aiver? If God would tell me to shecht yourself, I wouldn't be ma'akev." So [snorts] Ishmael said that I have I'm greater than you because my milah was 13. And Yitzchak said, "If God would order me to be shechted, I would give up my life for Hashem." According to these simple comments of Rashi, we've arrived at an amazing answer to the kasha of Rebi Yehudah HaChasid. Rebi Yehudah HaChasid says, "Why does it say Vayelech Nisa es Avraham? It should say Vayelech Nisa es Avraham u'Yitzchak." The answer is it cannot say that God tested Yitzchak. You know why? Cuz it wasn't a test for Yitzchak. Say what? It wasn't a test for Yitzchak? That's right. Yitzchak committed himself. He pledged to Ishmael that if the Almighty would tell him to give up his life, he would do it. So Hashem comes and he says, "Okay, Yitzchak, if I would tell you to give up your life, you would do it? So do it." You can't call it a test for Yitzchak. Yitzchak just made a neder to do it. He just committed himself to do it. Question, if somebody makes a neder to do a mitzvah and then he fulfills it, he passed the nisayon? He didn't pass the Nisayon. He kept his word. So, Yitzchak didn't wasn't tested. Yitzchak committed to offer his life for Hashem. So, it's not a test for Yitzchak, but it's a test for Avraham. But now comes Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky and he says, you could still ask, >> [snorts] >> "How could you say that the Akedah follows the conversation of Yitzchak and Yishmael? In the chronology of the Parshas Vayeira, Yitzchak had a bris milah and that's into then interrupted between Yitzchak's bris and the story of the Akedah is the peace treaty that Avraham Avinu makes with Avimelech. There's a whole from Shishi to Shvi is the peace treaty that Avraham made with Avimelech. So, how could Rashi say that Vayehi Acharei Hadvarim Ha'Eleh is the Akedah is following the words in the conversation of Yitzchak and Yishmael? There's a whole narrative in between. >> [snorts] >> In fact, that's why the Rashbam says the Akedah is a natural naturally follows the peace treaty that Avraham Avinu made with Avimelech. There's a frightening Rashbam. The Rashbam learns >> [clears throat] >> that Elohim Nisah Avraham doesn't mean God tested Avraham. Elohim Nisah Avraham means God aggrieved Avraham. He chaped at Avraham. He uh caused Avraham great and bitter distress cuz Hashem was upset with Avraham. Because Hashem says to Avraham, you know, I gave you Eretz Yisrael. I didn't give you the holy land to make a two-state solution. I didn't give you Eretz Yisrael to give away to somebody else. If I gave you Eretz Yisrael, if the Almighty gives the Jewish people Eretz Yisrael, we have no right to give it away. We have no right to make peace treaties, says the Rashbam. When Avraham made a peace treaty with Avimelech, God said, "You're going to make a peace treaty? Go take your only son and slaughter him. I didn't give you Eretz Yisrael to make peace with other with to give it away. No, Eretz Yisrael is part of the identity of the Jewish people. You have no right to give it away. But the question now is but Rashi learns by Yitzchak and Yishmael is that the Akedah follows the conversation of Yitzchak and Yishmael. So why is it interrupted with this narrative of the story of Abraham's peace treaty with Avimelech? Says Reb Yaakov [clears throat] Kamenetsky, amazing idea. An amazing idea. Says Reb Yaakov Kamenetsky in the Sefer Emes L'Yaakov. If this story is here, then it is integral to understanding the Akedah. You see, what is the Akedah? The Akedah is who is the spiritual heir to Abraham? Who has rights to Eretz Yisrael and the Har Habayit? You may think >> [snorts] >> that Yishmael has intrinsic right to Eretz Yisrael. After all, Yishmael has the zechut of brit milah, which is all which was the argument of Yishmael. Yishmael tells Yitzchak, "You're messing with me. You had milah at 8 days old. I had milah at 13 years old." So the Torah interrupts this conversation. The Torah says, "Don't get so hooked up on brit milah." You know why? Because even the Plishtim are in Eretz Yisrael. And the Philistines are the epitome of the arelim throughout Tanakh, the epithet, the insult that is always associated with the Philistines is that they are