GENERAL: Yishmael being judged

[Kollel Iyun Hadaf]

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GENERAL: Yishmael being judged

Mishael asked:

Hello, I have a question that is very puzzling to me. I hope you can help me 
out.

When Hagar and Yishmael were sent to the desert (I think it was the second 
time), Yishmael started to cry for some water. In Shamayim the angels were 
telling Hashem not to answer his prayer because in the future he was going to 
oppress Yitzchak and his descendants were going to oppress Jews. However, 
Hashem did not listen to the angels' plea. Hashem's reasoning was that he was 
judging Yishmael at his current stage in life and not looking what was going to 
happen in the future. I think in the Chumash the hebrew words are (Ba'asher Hoo 
Sham).

As history continues and we get to the time of Moshe we see another interesting 
incident. Moshe had asked Hashem why the babies that were used as bricks had to 
die (they did not commit any crime). Hashem's answer was that "in the future" 
they will oppress the jews and therefore I am allowing them to die now so as to 
not punish them later. 

So to finally ask my question: Why did Hashem not use the concept of Ba'asher 
Hoo Sham for the Jewish babies; instead, He used it on Yishmael....WHY!

If you have difficult understanding the question, please email me back and I 
will try to explain it better. However, if you do understand please bring 
sources if you can. I am sure one of the big Miforshim have asked and answered 
this question. I am just a bad researcher.

Thank you for all of your help. By the way, I love this website and I truly 
love the dedicated Rabbis who do all the cool gemara insights and explanations. 
I sometimes use your stuff when I am learning with my chavruta. Thank you so 
much. May Hashem always be with all of you and continue to shower his blessings 
to the Kollel. I wish I was as luck as you guys, but hey not all of us have the 
zechut. Keep up the holy endeavors because you are making Hashem very happy. 

Sincerely,
Mishael, Brooklyn, New York, USA
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The Kollel replies:

I'm not sure why you are so apologetic. Your (good) question was crystal clear 
before I had even finished reading it.

The first answer that springs to mind is that whereas Yishmael was spared 
because Hashem accepted his prayers, nobody was praying on behalf of the 
babies, so they had no merits with which to be saved.

Bear in mind that Moshe asked why the babies were being killed and even 
requested permission to save one of them (which was granted). Perhaps if he had 
prayed for them, Hashem would have answered his prayer favorably, and they 
would all have been saved.

Alternatively, it is possible that these babies were destined to die. What I 
mean is that some people had to die in any case to satisfy Par'oh's whim, so 
Hashem decreed that these babies should be the Kaparos, to spare 'better' 
Neshamos than them, and allow them to live.

In any event, Chazal have taught that sometimes small children die on account 
of the sins of their parents, even though they themselves are blameless.

Having said that, the best answer is undoubtedly that of the Agados Maharsha in 
Rosh Hashanah (16b), who poses the famous question from the Ben Sorer u'Moreh, 
who is judged according to his end (even though he is not yet deserving of the 
death-sentence). After referring to the answer of the Ra'am, he writes that 
unlike Yishmael, who was being taken to task on *the sins of his descendents*, 
the Ben Sorer u'Moreh is being judged on *his own future sins*.

The Maharsha's explanation will answer your Kashya too, since, like the Ben 
Sorer u'Moreh, it was the babies themselves, not their descendents, who were 
destined to sin when they grew up.

Be'Virchas Kol Tuv,
Eliezer Chrysler

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