Crossroads of a Vision for the Future

Rosh HaShanah 2026 

The Torah reading for the first day of Rosh HaShanah is generally described as the expulsion of Yishmael and Hagar. However, it is extremely important to note that the reading also includes the brit between Avraham and Avimelech. Often, rabbis are inclined to compare the expulsion of Yishmael to the Akeda of Yitzchak, with the story of Avimelech as a bridge. However, since the chachamim chose to include the story of the brit with Avimelech with today’s reading about the expulsion of Yishmael and Hagar, I would like to compare these two stories. 

Sarah is central to both stories. In his work, Tzror haMor, Rabbi Avraham Saba, 15th c, Spain, Portugal, Morocco & Italy, wrote:

וירע הדבר מאד בעיני אברהם. וכל זה לחזק גלות בניו ביד ישמעאל בעון זה… ולכן אמר לו השם אל ירע בעיניך על הנער…כי שרה רואה למרחוק יותר ממך. ולכן שמע בקולה. כי היא רואה מה שעתיד לעשות לבניך.

Sarah sees the future tensions, violence and cruelty between the two nations and concludes that Avraham must expel Yishmael and Hagar without guilt or worry. Similarly, Avimelech took Sarah as a wife in Bereshit 20:1-2:

וַיִּסַּ֨ע מִשָּׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אַ֣רְצָה הַנֶּ֔גֶב וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בֵּין־קָדֵ֖שׁ וּבֵ֣ין שׁ֑וּר וַיָּ֖גׇר בִּגְרָֽר׃

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־שָׂרָ֥ה אִשְׁתּ֖וֹ אֲחֹ֣תִי הִ֑וא וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח אֲבִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ גְּרָ֔ר וַיִּקַּ֖ח אֶת־שָׂרָֽה׃

Both stories contain the themes of cardinal sins, murder, immortality and idolatry.

Again, Rabbi Avraham Saba wrote:

כשראתה לישמעאל מצחק… שראתה הצדקת בו דברי עבירה ויראה שיוציא את בנה לתרבות רעה.

This is based on the midrashic tradition in Midrash Rabbah Bereshit 53:11 based on the nuanced meanings of the word, מצחק: The root word is used during the incident of the Golden Calf in Exodus 32:6 (“and they rose up to revel/play”). 

וַיַּשְׁכִּ֙ימוּ֙ מִֽמּחֳרָ֔ת וַיַּעֲל֣וּ עֹלֹ֔ת וַיַּגִּ֖שׁוּ שְׁלָמִ֑ים וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב הָעָם֙ לֶֽאֱכֹ֣ל וְשָׁת֔וֹ וַיָּקֻ֖מוּ לְצַחֵֽק׃ {פ}

The Midrash explains that Sarah witnessed the 15-year-old Ishmael bringing idols into his tent and worshipping them, mimicking the practices of their Canaanite neighbors. The word is also used when Potiphar’s wife falsely accuses Joseph of trying to mock/insult her in Genesis 39:17. 

וַתְּדַבֵּ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו כַּדְּבָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לֵאמֹ֑ר בָּֽא־אֵלַ֞י הָעֶ֧בֶד הָֽעִבְרִ֛י אֲשֶׁר־הֵבֵ֥אתָ לָּ֖נוּ לְצַ֥חֶק בִּֽי׃

The word is used in 2 Samuel 2:14 when soldiers are told to get up and “play” (fight to the death). 

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אַבְנֵר֙ אֶל־יוֹאָ֔ב יָק֤וּמוּ נָא֙ הַנְּעָרִ֔ים וִישַׂחֲק֖וּ לְפָנֵ֑ינוּ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יוֹאָ֖ב יָקֻֽמוּ׃

The Midrash states that Yishamel would shoot arrows at Isaac, pretending to be playing around. 

Similarly, in the encounter between Avraham and Avimelech, are found the themes of immorality and idolatry. Again, Rabbi Avraham Saba wrote in his work Tzror haMor 

ואמר לו הנך מת על האשה אשר לקחת. לפי שזאת היא אחת משבעה מצות שנצטוו בני נח. …עבודה זרה וגילוי עריות ושפיכות דמים וגזל …הנך מת על האשה אשר לקחת. אחר שאתה בן נח ונהרג אפילו בלא התראה.

When Avimelech married Sarah he transgressed one of the seven mitzvot of B’ai Noach. In fact, four of these are murder, idolatry, immorality and theft [and his shepherds stole Avraham’s wells of water.] These are capital crimes punishable even without prior warning or two witnesses. One witness would suffice….Furthermore, since Avimelech was an idolator [wrote the Tzror haMor, it was inappropriate for Avraham to enter into a treaty with him.

שאבימלך היה עובד עבודה זרה. ולא היה ראוי לאברהם להכנס בברית עמו.

And finally, water is central to both stories. In the case of the expulsion of Yishmael, there is a double image of water–the water of the well and the water of Hagar’s tears:

ותשא את קולה ותבך. פקחה עיניה וראתה באר מים. 

Hagar raised her voice and wept…then opened her eyes and saw the well of water.

Rabbi Saba adds:

ואמר שגדל הנער ותקח לו אמו אשה מארץ מצרים לחזור לגלוליה:

And then she took Yishmael to Egypt where she returned to idolatry.

