Parshas Vayeira begins as Hashem comes to visit Avraham, who is recuperating from his bris milah. We then learn of Avraham’s hachnasas orchim, as he welcomes guests to his tent. The angels promise that at this time next year, Sarah will have a child. While Sarah laughs in disbelief at the prophecy, Hashem declares: Is anything beyond Hashem? At the appointed time next year, Sarah will have a son (Bereishis 18:1-14).

And then later in the parsha, we read of the birth of the long-awaited child, the scion to the dynasty founded by Avraham Avinu: “And Hashem remembered Sarah as He had said, and Hashem did to Sarah as He had spoken, and Sarah conceived and bore a son to Avraham in his old age, at the time of which G-d had spoken to him and Avraham named his son who had been born to him, whom Sarah had borne to him, Yitzchak” (21:1-3).

However, trouble arises quickly, when Yishmael - born fourteen years prior to Hagar and Avraham - is acting in ways contrary to the home, values and faith of Avraham (Rashi to 21:9). Due to the physical and spiritual threat that he poses, and his immoral and dangerous behaviors, Yishmael must be sent away, along with his mother. Avraham - as per the instruction of Sarah, and with Divine approbation (21:10-13) - arises early in the morning, provides Hagar with a flask of water and some bread, and sends her and the child away. 

When the water runs out, as she is straying in the desert, וַתַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד תַּ֖חַת אַחַ֥ד הַשִּׂיחִֽם - and she threw the child under one of the bushes, and she went and she sat herself at a distance: אַל־אֶרְאֶ֖ה בְּמ֣וֹת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַתֵּ֣שֶׁב מִנֶּ֔גֶד, and she said: let me not see the death of the child, and she sat at a distance… (21:14-15).

Rav Samson Rafael Hirsch teaches, “Hagar’s whole behavior is highly characteristic; it typifies the unrefined Chamite nature. A Jewish mother would never abandon her child, even if all she could do for him would be to speak softly to him, to soothe him if only for a millionth part of a second. One who abandons a child and does nothing because “she cannot bear to see the child’s misery” does not act out of compassion. Such conduct reflects the cruel egotism of a brutish character. True humanity is marked by a sense of duty that is capable of mastering even the strongest of emotions. A sense of duty makes one forget his own painful feelings and enables him to extend help and assistance, even if one can do no more than give the comfort of one’s compassionate presence…

“Furthermore, וַתַּשְׁלֵ֣ךְ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד תַּ֖חַת אַחַ֥ד הַשִּׂיחִֽם, ‘she threw the child under one of the shrubs.’ She does not care where the child will fall; it does not occur to her that he might fall among thorns which might scratch him, adding needless pain to his tormenting thirst. All of the foregoing shows that Hagar completely lost her head when overcome with her own grief. A mother descending from Avraham would never behave toward her child in such a manner” (Rav Hirsch, commentary to Bereishis 21:15-16).

As we learn through these parshios, and we read of the journeys, trials and tribulations, triumphs and successes, miracles and efforts, of Avraham and Sarah, the Torah draws our attention to the antithesis of a Jewish mother.

In contrast to this, a mother of the descendants of Avraham and Sarah will always do what is best for her child, offering whatever safety, solace and comfort she may have to offer.

The following narrative illustrates the self-sacrifice of a Jewish mother, striving to ensure the survival of her child. Though here too, the mother had to cast her child away, it was not so that she “not see his death” and it was not to spare her pain, but rather, it was to ensure his life, and his survival.

Rav Yisrael Meir Lau, shlita, writes of the horrific moments of round-up and deportation during the Shoah. As the Jews stood on the train platform, his mother quickly realized that he, a young child, would be entering the cattle car with the women. Aware that his chances of survival were slim-to-none if he was sent with the women, she made an instantaneous decision. Grasping his back with her hands, she shoved her child to the men. Lulek did not understand what was happening. He only heard her say, “Tulek, take Lulek. Good-bye Tulek; good-bye Lulek,” and the boys never saw their mother again. [Tulek was Rav Lau’s older brother, Naphtali, and Lulek was Rav Lau’s nickname when he was a child.] As Naphtali caught the child, he called out to their mother, “What do I do?”, yet she was only able to wave her hand in reply, as she was forced her into the cattle car.

Rav Lau writes that this moment was intensely traumatic for him. Naphtali was shouting, “There’s been a mistake! There’s a child here! You must take him back to his mother!” But no one was listening. “I screamed in terror, and transferred all my rage at the separation to Naphtali, my brother. I beat my small fists against his chest unceasing…I kept hitting him and screaming, “What have you done to me? Why did you take me? I want to be with Mother!” Several of the men joined Naphtali’s attempts to try to console me. Somehow, I lay down on the floor of the crowded car and wept bitterly. I remember the biting cold that penetrated my body, the cold of November 1944…In retrospect, this was clearly the hardest moment I experienced in the six years of the war. Never before and never since did I cry as I did on that day of separation from Mother. To separate from your mother is inconceivable; it hurts your whole being all the years of your life. It took me a long time to understand that when Mother pushed me toward Naphtali, she saved my life” (Out of the Depths (Sterling New York, 2011), pp. 20–22.).

From the beginning of time, to the end of time, the Jewish mother prays for her child, nurtures her child, strives to protect her child, and - as much as possible, b’siyata d’Shmaya - ensures the well-being and survival of her child.

In the path of our foremothers, and generations of mothers who came before us, may we merit the glorious day when our mother, Rachel, will finally stop crying for her children, as they will return to their land with the final redemption. בברכת בשורות טובות ושבת שלום