At the end of this week’s Parsha, Chayei Sarah, the Torah dedicates a number of Pesukim to Yishmael, listing his descendants and their names, before detailing Yishmael’s own death:
וְאֵלֶּה תּ ֹלְדֹת יִשׁ ְ מָעֵאל בֶּן־אַבְרָ הָם אֲשׁ ֶר יָלְדָ ה הָגָר הַמִּ צְרִ ית שׁ ִ פְחַת שָׂרָ ה לְאַבְרָהָם׃ וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בִּשְׁמֹתָם לְתוֹלְדֹתָם בְּכֹר יִשְׁמָעֵאל נְבָיֹת וְקֵדָר וְאַדְבְּאֵל וּמִבְשָׂם׃ וּמִשְׁמָע וְדוּמָה וּמַשָּׂ א׃ חֲדַד וְתֵימָא יְטוּר נָפִישׁ וָקֵ דְ מָ ה׃ אֵלֶּה הֵם בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמֹתָם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶם וּבְטִירֹתָם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר נְשִׂיאִם לְאֻמּ ֹתָם׃ וְאֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי חַיֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל מְאַת שׁ ָנָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שׁ ָנָה וְשׁ ֶבַע שׁ ָנִים וַיִשְׁכְּנוּ מֵחֲוִילָה עַד־שׁ וּר אֲשׁ ֶר עַל־פְּנֵי מִצְרַיִם בֹּאֲכָה אַשּׁ וּרָה עַל־פְּנֵי כׇל־אֶחָיו נָפָל׃
These are the descendants of Yishmael son of Avraham, whom Hagar, the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Avraham. These are the names of Yishmael’s sons, by their names according to their birth. Nevayot was Yishmael’s first born, Keidar, Adbeil and Mivsom, Mishma, Dumah and Masa, Chadad, Teima, Yetur, Nofish and Keidmah. These are the sons of Yishmael, and these are their names in their open villages and in their fortified strongholds, twelve princes in their nations. These are the years of Yishmael’s life, one hundred years, thirty years and seven years. He expired and died and was gathered to his people. They lived from Chavilah to Shur, which borders on Egypt, going towards Asshur. He lived in the presence of all his brethren.
The Gemara (Megillah 17a) discusses the Torah dedicating Pesukim to Yishmael and recording the years of his life. Why were Yishmael’s years counted? Why should it matter to us how long he lived? The Gemara answers: It is so we can calculate and attribute the years of Yaakov Avinu’s life. From Yishmael’s lifespan, the Gemara – which shows its math and presents a full breakdown – derives several details about Yaakov Avinu’s life, including his age when he received the berachot from Yitzchak Avinu. This raises the question: If the purpose is to teach us about Yaakov Avinu’s life, why does the Torah need to record Yishmael’s lifespan? Why not simply provide the information directly about Yaakov?
The Midrash
(Bereshit Rabbah 62:4) explains that the reason the Torah pays attention to Yishmael is that it sought to honor and show appreciation for him for attending his father’s funeral:
מָה רָאָה הַכָּתוּב לְיַחֵס שׁ ָנָיו שׁ ֶל רָשׁ ָע כָּאן, עַל יְדֵי שׁ ֶבָּא מִקָּדְ קָדָהּ שׁ ֶל מִ דְ בָּר לִגְמֹל חֶסֶד לְאָבִיו.
The Torah concludes our Parsha by recounting the death of Yishmael and then opens next week’s Parsha as follows:
וְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת־יִצְחָק׃
And these are the descendants of Yitzchak son of Avraham. Avraham was the father of Yitzchak.
The Ba’al HaTurim writes, the sequencing of these two Pesukim – i.e., the death of Yishmael followed by a reference to the generations of Yitzchak – teach that when Yishmael falls in the end of days, the son of David, who is a descendant of Yitzchak, will arise. When Yishmael falls, Mashiach will rise!
At first glance, these words of the Ba’al HaTurim seem cryptic and enigmatic, but we will attempt to understand what exactly is being conveyed here.