arelim. >> [snorts] >> And yet, they had rights to Eretz Yisrael. So even though the Zohar Hakadosh says that Yishmael will be in Eretz Yisrael until the end of time, because in the zechut Mila, nevertheless, what the Torah is doing by interrupting with the story of Avram and Avimelech is the Torah is telling us, "Don't be scared of the merit of Yishmael, that [snorts] Yishmael has a connection to the mitzvah of Mila, because Mila is not the main claim to Eretz Yisrael." And the proof is even Avimelech had rights to be in Eretz Yisrael, even though Avimelech and his nation, the Philistines, are the quintessential arelim. They're the epitome of the nation without without a without a without a Mila. So, the Torah is prepping us that to in this epic battle between Yishmael and Yitzchak, where Yishmael is trying to exercise his his authority over Eretz Yisrael due to the the merit of Mila, don't get caught off caught caught up in the merit of Mila. After all, even the Philistines are in Eretz Yisrael, and they are the opposite of bris Mila. And therefore, b'siyatta d'Shmaya, we have now arrived at an amazing appreciation for what is taking place at the Akedah. The Akedah, for once once and for all, is to determine who is the spiritual heir of Avraham Avinu. Who is the spiritual heir of the land of Israel, of the Temple Mount, of Har HaBayit. There is a historic battle between Yishmael and Yitzchak. Who is zera shel Avram? Who is zocheh to inherit Eretz Yisrael? Eretz Yisrael. Yishmael claims, "We had Mila as an adult. We are the zera Avram." And Yitzchak says, "Stop getting carried away with the Mila. We, Jewish people, we give up our life for Hashem." Now, even though Hashem already told Avraham, "Kol asher tomar elecha Sara, shma b'kolah." Hashem already told Avraham, "You need to reject Yishmael. Whatever Sara tells you, listen to her. But let me tell you something. If you're married, you know this. And if you're not married, this is good advice. This will prepare you for marriage. Not every time you tell your wife, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." doesn't mean you actually agree with her. It just means you're a smart man. And if you know what's good for you, you listen to her. It doesn't mean you agree with her fundamentally. Let's say your wife says, "You know, we need to buy this item for the house." You say, "We need this item like a hole in the wall. We bought this item three times. We don't use it." But your wife says, "We're buying it." You say, "You're right, honey. We really need this item." I It's a waste of money. No, it's money well spent because happy wife is happy life. Doesn't mean you agree with her. It just means, practically speaking, you do what's good for what's good for the house. So, just because Rebonish told Avraham Avinu, "Listen to Sarah." It doesn't mean Abraham fundamentally agreed that that Ishmael needs to be thrown out of the house. But Abraham has no choice. He has to listen to his wife. And the Rebonish told knows that it was hard for Abraham to dismiss Ishmael. So, Rebonish is giving Abraham an exercise in rejecting Ishmael on his own accord. So, Hashem orchestrates that Ishmael comes home for visiting day. And on that night, Abraham wakes up in the morning and Hashem says, "Kach na et bincha." Oh, Abraham says, "Well, maybe Ishmael's making a comeback." And then Hashem says, "Et yechidcha." Whoa, maybe it's Ishmael. "Asher ahavta." And then Hashem says, "Yitzchak." I'm telling you a revolutionary p'shat in the pasuk, not like Rashi, not like the Or HaChaim HaKadosh. Hashem is saying to Abraham, "Abraham, I need you to recognize that your bincha and your yechidcha and your Asher of after is only Yitzchak and not Yishmael. You need to reject Yishmael. There's only one child, and there is no close second. And you're going to bring them both to the Har HaBayit. You're going to ask them, "Do you see the Shekhinah?" Yitzchak will say yes, and Yishmael will say, "I don't see anything." And you're going to come to the recognition that Yishmael's connection to the Har HaBayit is the same as a chamor. He has no appreciation for the inherent sanctity of the Har HaBayit. The Akedah was an exercise, first of all, in establishing the eternal rights of the Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael and the Har HaBayit, and the official rejection of Avraham Avinu to Yishmael. Therefore, after the Akedah, Hashem specifically tells Avraham, "V'yirash Sara esh sha'arei oy'vav." Your descendants, the Jewish people, will inherit the gates of Yishmael. Isn't it interesting that we know that Yishmael the Bnei Esav, they accept the the Old Testament, but Yishmael rejects the Old Testament. And even though they reject the Old Testament more than anything else, they reject the story of the Akedah. They even change the main characters of the Akedah. Till today, they claim that it was therefore Yishmael was brought to the Akedah. Isn't it interesting? Why don't Why don't the Christians change the story of the Akedah? Why only Yishmael? The answer is because the story of the Akedah is what establishes for all time the ascendancy of the Jewish people over Yishmael. Therefore, they cannot concede to the details of the story. Rebbe Yehuda HaKohen of Izmir, the Baal Shem Tov Mussar, >> [snorts] >> he writes that what is the secret behind the mitzvah pidyon peter chamor. Let's say you have a firstborn donkey, you redeem it for a sa. What's the idea of pidyon peter chamor? The chamor represents Yishmael. They wanted that Yitzchak should die and that Hashem should choose them. The peter chamor represents Yishmael, the am hadam al chamor. The pidyon peter chamor represents God saving Yitzchak at the Akedah and not selecting Yishmael. But according to the way we're understanding it, we're adding just a bit that the process of pidyon peter chamor is when we redeem the chamor for the sa, the chamor is a is Yishmael, the sa is Yitzchak. We take the kedusha off the chamor, which is maramis Yishmael, and it's chala on the sa, meaning the process of pidyon peter chamor is reenacting the story of the Akedah, where Yishmael is forever substituted with Yitzchak. So friends, now we understand, going back to answer, >> [snorts] >> why does it say Vayikem nisah Avraham? Why not Vayikem nisah Yitzchak? God did not test Yitzchak. Yitzchak committed himself to do this. Why did Hashem say kach na es bincha es yechidcha asher ahavta? Hashem wanted Avraham to appreciate, to recognize that only Yitzchak Avinu is bincha yechidcha asher ahavta. What was Yishmael doing there? He came back. Why was he there? God orchestrated that he should be there so that This is very important. Why did Yishmael have to be there that night? Because if the Akedah's demonstrating the ascendancy of the Jewish people >> [snorts] >> over Yishmael. If you have only chocolate ice cream and you eat chocolate ice cream, it doesn't mean you like chocolate better than vanilla. You're only eating the chocolate because you don't have a choice. The only time that we know you like chocolate ice cream better than vanilla is if you have a choice between chocolate and vanilla and you're choosing the chocolate. The only way Avram could reject Yishmael is if Yishmael was there. So, Hashem brought Yishmael there and then Hashem said, "Kachna es and it's only Yitzchak not Yishmael. And you're going to take them both to the mountain and you're going to ask, do you see the Shechinah?" And Yishmael is going to say, "I don't see anything." And you'll recognize Avram that Yishmael has no connection to the Har Habayit. >> [snorts] >> Friends, let's take this even further. Earlier on in the parashah, Avram Avinu lived with Sarah. This was in Lech Lecha. And Sarah and Avram Avinu took Hagar and Hagar conceived and Hagar began to disparage Sarah. Vayavo el Hagar vatahar vatereh ki harasa vatikol gvirta be'eineha. Rashi says that Hagar mocked Sarai. "Sarah, you walk around like you're a big tzadekes. Now you're a phony. You're a fraud. You lived with Avram all these years and you never conceived and I conceived from my first relations." By the way, this is the ultimate hypocrisy and this is uh a paradigm of the hypocrisy of Yishmael throughout the generations where they claim righteousness belongs to them. They dress with phony modesty and they claim that the righteousness is theirs. So, they mocked Sarah and they said that Hagar is the one who should be the Akeres Habayit. So, when Sarah came to Abraham and said "Hamasei alecha", Abraham gave Hagar the right I'm