(יח) וַיִּשְׁכְּנ֨וּ מֵֽחֲוִילָ֜ה עַד־שׁ֗וּר אֲשֶׁר֙ עַל־פְּנֵ֣י מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּאֲכָ֖ה אַשּׁ֑וּרָה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י כׇל־אֶחָ֖יו נָפָֽל׃ {פ}
(18) They dwelt from Havilah, by Shur, which is close to Egypt, all the way to Asshur; they camped alongside all their kinsmen.
(1) The camped alongside all their kinsmen - dwelt, as is written (Genesis 16:12) "He shall dwell alongside of all his kinsmen."
(יב) וְה֤וּא יִהְיֶה֙ פֶּ֣רֶא אָדָ֔ם יָד֣וֹ בַכֹּ֔ל וְיַ֥ד כֹּ֖ל בּ֑וֹ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כׇל־אֶחָ֖יו יִשְׁכֹּֽן׃
(12) He shall be a wild donkey of a man; His hand against everyone, And everyone’s hand against him; He shall dwell alongside of all his kinsmen.”
(1) נפל (literally, he fell) means ‘‘he dwelt”, as (Judges 7:12) “Now the Midianites and the Amalekites and all children of the East dwelt (נופלים) in the valley.”
Here it says “He fell” and there (16:12) it says “In the presence of all his brethren shall he dwell”. It may be explained thus: before Abraham died it could be said “He would dwell in security: after he died, “he fell” (Genesis Rabbah 62:5).
(בראשית כה, יז): וְאֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל, מָה רָאָה הַכָּתוּב לְיַחֵס שָׁנָיו שֶׁל רָשָׁע כָּאן, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁבָּא מִקָּדְקָדָהּ שֶׁל מִדְבָּר לִגְמֹל חֶסֶד לְאָבִיו.
(בראשית כה, יח): וַיִּשְׁכְּנוּ מֵחֲוִילָה וגו', הָכָא אַתְּ אָמַר נָפָל, וּלְהַלָּן אַתְּ אָמַר (בראשית טז, יב): יִשְׁכֹּן, אֶלָּא כָּל יָמִים שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם קַיָּם יִשְׁכֹּן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁמֵּת אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם נָפָל.
These were the years of Ishmael‘s life, Why did the scripture see fit to relate here the years of this wicked person [Ishmael]? Because he came from the highest point of the desert to bestow kindness upon his father.
They dwelt from Chavilah etc., Here it is stated that Ishmael dwelt [literally fell] over all his brothers; whereas earlier it is stated over all his brothers he will dwell using the verb you Yishkon. Rather the explanation for this is that as long as our forefather Abraham was alive Ishmael will dwell in peace and harmony but when Abraham died he fell.
(1) יצחק וישמעאל ISAAC AND ISHMAEL — From this we gather that Ishmael repented of his evil ways (cf. Bava Batra 16b) and yielded the precedence to Isaac. This is what is meant by the “good old age” mentioned in connection with Abraham (Genesis Rabbah 38:12).
(יב) וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח תֶּרַח הוֹלִיד אֶת אַבְרָם וגו' (בראשית יא, כז), אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא, כָּל מִי שֶׁנִּכְפַּל שְׁמוֹ יֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֲתִיבוּן לֵיהּ וְהָכְתִיב: אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת תֶּרַח תֶּרַח, יֵשׁ לוֹ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֶתְמְהָא, אָמַר לָהֶם אַף הִיא לָא תַּבְרָא, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא (בראשית טו, טו): וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם, בִּשְֹּׂרוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְאָבִיו חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, (בראשית טו, טו): תִּקָּבֵר בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה, בִּשְֹּׂרוֹ שֶׁיִּשְׁמָעֵאל עוֹשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה.
