| 1Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had not borne to him, and she had an Egyptian handmaid named Hagar. |
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אוְשָׂרַי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת אַבְרָ֔ם לֹ֥א יָֽלְדָ֖ה ל֑וֹ וְלָ֛הּ שִׁפְחָ֥ה מִצְרִ֖ית וּשְׁמָ֥הּ הָגָֽר: |
| an Egyptian handmaid. She was Pharaoh’s daughter. When he (Pharaoh) saw the miracles that were wrought for Sarah, he said, “It is better that my daughter be a handmaid in this household, than a mistress in another household.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 45:1] |
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שׁפחה מִצְרִית.
בַּת פַּרְעֹה הָיְתָה, כְּשֶׁרָאָה נִסִּים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לְשָׂרָה אָמַר: מוּטָב שֶׁתְּהֵא בִתִּי שִׁפְחָה בְּבַיִת זֶה וְלֹא גְבִירָה בְּבַיִת אַחֵר:
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| 2And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing; please come to my handmaid; perhaps I will be built up from her." And Abram hearkened to Sarai's voice. |
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בוַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֜י אֶל־אַבְרָ֗ם הִנֵּה־נָ֞א עֲצָרַ֤נִי יְהֹוָה֙ מִלֶּ֔דֶת בֹּא־נָא֙ אֶל־שִׁפְחָתִ֔י אוּלַ֥י אִבָּנֶ֖ה מִמֶּ֑נָּה וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע אַבְרָ֖ם לְק֥וֹל שָׂרָֽי: |
| perhaps I will be built up from her. This teaches that whoever has no children is not built up but demolished. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:2] |
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אוּלַי אִבָּנֶה מִמֶּנָּה.
לִמֵּד עַל מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָנוּי אֶלָּא הָרוּס:
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| I will be built up from her. in the merit that I will bring my rival into my house. — [from Gen. Rabbah 71:7, Aggadath Bereishith 52] |
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אִבָּנֶה מִמֶּנָּה.
בִּזְכוּת שֶׁאַכְנִיס צָרָתִי לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי:
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| to Sarai’s voice. to the Divine Spirit within her. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:2] |
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לְקוֹל שָׂרַי.
לְרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ שֶׁבָּהּ (בראשית רבה):
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| 3So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of ten years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram her husband for a wife. |
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גוַתִּקַּ֞ח שָׂרַ֣י אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָ֗ם אֶת־הָגָ֤ר הַמִּצְרִית֙ שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ מִקֵּץ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר שָׁנִ֔ים לְשֶׁ֥בֶת אַבְרָ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְאַבְרָ֥ם אִישָׁ֖הּ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה: |
| So Sarai, Abram’s wife, took. She took her with words, “You are fortunate that you have merited to cleave to a holy body such as this one.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 45:3] |
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וַתִּקַּח שָׂרַי.
לְקָחַתָּה בִּדְבָרִים, אַשְׁרַיִךְ שֶׁזָּכִית לִדָּבֵק בְּגוּף קָדוֹשׁ כָּזֶה (בראשית רבה):
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| at the end of ten years. This is the allotted time for a woman who has lived ten years with her husband and has not borne children to him, when he is obligated to marry another. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:3] |
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מִקֵּץ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים.
מוֹעֵד הַקָּבוּעַ לְאִשָּׁה שֶׁשָּׁהֲתָה עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וְלֹא יָלְדָה לְבַעֲלָהּ, חַיָּב לִשָֹּא אַחֶרֶת:
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| of Abram’s dwelling. This tells us that the time they dwelled outside the Land does not count in the number [ten years], because it was not said to him, “and I will make you into a great nation,” [i.e., this promise would not be fulfilled] until he would come to the Land of Israel. — [from above source] |
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לְשֶׁבֶת אַבְרָם וגו'.
