During my first six years of marriage, I lived in a neighborhood in Yerushalayim called Maalot Dafna, near East Jerusalem. Very early each morning I would wake up to the wailing call of the Arab mosque across the road, calling the Muslims to prayer. Waking early each morning to daven Shacharis can be challenging, but hearing the call from another nation waking early to pray for our Jewish nation’s demise… is very motivating!

Klal Yisrael is under attack and under threat from various Arab countries. The original father of the Arab nations is Yishmael, whose life is discussed in Parshiyos Lech Lecha and Vayeira. It’s important for us to understand Yishmael’s spiritual power, in order to know how to achieve protection from him. Thirty years ago, after an increase in Arab terrorist attacks, Rabbi Elya Svei gave a schmooze entitled, “Yishmael and Yisrael,” in which he addressed this issue.

The Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer points out that besides Klal Yisrael, the only other nation with Hashem’s name included in their name is Yishmael. Just as Hashem’s name “Keil” is contained in “Yisra-el,” so too it is contained in “Yishma-el.” This is the strength and power of Yishmael’s nation which exceeds that of all the other nations.

This power that is shared by the Jewish nation and Yishmael is the power of prayer. Yishmael received his name “ki shama Hashem el onyeich,” which Onkelos translates as “because Hashem listened to your (Hagar’s, Yishmael’s mother) prayer.” Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk also notes the special power of prayer of Yishmael, as reflected in the pasuk, “Ki shama Elokim el kol hana’ar—Hashem listened to the prayer of the lad (Yishmael).”

Indeed, the descendants of Yishmael pray five times a day. They are unabashed to pray at work or in a public area like an airport. They have the power that comes from their prayer.

The nation of Edom, meanwhile, has the power of the sword. Yitzchak blessed Eisav, saying, “You shall live by the sword.” But the power of the Jewish nation is through its unique prayers, as Yitzchak said, “Hakol kol Yaakov,” which is interpreted to mean that Yaakov’s power is in his voice, through Torah learning and prayer.

The Pirkei d’Rebbi Eliezer adds an interesting twist to the prayer aspect of Yishmael’s name: Hashem will listen to the screams of the Jewish nation from the pain Yishmael will inflict on them in Eretz Yisrael at the end of days. As said in Tehillim, “Yishma Keil veya’aneim—Hashem will listen and respond to the Jewish nation’s prayer.” So in effect, Yishmael will cause Klal Yisrael to cry out in prayer, and Hashem will listen and answer their prayers.

What can give us the edge, so that Hashem will accept our prayers over Yishmael’s? Rav Svei explains that the name Yisrael demonstrates our nation’s ability to overpower both angels and man, as the ministering angel of Eisav blessed Yaakov, “Your name will now be Yisrael, because you overpowered angels and man and won.” The Kli Yakar says that the name Yisrael comes from Yashar Keil—You are straight in the eyes of Keil (Hashem). This results from doing what is proper in the eyes of Hashem rather than what is proper in the eyes of the public.

Rav Svei concludes that every day we end the prayer of Tachanun with three lines beseeching Hashem for protection. The prayer opens with the words, “Shomer Yisrael”—Hashem is the Guardian of the Jewish nation. It continues, “Protect the remnant of Yisrael, and let not the nation who proclaims ‘Shema Yisrael’ be destroyed.” The merit for our protection is to dedicate ourselves to the reason we are called Yisrael!The second line is, “Guard the remnant of the unique nation consisting of those who proclaim the Oneness of Hashem with the words, “Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad.” The third line begins with the words, “Guardian of the holy nation.”

The request for protection from Hashem is thus based on three unique qualities. First, the Jewish nation will live up to its name of Yisrael. The second quality is unity—one nation accepting Hashem. The third quality is kedusha—acting with the unique holiness of the Jewish nation. We are set apart from the other nations; we are different in both our dress and our values.

May Hashem, the Guardian of Yisrael, continue to protect the Jewish nation, and may we live to greet Moshiach speedily in our days.

Rabbi Baruch Bodenheim is the associate rosh yeshiva of Passaic Torah Institute (PTI).