These are the chronicles of Terach; Terach begot Abram, Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said anyone who’s name is doubled in Scripture has a desirable portion in this world and in the world to come, they raise an objection regarding this scriptural rule: but it is written "these are the offspring of Terach; Terach begot Abram" Does Terach possibly have a portion in this world and in the world to come?! He said to them that verse is also not a refutation of my assertion as indeed Terach had a portion in the world to come, for Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana God said to Abraham, "As for you: you shall come to your ancestors in peace." (15:15) With these words he informed Abraham the good tidings that his father Terach has a portion in the world to come. God continued, "You shall be buried in a good old age." (ibid.) With these words he informed Abraham the good tidings that Ishmael would repent before Abraham’s death.
Dovid - Maybe he was bad, and then he became good before Avraham died, and then became bad again afterward.
מפני מה לא מנו את אמון מפני כבודו של יאשיהו מנשה נמי לא נמני מפני כבודו של חזקיהו ברא מזכי אבא אבא לא מזכי ברא דכתיב (דברים לב, לט) ואין מידי מציל אין אברהם מציל את ישמעאל אין יצחק מציל את עשו השתא דאתית להכי אחז נמי לא אימני משום כבודו של חזקיהו
For what reason did the tanna’im not enumerate the wicked Amon among the kings with no share in the World-to-Come? He is not enumerated due to the honor of Josiah, his righteous son. Let us also not enumerate Manasseh due to the honor of Hezekiah, his righteous father. The son confers merit upon the father, as it is to the father’s credit that he raised a righteous son; but the father does not confer merit upon the son, as it is written: “None delivers from My hand” (Deuteronomy 32:39). Abraham does not deliver his son Ishmael from the judgment of Heaven; Isaac does not deliver his son Esau from judgment. The Gemara comments: Now that you have arrived at this understanding, Ahaz too was not enumerated in the mishna due to the honor of his son Hezekiah.
דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁלֹּא מָרַד עֵשָׂו בְּיָמָיו דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁעָשָׂה יִשְׁמָעֵאל תְּשׁוּבָה בְּיָמָיו
Alternatively, what is the blessing of bakkol? That Esau did not rebel in Abraham’s lifetime, that is to say, as long as Abraham lived Esau did not sin. Alternatively, the blessing of bakkol is that Ishmael repented in Abraham’s lifetime.
וְשֶׁעָשָׂה יִשְׁמָעֵאל תְּשׁוּבָה בְּיָמָיו מְנָלַן כִּי הָא דְּרָבִינָא וְרַב חָמָא בַּר בּוּזִי הֲווֹ יָתְבִי קַמֵּיהּ דְּרָבָא וְקָא מְנַמְנֵם רָבָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבִינָא לְרַב חָמָא בַּר בּוּזִי וַדַּאי דְּאָמְרִיתוּ כׇּל מִיתָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ גְּוִיעָה זוֹ הִיא מִיתָתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִין וְהָא דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲנַן גְּוִיעָה וַאֲסִיפָה קָאָמְרִינַן וְהָא יִשְׁמָעֵאל דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ גְּוִיעָה וַאֲסִיפָה
And from where do we derive that Ishmael repented in Abraham’s lifetime? From the incident involving Ravina and Rav Ḥama bar Buzi, who were sitting before Rava, and Rava was dozing while they were talking. Ravina said to Rav Ḥama bar Buzi: Is it true that you say that any death with regard to which the word gevia, expire, is mentioned is the death of the righteous? Rav Ḥama bar Buzi said to him: Yes. For example: “And Isaac expired [vayyigva], and died” (Genesis 35:29). Ravina objected: But with regard to the generation of the flood it states: “And all flesh expired [vayyigva]” (Genesis 7:21), and there they died for their wickedness. Rav Ḥama bar Buzi said to him: We say this only when both gevia and asifa, gathering, are used; when these two terms are mentioned together they indicate the death of a righteous person. Ravina asked: But isn’t there Ishmael, about whom gevia and asifa are written, as it is stated: “And these are the years of the life of Yishmael…and he expired and died [vayyigva vayyamot]; and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 25:17)?
