Are we in Gog and Magog war?

Are we in Gog and Magog war?

The fall of Yishmael - then will sprout the son of David

From: Shney Luchot HaBrit -- the Sh'lah, as translated, condensed, and annotated by Eliyahu Munk.

(Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (1565-1630), known as the 'Sh'lah' - an acronym of the title, was born in Prague. A scholar of outstanding reputation, he served as chief Rabbi of Cracow, and more famously, of Frankfort (1610-1620). After his first wife passed away, he remarried and moved to Israel in 1621, where he became the first Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Jerusalem. He later moved to Tiberias, where he is buried, near the tomb of the Rambam.)

I have explained the deeper meaning of brit milah [circumcision] elsewhere at length. However, we cannot simply pass by this opportunity to comment on such an important commandment and some of the secrets contained in that mitzvah. This is especially so in view of the Torah relating the fulfillment of this commandment to Israel's possessing the Holy Land, seeing that G-d said to Abraham: 'I shall give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you sojourn, the whole of the land of Canaan as an everlasting possession; I shall be their G-d' (Genesis 17,8).

Our sages comment that G-d told Abraham: 'If your offspring will observe the commandment of circumcision they will enter the Holy Land; if not, they will not enter.' (compare Rashi on Joshua 5, 4). We observe that the land of Israel is closely tied up with the rite of circumcision, the relevant verse in Scriptures (Deut. 32,9) being 'For the Lord's portion is His people, Jacob His own allotment' (the 'allotment' being the land of Israel).

G-d chose us from all the other seventy nations to be our G-d, and chose us to be His people. He gave the other seventy nations their respective languages and countries, all under the supervision of seventy representatives at the Celestial Court. Our tongue, however, is a holy tongue. To us He gave the Holy Land, a land that is supervised by G-d directly and not through one of His agents. This land is situated 'opposite' its counterpart in the Heavenly Spheres. We cannot lay a claim to this land except through removal of the foreskin."

And Abraham was 99 years old when he circumcised the flesh of his own foreskin. And Ishmael his son was 13 years old whenthe flesh of his foreskin was circumcised.

Genesis 17:24-25

According to Jewish tradition, in return for Ishmael's undergoing circumcision at the age of 13, his descendants could hold dominion over the Holy Land upon which time the ownership of the land will return to the descendants of Jacob.

The Zohar (written about 1,800 years ago by Rabbi Shimon the son of Yohai), Va'eirah:

And in the future, the Children of Ishmael are to rule in the Holy Land for a long time, when it is completely empty... and they will delay the Children of Israel from returning to their place, until that merit of the Children of Ishmael is finished.

It materialized. One hundred year for each year of Ishmael's thirteen years, for a total of 1,300 years.

The Moslem forces under Mohammed conquered the Land of Israel from the Mameluks in the early seventh century. Ishmael's 1300 year control over the land came to an end in the 20th century.

The Arab Claim to the Land of Israel

And his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he wascircumcised on the flesh of his foreskin.

Genesis 17:25

"For hundreds of years it was predominantly the Arabs who lived in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel.) Then, the land was barren and desolate. During the 20th century the Jews returned in their millions and the land began to come alive and flourish. Let us pose three questions:
In what merit were the Arabs privileged to live in Eretz Yisrael?
Why did the land remain barren and desolate during theirpredominance?
And why did the land begin to flourish again when the Jews returned

In the Zohar we find a very interesting way to answer these questions. The Zohar says, because the descendants of Ishmael (the Arabs), will perform the mitzvah of bris mila (circumcision), they will merit to live in Eretz Yisrael. However, since they only partially perform the mitzvah, they can only live in the land when it is barren and desolate. However, towards the end of time, the land will once again flourish. Then, only the Jews will have the merit to live in the land because they perform the complete mitzvah of mila.

The Zohar goes on to say, that the descendants of Ishmael will not give up easilly. Rather, they will make difficult wars through out the world in order to stay. But, because their merit of mila has gone, they will not be successful."

Source: Ta'am VeDas by Rav Moshe Sternbach

The full text from the holy Zohar, Exodus, Va'era:

And the Ishmaelites shall rule the holy land, at the time when it is empty, for a long time, as their circumcision is empty, and notwhole (Moslems only remove the prepuce (ORLA). Jews have another stage for the Brith called PRIAA), and they shall prevent the Israelites from returning to their homeland until that privilege of the Ishmaelites will expire. And the Ishamelites shall ignite big wars in the world, until they will make the Edomites(which are Christians by Jewish tradition) gather to a war against them.