The Rambam and the Exile of Yishmael
The Rambam, in his Iggeret Teiman written 850 years ago, addresses the Pesukim found here in our Parsha. He reveals that the mysteries of Mashiach are hidden within these Pesukim pertaining to Yishmael and he shows us how to endure this difficult exile – Galut Yishmael, the exile of Yishmael. The Torah also embeds profound secrets in the names of Yishmael’s sons, names which carry a message about how we should confront this challenging exile.
To understand what the Ba’al HaTurim means, and the message contained within, B’ezrat Hashem we’ll venture into other realms and explore the essence of Yishmael. By the end of the shiur, we’ll circle back to close the loop and grasp the true intent of these juxtaposed Pesukim.
The Essence of Yishmael
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (28) discusses the Brit Bein HaBetarim, where Avraham Avinu was shown a vision of dread or terror – a great darkness falling upon him:
וַיְהִ י הַשׁ ּ ֶ מֶ שׁ לָבוֹא וְתַ רְ דֵּ מָ ה נָפְ לָה עַל־אַ בְ רָ ם וְהִ נֵּה אֵ ימָ ה חֲשׁ ֵ כָה גְדֹלָה נֹפֶלֶת עָלָיו׃
As the sun was setting, a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and behold, a dread of deep darkness fell upon him.
Chazal explain: אֵ ימָ ה refers to the fourth kingdom – Edom; חֲשׁ ֵכָה refers to the second kingdom, Greece, which darkened the eyes of Israel; גְדֹלָה refers to the kingdom of Persia; נֹפֶ לֶ ת refers to the kingdom of Bavel; and עָלָיו refers to the children of Yishmael, from whom Mashiach ben David will sprout, as it says (Tehillim 132:18): אוֹיְבָיו אַלְבִּישׁ בּ ֹשׁ ֶת וְעָלָיו יָצִיץ נִזְרוֹ – I will clothe his enemies in disgrace, while on him his crown shall sparkle.
From this, it emerges that Yishmael represents the final exile, and from it, Melech HaMashiach will flourish. But what is being conveyed to us here? To understand this idea, we need to delve a bit into the nature of Yishmael, his role, and why Hakadosh Baruch Hu brought him into the world.
Hagar and the Birth of Yishmael
At the end of Parshat Lech Lecha, the Torah tells us how Avraham Avinu took Hagar as his wife. After living in the land for ten years and not being blessed with children, Sarah commanded him to marry Hagar. In truth, Hagar deserves an entire shiur of her own. According to Chazal, the mother of Yishmael was considered equal to Eliezer – just as Eliezer would draw and share from the teachings of his master, Avraham, so too Hagar would draw and distribute from the teachings of Sarah. The Midrash says (Bereshit Rabbah 45:1):
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי הָגָר בִּתּוֹ שׁ ֶל פַּרְעֹה הָיְתָה, וְכֵיוָן שׁ ֶרָאָה פַּרְעֹה מַעֲשִׂים שׁ ֶנַּעֲשׂוּ לְשָׂרָה בְּבֵיתוֹ, נָטַל בִּתּוֹ וּנְתָנָהּ לוֹ, אָמַר מוּטָב שׁ ֶתְּהֵא בִּתִּי שׁ ִ פְ חָה בְּ בַיִת זֶה וְלֹא גְבִ ירָ ה בְּ בַיִת אַ חֵר, הֲדָא הוּא דִ כְתִיב: וְלָהּ שִׁפְחָה מִ צְ רִ ית וּשׁ ְ מָ הּ הָ גָר.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yocḥai said: Hagar was Pharaoh’s daughter. When Pharaoh saw the miraculous acts that were done on Sarah’s behalf in his palace, he took his daughter and gave her to Avraham. He said: ‘It is preferable that my daughter be a maidservant in that household than be the mistress in another household.’ That is what is written: “And she had an Egyptian maidservant, and her name was Hagar.”
