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Why does the Targum reverse the plain meaning of "yado bakol v'yad kol bo"? Rashi (רש"י) reads it as aggression, but Targum says Ishmael needs everyone and everyone needs him. The shiur resolves this through a fundamental principle: when you possess something others cannot survive without, they actually have a hold on YOU—not the reverse. The application: every talent is a Divine gift that creates obligations, not entitlements.
The shiur analyzes the prophecy concerning Yishmael (Bereishis 16:12): "yado bakol v'yad kol bo" — his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand will be against him. Rashi (רש"י) interprets this as aggression on both sides: Yishmael will be a thief reaching out to grab, and everyone will respond in kind. The plain reading of "yad" as grasping supports this interpretation, as in the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s formulation "pashut yadav b'gezel." The Targum, however, offers a completely different reading: "yado bakol" means Yishmael needs everyone (sorech l'kol), and "yad kol bo" means everyone needs him. This appears to contradict the natural flow of the language. If someone has what others need, that person should have a hold on them, not the reverse. The practical example given is oil: the Arabs control oil reserves, which the world needs desperately. Logically, "yado bakol" should mean they have what we need (giving them power), and "yad kol bo" should mean we have what they need (giving us power). But the Targum reverses this.
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Bereishis 16:12
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How could Avrohom keep the entire Torah before it was given, including rabbinical laws? The key insight is that mitzvos represent eternal spiritual realities, not just historical commemorations, so Avrohom could access these truths through his genuine search. His entire 172-year journey—even his early idolatry—retroactively became service of God once he reached ultimate truth.