מַגִּיד שֶׁאֵין יְשִׁיבַת חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ עוֹלָה לוֹ מִן הַמִּנְיָן (יב' ס"ד), לְפִי שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר לוֹ וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל, עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא לְאֶרֶץ יִשְֹרָאֵל:
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| 4And he came to Hagar, and she conceived, and she saw that she was pregnant, and her mistress became unimportant in her eyes. |
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דוַיָּבֹ֥א אֶל־הָגָ֖ר וַתַּ֑הַר וַתֵּ֨רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה וַתֵּקַ֥ל גְּבִרְתָּ֖הּ בְּעֵינֶֽיהָ: |
| And he came to Hagar, and she conceived. from the first union. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:4] |
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וַיָּבֹא אֶל־הָגָר וַתַּהַר.
מִבִּיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה (בראשית רבה):
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| and her mistress became unimportant in her eyes. She said, “This Sarai her conduct in secret is not like her conduct in public. She shows herself as if she is a righteous woman, but she is not a righteous woman, for she did not merit to conceive all these years, whereas I have conceived from the first union.” - [from aforementioned source] |
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וַתֵּקַל גְּבִרְתָּהּ בְּעֵינֶֽיהָ.
אָמְרָה שָׂרַי זוֹ אֵין סִתְרָהּ כִּגְלוּיָהּ מַרְאָה עַצְמָהּ כְּאִלּוּ הִיא צַדֶּקֶת וְאֵינָהּ צַדֶּקֶת, שֶׁלֹּא זָכְתָה לְהֵרָיוֹן כָּל הַשָּׁנִים הַלָּלוּ, וַאֲנִי נִתְעַבַּרְתִּי מִבִּיאָה רִאשׁוֹנָה (בראשית רבה):
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| 5And Sarai said to Abram, "May my injustice be upon you! I gave my handmaid into your bosom, and she saw that she had become pregnant, and I became unimportant in her eyes. May the Lord judge between me and you!" |
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הוַתֹּ֨אמֶר שָׂרַ֣י אֶל־אַבְרָם֘ חֲמָסִ֣י עָלֶ֒יךָ֒ אָֽנֹכִ֗י נָתַ֤תִּי שִׁפְחָתִי֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וַתֵּ֨רֶא֙ כִּ֣י הָרָ֔תָה וָֽאֵקַ֖ל בְּעֵינֶ֑יהָ יִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יְהֹוָ֖ה בֵּינִ֥י וּבֵינֶֽיֹךָ: |
| May my injustice be upon you. [For] the injustice that has been done to me, I lay the punishment upon you. When you prayed to God, “What will You give me, since I am going childless?” you prayed only for yourself, whereas you should have prayed for both of us, and I would have been remembered with you. Moreover, you are stealing from me your [protective] words, for you hear my degradation, and you remain silent (i.e., you are depriving me of the words you should have spoken to Hagar to reprimand her on my behalf). — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:5] |
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חֲמָסִי עָלֶיךָ.
חָמָס הֶעָשׂוּי לִי, עָלֶיךָ אֲנִי מֵטִיל הָעֹנֶשׁ; כְּשֶׁהִתְפַּלַּלְתָּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה תִּתֶּן לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי, לֹא הִתְפַּלַּלְתָּ אֶלָּא עָלֶיךָ, וְהָיָה לְךָ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל שְׁנֵינוּ, וְהָיִיתִי אֲנִי נִפְקֶדֶת עִמְּךָ, וְעוֹד דְּבָרֶיךָ אַתָּה חוֹמֵס מִמֶּנִי, שֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ בִּזְיוֹנִי וְשׁוֹתֵק (בראשית רבה):
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| I gave my handmaid, etc. between me and you. Every בֶּינֶיךָ in Scripture is spelled defectively (without the second yud), but this one is spelled plene. It may thus also be read וּבֵינַיִךְ (second person feminine), for she cast an evil eye on Hagar’s pregnancy, and she miscarried her fetus. That is why the angel said to Hagar, “Behold, you will conceive.” But was she not already pregnant? Yet he announces to her that she will conceive? But this teaches that she miscarried her first pregnancy. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:5] |
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אָֽנֹכִי נָתַתִּי שִׁפְחָתִי וגו' בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶֽיֹךָ.