Hagar grew so much that Sarah regarded her as a prominent student, and when she saw that she had not been blessed with children, she recommended that Avraham marry her top pupil. When Hagar immediately conceived, she began to mock Sarah, and when Sarah saw this disrespect, she decided to punish Hagar and send her away. As a result of this punishment, Chazal reveal, Hagar miscarried and the child she carried died, causing her to cry over the pain caused by Sarah. Hakadosh Baruch Hu then sent an angel to Hagar, to inform her: הִנָּך הָרָה וְיֹלַדְתְּ בֵּן. Hakadosh Baruch Hu assured her that she would conceive again if she returned to Avraham Avinu, and she will bear a son whose name will be Yishmael.
Why that particular name? כִּי שׁ ָמַע ה' אֶל עָנְיֵך – Hashem heard your suffering. Therefore, she would memorialize her pain and the fact that Hakadosh Baruch Hu answered her, through the name of her newborn child.
But if Hakadosh Baruch Hu wanted the suffering to be memorialized, should the child’s name not have been שׁ ָ מ ַ ע א ל – expressed in the past tense? י ִ שׁ ְ מ ָ ע ֵ א ל means "He will hear," in the future, but not yet. Nonetheless, Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to call the child Yishmael. The angel then tells her: "Don’t expect much comfort from this child. You’re in for a rough ride and long road ahead! You’ll never attend a parent-teacher meeting where the teacher smiles and gives a good report. Everything will be through pain and punishment, nothing more.” The Torah explicitly tells us what Yishmael will be:
וְהוּא יִהְיֶה פֶּרֶא אָדָם יָדוֹ בַכֹּל וְיַד כֹּל בּוֹ וְעַל־פְּנֵי כָל־אֶחָיו יִשְׁכֹּן׃
He will be a wild, uncivilized man. His hand against everyone and everyone’s hand will be against him; and in the presence of all his brothers he will dwell.
This Pasuk is explained by Rashi as: He loves the wilderness and hunting animals; He is a thief; Everyone hates him and provokes him. Similarly, the Seforno says he will be wild like the wild donkey, while the Targum Onklos goes even further in saying וְהוּא יְהֵא מָרוֹד בֶּאֱנָשׁ ָא – he’ll be a murderer!
Is this not an incredibly beautiful message to deliver to his expecting mother?! What would we do if we were told that this is the child who would be born to us? Immediately, we would stand in prayer and say, "Ribbono Shel Olam, it would be better for me to be barren... I don't want this... I don't want a wild animal in the house." Instead, Hagar accepted the subjugation of Sarah, smiled and thanked Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the brutal message, returned to Avraham, and gave birth to this exact child. Avraham Avinu, without knowing that Hakadosh Baruch Hu had already told her to name the child Yishmael, then names him Yishmael.
וַתֵּ רֶ א שָׂרָה אֶת־בֶּן־הָגָר הַמִּ צְרִ ית אֲשׁ ֶר־יָלְדָ ה לְאַבְ רָ הָם מְ צַחֵק׃
Sarah saw that the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, that she had born to Avraham, was mocking.
Rashi says, laugh (מְ צַחֵ ק) is a term for idolatry, or according to another interpretation, it refers to forbidden relations. In Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (30), it is written that Yishmael was an expert with a bow, and one day, he found someone to target with his arrows – none other than Yitzchak Avinu. He began shooting arrows at him in an attempt to kill him, but he did not succeed. When Sarah saw what he was doing, she went straight to Avraham and said, "Look at what Yishmael is doing to Yitzchak! You must send away this maidservant (Hagar) together with her son!”
וַיֵרַע הַדָּ בָר מְ אֹד בְּעֵינֵי אַבְרָהָם – Avraham was very troubled by this, according to Rashi either because his son went down the wrong path, or because he was being told to cast him away.
וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אַל־יֵרַע בְּעֵינֶיך עַל־הַנַּעַר וְעַל־אֲמָתֶךָּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ כִּי בְיִצְחָק יִקָּרֵא לְךָ זָרַע׃
Hashem said to Avraham: Do not consider this wrong in your eyes on account of the boy and your maidservant. Regarding all that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice, for through Yitzchak your offspring will be continued.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu comforted Avraham, telling him not to distress over the matter. But why not? He was informed that his son is not one of the 36 righteous people – ל"ו צדיקים – of the generation and is far closer to the 49 gates of impurity. Why shouldn't this fact cause him pain?! True, Hakadosh Baruch Hu told him that Yitzchak will continue the chosen lineage, but if he has another son who is wayward, shouldn't he be troubled? What kind of comfort is this?!
