[Intro — male narrator, spoken warmly, guitar alone underneath] רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה — sit down. On the day the whole world is judged, we read about one boy, in one place, on one day. [Chorus — male choir, sung, warm and full] בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם — right where he is. Hashem heard the voice of the boy right where he is, right now, today, בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם. [Spoken Word 1 — warm storyteller over soft guitar] The chapter opens on a promise being kept. הַשֵּׁם פָּקַד אֶת־שָׂרָה כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמָר — Hashem remembered Sarah exactly as He had said, and He did for Sarah exactly as He had spoken. וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד שָׂרָה לְאַבְרָהָם בֵּן לִזְקֻנָיו — Sarah conceived and bore Avraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time He had spoken. Avraham called him יִצְחָק — Yitzchak. [Spoken Word 2 — steady, a little quicker, bass enters] וְאַבְרָהָם בֶּן־מְאַת שָׁנָה — Avraham was one hundred years old. And Sarah said: צְחֹק עָשָׂה לִי אֱלֹקִים — Hashem has made laughter for me, כָּל־הַשֹּׁמֵעַ יִצְחַק־לִי — everyone who hears will laugh with me. מִי מִלֵּל לְאַבְרָהָם — who would have said to Avraham that Sarah would nurse children? The boy grew, and was weaned, וַיַּעַשׂ אַבְרָהָם מִשְׁתֶּה גָדוֹל — and Avraham made a great feast on the day Yitzchak was weaned. [Chorus — male choir, sung, warm and full] בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם — right where he is. Hashem heard the voice of the boy right where he is, right now, today, בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם. [Spoken Word 3 — quieter, almost tender, drums brushed in] Then it turns hard, and the Torah does not look away. Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian מְצַחֵק — mocking. And she said, גָּרֵשׁ הָאָמָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת־בְּנָהּ — send this slave-woman away, and her son, for he will not inherit with my son, with Yitzchak. It was very wrong in Avraham's eyes, because of his son. But Hashem told him: כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ — everything Sarah tells you, listen to her voice, כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע — because through Yitzchak your children will be called. And the other boy, He promised, would also become a nation. וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר — Avraham rose early in the morning. Bread, and a skin of water, on Hagar's shoulder, with the boy. And she went, וַתֵּתַע בְּמִדְבַּר בְּאֵר שָׁבַע — and lost her way in the desert of Be'er Sheva. וַיִּכְלוּ הַמַּיִם מִן־הַחֵמֶת — the water in the skin ran out. She put the boy under one of the bushes. She sat a bowshot away and said, אַל־אֶרְאֶה בְּמוֹת הַיָּלֶד — let me not see the child die. וַתִּשָּׂא אֶת־קֹלָהּ וַתֵּבְךְּ — and she lifted her voice, and wept. וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹקִים אֶת־קוֹל הַנַּעַר — and Hashem heard the voice of the boy. Not hers, Rashi says. His. Because the prayer of the sick person himself is stronger than anyone praying for him. An angel called from heaven: מַה־לָּךְ הָגָר אַל־תִּירְאִי — what is it, Hagar? Do not be afraid. Hashem has heard the voice of the boy, בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם — where he is. And Rashi tells what happened in heaven. The angels argued against him: one day his children will let Your children die of thirst, and You will give him a well? And Hashem asked: what is he right now? Righteous, they said. Then I judge him by right now. Where he is. That is the whole day in three words. [Chorus — male choir, sung, warm and full] בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם — right where he is. Hashem heard the voice of the boy right where he is, right now, today, בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם. [Spoken Word 4 — opening up, fuller, hopeful] קוּמִי שְׂאִי אֶת־הַנַּעַר — get up, lift up the boy, hold your hand strong on him, כִּי־לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשִׂימֶנּוּ — for I will make him a great nation. וַיִּפְקַח אֱלֹקִים אֶת־עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּרֶא בְּאֵר מָיִם — and Hashem opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She filled the skin and gave the boy to drink. וַיְהִי אֱלֹקִים אֶת־הַנַּעַר וַיִּגְדָּל — and Hashem was with the boy, and he grew, and lived in the wilderness, an archer, and his mother took him a wife from Egypt. [Spoken Word 5 — plain, unhurried, winding down] And the maftir is this day: וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ — the first day of the seventh month, מִקְרָא־קֹדֶשׁ — a holy day, יוֹם תְּרוּעָה יִהְיֶה לָכֶם — a day of sounding the ram's horn for you. [Outro — male choir, sung, softer each time, fading] בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא־שָׁם — right where he is. right where he is.