And shall make wars: one on the sea, one in land and (one) near Jerusalem. And those shall rule over those... At that time, one people will be awaken from the end of the world to the big sinful city, and there he will ignite a war... Until all the Edomites (Christians) will gather on him. Then HaShem will be awakened on them.

This is the meaning of the writing (Isiah 34,6): "For HaShem has a sacrifice in Bazrah" (in todays Iraq) etc. and at the end of it, it says (Job 38,13): "to take hold of the ends of the earth".

And shall destroy the Ishamelites from us...

And at that time it is written (Zefaniah 3): "For then I shall turn to peoples in a clear language, all to call the name of HaShem, to worship him together". And it is written (Zechariah 14): "And HaShem (G-d) shall be the King of all the land, on that day HaShem will be one, and his name will be one".

And G-d's angel told her [Hagar]: you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you shall name him Ishmael, for G-d has heard your prayers. And he shall be a wild man, his hand shall be against everyone and everyone's hand against him.

Genesis 16:11-12

Rise up, lift up the youth [Ishmael] and grasp him with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.

Genesis 21:18

Understanding Ishmael:

"This year, [2001] in a speech delivered during the Aseret Y'mai T'shuvah (the Ten Days of Repentance) on behalf of Just One Life, Rabbi Yisocher Frand of Ner Israel Baltimore, made the following insightful analysis of the relationship of Ishmael to the Jewish people.

The Torah tells us in Genesis 25:18, "V'ay'leh tol'dot Yishmael,"[these are the descendants of Ishmael], "Al p'nay kol eh'ch'av nafal," [he dwelt besides all his brothers]. Why the language "nafal", asks Rabbi Frand, which really means to fall? Quoting the Baal HaTurim (Rabbi Yaakov son of the Rosh, c.1275- c.1340), Rabbi Frand explains that only when Ishmael will have his downfall, only then will the Moshiach come.

In effect, the Torah predicts that there is going to be an epic battle which will continue throughout history between the descendantsof Ishmael and the descendants of Yitzchak. When Sarah tells Abraham (Genesis 21:10), "Ga'raish et ha'ama ha'azot v'et b'nah," [expel this handmaiden and her son], that is the beginning of this greatbattle.

Rabbi Frand underscores that only two nations in the world have names that are invested with the name of G-d--only Ishmael and Yisrael. Because he has G-d's name in his name, Ishmael feels that everything he does, no matter how evil or perverted, can be justified in the name of G-d.

Rabbi Frand points out additionally that Ishmael is armed with a potent weapon, a supreme weapon, that he can use to his advantage-- the power of prayer. After all, Ishmael is born as a result of the power of prayer. The angels tell Hagar (Genesis 16:11), "Hee'nach harah v'ya'ladet ben," [behold you are going to bear a child], "Kee sha'ma Hashem el ahn'yaich," [for G-d has heard the cry of your travail]. After the expulsion from Abraham's home, Ishmael himself is saved by the power of prayer. Genesis 21:17, "Kee sha'ma Elokim et kol ha'na'ar," [G-d heard the cries of the child], the angel tells Hagar.

That is why when Yitzchak meets Rivka, the Torah reports that he was returning from Be'er L'chai Ro'eeh, (Genesis 24:62) [the well of the living G-d], the very well at which G-d appeared to Hagar. Yitzchak goes to Be'er L'chai Ro'eeh in order to neutralize Ishmael's prayer. The Pirkei D'rav Eliezer (an early Midrash composed about 100CE) asks why Ishmael's name is constructed in the future tense, G-d will hear, rather than in the past tense? The Midrash suggests that the future tense implies that the cries of G-d's people who are suffering at the hand of Ishmael will be heard by G-d. "Yishmael," means that the prayers of the Jews will be heard and will be answered."

From Rabbi Yissocher Frand:

We Are Still Suffering From Yishmael's Resentment

"The very end of this week's Parsha [Bereshis 36:43] contains a type of verse that we typically read through without giving it a second thought: "The chief of Magdiel and the chief of Iram; these are the chiefs of Edom by their settlements, in the land of their possession -- he is Eisav, father of Edom."

