Questions: The repetition of, "And the Lord took account of, etc. and the Lord did etc." (Genesis 21:1). The question of the Ran, that he named him on the day of his birth and not on the day of his circumcision. That which is written (Genesis 21:5), "And Avraham was one hundred years old," is extra; as we already knew this from that which it stated a year before [Yitzchak] was born, after the circumcision of Avraham, that he was ninety-nine years old! That which is written (Genesis 21:7), "Who would have declared to Avraham, that Sarah will nurse children" - what did it want with this?

And the Lord took account of Sarah: I have already explained in Ayelet HaShachar that when the noun precedes the verb, it indicates that the thing was earlier than this. So [here] it means to say that still before Avimelekh took her, she was already pregnant from Avraham. And that is according to the opinion of Rabbi Chama in the Midrash that she gave birth in seven truncated months. For that is why, at the time Avimelekh took her, her fetus was not noticeable. But if she gave birth in nine months, they would say that she became pregnant from Avimelekh and that she gave birth in seven truncated months. But the opinion that says she gave birth in nine month reasons that God took account of Sarah after the story with Avimelekh, and that the story with Avimelekh was ten or eleven months before her giving birth. So they would have known [this way] also that she did not get pregnant from Avimelekh. And that which the noun comes before the verb (making it past perfect) is to teach the connection of the deed [that was mentioned before it]: That by way of his praying for Avimelekh, the Lord took account of Sarah - like the matter that they said (Bava Kamma 92a), "Whoever prays for his fellow, when he himself also is in need of that very thing, will be answered first." And the Lord took account: There is a distinction between saying (amirah) and speaking (dibbur), as I wrote at length in the book, HaTorah VeHaMitzvah (Leviticus 3). As speech also signifies the explanation of the things. And there is a distinction between remembered (zakhar) and took account of (pakad). As taking account of, is always to do some thing for [the other]. So first God said, in Parashat Lech [Lecha] (Genesis 17:19), "Indeed, your wife Sarah will bear you a son." And that is called saying. But it was [only] fulfilled when He took account of her to have her conceive. And afterwards (Genesis 18:14), He spoke and explained through an angel and limited "the time that I will return to you," that it would be on Pesach of the next year. And about this it stated, "and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken."

And she conceived: This verse explains the previous verse - that which is written, "And the Lord took account of Sarah as He had said," since, "Sarah conceived and gave birth." And that which is written, "and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken," since it was, "at the set-time of which God had spoken." And likewise did it say in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 52:13), "I, the Lord, have spoken and I have done' (Ezekiel 37:14) - where did He speak? 'At the set time I will return to you' (Genesis 18:14). 'And I have done' - as it is written, 'and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken.'" And it comes out like Rabbi Yehudah [Rabbi Nechemiah] (Bereshit Rabbah 53:5): "'And the Lord took account of Sarah as He had said' - that which He had said in an utterance. 'And the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken' - that which He had spoken to her though an angel."

And he called: Behold, God commanded Avraham, "your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Yitzchak" (Genesis 17:19) - and he had to implement this immediately on the day that he was born; and He commanded him to circumcise him on the eighth day. So Avraham implemented, "And he called his son's name," immediately; and he circumcised, "when he was eight days old" (Genesis 21:4). And about both of them, it stated, "as the Lord had commanded him." And it stated, "that was born to him, to which Sarah had borne to him" - as it was written, "your wife Sarah will bear you a son" - that is to say, a son who will be the heart and treasure that will be descended from you. As this could only be from the righteous woman, Sarah.

