Rashi on TanakhGenesis 16

An Egyptian handmaid. She was Pharaoh’s daughter. When he [Pharaoh] saw the miracles that were performed for Sarah, he said: “Better that my daughter be a servant-maid in this house rather than the mistress of another house.”

Perhaps I will be built-up through her. This teaches that a person with no children is not considered “built-up” but, rather, “demolished” [i.e., not established].

Built-up through her. Because of the merit of admitting my rival into my home.

To the voice of Sarai. [Meaning:] to the prophecy that was within her.

Sarai took. [Meaning:] she took her with [kind] words: “How fortunate you are that you are privileged to cleave to as holy a body as this.”

At the end of ten years. The time allotted to a woman for whom ten years have passed without having borne children to her husband. He is then obligated to marry another.

That Avram had lived, etc. This tells us that the years of residence outside of Eretz Yisrael do not count in this number, because he was not told: “And I shall make you into a great nation,” until he would come into Eretz Yisrael.

He came to Hagar and she conceived. From the first marital union.

Her mistress became slighted in her eyes. She [Hagar] thought: This [woman] Sarai is not the same in private as she is in public. She pretends to be a righteous woman, but, is not [really] righteous, because she was not privileged to conceive, all these years, whereas, I have become pregnant from the first marital union.

The insult against me is your fault. [Meaning:] for the wrong that had been done to me I call for you to be punished. [For] when you prayed to God: “What will You give me since I continue to be childless?” you prayed only for yourself. You should have prayed for us both and I would have been remembered along with you. Furthermore: “You have unrightfully withheld your words from me for you have heard my shame and remained silent.”

I gave my maid, etc., between me and you. Every בֵּינֶךָ that appears in Scripture is lacking [a second יו"ד (בֵּינֶיךָ)], but, here, it is “full” [with the יו"ד]. This is so that it be read וּבֵינֵיךְ, for she [Sarai] cast an evil eye upon Hagar’s pregnancy and [this time] she miscarried. It is this that the angel tells Hagar “Behold! you will conceive.” But, had she not already conceived? And yet he [the angel] announces to her that she will conceive? Therefore, this teaches that she miscarried the first pregnancy.

Sarai dealt harshly with her. She made her work hard.

From where have you come? [Meaning:] “From where have you come?” [Actually] he [the angel] knew. It was only to give her an opening— to enter into conversation with her. The expression אֵי מִזֶּה [means:] Where is the place about which you can say, “From this [place] I have come.”

The angel said to her, etc. For each statement [of these three verses] a different angel was sent to her. Therefore, “angel” is used for each and every statement.

Behold you will conceive. [Meaning: “When you return you will conceive,” as in: “Behold you will conceive,” referring to Monoach’s wife.

And give birth to a son. As if it were written וְיוֹלֶדֶת, This is similar to, “You who dwell in Levanon and are nestled in the cedars.”

And you shall name him. This is a command [to a female] just as one would say to a male [וְקָרָאתָ] “And you will name him Yitzchok.”

A wild, uncivilized man. One who loves the wilderness to hunt wild animals, as is written [concerning Yishmael]: “He settled in the wilderness of Paran [where] he became an expert archer.”

His hand [will be] against everyone. [Meaning:] a robber.

And everyone’s hand will be against him. [Meaning:] everyone will hate him and will attack him.

In the presence of all his brothers he will dwell. [Meaning:] his descendants will be many.

You are Almighty Who sees. [The word רֳאִי] is punctuated with a chataf kometz because it is a noun, [i.e.,] a God of seeing, because He sees the humiliation of the humiliated.

Have I also? It is an expression of wonder: “Would I ever have thought that even here in the wilderness I would see messengers of God after my having see them in the house of Avraham where it was usual for me to see angels? You may know that she was used to seeing them, for Monoach saw an angel [only] once and he said, “We shall certainly die!,” whereas this [woman] saw [angels] four times one after another, and did not become frightened.

Be’er Lachai Ro’i. As he [Onkelos] translates: “A well that a living angel appeared upon it.”

And Avram named, etc. Though Avram did not hear the words of the angel who said, “And call his name Yishmael,” yet, the spirit of prophecy rested upon him and he called him Yishmael.

Avram was eighty-six, etc. This is written in praise of Yishmael, to let us know that he was thirteen years old when he was circumcised and did not oppose it.