בהנו״א
Introduction:
Harav Simcha L. Weinberg, neiro yair shared how the primary weapon of Yishmael is found in the words, כִּי־שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל־קוֹל הַנַּעַר בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם, for Elokim has heard the cry of the boy “where he is.” found in the following verse in Beraishis:
וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹקִים אֶת־קוֹל הַנַּעַר וַיִּקְרָא מַלְאַךְ אֱלֹקִים אֶל־הָגָר מִן־הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ מַה־לָּךְ הָגָר אַל־תִּירְאִי כִּי־שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶל־קוֹל הַנַּעַר בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם, Elokim heard the cry of the boy, and an angel of Elokim called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Fear not, for Elokim has heard the cry of the boy “where he is.”[1]
The Zohar says that the power of Yishmael over Klal Yisrael will be nine months.
The anti- Yishmael requires a prayer worthy of overpowering the Yishmael’s prayers who are heard בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם, “where he is. (Rabbi Weinberg, 10/10/2023)
It seems necessary to understand this ‘Weapon of Yishmael” to help prepare us for victory over this enemy of Yisrael.
It is interesting to me how the birth of Yishmael begins with a prayer of his mother Hagar being heard.
The name Yishmael, יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל, contains the root word of שָׁמַע, hear. He was named Yishmael because Hashem heard [or will hear] the suffering of his mother Hagar. [2]
We then fast forward to the moment that she is sent away together with Yishmael from the home of Sarah and Avraham and found wandering in the desert of Beer Shevah.
Rashi explains that Hashem heard his prayers this time. His mother receives a promise of Yishmael becoming a great nation. וַתֵּרֶא בְּאֵר מָיִם, She opens her eyes and saw a well of water in which she can provide water to her son Yishmael to drink from.[3]
His prayers were heard and so effective to the point that we learn a fundamental principle about prayers from Yishmael!
We learn how the prayer of a sick person is more beautiful than when others pray for a sick person.
Rashi also teaches us that even though Yishmael would have descendants that would kill Klal Yisrael with thirst, Hashem still listened to his prayers, judging him based on his present deeds; בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם, where he was, (a naar- youth) despite angels protesting, seeing what he was going to do to Klal Yisrael in the future.
Questions:
- Does Hagar’s power of tefillah (the mother of Yishmael) revealed to us at the time of her naming Yishmael transfer to him?
- Why is there a well of water at this moment? What is it about the well that Torah is teaching us? What is the connection between this well and the wells of Avraham, Yitzchak, Rifka, Yaakov, Rochel, Miriam who triggers redemption, and Moshe Rabeinu, the redeemer? How are we to use the concept of well practically now?
- What is the pasuk teaching us when we read that Hagar cries, and instead of the pasuk stating that Elokim heard her cries as would be logical, the Pasuk does not show a direct response to her cries and instead states how Elokim heard the prayer of the Naar (youth) despite no overt description of him praying?
- Did Hagar even know he was davening?
- How come she is not credited overtly as davening for him at that moment?
- Why would Hagar leave Yishmael, her baby alone and separate him from her? The Pasuk states that she said, “Let me not look on to him as he dies”.[4] If she thought he was going to die, wouldn’t any mother make sure to stay with their child? It seems so strange. Additionally, if she really thought he was dead, why should she be afraid? The Pasuk states that she is visited by a Malach Elokim who reassures her that her son’s prayers were heard and she should not be afraid.
- To Whom did she say, “Let me not look on to him as he dies?” Did she say those words to Yishmael before she separated herself from him? Did she say it to herself? Was it said as a prayer?
- What is it about her, or what she does, that she is granted an audience and conversation with a Malach Elokim?
- Is it possible that she is expressing unwavering commitment to the reality of prayer, so much so that she is ready to distance him from her risking his life, banking on him using all her lessons as all he need to daven ever so powerfully to trigger a Malach Elokim, a well of Water, and promises for his future in the world? It is possible this is the level of commitment Yishmael learned from her and uses against us?
- Is it possible she placed him alone and made him so desperate in order to push him to daven in such a way that would be heard? Did she set up in such a way so he can know how to daven in other words?
- What did Yishmael daven for? Why did Hashem grant him the reward of becoming a great nation, was that in response to a tefillah for it?
- How can we use this concept Rashi teaches about a tefillah being more beautiful when coming from a sick person rather than having others daven for a sick person?
- Is it possible that Hagar does daven for her son, and davens for him to daven?
- Hashem gives Yishmael water from the well , the very item Yishmael deprives and kills Yisrael with. What are we to learn from this ? How can we use this to help us?
- How can we use this aspect of Hashem listening to his tefillah בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם in how we daven?
- What is the connection between pregnancy, Yishmael, tefillah and redemption?
I hope with Hashem’s Help and Guidance to find answers to the questions to help identify the main components of the weapon of Yishmael so we can use the lessons for our own tefillos to use to gain master over Yishmael biezras Hashem.
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[1] Beraishis 21:17
[2] Beraishis, 16:11
[3] Beraishis, 21:19
[4] Beraishis 21:16
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