כָּל בֵּינֶיךָ שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא חָסֵר, וְזֶה מָלֵא, קְרִי בֵיהּ וּבָנַיִךְ, שֶׁהִכְנִיסָה עַיִן הָרָע בְּעִבּוּרָהּ שֶׁל הָגָר וְהִפִּילָה עֻבָּרָהּ; הוּא שֶׁהַמַּלְאָךְ אוֹמֵר לְהָגָר הִנָּךְ הָרָה, וְהֲלֹא כְבָר הָרְתָה, וְהוּא מְבַשֵּׁר לָהּ שֶׁתַּהַר? אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִפִּילָה הֵרָיוֹן הָרִאשׁוֹן:
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| 6And Abram said to Sarai, "Here is your handmaid in your hand; do to her that which is proper in your eyes." And Sarai afflicted her, and she fled from before her. |
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ווַיֹּ֨אמֶר אַבְרָ֜ם אֶל־שָׂרַ֗י הִנֵּ֤ה שִׁפְחָתֵךְ֙ בְּיָדֵ֔ךְ עֲשִׂי־לָ֖הּ הַטּ֣וֹב בְּעֵינָ֑יִךְ וַתְּעַנֶּ֣הָ שָׂרַ֔י וַתִּבְרַ֖ח מִפָּנֶֽיהָ: |
| And Sarai afflicted her. She enslaved her harshly. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:6] |
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וַתְּעַנֶּהָ שׁרי.
הָיְתָה מְשַׁעְבֶּדֶת בָּהּ בְּקֹשִׁי (בראשית רבה):
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| 7And an angel of the Lord found her by a water fountain in the desert, by the fountain on the road to Shur. |
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זוַיִּמְצָאָ֞הּ מַלְאַ֧ךְ יְהֹוָ֛ה עַל־עֵ֥ין הַמַּ֖יִם בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר עַל־הָעַ֖יִן בְּדֶ֥רֶךְ שֽׁוּר: |
| 8And he said, "Hagar, Sarai's servant, where are you coming from, and where are you going to?" And she said, "From before Sarai my mistress, I am fleeing." |
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חוַיֹּאמַ֗ר הָגָ֞ר שִׁפְחַ֥ת שָׂרַ֛י אֵֽי־מִזֶּ֥ה בָ֖את וְאָ֣נָה תֵלֵ֑כִי וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִפְּנֵי֙ שָׂרַ֣י גְּבִרְתִּ֔י אָֽנֹכִ֖י בֹּרַֽחַת: |
| where are you coming from. [meaning]: “Where have you come from?” He knew [where she was coming from] but he wished to give her an opening to commence speaking with her. Now the אֵי מִזֶּה [lit. where from this] means: “Where is the place about which you can say, ‘From this place I have come.’” |
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מִזֶּה בָאת.
מֵהֵיכָן בָּאת? יוֹדֵע הָיָה, אֶלָּא לִתֵּן לָהּ פֶּתַח לִכָּנֵס עִמָּה בִּדְבָרִים. וּלְשׁוֹן אֵי מִזֶּה: אַיֵּה הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁתֹּאמַר עָלָיו מִזֶּה אֲנִי בָאָה?
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| 9And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and allow yourself to be afflicted under her hands." |
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טוַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה שׁ֖וּבִי אֶל־גְּבִרְתֵּ֑ךְ וְהִתְעַנִּ֖י תַּ֥חַת יָדֶֽיהָ: |
| And the angel of the Lord said to her, etc.. For each statement, another angel was sent to her. Therefore, the word מַלְאָךְ, angel, is used with each statement. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:7] |
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וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַלְאַךְ וגו'.