sorry, Abraham gave Sarah the right to do with Hagar as she pleased. And the possuk says "Vateaneha Sarai vatitbach mipaneha." Sarah abused Hagar. She afflicted her. And Hagar ran away. And the Ramban says that all the trouble we have with Yishmael throughout the generations was a punishment for the sin of Sarah. That Sarah abused and mistreated Hagar. And even Abraham allowed her to do it. And God heard the outcry, the prayer of Hagar. And therefore Hashem blessed Hagar with a child who's a wild pera. And we suffer from Yishmael until today as a punishment for Sarah abusing Hagar. What an astounding comment of the Ramban. That all the terrible tragedies, October 7th, Intifada, whatever we've suffered from Yishmael throughout the generations, is a punishment for how Sarah mistreated Hagar. However, the opinion of the Ramban is not unanimously held. The Baalei HaTosafos brings from the Riva, Rashi says, says the Riva, that Sarah mistreated Hagar. However, says Tosafos, no. Tosafos says, you know why Sarah did that? Because Hagar abused her first. Hagar Hagar disparaged her. And therefore Sarah was allowed to take revenge. Like the Smag writes, that even though there's an issur to cause someone uh emotional abuse, but if they abuse you, the Smag says you could abuse them back. By the way, it's a machlokes Rishonim. If someone insults you, are you allowed to insult them back or is it Nekama? Some Rishonim learn, no, you can't abuse them back. It's revenge. The Smag learns it's only revenge if someone causes you monetary harm, you can't get back at them. But if somebody causes you emotional distress, you're allowed to insult them back. It's Machlokes Rishonim. Ultimately, the Chofetz Chaim says Safek Deoraisa Lechumra. But the Rebbe says that it was permitted for Sarah to insult Hagar back. In fact, the Abravanel says, not only was it mutar for Sarah, it was a mitzvah for Sarah. Because in order to get somebody on a balanced track, sometimes you have to take them to the other extreme. And therefore, Sarah, her Kavana was Letova, to establish Hagar on the correct path and to teach the Middah of Anavah and Hachna. Comes the holy Chida in the Sefer Mar'eh Ha'ayin Am Sakin Kuf Yud Tes, and the Chida quotes the Arizal. You want to see the amazing Hashgacha, that even though Hagar mistreated Sarah, God gave Hagar the ability to rectify her Kelkal, in that she was Mevaza Sarah Imeinu, that Hagar was able to rectify this. The Chida brings from the Talmud of the Rashba, the Toras HaMincha of Rabbi Yaakov Sakili, that Yishai later in life was concerned that maybe his children were of impure lineage because his grandmother was Rus. So, he told his wife of many years, Nitzvas bas Doel, "I'm going to separate from you. I'm going to marry I'm going to take a Shifcha. I'm going to free the Shifcha. I'm going to I'm going to free the shifcha's children, and that will kosher my descendants. And Yishai made up to have relations with his shifcha. The shifcha was loyal to the wife of Yishai, and the shifcha told Yishai's wife, Yishai thought he was going to live with his maidservant, and it was really his wife. Shortly after, surprisingly, his wife was pregnant. When it became recognizable that Yishai's wife was pregnant, and Yishai's children found out, they all said she was mazana. And when she the children wanted to kill her, and Yishai said, "No, no, this is not going to reflect well on you. People are going to think you guys are mamzerim." So, they let her have a baby, and the baby was going to be their eved. And when David was born, he was despised and disgusting. They thought David was a mamzer. Like it says, they wanted to throw him to the dogs. How me me ad kelev yichidasi muzar hayisi le'achai. And they You know when they discovered that David Hamelach was not a mamzer? On the day that Shmuel Hanavi came to proclaim David king of Israel. When Shmuel met up with Yishai, and Shmuel said, "Do you have any good candidates to be melech?" Yishai said, "I have uh seven very uh eligible children." Shmuel said, "None of them. You must have one more." So, uh Yishai said, "No, I don't have any more legitimate children." Shmuel said, "You do. You have one more, David." Yishai said, "I don't know about David." Shmuel said, "He's the next king