Galut Yishmael

The following was written in Hebrew by Rav Yoel Schwartz in his book דבר בעתו. I'll do my best to translate it.

"There is nothing as harsh to Israel as the Exile of Yishmael" (Zohar Shemot 288)

"Why is his name called Yishmael? Because in the future, HKB"H will hear the sound of the cries of the people from what the children of Yishmael will do in the future - therefore, his name is called Yishmael" (Pirkei deRibbi Eliezer Ch. 33)

The Exile of Yishmael, according to Rabbeinu Sa'adia Gaon (on Daniel 2:41), is a portion of the Exile of Edom. And this is what Nevuchadnetzar saw in his dream, that the idol had feet - some made of iron and some made of earthenware. The iron represents the Kingdom of Edom, while the earthenware represents the Kingdom of Yishmael. On the other hand, the Mahara"l's opinion in the book Netzah Yisrael (Ch. 21) and in his work Ner Mitzvah is: "...It appears that we can say that Yishmael is included in the Kingdom of Paras (Persia), and it's included in a second kingdom, as their conduct and deeds are similar. And it's a known fact that the Kingdom of Paras and the Kingdom of Yishmael are alike and similar in their matters and their conduct."

The Kingdom of Paras-Yishmael will last until the Days of Mashiah, just like Edom (Avoda Zara 2b). Indeed, the Kingdom of Yishmael in our days is still powerful, and is not like Christianity, which is in a clear decline. However, also Islam - its expansion is mainly among the fundamentalists - and not among the moderates. In our days, the Arabs attack not just the existance of Zionism in the land, but also the Jews - just like the Syrian President - Bashar Assad and others - they attack Judaism on their Internet sites with words of heresy, Rahmana Litzlan.

The war in our days with the Palestinians - awakens all the Arabs in the world against the Jews. And perhaps, it's more proper to say that the Palestinians are the agents of all the Arabs in the world against the Nation of Israel.

In the Zohar (Parshat Balak, p. 198) it's explained that the verses (Tehillim 60:10) "עָלַי, פְּלֶשֶׁת הִתְרוֹעָעִי - Philistia, cry aloud because of me!" and (Tehillim 108:10)עֲלֵי-פְלֶשֶׁת, אֶתְרוֹעָע - over Philistia do I cry aloud" are just like the phrase that precedes them in the verse "עַל-אֱדוֹם, אַשְׁלִיךְ נַעֲלִי - upon Edom do I cast my shoe". The Zohar explains that this is said for a faraway time, which implies the End of Days. And similarly, the verse regarding the Philistines is said for a faraway time. And we see an amazing thing - the Arabs who constantly opposed being called "Palestinians" - the same as Philistines - today call themselves "Philistines". The Zohar adds and says, "And what is required for this? A Teruah, as it says (BaMidbar 10:9) וְכִי-תָבֹאוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּאַרְצְכֶם, עַל-הַצַּר הַצֹּרֵר אֶתְכֶם--וַהֲרֵעֹתֶם, בַּחֲצֹצְרֹת; וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּם, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּם, מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶם - And when ye go to war in your land against the adversary that oppresseth you, then ye shall sound an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies." And behold, the Intifada took place inside the land, and the enemy is found among us - something that didn't exist at any time until the Intifada.

[Author's footnote: The Gematrias of the verses are interesting. The word אֶתְרוֹעָע from Chapter 108 equals [5]747, or תשמ"ז and the word הִתְרוֹעָעִי from Chapter 60 equals [5]761, or תשס"א. They were both Shemitta years. One was the eve of the first Intifada, which broke out on the 40th anniversary of the declaration of the State of Israel in the United Nations., as it says in Tehillim 95" אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, אָקוּט בְּדוֹר-- וָאֹמַר, עַם תֹּעֵי לֵבָב הֵם; וְהֵם, לֹא-יָדְעוּ דְרָכָי. אֲשֶׁר-נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי בְאַפִּי; אִם-יְבֹאוּן, אֶל-מְנוּחָתִי - For forty years was I wearied with that generation, and said: It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways; Wherefore I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest." 5761 was the year of the second Intifada, which broke out in the final hours of the year 5760, the afternoon of Erev Rosh Hashana, 5761.]

And the Ba'al HaTurim wrote (at the end of Parshat Hayyei Sarah) on the verse: "על פני כל אחיו נפל - over against all his brethren he did settle (or fall)", and next to that verse is "וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק, בֶּן-אַבְרָהָם - And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son". When Yishmael will fall in the End of Days, then the son of David, represented by Yitzhak, will sprout.