זוהר, וירא ל״אZohar, Vayera 31

Section 31 of 36 in Vayera — 13 segments

Segment 1א׳

וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה אֶת בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְאַבְרָהָם מְצַחֵק. אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא, מִיּוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְלִיד יִצְחָק וְהֲוָה יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּבֵיתָא דְאַבְרָהָם, לָא אִסְתַּלַּק יִשְׁמָעֵאל בִּשְׁמָא, בְּאֲתַר דְּדַהֲבָא שַׁרְיָא סוֹסְפִיתָא לָא אִדְכַּר קַמֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אֶת בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית, גְּבַר דְּלָא יִתְחֲזֵי לְאַדְכָּרָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּיִצְחָק.

AND SARAH SAW THE SON OF HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN, WHOM SHE HAD BORN UNTO ABRAHAM, MAKING SPORT. R. Hiya said: ‘After recording the birth of Isaac, the Scripture never mentions Ishmael by name so long as he was still in the house of Abraham: dross cannot be mentioned in the presence of gold. Hence Ishmael is referred to here as “the son of Hagar the Egyptian”, as it was not fitting that his name should be mentioned in the presence of Isaac.’

Segment 2ב׳

אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה, בְּעֵינָא דִקְלָנָא חָמַאת לֵיהּ שָׂרָה, דְּלָא חָמַאת לֵיהּ בְּעֵינָא דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָא דְּאַבְרָהָם, אֶלָּא דְּאִיהוּ בְּרָא דְּהָגָר הַמִּצְרִית, וּבְגִין כָּךְ וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה. דְּשָׂרָה חָמַאת לֵיהּ בְּעֵינָא דָא וְלֹא אַבְרָהָם, דְּאִילוּ בְּאַבְרָהָם לֹא כְּתִיב אֶת בֶּן הָגָר אֶלָּא אֶת בְּנוֹ.

Said R. Isaac: ‘The words “and Sarah saw” imply that she looked at him disdainfully, as being the son not of Abraham but of Hagar the Egyptian, and, furthermore, only Sarah regarded him so, but not Abraham, as we read that THE THING WAS VERY GRIEVOUS IN ABRAHAM’S SIGHT ON ACCOUNT OF HIS SON-not the son of Hagar, but his son.’

Segment 3ג׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, לְבָתַר מַה כְּתִיב וַיֵּרַע הַדָּבָר מְאֹד בְּעֵינִי אַבְרָהָם עַל אוֹדוֹת בְּנוֹ. וְלָא כְּתִיב עַל אוֹדוֹת בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית. בְגִין כָּךְ וַתֵּרֶא שָׂרָה אֶת בֶּן הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית. וְלָא חָמַאת דְּאִיהוּ בְּרִיהּ דְּאַבְרָהָם.

Observe what is written afterwards: THE THING WAS VERY GRIEVOUS IN ABRAHAM’S SIGHT ON ACCOUNT OF HIS SON — and it is not written, “on account of the son of Hagar the Egyptian”. Therefore: AND SARAH SAW THE SON OF HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN — she did not see that he was Abraham’s son.

Segment 4ד׳

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר הַאי קְרָא תּוּשְׁבַּחְתָּא דְשָׂרָה אִיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּחָמַאת לֵיהּ דְּקָא מְצַחֵק לְכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, אָמְרָה, וַדַּאי לַאו בְּרָא דָא בְּרָא דְאַבְרָהָם לְמֶעֱבַד עוֹבָדוֹי דְאַבְרָהָם, אֶלָּא בְּרָא דְּהָגָר הַמִּצְרִית אִיהוּ אֲהַדַּר לְחוּלָקָא דְּאִמֵּיהּ, בְגִין כָּךְ וַתֹּאמֶר לְאַבְרָהָם גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת בְּנָהּ, כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת עִם בְּנִי עִם יִצְחָק.

R. Simeon said: ‘The Scripture really speaks in praise of Sarah. For what she saw was that he was indulging in idolatrous practices. Hence she said: Surely, this is not the son of Abraham, who follows in the footsteps of Abraham, but the son of Hagar the Egyptian, who is reverting to the type of his mother. Hence: AND SHE SAID UNTO ABRAHAM: CAST OUT THIS BONDWOMAN AND HER SON; FOR THE SON OF THIS BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH MY SON, EVEN WITH ISAAC.

Segment 5ה׳

וְכִי סַלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ דְּקַנֵּי לָהּ שָׂרָה אוֹ לִבְרָהּ, אִי הָכִי לא אוֹדֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִמָּהּ, דִּכְתִיב כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקוֹלָהּ. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּחָמַאת לֵיהּ בְּכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת וְאִמֵּיהּ אוּלְפָא לֵיהּ נִמּוּסֵי דְּכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, בְּגִין כָּךְ אֲמְרַת שָׂרָה כִּי לֹא יִירַשׁ בֶּן הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת, אֲנָא יָדַעְנָא דְּלָא יָרִית לְעָלְמִין חוּלָקָא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, וְלָא יְהֵא לֵיהּ עִם בְּרִי חוּלָקָא לָא בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וְלָא בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, וּבְגִין כָךְ אוֹדֵי עִמָּהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

It cannot be supposed that Sarah was moved by jealousy of her or her son. For if so, the Holy One would not have supported her by saying, IN ALL THAT SARAH SAITH UNTO THEE, HEARKEN UNTO HER VOICE. The truth, therefore, is that she observed him worshipping idols, and performing the practices which his mother had taught him. Hence the words of Sarah, “For the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir”, as much as to say: “I know that he will never enter the fold of the true faith and that he will have no portion with my son either in this world or in the world to come.” Therefore God supported her,

…and 8 more segments in this section.

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Zohar — Vocalized Zohar, Israel 2013, via Sefaria

English: The Zohar — Soncino Press, London 1933 (public domain)

English: rendered from the Aramaic for this app — The Gematria's own rendering program. A rendering of the words, not a commentary; the Zohar is learned with a teacher