Vayeira 21:10 · EXTRA

Supplementary classical material; Torah Temimah lists no citation under this passuk.

The Complete Passuk

וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לְאַבְרָהָ֔ם גָּרֵ֛שׁ הָאָמָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את וְאֶת־בְּנָ֑הּ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִירַשׁ֙ בֶּן־הָאָמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את עִם־בְּנִ֖י עִם־יִצְחָֽק׃

She said to Avraham, “Drive out this maidservant and her son, for the son of this maidservant shall not inherit with my son, with Yitzchak.”

Source Citation

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

עִם בְּנִי עִם יִצְחָק. מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהוּא בְּנִי אֲפִלּוּ אִם אֵינוֹ הָגוּן כְּיִצְחָק, אוֹ הָגוּן כְּיִצְחָק אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ בְּנִי, אֵין זֶה כְּדַאי לִירַשׁ עִמּוֹ; קַל וָחֹמֶר עִם בְּנִי עִם יִצְחָק, שֶׁשְּׁתֵּיהֶן בּוֹ.

English: “With my son, with Yitzchak.” Since he is my son — even if he were not as worthy as Yitzchak — or if he were as worthy as Yitzchak even if he were not my son — he would not be fit to inherit with him; all the more so “with my son, with Yitzchak,” both qualities being present.

On the daf / in context: Sarah’s double phrase is read as a kal va-chomer: either filiation or worthiness alone would suffice to exclude a rival; both together make the exclusion absolute.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Rashi / Midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The doubled language is treated as intensifying exclusion by a fortiori reasoning.

What Is Learned

Inheritance of the covenant line is guarded by both natural filiation and moral fitness; Sarah’s insistence protects the unique status of Yitzchak.