I
never thought I would see him again.
It
had been such a long time since we were together.
And
that last time was not easy.
He
seemed to enjoy picking on me – is that what all older brothers do?
He
is my half-brother, but we were in the same household – all of us - Ishmael,
his mother Hagar, my father Abraham’s female servant, my father Abraham
and
my mother Sarah.
I
vaguely remember that one last time when he bothered me, even bullied me, and it
was too much for my mother. I didn’t
really understand what he had done wrong, but my mother said, “Isaac, he was
trying to say that he will always be more important than you. I knew that he wouldn’t ever stop, especially
after how his mother treated me after Ishmael was born and I had no child.”
I still didn’t understand – for all the
complexities, we were still family.
But that day, my mother had had enough. She told my father that Hagar and Ishmael had
to go.
And that was just before my father and I had
to go on our own journey, one that I would rather forget, but one that has left
a lasting mark on me.
It’s funny that my half-brother’s name is
Yishma-eil – God will hear. My name is
YITZCHAK – he will laugh. I heard all
about how my mother laughed when she heard that, after years of not having a
child, that I would be born. She later said
that I brought her laughter. That is
probably why she threw out Hagar and Ishmael – they only reminded her of how
she was treated for not having had a child – that is, until I was born. I can only imagine how their presence
continued to cause her pain. For me, my
name means that I will laugh even when I might want to cry or feel
despair. It was the perfect reminder for
me to keep a positive attitude. And now
that Rebekah is here as my wife, she has
brought warmth and laughter to our family once again.
Still, our family was split – until
today. My father Abraham died after a
long, long, life. Even with that
difficult trip up the mountain so long ago, I owe him my life, and my wife,
since it was he who sent his servant Eliezer to find her for me. She is a lot like my mother, only different
and special – and she has already been a perfect spouse.
Back to my father. He had told me that he had one wish – that
Ishmael and I reunite to bury him at the family plot in the Cave of the
Machpelah.
My father had secretly told me a story
about Ishmael. He never did get to see
him again. But he did tell me that he
had visited Ishmael’s tent and met his wife, who treated him with generous
hospitality.
So he
said, “Isaac, when I die, leave the past behind. Respect your brother, and bury me with
respect as well.”
My father would be proud – we had a
good-enough reunion that I would never have expected as we laid Abraham to
rest. We didn’t talk a lot, but we did
recognize how connected we are, and that we live, really, not too far away from
each other.
So Ishmael went back to his home when we
were done. And I returned to mine.
And now I wonder – what will the future be
like for our families? For our children
and their children? What will they know
of us and our stories? Will having
Abraham as a shared ancestor bring them together? Or will the jealousy that once drove apart
our mothers, Sarah and Hagar, persist from one generation to the next?
Only time will tell. It seems to me that, at any time, we have
the possibility of taking a step back from conflict so we can change our
attitudes towards each other – just like I did today.
I didn’t know what to expect – but it was
good to see him again – Ishmael, the man that God will hear. And I, the one who will laugh, will continue
to muster a smile that, I can only, pray will reverberate throughout the
generations and maybe, one day, bring peace between our descendants when they
really need it.
So may it be.
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