Avraham Avinu calls the newborn child Yishmael, and Chazal teach us that a person's name reflects his essence; names are not a trivial matter. Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (32) says that six people were named before they were even born: Yitzchak, Yishmael, Moshe Rabbeinu, Shlomo, Yoshiyahu, and Mashiach. Hakadosh Baruch Hu assigned them names and roles; Yishmael has a role.
יִשְׁמָעֵאל מִנַּיִן? שׁ ֶנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְקָרָאת שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל״. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל? שׁ ֶעָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִשְׁמֹעַ נַאֲקַת הָעָם מִמַּה שֶּׁעֲתִידִין בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּאָרֶץ בְּאַחֲרִ ית הַיָּמִים. לְפִיכָךְ קָרָא שְׁמוֹ יִשְׁמָעֵאל, שׁ ֶ נֶּאֱמַ ר: ״יִשׁ ְ מַ ע אֵ -ל וְיַעֲנֵם״.
From where do we know about Yishmael? It is said, "And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, you will have a child, and you shall call him Yishmael". Why was he called Yishmael? Because in the future, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will hear the cry of the people arising from the oppression which the children of Yishmael will bring about in the land during the end of days; therefore, he is called Yishmael.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave him a role – to cause us to cry out! The glaring question is: What kind of role is this? Hakadosh Baruch Hu assigns a role to Yishmael that he be the one who will cause us troubles until we cry out?!
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer then presents an absolutely terrifying idea. As everyone knows, Hakadosh Baruch Hu did not allow Bilaam to curse Bnei Yisrael, nor to bless them, as he was in the hands of Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s grace; Bilaam proceeded to speak prophecies about the end of days. Of the seventy nations that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created in the world, He placed His name as a seal on only one of them – אֵ ל יִשְׂ רָאֵל. Since Hakadosh Baruch Hu equated the name of י ִ שׁ ְ מ ָ ע ֵ א ל with the name of יִשְׂ רָ אֵ ל, as both names end with His signature, the wicked Bilaam says:
אוֹי מִי יִחְיֶה מִשֻּׂמוֹ אֵ-ל – Alas, who shall live when he does these things. Miserable and unfortunate will be the person who will live at that time when Yishmael reaches the height of his power!
These words are most certainly frightening. This Yishmael is not just a mere violent outlaw – Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave him strength, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave him a purpose. When Hagar hears that he will become a violent man and a wild beast, and she knows that he is named Yishmael, she thanks Hakadosh Baruch Hu. She doesn’t complain; on the contrary, she smiles and thanks Him, as Yishmael clearly has a central role to play in our Avodat Hashem.
The Exile of Yishmael in Prophecy
What is the meaning of all this? In Sefer Daniel (12:1) we read the below Pasuk, which is the focus of multiple commentaries:
וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יַעֲמֹד מִ יכָאֵל הַשּׂ ַר הַגָּדוֹל הָעֹמֵד עַל־בְּנֵי עַמֶּ ךָ וְהָיְתָ ה עֵת צָרָ ה א ֲ שׁ ֶ ר לֹא־נִהְיְתָה מִהְיוֹת גּוֹי עַד הָעֵת הַהִיא וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יִמָּלֵט עַמְּךָ כָּל־הַנִּמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר׃
At that time, the great prince, Michael, who stands beside the sons of your people, will appear. It will be a time of trouble, the like of which has never been since the nation came into being. At that time, your people will be rescued, all who are found inscribed in the book.
The Metzudot says this Pasuk speaks of a time of great distress for Am Yisrael, unlike anything that has happened since the people became a nation. Even the smallest spark of the kingdom of Yishmael caused great harm to them. The Zohar says there is no exile more difficult for Am Yisrael than the exile of Yishmael, and the Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh says, fortunate is the one who has not seen Galut Yishmael, the one which enslaves and bitterly oppresses Yisrael.