of Israel." It was only then that they discovered that Yisha that David was a legitimate child. There says the the Chida from the name of the Arizal, the maidservant of Yishai was the gilgul of Hagar. And she came back to this world to show homage and honor and humility before the wife of David to rectify the fact that she Hagar mistreated Sarah. So in order to be misaken that Hagar mistreated Sarah, she came back as the maidservant of Yishai to create David Hamelach. What an amazing uh revelation of the Arizal. This is also brought in the Rishonim. Now it gives me great pride for the first time I'm sharing with you a hidush of my great-grandfather the last rav of Sochaczew who quotes this Arizal. And let me see if I could um bring this up here. Uh here we go. Tell me if if you see this. Uh this is Orach Chaim Menorah. This comes from a sefer Lashon Chachamim. Let's see if I can make it bigger. And if you look in Divrei Hayamim it says Yaakov bnei Yitzchak Esav v'Yisrael. In Divrei Hayamim it says the children of Yitzchak are Esav and Yisrael. Rashi says, why does it say Yisrael? Because of the kavod of David Hamelach. And everyone asks, because of the kavod of David Hamelach? Why the kavod of David Hamelach? How is it the kavod of David Hamelach to say Yisrael as opposed to Yaakov? This is the question of Rabbi Yoel Kahan of Izmir. Says the Zeidah. Ha Avreichim of love this the Zeidah wrote when he was a bachur. He was uh in Sochaczew. He says, "Yishai, the father of David, when he lived with the shifcha, his machshava was on the shifcha, he didn't know it was his wife." If we focus on the shifcha If we focus on machshava, then there was a pegam in the birth of David HaMelech. It must be we go by ma'aseh, not by machshava. Yaakov Avinu, that the name of Yaakov is focused on the machshava, that Yaakov tried and he schemed to take the brachas from Eisav in a deceitful way. However, when the malach conceded to Yaakov on the brachas, he said, "Your name is Yisrael, cuz even though you had uh this this scheme, but in ma'aseh, the brachas belong to you." So Rashi says the reason why in Divrei HaYamim we say Yisrael and not Yaakov is cuz we want to focus on ma'aseh, which Yisrael denotes kisa risha as opposed to machshava, which Yaakov denotes, because we want to uphold the lineage of David in order to for the kavod of David, we want to focus on the ma'aseh more than the machshava. That was a chiddush of the Zeidah, zechusa yagein aleinu v'al kol Yisrael. That is the only printed chiddush that I am aware of from HaGaon Rabbi Yehuda Leib Volman, Hashem Yinkom Damav, the last Rav of Sochaczew. But friends, I want to share with you one simple question. According to the Arizal, there's still room that the Shamayim has left us to try to explain. So Hashem gave Hagar an opportunity to rectify her misdeed of abusing Sarah. But you think friends that what Hagar needs rectification is for mistreating Sarah? You don't think there's something much worse that Hagar needs to rectify? What about the fact that Hagar brought the para Adam into the world? She brought Ishmael into the world. You think she only needs rectification for mis- for abusing Sarah? What about the fact that Hagar brought Ishmael into the world who's such a source of terror and and and distress for the Jewish people? Therefore, I would like to suggest the hilu rahimu that maybe Hashem gave Hagar an opportunity and a way to rectify bringing Ishmael into the world based on the great teaching of the Vilna Gaon in the Sifra D'Tzniuta that the Vilna Gaon says we have two enemies, Esau and Ishmael. Ishmael is compared to a chamar and Esau is compared to a par a bull. And if Esau and Ishmael would ever get together, they would destroy the world. And the antidote to Esau and Ishmael is Yosef is compared to a shar as well as Esau is. That's why Yosef is the sitna shel Esau. He's the antidote to Esau. And David Hamelech who's also compared to chamar, Mashiach ben David is ani verochev al chamar is the antidote to Ishmael. Ishmael is am hadon al chamar and David is ani verochev al chamar. Therefore, we see from the gra Esau and Ishmael are the two forces of evil in the world. They're called shar va chamar. And by the way, the gra says that's the reason why you're not