Friday, November 13, 2009

Fall of Yishmael

At the end of this week's parsha, the Torah goes through the lineage of Yishmael, and ends off (in perek כה passuk יח) by saying "על פני כל אחיו נפל" - which literally translates as 'He fell on the face of all of his brothers.'

The Ba'al Haturim points out the significance of the fact that this verse directly precedes the following verse, which says, "ואלה תולדות יצחק" - which translates as 'these are the offspring of Yitzchak.'

He explains that this teaches us that in the end of days, when Yishmael falls, Moshiach ben Dovid, the offspring of Yitzchak, will then sprout.

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