עַל כָּל אֲמִירָה הָיָה שָׁלוּחַ לָהּ מַלְאָךְ אַחֵר, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר מַלְאָךְ בְּכָל אֲמִירָה וַאֲמִירָה:
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| 10And the angel of the Lord said to her, "I will greatly multiply your seed, and it will not be counted for abundance." |
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יוַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה הַרְבָּ֥ה אַרְבֶּ֖ה אֶת־זַרְעֵ֑ךְ וְלֹ֥א יִסָּפֵ֖ר מֵרֹֽב: |
| 11And the angel of the Lord said to her, "Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your affliction. |
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יאוַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהּ֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה הִנָּ֥ךְ הָרָ֖ה וְיֹלַ֣דְתְּ בֵּ֑ן וְקָרָ֤את שְׁמוֹ֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־עָנְיֵֽךְ: |
| Behold, you will conceive. When you return, you will conceive, like (Jud. 13:5): Behold you shall conceive, stated concerning the wife of Manoah. |
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הִנָּךְ הָרָה.
כְּשֶׁתָּשׁוּבִי תַּהֲרִי, כְּמוֹ הִנָּךְ הָרָה דְאֵשֶׁת מָנוֹחַ:
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| and bear a son. וְיֹלַדְתְּ is וְיוֹלֶדֶת, and similar to this (Jer. 22:23): You, who abide (ישַׁבְתְּ) in the Lebanon, (יוֹשֶׁבֶת) who nest (מְקוּנַנְתְּ) in the cedars [like, מְקוֹנֶנֶת]. |
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וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן.
כְּמוֹ וְיוֹלֶדֶת, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ יֹשַׁבְתְּי בַּלְּבָנוֹן מְקֻנַּנְתְּי בָּאֲרָזִים (ירמיה כ"ב):
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| and you shall name him. This is the imperative [feminine], as the text states for the masculine: (below 17:19): “and you shall name him (וְקָראתָ אֶת שְׁמוֹ) Isaac.” |
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וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ.
צִוּוּי הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמֵר לְזָכָר וְקָרָאתָ אֶת שְׁמוֹ יִצְחָק (בר' י"ז):
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| 12And he will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be upon all, and everyone's hand upon him, and before all his brothers he will dwell." |
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יבוְה֤וּא יִֽהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָד֣וֹ בַכֹּ֔ל וְיַ֥ד כֹּ֖ל בּ֑וֹ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־אֶחָ֖יו יִשְׁכֹּֽן: |
| A wild donkey of a man. who loves the wilderness to hunt beasts, as it is written (below 21:20f): “And he was an archer; and he dwelt in the desert of Paran.” |
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פֶּרֶא אָדָם.
אוֹהֵב מִדְבָּרוֹת לָצוּד חַיּוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וַיֵּשֶׁב בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיְהִי רֹבֶה קַשָּׁת (בראשית כ"א):
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| his hand will be upon all. [He will be] a bandit. — [from Tan. Shemot] |
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יָדוֹ בַכֹּל.
לִסְטִים:
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| and everyone’s hand upon him. Everyone will hate him and attack him. |
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וְיַד כֹּל בּוֹ.
הַכֹּל שׂוֹנְאִין אוֹתוֹ וּמִתְגָּרִין בּוֹ:
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| and before all his brothers he will dwell. for his seed will be numerous. |
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וְעַל־פְּנֵי כֹּל אֶחָיו ישכון.
שֶׁיִּהְיֶה זַרְעוֹ גָּדוֹל (בראשית רבה):
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| 13And she called the name of the Lord, Who had spoken to her, "You are the God of seeing," because she said, "Have I seen [him] here also after I have seen?" |
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יגוַתִּקְרָ֤א שֵֽׁם־יְהֹוָה֙ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר אֵלֶ֔יהָ אַתָּ֖ה אֵ֣ל רֳאִ֑י כִּ֣י אָֽמְרָ֗ה הֲגַ֥ם הֲלֹ֛ם רָאִ֖יתִי אַֽחֲרֵ֥י רֹאִֽי: |
| You are the God of seeing. רֳאִי is vowelized with a “chataf kamatz” because it is a noun, i.e., the God of seeing, Who sees the humiliation of the humiliated. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:10] (Other editions: Another explanation: “You are the God of seeing” meaning that He sees all, but no one sees Him. Targum Jonathan). |
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אַתָּה אֵל רֳאִי.
