Yishmael’s Teshuva

The Yalkut Shimoni tells an amazing story concerning Avraham Avinu and Yishmael. The Yalkut tells us that Avraham kept up a relationship with his older son, even when he was sent away at age seventeen. Avraham traveled to where Yishmael was living on two occasions. The first time, he was told by Yishmael’s wife that her husband wasn’t home. Avraham tested her by asking for bread and water. She refused. He told her by way of a hint to give a message to her husband. The hint was that Yishmael should get rid of this mean wife. Three years later, Avraham again came to visit. Again, Yishmael wasn’t home. This time, his new wife, Fatima, did offer bread and water. Avraham told her to tell her husband that an old man came to visit and blessed him with abundance. When Yishmael was indeed blessed, he did Teshuva. This whole Midrash was meant to explain how it was possible that Yishmael escorted Avraham and Yitzchak, to the Akeida. Very interesting.