Kabbalah Library

198) “And Sarai was barren; she had no child.” Woe to that. Woe to that time when Hagar delivered Ishmael.

199) But Sarah gave birth after Ishmael was born, and she had a son from a holy seed. Hence, why is it said, “Woe”? Indeed, woe to that time for because Sarah was delayed, it is written, “And Sarai said to Abram, ‘the Lord has restrained me from bearing; please come in to my maid; perhaps I shall be built by her.’” This is why it was the right time for Hagar to inherit her mistress, Sarah, and Hagar had a son from Abraham.

200) And Abraham said, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You.” And even though the Creator was telling him about Isaac, Abraham clung to Ishmael until the Creator replied to him, “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you.” Afterwards he was circumcised and came into the holy covenant before Isaac came to the world.

201) For four hundred years the appointee of the sons of Ishmael stood and asked before the Creator. He told him, “Do those who were circumcised have a part in Your name?” The Creator told him, “Yes.” He told him, “But Ishmael was circumcised, why has he no share in you like Isaac?” He replied, “One was circumcised properly and with his corrections, and the other was not. Moreover, they adhere to Me properly for eight days, and the others are as far as several days away from Me.” The appointed minister told him, “And yet, since he was circumcised, will he not have a good reward for it?”

202) Woe to that time when Ishmael was born in the world and was circumcised. What did the Creator do with regards to the complaint of Ishmael’s minister? He removed the sons of Ishmael from adhesion with the upper one and gave them a part in the holy land below, because of the circumcision in them.

203) And the children of Ishmael are destined to rule over the holy land for a long time, when it is empty of everything, as their circumcision is empty without perfection. And they will detain the children of Israel from returning to their places until the merit of the sons of Ishmael is complemented.

204) And the children of Ishmael are destined to evoke great wars in the world. And the children of Edom will gather against them and will wage war on them—one at sea, one on land, and one near Jerusalem. And they will rule over each other but the holy land will not be given to the children of Edom.

205) At that time, a nation will awaken against evil Rome from the end of the world and will wage war against it for three months. Nations will gather there and will fall into their hands until all the children of Edom gather to it from all corners of the world. Then the Creator will awaken upon them, as it is written, “For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah.” And afterwards, it is written, “That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it,” and obliterate the children of Ishmael from the land and break all the forces above, and no force will remain above over the nations of the world, which is Israel, except the force of Israel, as it is written, “The Lord is your shade upon your right hand.”

206) Because the Holy Name is in the right, and the Torah is in the right, everything depends on the right, and we must raise the right above the left, as it is written, “At His right hand was a fiery law.” And in the future, it is written, “Save with Your right hand and answer me,” and it is written, “For then will I turn to the peoples a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve Him with one consent,” and it is written, “In that day shall the Lord be One, and His name one.”