So, of course, you can't keep a good man down. Despite my last post, which was pretty forthright about predictions, I will share with you some thoughts that I have had recently about Moshiach and this year that may end up sounding a bit contradictory to what I wrote... Just remember that what I am writing is my hergesh - my feeling - and not fact. It is also not a prediction, and it is not meant to be concrete in any way.
When I wrote the whole post about Mincha Gedolah and Rosh Chodesh Av of 5770, there was more than one comment about the fact that the counting that we do of the years is based on the first year of creation being the year 1. If we would count from the year 0, as we normally do when thinking of the age of a person, we would actually be in the year 5770 right now, not 5771. According to this counting, we will actually reach Mincha Gedolah in the current year, in Tammuz, as it is also a leap year. Now, what is truly interesting is that there is always a concept of אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים, which means that there are always multiple perspectives and ways to look at each matter. As I understand it in this context, there are two layers of 5770, one which occurred last year, which, we could say, is a more hidden layer, and the one that occurs this year, which may be the more revealed aspect of it. For me personally, Rosh Chodesh Av was a significant point in my life, perhaps even the beginning of a new stage in my life. I do see myself very strongly in the role of the general tafkid of Moshiach ben Yosef. (I am not Moshiach! Just have strong aspects of his mission as part of my psyche, as per Kol Hator's second bechina of MBY - many multiple individuals who take part in MBY's mission.) In any event, my hergesh tells me that there is something that is going on right now in the mission of Moshiach ben Yosef which is getting concretized, started Rosh Chodesh Av of 5770, and will continue until Tammuz of 5771. I want to stress something which I mentioned in that post, which is that the nature of Moshiach ben Yosef is to remain hidden behind the scenes. This is true even when he starts to show his face - it is still in a hidden fashion. Just food for thought.
I was recently thinking about something which I have mentioned to a number of audiences over the past few days. I sang for a seminary on Friday night here in Ramat Bet Shemesh which has a strong Tzioni bent, and I also sang last night for a yeshiva. In both contexts I mentioned the fact that one has to be blind to what is going on in Eretz Yisrael right now. The Jewish population is nearing six million. When that is taken in contrast with the approximately 600,000 that were here in 1948, it is actually quite mind boggling. Compare the number to the miniscule amount of Jews that were here in the early 1800s, the miracle of the Jewish people's return to Israel in the current age is no less great than the hidden miracle of Purim. Just like one has to read the Megilla from start to finish and put the pieces together, one must take a purview of history and put the pieces together. When one does so with an open heart and an open mind, it is hard to ignore. What hit me so hard when I was thinking about this was the fact that the Jewish people are asking for Moshiach every day, three times a day. We bentch and we mention the rebuilding of Jerusalem. We end off each speech, no matter the topic, with mention of the advent of Moshiach. And the thing is - he's already here! We are guessing when he's going to come, and we are saying this year will be the year - and the truth is that it's all true! This is the year. And so was 5768, and so was 5769, and so was 5770. It's really no different than the Purim story, where each and every step - from Esther becoming the queen to Mordechai catching the plot to kill the king, etc. - all were geulah points and steps in the process. Purim is such a wonderful mashal for what is going on because Mordechai and Esther were aspects of Moshiach ben Yosef, and they were involved in a hidden geulah, similar to our current geulah process. In any event, the power of this is that 'He's finally here' is really true. Moshiach is here. His name is Moshiach ben Yosef, and by definition he hides himself - but he's there!
I was really moved by the following thought that Hashem gave me. When the brothers first came down to Egypt to get food for their families, the ten of them came in through different entrances in order to look for Yosef, to find where he had been sold, and to perhaps redeem him. This was what gave the 'viceroy' an excuse to accuse them of being spies. Now, the intense irony was that they were looking for Yosef - and they found him! They just did not recognize him. It is such a wonderful mashal for where we are today. The Jewish people is pining for a salvation from all of our problems. We are inundated with relationship issues, no different than in the times of Yosef himself - family issues and rebellious youth, lacks in communication. We are waiting for Moshiach, really, looking for Yosef, trying to find him from any direction - coming into Egypt from ten different entrances. And we are staring at Yosef in the face - and we don't recognize him! He's here! Moshiach is finally here! Rabosai, it is time to wake up! Why are we still in America? Why are we still in Europe? Why are we everywhere but here? He's moving the process along slowly behind the scenes, and it is not yet the right moment to reveal himself, because the Jewish people have not yet completed their tikkun, just as the brothers of Yosef had not yet done so. But we are oh so close. It is the time, my friends.