נָקוּד חֲטַף קָמָץ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא שֵׁם דָּבָר, אֱלוֹהַּ הָרְאִיָּה, שֶׁרוֹאֶה בְעֶלְבּוֹן שֶׁל עֲלוּבִין:
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| Have I seen here also. הֲגַם הֲלֹם is an expression of wonderment. Would I have thought that even here in the desert I would see the emissary of the Omnipresent after I had seen them in the house of Abraham, where I was accustomed to seeing angels? And you should know that she was accustomed to seeing them, because Manoah saw the angel once and said, “We will surely die,” and this one saw four, one after the other, and she was not frightened. — [from Gen. Rabbah 45:7] |
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הֲגַם הֲלֹם.
לְשׁוֹן תֵּמַהּ; וְכִי סְבוּרָה הָיִיתִי שֶׁאַף הֲלוֹם בַּמִּדְבָּרוֹת רָאִיתִי שְׁלוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם אַחֲרֵי רֹאִי אוֹתָם בְּבֵיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם שֶׁשָּׁם הָיִיתִי רְגִילָה לִרְאות מַלְאָכִים? וְתֵדַע שֶׁהָיְתָה רְגִילָה לִרְאוֹתָם, שֶׁהֲרֵי מָנוֹחַ רָאָה אֶת הַמַּלְאָךְ פַּעַם אַחַת וְאָמַר מוֹת נָמוּת (שופ' י"ג), וְזוֹ רָאֲתָה ד' זֶה אַחַר זֶה וְלֹא חָרְדָה:
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| 14Therefore the well was called Be'er Lachai Ro'i; behold it is between Kadesh and between Bered. |
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ידעַל־כֵּן֙ קָרָ֣א לַבְּאֵ֔ר בְּאֵ֥ר לַחַ֖י רֹאִ֑י הִנֵּ֥ה בֵֽין־קָדֵ֖שׁ וּבֵ֥ין בָּֽרֶד: |
| Be’er Lachai Ro’i. As the Targum renders: a well upon which the living angel appeared. |
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בְּאֵר לַחַי.
כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
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| 15And Hagar bore a son to Abram, and Abram named his son, whom Hagar had borne, Ishmael. |
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טווַתֵּ֧לֶד הָגָ֛ר לְאַבְרָ֖ם בֵּ֑ן וַיִּקְרָ֨א אַבְרָ֧ם שֶׁם־בְּנ֛וֹ אֲשֶׁר־יָֽלְדָ֥ה הָגָ֖ר יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל: |
| and Abram named, etc.. Although Abram had not heard the words of the angel, who said,“And you shall name him Ishmael,” the Holy Spirit rested upon him, and he called him Ishmael. — [from Bereishith Rabbathi, also Mid. Aggadah] |
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וַיִּקְרָא אַבְרָם שֶׁם־וגו'.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַע אַבְרָם דִּבְרֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ שֶׁאָמַר וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל, שָׁרְתָה רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ עָלָיו וּקְרָאוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל:
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| 16And Abram was eighty-six years old, when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram. |
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טזוְאַבְרָ֕ם בֶּן־שְׁמֹנִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֵׁ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֑ים בְּלֶֽדֶת־הָגָ֥ר אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל לְאַבְרָֽם: |
| And Abram was eighty-six years old, etc.. This was written in praise of Ishmael, to let us know that he was thirteen years old when he was circumcised, and he did not object. — [Mid. Aggadah] |
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וְאַבְרָם בֶּן־שמונים וגו'.
לְשִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל נִכְתַּב, לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁהָיָה בֶּן י"ג שָׁנָה כְּשֶׁנִּמּוֹל וְלֹא עִכֵּב:
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