What lesson can we learn from this pasuk? Who ever heard of the chief of Magdiel or the chief of Iram? What is their significance? Although the meaning of such a passage escapes us, it did not escape the likes of Rav Yitzchak Hutner (1907-1980), zt"l.

In the late summer of 1970, Rav Hutner was returning to New York from Eretz Yisrael when Palestinian terrorists hijacked his return flight and two other jets. The planes and passengers sat on a hot runway in Jordan for over a week, while the PLO negotiated for release of Palestinian terrorists being held in Israeli prisons.

When Rav Hutner emerged from that experience, he spoke publicly about the ordeal. Among other things, he explained the difference between the descendants of Eisav and the descendants of Yishmael. Rav Hutner said that even though both of them have persecuted Jews and we have suffered miserably and horribly at the hands of both of them, there is a difference between the two cultures.

The descendants of Eisav never thought of taking our land. The Torah clearly spells out that the descendants of Eisav were given Mt. Seir [Devorim 2:5]. Eisav knew that he had his own land to the East of the Land of Israel. Although Eisav's descendants killed us and tortured us, they never wanted our land -- because they had their own inheritance.

Yishmael, however, was thrown out of Avraham's home without an inheritance [Bereshis 21:10]. This profoundly affected the development of history. Yishmael still feels as if we have his land. Magdiel and Iram had their own settlements, in the land of their own inheritance. They had their own land, and so they did not have their eyes on ours. But the pasuk regarding the children of Yishmael says, "These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their open courtyards (Chatzeirehem) and their strongholds (tirosam)" [Bereshis 25:16]. They are nomads. They are left with tents. They may have hundreds of thousands of square miles in the Middle East, but they do not have what they think is their land. They think that "their" land is a small piece of real estate called Palestine and they continuously want it "back."

The whole trouble stems from this point. Eisav received his inheritance - Mt. Seir. But G-d ordered Yishmael sent out of the house of Avraham without an inheritance, causing the inheritance to go only to his younger brother Yitzchak. This is something that Yishmael has never gotten over. Unfortunately, this is something he will never "get over" until the end of days. He is always going to want to take back the land that he thought should have been his rather than Yitzchak's. Unfortunately, we are still suffering from this resentment to this day."

By Rabbi Yissocher Frand and Torah.org.

In the festival of Succot, according to Jewish Halacha, Jews in the synagogues read the Ezekiel 38 - the description of Gog and Magog war. The Haftarah is called "Gog" Haftarah. The Chafetz Chayim (passed away in the 30th of this century), wrote in his commentary, why this is what we read in Succot:

Because in the time to come, the Gog and Magog war will start on Tishrey

The war in Afghanistan broke on Tishrey.

The ADMOR of Zejichov, who lived some 200 years ago, wrote in his book a commentary about Exodus 4:13. The rabbi asks, how come the word "NA" (which is translated in English to 'please') is written in the verse. And he answers:

Know this: Gog and Magog war will start at Hosha-Na Raba.

The war in Afgfanistan broke at Tishrey 21st, which is Hosha-Na Raba.

YISHMAEL'S FALL

The last words in parshat Chaye Sarah hints to what will happen to the children of Yishmael in the days of Mashiach. The last verse (Bereshit 25:18) ends:

And before all his brothers he lived.

This same statement is recorded earlier (16:12) in the promise to Yishmael's mother. But the Hebrew words used for the phrase, "he lived," are much different in the two places. Earlier, it is clearly written, "he shall live" (yishkon). But here, the word, "nafal," is used, which literally means, "he fell". Why is it written in this way?

The Midrash gives 3 reasons for why it is written "he fell." One reason is that during the lifetime of Avraham he "lived" but after Avraham's death, he "fell." The 2nd reason is that before his descendants attacked the Bait Hamikdash, they "lived," but after they attacked it, they "fell."

And finally, in the time of exile the descendants of Yishmael "live," but in the days of Mashiach, they will "fall."

Source:
Bereshit Rabah 62:5

On the face of all his brethren he fell (Gen. 25:18)'On the face of all his brethren he fell' is followed immediately by 'and these are the children of Isaac,' to teach us that the son of David, who stems from the children of Isaac will sprout when Yishmael will fall at the end of days, then will sprout the son of David, who stems from the children of Isaac.

Baal HaTurim (Rabbi Yaakov son of the Rosh, c. 1275- c.1340)

Shenizke lege'ula sh'lema bimehera beyamenu, amen.