I was also hit the other day with another powerful thought, another gift from Hashem. I have had the opportunity to deal with a certain issue that is facing the Jewish people. This is the issue of the internet, which I can deeply thank Hashem for the fact that the internet is not a source of nisayon for myself. But for most of the Jewish people, it is an intense test. It is so intense that for many, it is not even a test, because there is almost no choice but to fall in. It is a test that is unprecedented in all of Jewish history. Every single home has a tool with which one can fall into the darkest, most destructive forms of psychological damage known to man, through the many evocative images and pornographic content available with the touch of a button. The intensity of the problem is one that astounds and confounds Jewish educators everywhere - and the educators themselves face the same test as the ones they seek to help! I personally believe that there is salvation in powerful tools like group therapy (as are starting now in the Jerusalem and Ramat Bet Shemesh area), as well as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy with a qualified practitioner. Unfortunately, the magnitude of the problem is not something that will be solved in a simple and sweeping manner. What struck me so deeply was that this is the greatest sign that we are mamish holding at the end. R' Mendel and R' Shimon Kessin both speak of the Yetzer Hara - the Satan - at the end of time. It is like a star that is at the end of its cycle, about to burn out and end its life. At that point, briefly, before it dies, it becomes a supernova and releases the light of ten stars. The yetzer hara is slaughtered with the advent of Moshiach - his role is completely transformed as he moves out of the inside of man and becomes an external force. He knows this, and will not take this without a fight. Thus, as he is about to be bested, he puts up his greatest fight. He throws off the light of ten stars in intense battle. This is the nisayon of the internet - it is the yetzer hara's last stand. He wants so badly to destroy us and pull us down - and he is succeeding! But it is just a show. He's about to fall and die. He is about to be extinguished. My friends, we are witnessing the final battles being played out in front of us, in our very homes, in the privacy of our own most secret thoughts. It is do or die.
And this is the battle of Yosef - the battle with forbidden sexual pleasures. This is the battle that has many, or even most individuals falling into and failing with. But at the same time, there are those who are fighting and winning. There are those who realize that even the one time out of ten that they overcome - that is a success. The gemara in Succah says that when Moshiach comes, Hashem slaughters the yetzer hara, and everyone cries. The Tzadikim (righteous) cry, because the yetzer hara seems to have been a mountain, and they overcame him. The reshaim (evil ones) cry, because they envision him as a hair, and they were unable to overcome it. My thought on this chazal was that the difference in power between a sin today as opposed to the victory of overcoming that sin - is between a hair and a mountain. The spiritual power of that victory is so intense that it is like a mountain in comparison with the deleterious effect of the sin, which is a hair. This is not to minimize the effect of the sin. It is just to give us a true perspective of the power of doing what's right. The yetzer hara is on his way out, and he is going down kicking. There is a once in history opportunity for each on of us to act in the bechina of Moshiach ben Yosef, to latch onto a picture of Yakov Avinu, of spiritual purity - to literally aid the Moshiach ben Yosef process and bring about the final tikkun for the sin of Adam harishon. This sin created the concept of shame and nakedness, of the misuse of the sexual capacity of man for disconnection instead of connection. It is now the final moment when we are battling to take back the proper use of our means of connection. It is a difficult battle, of the order of Yosef's test with potifar's wife - a daily battle with no obvious victory. But if we are strong and face it with courage, perhaps we will indeed see Moshiach in the year 5771.
Showing posts with label 5770. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5770. Show all posts
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Thoughts on 5770 and Geulah
Before I begin this post, I want to preface it with a thought on the Gemara in Sanhedrin (97b) which was recently learned in the Daf Yomi. The Gemara quotes the statement of R' Shmuel Bar Nachmeni in the name of R' Yonasan, "Let the bones of those who calculate the end blow up." This is based on the passuk in Chavakuk which says, "כי עוד חזון למועד ויפח לקץ ולא יכזב אם יתמהמה חכה לו כי בא יבא לא יאחר" - "There is another vision of an appointed time, the final redemption, which will not be found false; If it takes a long time in coming, wait for it, it will come, it will not be late." Here the drasha is on the words "ויפח לקץ" which literally mean "the end that is spoken of of." The word "ויפח" can also be translated as blow up (as in blowing up a balloon). This would seem to discourage us from trying to figure out the end. Nevertheless, the second half of the drasha explains that the reason why the 'bones of those who calculate will blow up,' is because by doing so, when the time that they have calculated passes, people will give up hope from continuing to wait. Thus, the passuk is telling us that we can't make a calculation such that people will give up on Moshiach's arrival. Rather, if a calculation is made, it must not discourage people from continuing to wait, and they must still know that, no matter what, he will arrive at the very moment that is intended by Hashem.
