No This Is Not Tobypalooza(Defending Uncle Ishmael)

Bereishit/Genesis 21:9 —

ותרא שרה את בן הגר המצרית
אשר ילדה לאברהם מצחק

Sara saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,
who she [=Hagar] had born to Avraham, playing.

Tosefta Sota pr.6:

Ribbí Shim‘on bar Yohhai taught:

Ribbí ‘Aqiva explained, 'playing' — 'playing' signifies nothing but idolatry, as it says, "and they got up to play". This teaches that Sara saw Yishma‘eil building a platform and hunting grasshoppers and sacrificing [them] to idolatry.

Ribbí El‘azar son of Ribbí Yosey Hagelili says, 'playing' signifies nothing but forbidden sexual relationships, as it says "the Hebrew slave came to me... to play with me". This teaches that Sara saw Yishma‘eil making conquests of the girls and abusing the women.

Ribbí Yishma‘eil says, 'playing' signifies nothing but murder, as it says, "...'Let the young men get up and play before us.' And then Yo’av said, 'let them get up!' And they got up and passed in numbers... and each grabbed the head of the other... and they fell together". This teaches that Sara saw Yishma‘eil taking arrows and throwing, and attempting to kill Yitzhhaq, as it says "as a madman who shoots firebrands, arrows and death".

But I say [says Ribbí Shim‘on bar Yohhai], the term 'playing' here signifies nothing but inheritance — when Yitzhhaq was born, [people] were saying, "a son has been born to Avraham who will take two portions [as firstborn inheritor]!" But Yishma‘eil would play/joke/mock, and say, "I am the firstborn, I will inherit two portions!" I learn this from the response, as it says, "[Sara] said to Avraham, 'kick out that servant and her son, for the servant's son will not inherit with my son, Yitzhhaq'."

I saw this midrash on Shabbos. I was blown away, and repeated it as a devar tora at lunch. Everyone likes quoting the beginning of it, about Uncle Yishma‘eil doing all these horrible transgressions. But no one ever quotes the end, where Ribbí Shim‘on bar Yohhai says straight out that all the other rabbis are wrong. Yishma‘eil wasn't a demonic figure. He was just unchosen.