allowed to plow with an ox and a donkey together cuz you can't mix Esau and Ishmael. If you were ever to mix Esau and Ishmael, they would destroy the world. So Hashem by the way first, according to the gra, Mashiach ben Joseph comes and he takes us takes us out of Galas Edom and then Messiah Ben David comes and he takes us out of Galas Ishmael. Which then means the end of all Galas is Galas Ishmael. The final Galas is Galas Ishmael from which we're going to be redeemed through Messiah Ben David which is Mashma the very last Balak Turim of Parshas Vayeira on the opening Balak Turim Parshas I'm sorry, the opening Balak Turim Parshas Toldos. The end of Chayei Sarah talks about the downfall of Ishmael Al Pnei Kol Nafal. And juxtaposed to that is V'eileh Toldos Yitzchak. That when Ishmael will have a downfall in the end of days, that's when Messiah Ben David will come. Friends, we are Zocheh now to understand how Hakadosh Baruch Hu Mesovev Kol HaSivuvim orchestrates that Hagar has a way to rectify not only mistreating Sarah but also bringing Ishmael into the world. Hagar brought the Para Adam into the world, the Am HaDoyim Elech HaChamor into the world. Therefore, Hashem gives her the opportunity to facilitate the creation of David HaMelech. David HaMelech is the Oni V'Rochiv Al Chamor. Since Hagar brought the Am HaDoyim Elech HaChamor into the world, she comes back as a Gilgul as the wife as the maidservant of the wife of Yishai and she facilitates, she Shadchans Yishai with his wife and she creates David HaMelech, the Oni V'Rochiv Al Chamor to overcome the Ishmael, the Am HaDoyim Elech HaChamor. The Gemara in the end of Makos tells us that there were Tana'im who went up to Yerushalayim and then when they got to Har HaTsofim they tore their garments. When they got to the Har HaBayis, they saw a a Shual a fox [snorts] prancing on the Temple Mount. They began to cry and Rabbi Akiva would laugh. They said, "Rabbi Akiva, why are you laughing?" Rabbi Akiva said, "Why are you crying?" They said, "The Temple Mount is being desecrated by foxes and we shouldn't cry?" Says Rabbi Akiva, "That's why I'm laughing." If Uh, that's why I'm laughing because I see the foxes. And they said, "Akiva nichamtanu, Akiva nichamtan." In the pirush on Eichah of uh, called Aloin Bachos of Rav Binyamin Vitali, he explains there was a very deep kavana in the shu'alim prancing on the Har Habayit. Shu'alim Shu'alim are oisiyos Yishmael. Shu'alim im hakolel is gematria Yishmael. The shu'alim represent Yishmael. Also, the mother of Yishmael is coming from Mitzrayim. Mitzrayim is called Shu'alim. When the Tannoim saw the Yishmaelim making a base tiflus on the on the Makom Kodesh Hakodashim, this was considered the pinnacle of the Horban. It pained them so deeply, not that they saw foxes, that they saw that you the Yishmaelim are defiling the Har Habayit. So, why did Rabbi Akiva laugh? Because Rabbi Akiva understood that Yishmael has no dominion over the Har Habayit. It's a joke. They don't see the Shechinah. They don't appreciate the Shechinah. They don't appreciate appreciate the Kedusha. But, Rabbi Akiva also understood that the dominion of Yishmael in the end of days over the Har Habayit is right before the coming of Mashiach. And right after Yishmael is seen on the Har Habayit, that's when he'll have the downfall. And of Oz Noilad Ben David, like we see at the end of Sarah. I'll play call Echa the Torah it's hot. When you see and the Messiah is just around the corner. Rebbe was laughing it was together that it's hot but it's hot but it's hot. And therefore friends the story of the forever establishes as a spiritual era of Abraham Avinu. Only is been hot. You are is reduced to he has no connection to the highest. And therefore at the end of the same promises we are is sure I have above. And forever. Cloud Israel is established as the spiritual heirs of Jerusalem of the highest and that is why the story of the is something that reaps the benefit from in every single generation. May we be to the great of the year is sure I have above that we should be to be. Able to rebuild the and. Reap all the full benefits of the great act of the and the telling him have you made a man. Thank you very much everyone. Have a great day. Isaac what do you say about this?