וְהָא יִשְׁמָעֵאל דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ גְּוִיעָה וַאֲסִיפָה אַדְּהָכִי אִיתְּעַר בְּהוּ רָבָא אֲמַר לְהוּ דַּרְדְּקֵי הָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן יִשְׁמָעֵאל עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בְּחַיֵּי אָבִיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל בָּנָיו וְדִילְמָא דֶּרֶךְ חׇכְמָתָן קָא חָשֵׁיב לְהוּ אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אוֹתוֹ עֵשָׂו וְיַעֲקֹב בָּנָיו מַאי טַעְמָא לָא חָשֵׁיב לְהוּ דֶּרֶךְ חׇכְמָתָן אֶלָּא מִדְּאַקְדְּמֵיהּ אַדְבּוֹרֵי אַדְבְּרֵיהּ וּמִדְּאַדְבְּרֵיהּ שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ תְּשׁוּבָה עֲבַד בְּיָמָיו
Meanwhile Rava, who had heard the discussion in his dozed state, fully awoke and said to them: Children [dardekei], this is what Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Ishmael repented in the lifetime of his father, as it is stated: “And Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him” (Genesis 25:9). The fact that Ishmael allowed Isaac to precede him demonstrates that he had repented and accepted his authority. The Gemara asks: But perhaps the verse listed them in the order of their wisdom; that is to say, perhaps in fact Ishmael preceded Isaac but the Torah did not list them in that order. The Gemara answers: But if that is so, consider that the verse states: “And Esau and Jacob, his sons, buried him” (Genesis 35:29). What is the reason that the verse there did not list them in the order of their wisdom? Rather, since Ishmael allowed Isaac to precede him, it is clear that he made Isaac his leader, and since he made him his leader, learn from it that he repented in Abraham’s lifetime.
What is the meaning of: But the name of the wicked shall rot? How does a name rot? Rabbi Elazar said: It means that decay will spread on their names, meaning that we do not call others by their names, and the name will sink into oblivion.
It Happened with Doeg etc. According to the opinion (Sanhedrin 104a) that Abraham did not save Ishmael and [furthermore] Ishmael did not repent, how could they use this name for the righteous? [The answer is] that Ishmael was the name that G-d called him and so the name was accepted.
(1) They camped alongside all of their kinsmen. And earlier it said Yishkon (16:12) Rashi explains: before Abraham died it could be said “He would dwell in security: after Abraham died, “he fell”. (a) And if we accept that Ishmael repented after the death of Abraham, for we only find him repenting in the instance when he had Yitzchak go before him, and this would imply the opposite; during the life of Abraham he would fall not in his death for he repented after that so why would he fall? (b) And if we look further you will see that every falling implies the past and dwelling implies the future, therefore the interpretation of falling is the past before he repented, and dwelling is future saying that he will dwell after he repents. (c) It is [also] possible to interpret falling as subjugation, for one who is subjugated falls before another, just as [Ishmael] falls before Yitzchak even though he is smaller than him, nevertheless he went before him and allowed himself to be subjugated, so too before all his kinsmen which is what falling means. With this we can also answer Rashi's question; before he repented he dwelled because he did not subjugate himself, and after he repented he fell, meaning he subjugated himself - this falling was his restitution.
(י) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר שׁ֣וֹב אָשׁ֤וּב אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ כָּעֵ֣ת חַיָּ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־בֵ֖ן לְשָׂרָ֣ה אִשְׁתֶּ֑ךָ וְשָׂרָ֥ה שֹׁמַ֛עַת פֶּ֥תַח הָאֹ֖הֶל וְה֥וּא אַחֲרָֽיו׃
(10) Then one said, “I will return to you next year, and your wife Sarah shall have a son!” Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind him.
(טז) וַיֹּאמֶר שׁוֹב אָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ כָּעֵת חַיָּה וגו' וְהוּא אַחֲרָיו (בראשית יח, י), זֶה יִשְׁמָעֵאל...
And he said, 'I will surely return to you at this time next year'... and he was behind him. This refers to Ishmael...