With that said, the following ideas are my own observations and they may or may not have deep significance. Furthermore, as I believe I have mentioned in the past, I once heard from a certain Rav in my neighborhood that the Ramban says that every year has a hint in the Torah that Moshiach will come, because every year has the potential for Moshiach's arrival. Thus, we must be assured that even if the following turns out to be insignificant, we must not give up hope from waiting. In any event, I believe that the year we are currently in may be a significant turning point in the Geulah process, as I will try to demonstrate.
The basis of the thoughts that follow is the year we are currently in, תש"ע - 5770. If one looks at the places where this number (תש"ע - 770) appears in the Torah, there are some extremely interesting findings. I first took notice of this in last week's parsha, Parshas Nasso, where the number 770 (תש"ע) appears fourteen times. Thirteen of these times is in the word קערת, which is repeated in the offerings of the nesi'im which were brought in the dedication of the mishkan. This would not seem to have too much significance until one looks carefully at the midrash. There it goes through the special intent that was completely different for each of the seemingly identical offerings brought by the nesi'im. The midrash deals with the significance of every facet of the offerings, as well as the measures of each offering and what the numbers represent. The focus of the offering of the nasi of the tribe of Reuven completely centered around the fact that Reuven attempted to save Yosef from the anger of his brothers. Thus, the midrash reads the word קערת as עקרת, a reference to Reuven being the main (עיקר) one who saved Yosef. This is the first hint that the number 770 has to do with Yosef. This hint can also be found in a Rashi in Tehillim on the verse (113:9) "מושיבי עקרת הבית אם הבנים שמחה" - "He places the barren of the household to be the joyous mother of children." Rashi there says that this 'barren woman' is reference to ציון, another name for Yerushalayim, which is desolate and empty of her children. The word ציון and יוסף share the gematria of 156 (as is noted in Kol Hator), and thus we find that the midrash states that whatever happened to Yosef happened to Tzion, and vice versa. Thus, we again see that Yosef is connected to the number 770. What is even more interesting is that the midrash, in explaining the word כסף, which is next to קערת, brings an interesting verse to explain it. The verse is from Mishlei (10:20), "כסף נבחר לשון צדיק" - "Choicest silver is the tongue of the righteous." Thus, all of the thirteen times that the Torah mentions the word קערת, the value of which is 770, in this context, it is directly followed by the concept of silver which is associated with the צדיק. Yosef is the one who is always referred to as the צדיק יסוד עולם, the righteous one who is the foundation of the world, and thus we see an important connection between the year we are currently in (קערת = תש"ע) and Yosef hatzadik (hinted to in the word כסף). It is also significant that this theme is constantly repeated in the very psukim that are talking about the initial dedication of the mishkan, and the Shechina that accompanied it. Another interesting point is that the midrash says that the combined gematriahs of the two words קערת כסף is 930, which corresponds to the length of the life of Adam Harishon. Yosef is also intimately connected to Adam Harishon's lifespan, because the very fact that Adam's life was limited to this amount of time was a result of the sin, which also created the necessity for there to be a Moshiach ben Yosef who would rectify that sin. Based on this, it is interesting to note that the word תשע, nine, which also has the numerical value of 770, first appears in the enumeration of the lifespan of Adam in Beraishis (5:5).
Now, let's move on to the other place in Parshas Nasso where the number 770 appears. It is found in chapter 5, verse 7. There the Torah is speaking about the concept of someone who was acting as a guardian over an item that belonged to his friend. He claimed that the item had been lost or stolen, and then swore to that fact. Afterwards, it became clear that he had actually misappropriated it for himself. In such a case, the Torah states that the thief must now return the value of the stolen object and also add on a fifth of its value as well. The numerical value of the word "וחמישתו" - "a fifth" is also 770. This would not seem to be so significant until we actually read the pasuk inside. There we see that word that follows "וחמישתו" is the word "יסף" which, in context, means to add on. Again, Yosef is next to the word that hints to the year we are currently in. Another interesting thought is that the passuk could be read "וחמישתו" - in the fifth millenium - "יסף עליו" - add on the value [of the word וחמישתו, which is 770, and brings us to 5770]. It is also significant that the Ba'al Haturim mentions that in the previous passuk, the Torah refers to this sin as "חטאת האדם" - the sin of Adam (see there). Again, as we saw in the previous disussion of the nesi'im, Moshiach ben Yosef is a rectification of that sin of Adam.
