בראשית, פרק כ״א, פסוק כ״א

Ishmael embarks on an independent path that will eventually lead him to become the founder of a great nation. His decision to settle in the Wilderness of Paran is far from a random choice; rather, it represents the realization of an earlier prophecy foretelling that he would live as a wild man. The untamed wilderness serves as his natural environment [רשב״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Upon reaching adulthood, his mother arranges a marriage for him with a woman from Egypt. Because Ishmael has been separated from his father's household, Hagar seeks a bride from her own lineage. This decision stems from the understanding that marrying within one's own extended family fosters deeper love between the couple and helps ensure upright children [רד״ק]. However, another tradition suggests that this Egyptian woman is actually Ishmael's second wife. Initially, he married a Moabite woman who lacked compassion and good character. After Abraham sent hints advising Ishmael to divorce her, Hagar took the initiative to find him a new wife who truly possessed the vital trait of mercy [חזקוני].

Given the vast distance between the Wilderness of Paran and Egypt, the specific emphasis on the bride's Egyptian origins raises a question [משכיל לדוד]. The primary approach among commentators is that this highlights a fundamental aspect of human nature: the tendency to return to one's roots. Hagar, who began her life as an Egyptian maidservant, naturally sought a bride from the place of her own upbringing. This concept is illustrated by a popular proverb: if you throw a stick into the air, it will inevitably fall back to its root. Everything is naturally drawn back to its foundation [רש״י, גור אריה].

This deep connection to Egypt naturally prompts wonder as to why Hagar and Ishmael did not simply return to live there themselves. Although Hagar experienced a period where she was drawn back toward the idolatrous culture of her youth, she ultimately held herself back. As a result, mother and son remained in the wilderness, choosing only to bring a wife from Egypt rather than relocating entirely [ברכת אשר על התורה].

Marrying an Egyptian woman certainly deepened Hagar's maternal influence over Ishmael, especially since he had been separated from Abraham's household by the age of seventeen. Yet, despite this separation and the strong Egyptian presence in his adult life, the nation that eventually emerged from him preserved clear traces of Abraham's character. This remarkable reality serves as a powerful testament to the deep, permanent impact of the foundational education Ishmael received from Abraham during his formative years [רש״ר הירש].