Rav Chaim Vital dedicates two full pages (Etz HaDaat Tov, 2) to explain a chapter in Tehillim (124), revealing that the entire text speaks about Galut Yishmael. He decodes what is hidden within the Pesukim and the message it contains:
שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד לוּלֵי ה ' שׁ ֶהָיָה לָנוּ יֹאמַר־נָא יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ לוּלֵי ה ' שׁ ֶ ה ָ י ָ ה לָנוּ בְּקוּם עָלֵינוּ אָדָם׃ אֲזַי חַיִּים בְּלָעוּנוּ בַּחֲרוֹת אַפָּם בָּנוּ׃ אֲזַי הַמַּיִם שְׁטָפוּנוּ נַחְלָה עָבַר עַל־נַפְשֵׁנוּ׃ אֲזַי עָבַר עַל־נַפְשֵׁנוּ הַמַּיִם הַזֵּידוֹנִים׃ בָּרוּך' שׁ ֶ ל ּ ֹ א נְתָנָנוּ טֶרֶף לְשִׁנֵּיהֶם׃ נַפְשֵׁנוּ כְּצִפּוֹר נִמְלְטָה מִפַּח יוֹקְשִׁים הַפַּח נִשְׁבָּר וַאֲנַחְנוּ נִמְלָטְנוּ׃ עֶזְרֵנוּ בְּשֵׁם ה ' עֹשֵׂה שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ׃
A song of ascents. Of David. Were it not for Hashem, who was on our side, let Israel now declare, were it not for Hashem, who was on our side when others assailed us, they would have swallowed us alive in their burning rage against us; the waters would have carried us off, the torrent would have swept over us; over us would have swept the seething waters. Blessed is Hashem, who did not let us be ripped apart by their teeth. We are like a bird escaped from the hunter’s trap; the trap broke and we escaped. Our help is the name of Hashem, maker of heaven and earth.
Rav Chaim Vital writes that in Sefer Daniel, two dreams are mentioned. The first dream is that of Nevuchadnezzar, the king of Bavel, and the second is the dream of Daniel himself. Nevuchadnezzar, when he dreams about the exiles, sees them as metals. It is written that he dreamed of a figure whose head was made of gold, his chest and arms were made of silver, his thighs were made of bronze, and his shins were made of iron. He then awoke from his dream, terrified and frightened. What kind of monster was this, made of so many different metals? Daniel reassured him, explaining these are the four kingdoms: the gold represents Bavel; the silver represents Madai; the bronze represents Yavan; and the iron represents Edom.
Daniel himself then has a much more frightening dream than the one Nevuchadnezzar had. (The entire chapter (7) is written in Aramaic, and very difficult to understand in its original language.) He sees four winds blowing from the four corners of the earth, fighting with the great sea and stirring it up. Four strange beasts then emerge from the sea: The first beast appeared as a lion with eagle wings, referring to the kingdom of Bavel; the second beast resembled a bear, with three ribs between its teeth, referring to the kingdom of Persia which had three empires ruling within it; the third beast was like a leopard, with wings like a bird and four heads, referring to the kingdom of Yavan whose decrees were varied and numerous; the fourth kingdom, Edom, is described as a terrifying and dreadful beast with large iron teeth. Sporting ten horns, it devours, crushes, and tramples with its feet, and it is more dreadful than all the previous beasts. Daniel observes the horns of this final beast and sees one small horn grow, and three horns fall before it. When the small horn begins to grow, three of the others fall, and the small horn has eyes like a man’s and a mouth speaking great things. It turns out that the entire dream of Daniel also speaks about the four kingdoms that enslaved Am Yisrael.
Amongst all these kingdoms – Persia, Bavel, Yavan, Edom – where is the kingdom of Yishmael?! Everyone says that in the end, there will be the kingdom of Yishmael, so where is it? Furthermore, in the Brit Bein HaBetarim, the kingdom of Yishmael is not mentioned either! Where is Yishmael?
