Pereh Adam - the final exile and the battle that ends history

 PerehAdam - The Final Exile and the Battle that Ends History  Last Friday, just after sunrise minyan at theKotel, I was talking with friends when one of the guys from New York spotted meand gave me a huge hug proclaiming loudly, “Rabbi Bibi, one of my favoriterabbis, they miss you in Miami.”   At that moment, a soldier with his machine gun observingwalked over: “Are you Bibi from New York — the one involved with the helmetsand vests?”  Before I could answer, someone else said, “Yes,that’s him.”  The soldier gave me a long hug.No words. Just a hug.  Those moments at the Kotel are hard to explain— the raw mixture of danger, holiness, exhaustion, and gratitude.  As I walked toward the plaza to record a class,a young man from America approached me.  “Rabbi… what exile are we in right now?”“I know Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, Rome… but what is this?”  I immediately thought of something my rabbi, RabbiAsher Abittan זצ״ל, taught me over twenty-five years ago.  He said: “The four exiles listed by Daniel arenot the end of history.The Mekubalim speak of a fifth exile — the exile of Yishma’el.”  Unlike the previous exiles — symbolized by animals— this one is represented by a person.  A dangerous person.  A wild human. “Ve-hu yih’yeh pereh adam” “He will be awild man.”  Rabbi Abittan added: “When a wild animalrealizes it is cornered — it becomes the most dangerous.” That is what weare witnessing.  Ma’aseh Avot, Siman Labanim - The actions ofthe fathers shape the destiny of the children.  The Midrash teaches that when Avraham walkedinto Eretz Canaan, every step left a spiritual imprint.History follows those footprints.  Rabbenu Beḥaye (Bereshit 21) writes: “There isno nation that hates Israel more than the children of Yishma’el.”  How did that hatred begin?  1. S̱arah afflicts Hagar וַתְּעַנֶּהָשָׂרַי — “Sarai afflicted her.”  Ramban explains: S̱arah sinned in afflictingHagar, and Avraham erred by permitting it.Therefore, Hagar’s offspring will afflict S̱arah’s descendants.   Not revenge.Consequence.  Pain leaves a scar on history.  2. Avraham blesses Yishma’el  When Hashem promises Avraham a son throughS̱arah, Avraham responds: Lu Yishma’el yiḥyeh lefanekha — “Would thatYishma’el live before You.”Rav Eliyahu Svei זצ״ל, quoting Rav Mendel Kaplan זצ״ל, cites the Zohar: Avraham’swords gave Yishma’el spiritual power until the end of days.  3. The Brts Milah at age 13  The Zohar HaKadosh states: “Woe to the worldthat Yishma’el received Milah.”  Yes — he has a covenant. But it is incomplete —only skin deep.  Rabbi Frand explains: Our bris is on day eight— before ego, before identity, before pride.Theirs is chosen, not commanded.  Because of this partial holiness:   Yishma’el has temporary rights in Eretz Yisrael.  But not eternal ones.  We may say it this way:  Yishma’el holds a visa.Yitzḥak holds the deed.  The Gemara (Sanhedrin) describes a gentileacting with insane cruelty.  Rav Ashi comments: “This is not hatred. This ismadness.”  Rav Chaim Vital (Sha’ar HaPesukim) writes: “Theexile of Yishma’el is worse than all others because Yishma’el is called adam— a human — yet behaves like a wild animal.”  He cites Tehillim 124:2: “Lulei Hashem… bekumaleinu adam.” “If not for Hashem… when a man rose against us.” Rav ChaimVital says: That “adam” is Yishma’el — the pereh adam.  The other exiles — described in Daniel — areanimals:   Lion — Babylonia  Bear — Persia  Leopard — Greece  Terrifying beast — Rome/Edom     But Yishma’el?  A human with the instincts of a wild beast.  Animals do not:   Strap bombs to themselves.  Use their own children as shields.  Livestream murder.  That is פֶּרֶא אָדָם.  Rabbi Abittan זצ״ל told us: “When the wildanimal senses the end — that is when it becomes the most violent.”  In the year 2000, something historic happened.  Pope John Paul II visited Jerusalem. From theKotel plaza, in front of the world, he called the Jewish people: “Our olderbrothers.”  Rabbi Abittan said: “That was the moment theexile of Edom began to end.”  Soon after — during the High Holidays of 2000 —the Intifada exploded. The era of Yishma’el began.  Not political.Not territorial.  Biblical.  Almost 2000 years ago, Midrash PirkeideRabbi Eliezer tells us: Avraham visits Yishma’el’s home.Yishma’el’s wife gives him water contaminated with worms — kindness used ascruelty.  Avraham tells Yishma’el: “Change the thresholdof your house.” (Meaning: change your home — or change your destiny.)  The Midrash concludes: “In the end of days, thechildren of Yishma’el will rule the land for a time, to provoke Israel toreturn to their Father in Heaven.”  In other words: Their rise is designed to wakeus up.  The Zohar (II:32a) adds: Yishma’el has britmilah — but not the brit of day eight. Therefore, his rule is temporary.  Yishma’el rises…   not to win,  but to reveal,  to expose,  to force us back to Hashem.  The end of Yishma’el is not when they fall — It’swhen we wake up.           We Are Seeing Today   Suicide bombers  Human shields  Killing children for “honor”  That is not politics.  That is exactly what the Torah predicted: פֶּרֶאאָדָם — a wild man. Even the Hebrew teaches this. In Hebrew grammar, thenoun comes first:  פֶּרֶא אָדָםPereh adam — “animal-human,”not adam pereh — “human-animal.”  The animal is primary.The humanity is secondary — buried.  And yet, the verse continues: “Al penei koleḥav yishkon” “He will dwell opposite all his brothers.”  Opposite.Never together.Never permanent.  Rome/Edom collapses when the world admits weare the older brother.   Yishma’el collapses when we remember Who ourFather is.  They cry, “Allahu akbar.”We answer, “Shema Yisrael…”  And the world will know the difference.  Rav Chaim Vital said: “If not for Hashem, theywould swallow us alive.” (Tehillim 124)  If we cling to Hashem — no פֶּרֶא אָדָם cantouch us.  History is not happening to us.  History is happening for us.**  We are not watching the world fall apart.  We are watching it fall into place.  I believe — deeply —  We are the last generation of Galutand the first generation of Geulah.  Shabbat Shalom.  David Bibi