Difficult Midrash

There is an interesting Midrash brought in Rashi, related to the banishment of Hagar and Yishmael. The question was why did Hashem send an angel to save Yishmael, when he was dying of thirst.

The angel called out to Hagar and told her that Hashem heard the cries of the lad, באשר הוא שם, “where he is.” These three words are not really needed in understanding this verse.

Rashi says the following: “According to the actions he is now doing, shall he be judged and not on the actions that he does in the future. The ministering angels laid information against him. They said, ‘Master of the Universe, for whom his descendants will at one time kill your children with thirst, will You provide a well? He asked them, ‘What is he now, righteous or wicked. They answered, ‘righteous.’ According to his present deeds, will I judge him.”

This explanation is difficult to comprehend. Couldn’t we have avoided so much grief and suffering had there not been any descendants of Yishmael?

As is usually the case, we must accept that it is beyond our comprehension to understand Hashem’s ways. His ways are just and perfect. We need to accept this, whether we understand or not