Yishmael and The Spread of Tumah

The Bnei Yishmael accepted most if the impurities of the world. His half-brothers (Bnei Qeturah) were given Gifts/Names of Impurities. Avraham sent Yishmael and the Bnei Qeturah to the East. The Religion of Islam associates Yishmael as the ancestor of the founder of Islam, and there are elements of the Dharmic religions that come from the Bnei Qeturah.

Yishmael represents several different things. His name means that “G-d will listen” (ישמעאל). This is why many Rabbanmim do not believe that it is a mere coincidence that Islam puts an emphasis on prayer. The Muslims believe in Monotheism, but they also recognize that the Jews are a formidable adversary. That is why they have and are still trying to prevent the revival of Judaism and the Jewish return to Eretz Yisrael (ארץ ישראל) – the Land of Israel.

Since Yishmael did Teshuvah near the end of his life, he symbolizes the ability to for an impure person to become good. Yishmael has the attribute of Ḥesed associated with his father – Avraham. However, part of the Tifereth (splendor) of Yisrael is that Yisrael is a balance between Ḥesed and it’s equal opposite. Thus, Yisrael is the balance of spiritual expression.

There is good within Yishmael just as there is good within Edom. However, Yishmael was not the legitimate son of Avraham, and he not was worthy to receive the Torah. Thus, he is jealous of both Edom and Yisrael. He is jealous of the legitimacy of Edom, and the holiness of Yisrael. Thus, the forces of Yishmael are in a direct conflict with both of them.

Yishmael has a connection to a darker form of Spirituality. He is associated type of Spirituality associated with the night. This is emphasized by the symbolism of the moon. The moon goes through phases a lot quickly than the seasonal phases of the sun. The pure lunar calendar of the Islamic world is a representation of this type of fast changes that exist within the Islamic world. This is why they can go from being normal people to becoming the fanatics willing to murder their own family members in the form of Honor Killings. This is why they can have a good relationship with the Jewish people to being the world’s biggest antisemites. It’s all just a phase.

Our tradition of the relationship between the sun and the moon can help explain the jealousy of Yishmael. The angel, that represents the moon, was jealous that the sun was made brighter by Hashem. The spiritual energy of the moon includes emotions such as jealousy, loyalty, and emotional sensitivity. The negative aspect of this energy is expressed through deception and ruthlessness.

Yishmael knows that he is an illegitimate child. Thus, the culture of Yishmael is based on the attempt to validate the invalid. This is why many of them refuse to accept the legitimacy of the Torah. It is not a coincidence that they have a fair number of towns near some of the major Jewish cemeteries in ארץ ישראל. They want the Tumah that is associated with us. They like Tumah. They accepted Tumah ages ago…

So yes, we can say that there is an associated of Yishmael with the act of Teshuvah – a re-connection with G-d. However, we can also assert the notion that there is a spiritual conflict between Yisrael and Yishmael that is more complex and less straightforward than the rivalry between Yisrael and Edom.