Avraham was one hundred years old: Since at the time that it was announced to Avraham that he would father a son, he fell "on his face and laughed and said in his heart, 'Can a hundred year old man have children'" (Genesis 17:17). And he laughed with joy about the miracle that He would do to him; so God told him that he should call him Yitzchak based on this laughter (tzchok). And afterwards when Sarah heard of the announcement, she also laughed with joy, as she went back to her youthfulness and would bear a child in the natural way; whereas Avraham would remain in his old age and require a miracle - as I wrote in my commentary there. According to this, it can be said that that which Avraham called the name of this son Yitzchak was because "Avraham was one hundred years old when his son Yitzchak was born to him." As he laughed and rejoiced about this - "can a hundred year old man have children?" And he was commanded to call him Yitzchak based on this. But about this, Sarah said (Genesis 21:6) that "God made for me" the main laughter and miracle - he made a greater miracle for me, to the point "that anyone who hears," will not laugh about the miracle of Avraham. Rather he "will laugh for me," about the miracle that was done for me. And she explained the thing - that even though I went back to my youthfulness, and based on this, the birth was in the natural way, nevertheless...

Who declared to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? Since that which Avraham fathered [a child] in his old age - he was promised about that from God. And God said to him that he would father a son from me; so this is not a wonder, that the word of God would materialize. But that which I am nursing children and have milk to nurse, there was no promise about that at all. Who declared and forecast this miracle? Is it not that this was not announced, not by God and not by an angel? So why was this miracle done, once I have already "borne him a son in his old age," and God's promise already materialized? And why should this miracle be prolonged also after the birth, that an old woman should have milk in her breasts to nurse children? As this miracle is superfluous, since I could have given him to a wet-nurse. So in that case, God did this miracle only for laughter and joy; so that the whole world would laugh and rejoice about this miracle.

And the child grew: [So] that you do not say that he was born a weakling from the elderly people - as he grew. And do not say that he was weaned because she did not have milk in order to nurse, since he was not weaned until he grew. As the miracle of the milk continued until he grew like one [fit to be] weaned from his mother. And Avraham made a great banquet: He did not make a banquet at the time of the circumcision, since the circumcision was a commandment specific to him and the circumcised members of his household. So he only made a small banquet before them. But at the time of the weaning, he made a great banquet for the great ones of the generation, as the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said.

Questions: Why did Sarah request that he should drive out Yishmael; and, in particular, what was the sin of the maidservant? And why did God agree to this, on account of, "for it is through Yitzchak that your seed will be called" (Genesis 21:12); and why should he drive him out because of this? That which is written, "and she sat across from him" (Genesis 21:16) twice. That which is written (Genesis 21:17), "there where he is," has no explanation.

And she saw: And then at the time of the banquet, Sarah saw that Yishmael was laughing and scorning about this banquet. But it did not explain what [the cause of] the laughter was, but only hinted [by] that which was written, "that she had born to Avraham" - that he said, like the mockers of the generation, that Sarah got pregnant from Avimelekh and that only he was born from Avraham. And Sarah recognized that his mother had incited him to this laughter, since that which the son of Sarah was preferred to her son was bad in her eyes. And based on that, it called him, "the son of Hagar the Egyptian," and did not call him by the name, Yishmael. It was because she saw that his mother had incited him to [do] this.

And she said: That is why she requested that he drive out the maidservant, who incited him, and also drive out her son with her. Since she thinks that he should inherit equally with Yitzchak - or that he has an advantage over Yitzchak, according to her mockery. But the truth is that he will not inherit, from the perspective that he is the son of the maidservant; as the offspring of a maidservant is [considered to have a status] like her. And he would not inherit with him, from the perspective that [Yitzchak] was his son, the son of the lady; and from the perspective that he was Yitzchak, who was born by a miracle and is the heart and the treasure.

And it was bad: Sarah began that he should drive out the maidservant, since she thought that the main love of Avraham was for his concubine, and he loved his son along with her, as well. But Scripture testifies that the essence of what was bad in the eyes of Avraham was "on account of his son."