Now we will turn to earlier places in the Torah where this number appears, and we will see some extremely interesting connections and hints to Yosef. The first place the number 770 appears is in the word תמשל, "you shall rule," which appears in Beraishis 4:7. This is the passuk that is Hashem's exhortation to Kayin to be careful not to fall into the trap that awaits him with his relationship with Hevel. In speaking of the sin that potentially awaits him, Hashem says, "ואתה תמשל בו" - You will rule over it. This sin, as we have noted in a previous post, was the classic sin of a fallen Moshiach ben Yosef, and the imperative of the verse seems to be stating that in the end, the final Moshiach ben Yosef will overcome and dominate the destructive force that was unleashed in the world through Adam's sin, which resulted in Kayin's sin.
Even more significant, however, is the second place where the word תמשל (whose numerical value is 770) occurs. This is in Beraishis (37:8). This verse is right in the middle of the story of Yosef, where he has just told his brothers about the dreams that he had. As is noted in Sefer Kol Hator, this was the very moment that Yosef stepped into the role of Moshiach ben Yosef. The response of his brothers is recorded in that verse, "המלך תמלך עלינו אם משול תמשל בנו" - "Will you be king over us, or will you rule over us?" The very word "תמשל" - "rule over us" has the gematria of 770, seeming to imply that this year has a deep connection to Yosef's rule over the Jewish people.
Another significant place that we see a word with the gematria of 770 is found in Beraishis 38:29. This is found in the following chapter which took place right after Yosef was sold, when the Torah records the story of the birth of Yehuda's two sons Zerach and Peretz. There, in speaking of the birth of Peretz, the Torah tells us the words that were said when Peretz 'burst forth,' being born first, though it initially seemed his twin would be first. The passuk says, "ותאמר מה פרצת עליך פרץ" - "And she said, how have you burst forth!" The word פרצת, 'burst forth,' refers to the nature of Moshiach which bursts forth, and has the numerical value of 770. Although this passuk is clearly speaking of the concept of Moshiach ben Dovid, nevertheless, we find that Moshiach ben Yosef always contains an aspect of Moshiach ben Dovid within him, and ultimately, the process of Geulah involves a joining of Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid.
This is particularly significant because we find that every period of time that involves Moshiach ben Yosef actually splits into two halves (and this occurs on multiple levels), the first being of a more external or superficial revelation of Moshiach ben Yosef, the second being a Moshiach ben Dovid type of revelation, that is, a more internal and miraculous type of revelation. Thus, the sixth millennium (from the year 5000-6000) is the millennium of Yosef, who corresponds to the sixth Sefirah of the lower seven, which is Yesod (as we see in the passuk צדיק יסוד עולם). This millennium is broken down into two halves, the first of which is the 'night' of the sixth day (from 5000/1240 until 5500/1740 which corresponds to 6 PM Thursday night - 6 AM Friday morning). This is the concealed aspect of the sixth day. The second half of the millennial day, from 5500/1740 until 6000/2240, corresponds to the revealed aspect of the sixth millennium, or the Moshiach ben Dovid aspect within Moshiach ben Yosef. This second half of the millennium further breaks down into two parts as well, one of which is more hidden, and one of which is more revealed. Thus, the period of time between the years 5500/1740 and 5750/1990 constitutes a more concealed aspect (the aspect of Yosef), whereas the years from 5750/1990 until 6000/2240 constitute the revealed part (or Dovid aspect of Yosef) of this half millennium.
[It might be illustrative to think of this in terms of Yosef himself, in his external or superficial aspect, as the leader of Egypt. This is what is revealed to the masses, and what the world sees. On a deeper level, there is a hidden aspect of Yosef, a פנימיות which could be referred to as צפנת פענח, the revealer of secrets. This is the deeper aspect of Yosef, or what we could call the Moshiach ben Dovid aspect of Moshiach ben Yosef. This distinction is referred to in Kol Hator as the aspects of Yosef ben Rochel and Yosef ben Yakov.]
