Commento su Genesi 16:4

ויבא אל הגר ותהר AND HE CAME UNTO HAGAR AND SHE CONCEIVED from the first union (Genesis Rabbah 45:4).

ויבא ... ותקל גבירתה, she thought that now that it was clear that Avram's seed would be from her she would become the top ranking wife of Avram. As a result, she refused to carry out instructions given to her by Sarai.

From the first marital union. You might ask: How does Rashi know this? The answer is: Because it is written, “He came to Hagar and she conceived,” rather than simply, “He came to her and she conceived.” It says “Hagar” to indicate that she was still being called Hagar when she conceived. That is, she conceived from the very first union. But other women do not so conceive [from he first union], and Hagar’s conception from the first union was a miracle. This is preferable to Re’m’s explanation that she [previously had] taken action and deflowered herself [thus allowing her to conceive].

וַתֵקַל, sehr wahrscheinlich Kal von קלה, wovon der Hiphil, מַקְלֶה, geringschätzen, der Kal somit: Werth verlieren bedeutet.

ותקל גברתה בעיניה HER MISTRESS WAS SLIGHTED IN HER EYES — She said, “As regards this woman Sarai, her conduct in private can certainly not be like that in public: she pretends to be a righteous woman, but she cannot really be righteous since all these years she has not been privileged to have children, whilst I have had that blessing from the first union” (Genesis Rabbah 45:4).

I have become pregnant from the first union. You might ask: How does Rashi know that Sarai became slighted in her eyes because she conceived from the first union? Perhaps the very fact that she conceived was the reason! The answer is: Then it should say, “She conceived and her mistress became slighted in her eyes,” [without the intervening phrase, “When she realized she was pregnant”]. A further answer: If it was just because she conceived, Sarai would not be slighted in her eyes, as perhaps Sarai never became pregnant simply because she was barren. But if Hagar conceived [miraculously] from the first union, the verse is understandable. She reasoned: “Sarah surely is not righteous. For if she was, why did her merit not help [to bring a miracle]? If I conceived from the first union, unlike any other woman [and Sarah did not], it is clear that she has no merit.” (Maharshal)