Abraham Visits Ishmael and Tests Two Wives at the Tent

"And Abraham rose early... and took bread... and sent her away" (Genesis 21:14): with a writ of divorce. And he took the veil and tied it about her waist, to make known that she was a maidservant. Moreover, he wished to see his son Ishmael, and to know the road by which they would go. Ishmael was seventeen years old when he left his father's house, and through the merit of Abraham our father the water did not run out from the skin. But when they reached the edge of the wilderness, Hagar began to stray after the idolatry of her father's house, and at once the water ran out, and Ishmael's soul fainted with thirst. He went and cast himself under the desert thornbushes to sleep, and he said: O God of my father Abraham, there are issues of death before You; take my soul that I not die of thirst. And his prayer was granted, as it says, "For God has heard the voice of the lad" (Genesis 21:17). And there was opened for him the well that was created at twilight. They went and drank and filled the skin, and from there they set out and went through the whole wilderness until they reached the wilderness of Paran, where they found springs of water and settled. Ishmael sent and took a wife from the daughters of Moab, and her name was Asiyah. After three years Abraham went to see Ishmael, having sworn to Sarah that he would not dismount from the camel in the place where Ishmael dwelt. He arrived there at midday and found Ishmael's wife. He said to her: Where is Ishmael? She said: He and his mother have gone to bring fruit and dates from the wilderness. He said to her: Give me a little bread and a little water, for my soul is faint from the journey of the wilderness. She said: I have neither bread nor water. He said to her: When Ishmael comes, tell him these words, and say to him: Change the threshold of your house, for it is not good for you and not fitting for you. When Ishmael came, she told him the words. A wise son is like half a sage: Ishmael understood and sent her away. His mother sent and took for him a wife from her father's house, and her name was Fatimah. After another three years Abraham went again to see Ishmael, having sworn to Sarah that he would not dismount from the camel in the place where Ishmael dwelt. He arrived there at midday and found Ishmael's wife (and so forth, until) at once she brought out food and gave it to him. Abraham stood and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, for his son, and Ishmael's house was filled with all good things, with wealth and blessings. When Ishmael came, she told him of this, and Ishmael knew that even now his father's mercy was upon him, "as a father has mercy on his children" (Psalms 103:13). "Arise, lift up the lad" (Genesis 21:18): "And she went and filled the skin" (Genesis 21:19): this tells you she was deficient in faith.