This last point explains the significance of something else that we discussed, which is the advent of Mincha Gedolah on Rosh Chodesh Av of this year. We saw that Mincha Gedolah is the time that corresponds to the counterforce against the Erev Rav. The question is, Why? We saw that the Erev Rav gains power at noon, so why do Chazal wait, as it were, to unleash the power of our tefillah until twelve thirty? It could be possible to explain that since the second half of the hour always denotes the more inner dimension - the Dovid aspect - of the spiritual potential of that time, it is only through that inner dimension that one can overcome the forces of evil. This would also explain why the publication of the book Kol Hator could not occur until 1968. Although there was an incredible revelation that occurred at the beginning of the sixth hour, which corresponds to the year 1948, it was only able to be seen on the external level of Yosef 'the ruler of Egypt'. The Dovid aspect within Yosef 'צפנת פענח', or the inner dimension of the revelation that occurred in 1948, was not to be revealed until 1968, with the publication of Kol Hator. Similarly, 5750/1990 was the beginning of the seventh hour in which we now stand, but all of the revelations that have been occurring have been in the external aspect of Yosef, the incredible scientific and technological breakthroughs that are the external aspect of the deeper dimension of the new Shefa that is pouring down from heaven. This is a result of the fact that we have entered the second half of the second half of the millenium. We are now about to pass the mid-hour point, which means that we are entering into the deeper dimension of this hour, when the Dovid aspect of Yosef (צפנת פענח) will be revealed. This is when the power of Yosef rises, on the wings of its inner dimension, and can finally begin to do battle with the external forces of the Erev Rav and Esav, who he is destined to vanquish.
With this in mind, we can see a possible explanation as to why the word פרצת, "bursting forth" has the gematria of our year. It refers to the Dovid aspect of Yosef which comes into play in תש"ע - 5770, on Rosh Chodesh Av.
We can further see this dual relationship, where the first half is an external/superficial (Yosef) aspect hiding the inner dimension, and the second half is the internal (Dovid) aspect, in the following observation. We have previously seen that the millennium can be divided into twenty four hours. These hours each consist of forty one and two-thirds years. The division of the millennium can also be done into twelve hours, where each hour will be eighty three and a third years. This is because every two hours are really components of a greater hour. Thus, each of the 41-year hours is also half of an 83-year hour. We can thus see that the fifth hour (1907-1948) and sixth hour (1948-1990) are two parts of a larger hour. The first period is thus the exterior aspect of the inner dimension that is revealed in the second period. During the first period, the world experienced the most wrenching transformation that it has ever known. It was characterized by two world wars, and millions upon millions of deaths. It also saw the incomprehensibly brutal murder of over six million Jews, and the events that would lead up to the creation of an official homeland for the Jewish people. I will leave it to your own minds to develop this deep idea to its fullest, but suffice it to say that the fifth hour was the hour of a certain redemptive process developing in an external and hidden way, while the sixth hour was the hour of the revelation of the inner dimension of that process. This repeats itself with the sixth and seventh hours, as well, where that which was revealed in the sixth hour (1948-1990) is, relatively speaking, the external aspect of that which is to be revealed as the inner dimension in the seventh hour (1990-2031).
With this idea, we can also understand something else that was mentioned in a previous post, which is the statement of the Gemara in Sanhedrin (38b) that the seventh hour of the original sixth day of creation was when Hashem married Adam to Chava. It was during that hour that Adam was made to sleep so Hashem could separate Chava from him, and thereby bring them back together, marrying them as man and wife. This was the external aspect of what was to occur in the following hour, where they would actually have relations and thereby bring children into the world. This aspect also corresponds to what the Zohar says is the purpose of the current seventh hour (1990-2031), which is the rebuilding of the Beis Hamidash, which is the rejoining of the Jewish people with the Shechina (the Divine presence), as well as the aspect of הקדוש ברוך הוא with שכינה. This is the outer dimension of Yosef, which will be followed in the eighth hour by the inner dimension of Dovid, whose job is Techiyas Hameisim, revival of the dead, which the Zohar says occurs in 5790/2030.
The final place that we will discuss where we find a word with the value 770 is at the end of the story of Yosef and his brothers, when they have completed the tikkun and Yosef has revealed himself. As described in Beraishis 45:22, Yosef gave each of them חלפות שמלת, new clothing. The numerical value of שמלת, clothing, is 770, as we discussed at length in a previous post. It is extremely interesting that before the story reached this climax, when the brothers took out their sacks to prove that they did not contain Yosef's goblet, they tore their clothing when the goblet was found in Binyomin's sack. There (Beraishis 44:13), the Torah uses the same word for clothing and says, "ויקרעו שמלתם" - "They tore their garments." Paradoxically, this tearing of their garments in grief was the beginning of the final revelation of Yosef. Yosef would replace those garments in the passuk mentioned above. [By the way, it is interesting that the word referring to Biyomin's sack is "באמתחת" has a gematria of 851, the same as the value of the words בעתה אחישנה, in its time I will hasten it.]
