And Adonoy considered Sarah as He had said; and Adonoy did for Sarah as He had spoken. Sarah conceived and gave birth to Avraham’s son in his old age, at the designated time that God had declared. And Avraham named the son that was born to him, to which Sarah had given birth, Yitzchak. And Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchak when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Avraham was one hundrerd years old when his son Yitzchak was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, all who hear will laugh with me.” And she said, “Who would have said to Avraham, that Sarah would nurse children? For I have given birth to a son in his old age.” And the child grew and was weaned, and Avraham made a great feast on the day that Yitzchak was weaned. And Sarah saw that the son which Hagar, the Mitzrayimian, had born unto Avraham, was mocking.⁹ She said to Avraham, “Drive out this slave woman and her son; for the son of this slave woman will not share the inheritance with my son Yitzchak. But the matter appeared extremely bad in the eyes of Avraham on account of his son.¹⁰ And God said to Avraham, “Do not consider this bad for the boy and for your slave woman; regarding all that Sarah tells you, listen to her, for only through Yitzchak will offspring be called unto you.

footnotes: ⁹ According to some, Sarah saw Yishmael commit three of the worst possible sins, adultery, idolatry, and murder. A very different opinion is expressed by Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai who said, “Heaven forbid that such sins would have been committed in Avraham’s house.” (Yishmael was fourteen years old at the time.) He maintains that Yishmael’s mockery consisted of his claiming the premier right of inheritance over Yitzchak. ¹⁰ It was very difficult for him to drive Yishmael away from his house. Avraham was kind-hearted to all; even more so to his own flesh and blood. Having to drive away his son was the worst thing that every happened to Avraham (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer).

And also the son of the slave woman will I make into a nation, for he is your offspring.”And Avraham got up early in the morning, took bread and a skin (pouch) of water, gave it to Hagar, placing it on her shoulder with the lad, and sent her away; she went and lost her way in the desert of Beer Sheba. The water in the skin was used up,¹¹ and she threw the lad under one of the bushes. She went and sat facing him, about the distance of a bowshot away, for she said, “Let me not see the death of the lad”; and she sat facing him and wept in a loud voice. And God heard the voice of the lad,¹² and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter with you, Hagar? Do not fear, for God has heard the voice of the lad in the place where he is.”¹³ “Arise, lift up the lad, and strengthen your hand over him, for I will make him a great nation.” And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad to drink. And God was with the lad and he grew up; and he settled in the desert and he became an expert archer. He settled in the desert of Paran, and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Mitzrayim.

footnotes: ¹¹ Although Avraham had given them sufficient food and water to reach their destination, Yishmael contracted an illness, and suffering from fever, he consumed all the water (Rashi). ¹² According to Targum Yonassan, Hashem had compassion on Yishmael, and heard his voice because of Avraham’s merit. Others say that Yishmael also had merit, since he allowed his father to circumcise him when he was a grown lad of thirteen years. ¹³ As Hashem was about to spare Yishmael, certain angels argued that he did not deserve miraculous intervention because of the following event that was to occur in the future: When Nebuchadnezzar drove the Jews from Yerushalayim to Babylonia, eighty thousand young kohanim, (priests) fled to the Yishmaelites. They said, “We are brothers, all we ask is some water to quench our thirst. The Yishmaelites first gave them generous helpings of salt fish, saying that it was not good to drink on an empty stomach. Since they were nearly starving, they ate the fish, which made them all the more thirsty. When they asked for water, the Yishmaelites gave them skins filled with air. When they took them to their lips, the pressure exploded their stomachs, killing many of them.The angels said, “The descendants of Yishmael are destined to do such a wicked thing to Your children, killing them with thirst. How can You now save Yishmael, since he himself is also wicked? “I know,” replied the Almighty, “but I judge a person only according to what he is now, and at this point in time, Yishmael doesn’t deserve to die of thirst. See Rashi, Targum Yonassan.

It was at this time that Avimelech and Pichol, his general, spoke to Avraham, saying, “God is with you in all that you do.” “And now, swear to me here, by God, that you will not deal falsely with me, with my son or my grandson; according to the kindness that I have done with you, do unto me and to the land in which you have lived a while.” And Avraham said, “I will swear.” And then Avraham reprimanded Avimelech regarding the well of water that Avimelech’s servants had taken by force. And Avimelech said, “I don’t know who did this thing, neither did you tell me, and I also heard nothing of it until today.” And Avraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Avimelech, and the two of them made a covenant.

And Avraham set seven ewes of the flock apart, by themselves. And Avimelech said to Avraham, “What is the reason for these seven ewes that you have set apart?” And Avraham said, “these seven ewes, you will accept from me, so that it will be proof for me that I dug this well.” Therefore he called that place Beer Sheba, because there, the two of them took an oath. They made a covenant in Beer Sheba; then Avimelech and Pichol, his general, arose and returned to the land of the Philistines. And Avraham planted an eshel¹⁴ tree in Beer Sheba, and there he proclaimed the Name of God, Almighty of the universe. And Avraham lived in the land of the Philistines for many days.

footnotes: ¹⁴ According to some commentaries, the word אֵשֶׁל is an abbreviation of אַכִילָה (food), שְׁתִיָה (drink) and לְוִיָה (escort), which were part of the generous hospitality provided by Avraham.