And he said: Based on this, God said to him, "Do not let it be bad in your eyes concerning the youth and concerning your maidservant." Since the main thing that was bad in your eyes was concerning the youth - and due to him, it was also bad in your eyes concerning your maidservant, as she is the mother of the youth - from this, it is understood that you consider him to be like your son. Therefore "listen to the voice (bekol) of Sarah" (it has been explained with me that listening bekol is to do like her words) - that if you think that he is your son who will inherit you like Yitzchak, it is a mistake. For it is only "through (lit., in) Yitzchak that your seed will be called" - as the heart and the treasure is only in Yitzchak, meaning in Yaakov who will be born from him. And the Sages, may their memory be blessed, said (Nedarim 31a), "'In Yitzchak,' and not all of Yitzchak." And they said that one who makes a vow [not to benefit] from the seed of Avraham is permitted [to benefit from] the seed of Yishmael and Esav, since they are not called by the name of Avraham but rather by the name of Yishmael and Esav. And if you are concerned about sending him away from you, lest he die of hunger or that which is similar, I promise you - even though he is the son of the maidservant and is not related to you but only to her, nevertheless - "I will make him into a nation," from the perspective "that he is your seed."

And he got up early: It recounts the righteousness of Avraham, that he got up early in the morning to implement the commandment of God. Such that he did not give silver and gold into her hand. Rather, "he took bread," since Sarah had said (Genesis 21:10), "drive out this maidservant." And there is a difference between, "drive out," and "send away": With the sending away of slaves, it is written (Deuteronomy 15:13), "you shall not send them away empty." For sending away is with goodness, but driving out is with a strong hand and with anger. And he gave [it] himself to Hagar, and not through an agent, since his mercy was not moved at all. He placed it on her shoulder: Such that he did not allow her to eat in his house and go afterwards; rather he placed [it] on her shoulder. And the child: After he placed [it] on her shoulder, he sent her away with the child, to show her that the main expulsion was hers, because she incited the child to laugh. And on account of her, he is also sending away the child. And he did this so that the child would not be be disgusting in her eyes. And she went and strayed: As he did not send one of his servants to show her the way; sending her without accompaniment, which was not like his way even with guests who were strangers. As he would walk with them to send them away. For he kept the commandment of God.

And she cast (tashlech): [Casting] is about leaving and abandoning, as [in], "for You have picked me up and cast me (tashlicheni)" (Psalms 102:11). And it explains the casting - "and she went and sat across from him." And after she heard there also the voice of the youth yelling out, she sat even further away across from him.

And He heard: This is [along the lines of], "Though my father and mother have abandoned me, the Lord will take me in" (Psalms 27:10). "As God has heard the voice of the youth (meaning that He accepted his prayer, as that is the definition of listening which is followed by [the word,] God) there where he is" - meaning to say that in the place in which the youth was, a well of water was found there. And it can also be explained that it means to say [that] since God was found there, He was looking over him him and available to save him.

Get up: Hence, "Get up and lift the youth," while he is still sick. And afterwards, "grasp him with your hand," and he shall be 'a staff in hand and a hoe for burial' (a source of support in her old age).

And He opened (Vayifkach): The definition of the verb, pakach is revealing knowledge that one did not know previously, like the Rambam writes in the Guide [for the Perplexed]. As the well was also there at the beginning; it is just that she had not paid attention to see it. But now she saw it.

And God was with: He had God's providence over him, so that he would grow, and He saved him from the danger of the wilderness and from bad animals. "And he dwelled in the wilderness," fulfilling that which was written (Genesis 16:12), "And he will be a wild man," as he was a man of the wilderness. "And he was an archer" - so that which was written, "and his hand will be against all," was fulfilled. "He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran" (Genesis 21:21) - so that which was written, "and in the presence of all his brothers shall he reside," was fulfilled; as he would wander from one wilderness to another wilderness. And the nature of [this] root was implanted afterwards in his children. And his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt: 'Every raven [sticks] to its type.'

Swear to me here by Elokim. Avimelech was confident that once Avraham swore, Hashem would never command him to violate his oath.