R' Chaim Vital explains: The exiles are only four, but in the future, at the end of days, Am Yisrael will nonetheless find themselves in the exile of Yishmael. And Yishmael – a human being that was circumcised – is called a wild man (פּ ֶ רֶ א אָ דָ ם), or an incomplete man, because he was circumcised but did not remove the foreskin. While the other exiles are compared to animals, as in Daniel, Yishmael is a man, and this fifth and final exile will be harder than all the others. Israel will then say: “If not for Hakadosh Baruch Hu who was with us when a man rose up against us (בְּקוּם עָלֵינוּ אָדָם),” because as a man, he has the merit of the forefathers: לוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ. Therefore, his exile is stronger than the four kingdoms, and as Chazal say, his name is called Yishmael because Am Yisrael will cry out greatly during his exile, and then Hakadosh Baruch Hu will hear and answer them.
Relating this explanation back to the description of Daniel’s dream and the ten horns associated with Edom, the Metzudat David (Daniel) says: Therefore, it is written about the monstrous beast, which is the fourth beast, that a small horn came out and three horns fell from its face, and it is written that this little horn had eyes like the eyes of a man. Why? Rav Chaim Vital says this refers to the kingdom of Yishmael, who are called "man," and they have a great or large mouth. These are the kingdoms of Yishmael, whose mouth is great.
What is the meaning of “eyes of a man,” and what is the meaning of “a great mouth”? Chazal try to explain the power that has been given to Yishmael.
The Nature of Yishmael
The Maharil Diskin writes that the only place where the Torah places the title and descriptor before the proper noun is with regards to Yishmael. In no place will you find the adjective of “ע ָ שׁ ִ י ר” written before the word “אָ דָ ם'”. It is the opposite. You will find written א ָ דָ ם ע ָ שׁ ִ י ר, or אָ דָ ם חָ כָ ם. With Yishmael, however, we find the reverse: פּ ֶרֶ א אָ דָ ם.
The essence of Yishmael, says the Chafetz Chaim, is such that even should you see a Yishmaeli who is a professor (יִשׁ ְ מְ עֵאלִי פְּרוֹפֶסוֹר), a judge (י ִ שׁ ְ מְ ע ֵ א ל ִ י שׁ ו ֹ פ ֵ ט), or a lawyer (יִשְׁמְעֵאלִי עו"ד), do not think that he is a professor, judge or lawyer. Rather, he is a wild professor (פּ ֶרֶ א פְּ רוֹפֶסוֹר), a wild judge (פּ ֶ רֶ א שׁ וֹפֵ ט), a wild lawyer (פּ ֶ רֶ א עו"ד). Just like when you see a tamed tiger appearing in a circus and you say, "Wow, a tiger! Look at how it jumps through the hoop!" It's not a human, it's a tiger!
Do not be mistaken, says the Chafetz Chaim, the Torah is an eternal guide for life. Hakadosh Baruch Hu did not say that Yishmael will be a wild man for only a certain period of time, and he’ll then improve. Yishmael will forever be called a wild man. His essence is wildness! He is a wild donkey! Except just as a snake or a tiger can be tamed, so too a Yishmaeli can be tamed. But even when you tame a cat, she behaves well only until she sees a mouse. When she sees the mouse, she forgets everything! Even if you succeed in taming a Yishmaeli, says the Chafetz Chaim, it is a limited taming, because when he sheds his disguise, his true nature will be revealed.
R' Chaim Vital adds: Any other nation can bear to be ruled over and is capable of accepting governance. The only nation that is incapable of accepting governance is the nation of Yishmael. They are similar to armed bandits – they go out, attack, and return. This is the essence of Yishmael; they are not capable of accepting and respecting authority. They cannot manage a state because their essence is that of a wild man (Rashi). An armed bandit has no home; he sleeps in a tent.
I saw a wonderful idea in the book Derech Hashleimut. David HaMelech says in Tehillim (14:4):
הֲלֹא יָדְעוּ כָּל־פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן אֹכְלֵי עַמִּי אָכְלוּ לֶחֶם ה' לֹא קָרָאוּ׃
Have all the workers of injustice no knowledge? Who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the Lord.
