R. Judah applied the words: “For three things the earth is disquieted… for a servant when he reigneth… and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress” (Prov. 30, 21-22), to Egypt and Ishmael (Islam). There is no nation so despised of the Holy One as Egypt, and yet he gave her dominion over Israel; while the “handmaid” is Hagar, who bare Ishmael, who tormented Israel so cruelly in the past, and still rules over her and persecutes her for her faith. In truth, the exile under Ishmael is the hardest of all exiles.
Once, when going up to Jerusalem, R. Joshua saw an Arab and his son meet a Jew. The Arab said to his son: “See! There is a Jew whom God has rejected. Go and insult him. Spit in his face seven times, for he is of the seed of the exalted ones, and I know that the seventy nations shall be ruled by them”. The boy went and took hold of the Jew’s beard, whereupon R. Joshua said: “Mighty ones, mighty ones, I call upon the supernal ones to come down below!” And even before he had finished, the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the Arabs.
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, (משלי ל׳:כ״ב) תַּחַת שָׁלשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְגוֹ', תַּחַת עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ, דְּתַנְיָא לֵית לָךְ אוּמָא מְכִּיכָא וּקְלִילָא וְנִבְזֵית קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּוָותַיְיהוּ דְּמִצְרָאֵי, וְיָהִיב לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שֻׁלְטָנוּתָא בְּגִינַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִירְתָּהּ, דָּא הָגָר, דְּאוֹלִידַת לְיִשְׁמָעֵאל, שֶׁעָשָׂה כַּמָּה רָעוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְשָׁלַט בָּהֶם, וְעִינָּה אוֹתָם בְּכָל מִינֵי עִנּוּיִין, וְגָזַר עֲלֵיהֶם כַּמָּה שְׁמָדוֹת, וְעַד הַיּוֹם הֵם שׁוֹלְטִים עֲלֵיהֶם, וְאֵינָם מַנִּיחִים לָהֶם לַעֲמוֹד בְּדָתָם. וְאֵין לָךְ גָּלוּת קָשָׁה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמוֹ גָּלוּת יִשְׁמָעֵאל.
R. Judah applied the words: “For three things the earth is disquieted… for a servant when he reigneth… and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress” (Prov. 30, 21-22), to Egypt and Ishmael (Islam). There is no nation so despised of the Holy One as Egypt, and yet he gave her dominion over Israel; while the “handmaid” is Hagar, who bare Ishmael, who tormented Israel so cruelly in the past, and still rules over her and persecutes her for her faith. In truth, the exile under Ishmael is the hardest of all exiles.
רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הֲוָה סְלִיק לִירוּשָׁלִַם, וַהֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, חָמָא חַד עַרְבָּאָה, דְּהֲוָה אָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, וּבְרֵיהּ עִמֵּיהּ. פָּגְעוּ בְּיוּדָאי חַד. אָמַר לִבְרֵיהּ, הַאי יוּדָאי גָּעֲלָא, דְּמָאִיס בֵּיהּ מָרֵיהּ. נְווֹל לֵיהּ, וְרָקִיק לֵיהּ בְּדִיקְנֵיהּ ז' זִמְנִין, דְּאִיהוּ מִזַּרְעָא דְּרָאמִין, דַּאֲנָא יָדַעְנָא דִּמְשַׁעְבְּדָן בְּהוּ שִׁבְעִין עֲמָמִין, אָזִיל בְּרֵיהּ וְאַחִיד בְּדִיקְנֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ רָאמִין רָאמִין, גּוֹזַרְנָא עַל עִלָּאִין, דְּיֶחְתוּן לְתַתָּא. עַד לָא סִיֵּים אִתְבְּלָעוּ בְּאַתְרֵיהוֹן.
Once, when going up to Jerusalem, R. Joshua saw an Arab and his son meet a Jew. The Arab said to his son: “See! There is a Jew whom God has rejected. Go and insult him. Spit in his face seven times, for he is of the seed of the exalted ones, and I know that the seventy nations shall be ruled by them”. The boy went and took hold of the Jew’s beard, whereupon R. Joshua said: “Mighty ones, mighty ones, I call upon the supernal ones to come down below!” And even before he had finished, the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the Arabs.