[Avodah] yishmael v. the mitzri???

[Daniel Israel]

> RHB:
> in this week's parsha, Rashi tells us that Hashem judged Yishmael as he
> was (then), not looking into his future or the future of his descendants.
> 
> However we know that by the episode of Moshe we do know that Moshe
> looked forward to see if the Mitzri would have any worthy descendants,
> (he saw none, and then killed the Mitzri)......
> Why the difference between the two cases??
> 
> RSZ:
> It's obvious.  The mitzri then was not innocent, he was guilty!
> 
> RHB:
> your answer doesn't address the question of looking forward (vs. the
> yishmael case). if the mitzri was guilty, then just plain kill him
> (assuming he was worthy of death), and not look forward....

Looks to me like an issue of din vs. rachamim.  Strict din would judge 
just the case in front of you.  In the case of Yishmael, this yielded a 
good verdict, so there was no need to appeal to rachamim.  In the case 
of the mitzri, the case at hand made him liable for death, so it was 
appropriate to appeal to rachamim to try to find a chaf zechus; none 
being found, he was killed.

(Yes, I am aware I am glossing over the fact that one judgment was frm 
HaShem and the other by a a person.)

-- 
Daniel M. Israel
dmi1 at cornell.edu