On The Karmic Debt Owed By The Jews To The Muslims

There is such a thing as karmic debt in this world. It carries from past lives into this one. It operates at the group level and at the individual level. You can owe it even if you didn’t do anything wrong – meaning that someone got hurt as the result of your actions, even if they were justified.

My personal belief is that the current rampage of radical Islamism connects with a karmic debt owed by our forefather Abraham to Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. 

If you remember the story in the Bible, Abraham slept with Hagar, Sarsh’s servant, to conceive Ishmael. He did this because Sarah was thought to be too old to bear children. 

If Sarah had not conceived Yitzchak, Ishmael would have gone unchallenged as Abraham’s only heir. But of course G-d had other plans.

Let’s think about this for a moment, about the pain and karmic debt incurred by Abraham and Sarah toward Hagar and Ishmael. 

Hagar had no right to self determination. Her body belonged to both Sarah and Abraham. Like every woman for most of history, she was part of a system of legitimized institutionalized lifelong rape.

Ishmael could have brought her respect and status, but with Yitzchak’s birth it was just the opposite.

They tell us in school that it is not for us to question G-d or the greatness of our forefathers and foremothers. But it is possible to ask questions. That is the whole point of recording the stories. There is a way to ask but still retain faith.

Bottom line. What happened to Hagar and Ishmael is indescribable. They went from being part of Abraham’s camp to being cast off and abandoned. 

For this, we the Jews owe the Muslims a karmic debt. For all the shame and humiliation they faced, we owe them extra respect to compensate. For being forced out of the encampment, we owe them to stay off of their land and show respect for its integrity – meaning don’t infiltrate, set up bases, attack their culture, etc. 

When we live in truth from a spiritual point of view the bloody differences we see on Earth will dissolve and we will usher in a golden era of world peace and prosperity with no more need for fighting.

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All opinions my own.

– By Dannielle Blumenthal, Ph.D.

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