Musings from Students of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem
Posted on April 13, 2013 by Annie Matan Gilbert
From my blog:
The following snippets were written as part of a Storahtelling exercise to help us get to know the characters/voices with which we are teaching Torah. We are working with some verses from Parshat Vayera, Genesis Chapter 21, verses 8-10.
In character, we were asked to answer the following questions: My biggest regret is, My happiest moment ever was, This morning I saw, and I cannot die before I tell you this. I share my favourite answers below.
My happiest moment ever was when I held Isaac for the first time. I looked into his blue, blue eyes and felt G!d’s blessing like a blanket, protecting us. When I looked up, the pride and pleasure in Abraham’s face was like the sun. We had done it at last. We made a family. That moment, it was just the three of us and we were everything. Everything I ever wanted. Everything I’d prayed for. Everything I could imagine.
If I were to keep going, the next thing that would happen in the story is that Hagar would bring Ishmael in to meet his little brother or she would adjust Sarah’s pillow to make her more comfortable. Something innocuous but bubble-bursting.
I cannot die before I tell you this:
Hagar was my friend.
I was grateful for her company from the moment she joined our camp. Her poise and presence inspired me and I told her so. I remember making challah together for shabbas. Flour-covered arms bumping as we kneaded dough. Even after Ishmael was born, after we spent careful months apart because to see her with him broke my heart, we found our stride again.
I miss her so much.
