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What was Hagar's legal status when given to Avrohom — shifcha, wife, or something in between? The pesukim seem contradictory, describing her as both a shifcha and suggesting marriage. The analysis reveals that ownership dynamics determine both Hagar's status and Yishmael's ultimate belonging to Sarah.
This shiur examines the complex legal and personal relationships in the Hagar narrative from Parshas Lech Lecha, focusing on the apparent contradictions in the pesukim regarding her status. The discussion begins with analyzing Sarah's transformation from being an 'akara' (barren) to being capable of childbirth, suggesting this change occurred upon entering Eretz Yisrael as part of the divine promise to Avrohom. The central challenge lies in reconciling the conflicting descriptions of Hagar's status. Pasuk gimmel states that Sarah gave Hagar "lo l'isha" (to him as a wife), yet subsequent pesukim consistently refer to her as a "shifcha" (maidservant). The Torah (תורה) describes Sarah giving her shifcha to Avrohom, Hagar losing respect for her "gevirtah" (mistress), and later Avrohom telling Sarah "hinei shifchati b'yadech" (behold, your shifcha is in your hand).
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Parshas Lech Lecha
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