בראשית, פרק כ״א, פסוק ט״ו

A severe crisis strikes Hagar and Ishmael in the heart of the desert. As their supplies dwindle and their strength fails, a mother is forced to confront the impending death of her son. This harrowing moment encapsulates deep despair, yet it also serves as a profound test of faith and Divine providence.

Although Abraham had provided them with a precise and proportional ration of food and drink, the water ran out before the bread. He had sent them away with only meager provisions, without money or camels, because God commanded him to adhere strictly to Sarah's demand for their immediate and absolute expulsion [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך]. The primary approach among commentators is that Ishmael fell ill, and since the sick tend to drink heavily, the water was consumed much faster than expected. Although natural diseases did not exist in the world at that time, Ishmael suffered a fever caused by the evil eye cast by Sarah [דעת זקנים, מזרחי]. Abraham had only supplied enough water for a healthy person, either unaware that the illness would worsen or assuming it was merely a passing weakness [משכיל לדוד, מזרחי]. Alternatively, the water may have run out because Hagar lost her way in the desert, perhaps even reverting to idolatry, which delayed her journey for many days until her supplies were exhausted [חזקוני, מזרחי].

The sudden depletion of water represents an unexpected crisis and the agonizing threat of dying of thirst [קיצור בעל הטורים]. Yet, this ordeal is recorded to teach a vital lesson: when troubles multiply, a person should not panic, but rather trust in God, who can bring salvation at the very last moment [רד״ק].

Despite being a mature youth at the time, Ishmael is treated in the narrative as a helpless child. His severe illness and exhaustion from dehydration completely stripped him of his ability to walk on his own. Entirely dependent on his mother, he was reduced to the state of a small infant [הכתב והקבלה]. Once Ishmael collapsed and could no longer walk, Hagar carried him in her lap [אבן עזרא] or on her shoulder [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך, בכור שור]. When her own strength finally gave out and she believed he was dying, she lowered him to the ground.

This act of casting him down carries both physical and emotional weight, expressing absolute despair and a sense of total abandonment [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם, קונטרס חיבה יתירה]. Some commentators offer a harsh critique of Hagar's behavior, viewing this act as a display of selfishness and emotional detachment. Instead of remaining by her son's side to hold him and comfort him in his final moments, she carelessly dropped him, perhaps even among thorns, and walked away simply to spare herself the pain of watching him die [רש״ר הירש].

Hagar placed her son under one of the desert trees or shrubs [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Her practical intention was to shield him from the scorching sun, which only intensified the agony of his thirst [העמק דבר, רלב״ג, ביאור יש״ר]. However, a midrashic approach interprets the mention of the bushes as an allusion to speech and conversation. Under those very shrubs, Hagar and Ishmael poured out their hearts, challenging God: How could He have promised them a future of greatness, only to leave them to die of thirst in the wilderness? [שפתי כהן].