The Depth of the Test of the Expulsion of Yishmael: The Power of Sarah Imeinu to Stand Against the World

Lesson No. 230 | Cassette 230, Tuesday, Parashas Lech Lecha, the eve of 10 Cheshvan 5760 - Bar Mitzvah in Zvhil. Wednesday, Parashas Lech Lecha, the eve of 11 Cheshvan 5760 - Bar Mitzvah at the home of the Rav.

The expulsion of Yishmael was the most difficult test for Avraham Avinu, because it threatened to destroy his entire life's work of bringing people closer to Hashem and arouse harsh public criticism. Specifically here, the immense greatness of Sarah Imeinu was revealed, as she acted with perfect faith and for the sake of Heaven, without any consideration for public opinion, until Hashem...

Avraham Avinu searched for a wife for Yitzchak who would be capable of withstanding the most difficult tests. He knew that all of Rivkah's strength stemmed from her grandfather, Haran, who agreed to jump into the fiery furnace in Ur Kasdim even on a doubt. Avraham saw with his Ruach HaKodesh (Divine inspiration) that such a granddaughter would emerge from him, possessing immense mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice), who would be able to withstand all tests.

"All the power of Yechezkel the Prophet to resurrect the dead came from Chananya, Mishael, and Azarya, who jumped into the fire."

On the very same day that Chananya, Mishael, and Azarya jumped into the fiery furnace, six miracles occurred. The power that brought them to such a high spiritual level, to the point where it was possible to resurrect the dead in the valley of Dura, stemmed from that same mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice). They drew down such a lofty light for the Jewish people, the light of 'Yechidah' and 'Keser' (the highest levels of the soul and Divine emanations), through which the resurrection of the dead is made possible. "If a person jumps into the fire, the resurrection of the dead takes place."

The Power of Thought and Seclusion in Holiness

What is the true greatness of Sarah and Rivkah? To remain secluded in the tent, to guard their holiness, and not to go outside into the culture of the streets. Sarah lived for a hundred years and remained "like a seven-year-old in beauty and fear of Heaven," secluded in her home, guarding her eyes and her thoughts. Who can sit at home for a hundred years and serve Hashem using only their mind? Only a Jew who is rooted in holiness and accustomed to this from a young age can accomplish this.

"Every Jew is purely their mind. There is no body, no hands, no feet - there is only the mind. There is no need to wander the streets and look at vanities; it is all just colored paper. A Jew is only their mind."

The Most Difficult Test of All: The Expulsion of Yishmael

From here we arrive at the central point of the expulsion of Yishmael. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer states that the test of expelling Yishmael from the house was "and the matter was very bad" - the most difficult of all the hardships and tests that came upon Avraham. Why? Because Avraham asked himself: What will the world say? How will the world view this and understand it?

Avraham Avinu was the ultimate symbol of loving-kindness and overlooking offenses. The nations of the world did not know that Yishmael was wicked. In their eyes, Avraham simply threw his firstborn son out of the house and into the desert because of a childish squabble. The Midrash Rabbah says that at that time, people simply stopped coming to Avraham. They said, "Is this how he banishes his firstborn son? He sends a sick child out into the deserts?"

When Hagar was miraculously saved and recounted that they had nearly died of thirst, she attributed the miracle to herself and not to Avraham. Consequently, the people said: "If he were truly a tzaddik, whose inside matched his outside, he would not have rejected his firstborn son."

The Greatness of Sarah: Acting for the Sake of Heaven Against the Entire World

This was the most terrible thing of all for Avraham. For a hundred years he had been working to bring people closer to Hashem, jumping into the fire, smashing idols, and sacrificing himself to save Lot and Sodom - and now, because of supposed jealousy and hatred within his own home, everything was collapsing and people were saying that he was not a tzaddik.

Here, the Netziv of Volozhin brings out the immense greatness of Sarah Imeinu. The nations of the world investigated and debated what Sarah's intentions were when she expelled Hagar and Yishmael - did she do it out of wickedness and jealousy (like the Talmudic category of "Keren," an animal that damages intentionally), or inadvertently and without malicious intent (like "Yiguf," accidental damage).

But the truth is that Sarah was above all these calculations. "This was the greatness of Sarah, that even though she knew a terrible and horrific desecration of Hashem's Name would result from this, and that people would stop coming to Avraham's house - she did not look at any of that." She acted with absolute perfect faith and purely for the sake of Heaven, without any personal bias. She was on a higher level of prophecy than Avraham, and she understood that in order to establish the Jewish people, Yishmael had to leave the house - whatever the public cost might be.

When did people return to believing in Avraham? The Midrash says: When the waters rose to greet him. When the Philistines saw the waters rising toward Avraham, they understood: "If he had even a drop of a flaw, the waters would not have risen toward him. This is a sign that this man is completely pure, and that here too, he acted with absolute perfect faith." Then it became retroactively clear that all the actions of Avraham and Sarah were done in absolute holiness and purity, without any flaw of jealousy or hatred.

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