So many critical similarities: the centrality of Sarah, the presence of water, the concerns with cardinal transgressions of murder, immorality and idolatry. Both stories, one immediately following the other, are about the tensions and engagement between the family of Avraham and another culture–in the one case, with Yishmael and Hagar, Avraham’s own family, and the other, with a pagan king, Avimelech. And yet, both situations are resolved in very different ways. The Torah wants is to compare them, and presents them as two alternatives to very real tensions, to very real fears, to very real moments of transgression, cruelty, violence, and hatred. In once instance, the conflict is resolved through expulsion. God cares about Yishmael, had made a promise to him and to Hagar, and ensured their well-being. One can only wonder and imagine, however, that the resolution of expulsion will linger in the collective memory of Hagar and Yishmael’s family. This solution does not resolve the inner, deeper foundation for the future of a stable relationship. However, it is immediate and understandable, given the actions that Sarah witnessed, the resulting trauma, and her sustained fears. Hers is a response of trauma and fear.

Incredibly, Avraham sees the world differently. His deep faith in the Creator’s purpose in creating the world enables him to respond to crises rationally, with a sustaining vision for the future. He, too, suffered the trauma of Avimelech taking his wife, and also knows that he participated in creating that crisis. He also suffered the theft of his land. All of this, in conflict with a pagan king. And yet, he finds a way to enter into a lasting treaty. Rabbi Saba describes Avraham’s mindset explicitly in a magnificent passage:

“And Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Avimelech, and the two of them made a covenant [Genesis 21:27]. Why was this gift necessary here for the making of the covenant? Rather, the intent in this is because Abraham had previously received gifts from Avimelech regarding the matter of Sarah, as it is written: ‘And Avimelech took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abraham’ [Genesis 20:14]. It is the way of those who make a covenant to be equal to one another in stature and in honor, so that there will be an equal, undivided love between them.” “And here, Abraham was a prince among nations, and Avimelech was also a king, and he [Avimelech] came to seek out Abraham. Since Abraham had received gifts from Avimelech… it would appear from this that Abraham was indebted to Avimelech because of the gifts he had received… And all the more so for the making of a covenant, where it is necessary for both of them to be equal. Because of this, it says here: ‘And Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Avimelech’… and then, ‘the two of them made a covenant’… It is not proper for there to be a distinction between them, but rather love and unity… Therefore, it writes here ‘and the two of them made a covenant’ only after Avimelech received Abraham’s gift, just as Abraham had received from Avimelech.”

Here’s the original text:

ויקח אברהם צאן ובקר ויתן לאבימלך ויכרתו שניהם ברית. למה הוצרך בכאן זאת המתנה לכריתת הברית. אבל הרצון בזה לפי שאברהם קבל מתנות מאבימלך בענין שרה. כדכתיב ויקח אבימלך צאן ובקר ויתן לאברהם. ודרך כורתי ברית להיות שוין זה אצל זה במעלה ובכבוד. בענין שתהיה ביניהם אהבה שוה בלי חלוק. וכאן אברהם היה מלך גוים. ואבימלך היה גם כן מלך. והוא יבא לבקש את אברהם. ולפי שאברהם קיבל מתנות מאבימלך … ובזה נראה שאברהם היה משועבד לאבימלך במתנות שקבל. … וכל שכן לכריתת הברית שצריך שיהיו שניהם שוין. לזה אמר בכאן ויקח אברהם צאן ובקר ויתן לאבימלך….ואז ויכרתו ברית שניהם…. אין ראוי להיות חילוק ביניהם אלא אהבה ואחדות….ולכן כתב בכאן ויכרתו שניהם ברית. אחר שקבל אבימלך מתנת אברהם כמו שקיבל אברהם מאבימלך:

This comparison contrasts two different possibilities for the future of the world. The kedusha of Rosh Hashanah, after all, is God’s trust in us, in humankind, to cast a vision for the future of the world that Hashem created for us to inhabit and protect. Here, in the Torah, are two pathways, two contrasting stories that both share the same elements In both stories are the underpinnings and themes of murder, of rape, of idolatry and destructive culture, a potential culture of cruelty. In both stories there is an encounter between or within families. The story of the expulsion of Yishmael emphasizes how close two sides of the family are–and therefore how much hatred emerges within the same family. The story of the brit with Avimelech provides a contrast and an alternative. Avraham had to overcome insurmountable feelings of trauma, fear, and ethnic dissonance. Yet, the two stories are side by side. Avimelech also was abusive of Sarah. He was an idolator, who participated in Canaanite culture. His family, his clan, were thieves. The relationship was replete with abuse and fear. And yet, Avraham finds a way to enter into an agreement, into a brit, into a covenant. He finds a pathway for the future. In the story with Yishmael and Sarah and Hagar, Avraham complies and understands that he is given no choice, and God acts outside of his agency. God cares about Yishmael, too, and therefore protects the promise made to Hagar and to Avraham at the birth of Yishmael. The result will be continued friction, tension, abuse, cruelty and violence between the two sides of the family. Avraham then, when confronted with another situation that resonates with the expulsion of his son, when he is confronted with how to respond to Avimelech, he chooses a different path, one of compromise and covenant. He finds a way. 

Today is a day about vision and hope and optimism. Rosh Hashanah grounds optimism and hope as religious values. How can we continue to live without hope for the future? Would we give up on the world God created and bequeathed to us to inhabit and protect? That hope is expressed in the tefillot of the day, perhaps most powerfully in the prayer of the amidah even before aleinu (which also projects a vision for the future of a shared humanity):

May we gain the strength and the wisdom this Rosh Hashanah to make rational, flexible, decisions to preserve a future for our people and for the humanity we all share.

Not by warfare and violence and the spilling of more blood. Not by causing more grief and sorrow and hatred and memories that stoke a desire for revenge. Not by arrogance. But by changing people’s hearts and minds–through building relationships and education and understanding and shared appreciation of how people who are different can also deepen their love of life and of the world. This is a pathway of hope and optimism. It is not easy. It is not simple. It requires becoming Avraham Avinu. Who can achieve that easily? But Rosh Hashanah demands that we hold this vision before us and dare not allow it to wither. 

Shanah Tova