Yishmael heard the news of Yitzchak's birth and his legacy at the beginning. Even so, he refused to accept Yitzchak's greatness. He resolved his error when he gave honor to Yitzchak [during the burial of Abraham] and proved through his actions that he accepted his position as well as Yitzchak's. In his denial of the words of the Angel he erred and in his belief he fixed it - this was his repentance.
(א) מצחק. לְשׁוֹן עֲ"זָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיָּקֻמוּ לְצַחֵק (שמות ל"ב), דָּ"אַ לְשׁוֹן גִּלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, כְּמָה דְּתֵימָא לְצַחֶק בִּי (בראשית ל"ט), דָּ"אַ לְשׁוֹן רְצִיחָה, כְּמוֹ יָקוּמוּ נָא הַנְּעָרִים וִישַׂחֲקוּ לְפָנֵינוּ וְגוֹ' (שמואל ב ב'),
שֶׁהָיָה מֵרִיב עִם יִצְחָק עַל הַיְרֻשָּׁה וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי בְּכוֹר וְנוֹטֵל פִּי שְׁנַיִם, וְיוֹצְאִים בַּשָּׂדֶה וְנוֹטֵל קַשְׁתּוֹ וְיוֹרֶה בוֹ חִצִּים, כְּמָה דְּתֵימָא כְּמִתְלַהְלֵהַּ הַיֹּרֶה זִקִּים וְגוֹ' וְאָמַר הֲלֹא מְשַׂחֵק אָנִי (משלי כ"ו):
(1) מצחק MAKING SPORT — This means worshipping idols, as it is said in reference of the Golden Calf, (Exodus 32:6) “And they rose up to make merry (לצחק).” Another explanation is that it refers to immoral conduct, just as you say in reference to Potiphar’s wife, (Genesis 39:17) “To mock (לצחק) at me.” Another explanation is that it refers to murder, as (2 Samuel 2:14) “Let the young men, I pray thee, arise and make sport (וישחקו) before us” (where they fought with and killed one another)
From Sarah’s reply — “for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son״ — you may infer that he (Ishmael) was quarrelling with Isaac about the inheritance, saying, “I am the first-born and will, therefore, take a double portion”. They went into the field and he (Ishmael) took his bow and shot arrows at him (Isaac), just as you say (Proverbs 26:18-19) “As a madman who casteth firebrands, [arrows and death] and says: I am only מצחק mocking” (Genesis Rabbah 53:11).
Based on Likutei Sichos vol. 15 pg. 147
Perhaps it could be argued that Ishmael‘s primary sin was his claim to the inheritance, i.e. his failure to recognize his proper place as the mere “son of this handmaid.“ After harboring this resentment for a period of time, it gave rise to the rebellious behavior of murder etc.
In other words, even though Ishmael’s depraved behavior seems, at first glance, much more serious than his claim to inheritance, the former is in fact the result of the latter. Ishmael‘s identity crisis actually caused him to degenerate into evil ways. [...]
Based on the above, we can resolve a problem relating to Ishmael‘s repentance: When Avraham passed away, the Torah relates, "Yitzchak and Ishmael buried him." Rashi notes that Yitzchak‘s name precedes that of Ishmael, and comments, 'from here we learn that Ishmael did Teshuvah and allowed Yitzchok to go before him.' The Talmud and Midrash however both state explicitly that Ishmael did Teshuvah during Avraham‘s lifetime. This begs the question: why does the Torah inform us of Ishmael‘s Teshuvah only after Avraham already passed away?
Based on our earlier explanation, the answer to this question becomes clear. Since Ishmael‘s primary sin (which caused all of his later wicked behavior) was the failure to recognize that he was not Avraham‘s true heir, it follows that his Teshuvah only became apparent when the prospect of inheritance became a reality, after Avraham passed away.
When Ishmael allowed Yitzchak to go before him, he indicated his concession to the fact that it was Yitzchak who is the true heir, obligated in the burial of his father, and that he, Ishmael, was a mere handmaid‘s son.