Again, as I wrote at the beginning of this post, although these ideas are extremely powerful and exciting, it is important to remember that the Geulah process is just that - a process. It is likely that Rosh Chodesh Av will come and go with no discernible difference before and after. However, I firmly believe that we will look back at the date and see that a cosmic shift occurred that moved us ever closer to our final redemption, במהרה בימינו אמן.
With that said, the following ideas are my own observations and they may or may not have deep significance. Furthermore, as I believe I have mentioned in the past, I once heard from a certain Rav in my neighborhood that the Ramban says that every year has a hint in the Torah that Moshiach will come, because every year has the potential for Moshiach's arrival. Thus, we must be assured that even if the following turns out to be insignificant, we must not give up hope from waiting. In any event, I believe that the year we are currently in may be a significant turning point in the Geulah process, as I will try to demonstrate.
The basis of the thoughts that follow is the year we are currently in, תש"ע - 5770. If one looks at the places where this number (תש"ע - 770) appears in the Torah, there are some extremely interesting findings. I first took notice of this in last week's parsha, Parshas Nasso, where the number 770 (תש"ע) appears fourteen times. Thirteen of these times is in the word קערת, which is repeated in the offerings of the nesi'im which were brought in the dedication of the mishkan. This would not seem to have too much significance until one looks carefully at the midrash. There it goes through the special intent that was completely different for each of the seemingly identical offerings brought by the nesi'im. The midrash deals with the significance of every facet of the offerings, as well as the measures of each offering and what the numbers represent. The focus of the offering of the nasi of the tribe of Reuven completely centered around the fact that Reuven attempted to save Yosef from the anger of his brothers. Thus, the midrash reads the word קערת as עקרת, a reference to Reuven being the main (עיקר) one who saved Yosef. This is the first hint that the number 770 has to do with Yosef. This hint can also be found in a Rashi in Tehillim on the verse (113:9) "מושיבי עקרת הבית אם הבנים שמחה" - "He places the barren of the household to be the joyous mother of children." Rashi there says that this 'barren woman' is reference to ציון, another name for Yerushalayim, which is desolate and empty of her children. The word ציון and יוסף share the gematria of 156 (as is noted in Kol Hator), and thus we find that the midrash states that whatever happened to Yosef happened to Tzion, and vice versa. Thus, we again see that Yosef is connected to the number 770. What is even more interesting is that the midrash, in explaining the word כסף, which is next to קערת, brings an interesting verse to explain it. The verse is from Mishlei (10:20), "כסף נבחר לשון צדיק" - "Choicest silver is the tongue of the righteous." Thus, all of the thirteen times that the Torah mentions the word קערת, the value of which is 770, in this context, it is directly followed by the concept of silver which is associated with the צדיק. Yosef is the one who is always referred to as the צדיק יסוד עולם, the righteous one who is the foundation of the world, and thus we see an important connection between the year we are currently in (קערת = תש"ע) and Yosef hatzadik (hinted to in the word כסף). It is also significant that this theme is constantly repeated in the very psukim that are talking about the initial dedication of the mishkan, and the Shechina that accompanied it. Another interesting point is that the midrash says that the combined gematriahs of the two words קערת כסף is 930, which corresponds to the length of the life of Adam Harishon. Yosef is also intimately connected to Adam Harishon's lifespan, because the very fact that Adam's life was limited to this amount of time was a result of the sin, which also created the necessity for there to be a Moshiach ben Yosef who would rectify that sin. Based on this, it is interesting to note that the word תשע, nine, which also has the numerical value of 770, first appears in the enumeration of the lifespan of Adam in Beraishis (5:5).
Now, let's move on to the other place in Parshas Nasso where the number 770 appears. It is found in chapter 5, verse 7. There the Torah is speaking about the concept of someone who was acting as a guardian over an item that belonged to his friend. He claimed that the item had been lost or stolen, and then swore to that fact. Afterwards, it became clear that he had actually misappropriated it for himself. In such a case, the Torah states that the thief must now return the value of the stolen object and also add on a fifth of its value as well. The numerical value of the word "וחמישתו" - "a fifth" is also 770. This would not seem to be so significant until we actually read the pasuk inside. There we see that word that follows "וחמישתו" is the word "יסף" which, in context, means to add on. Again, Yosef is next to the word that hints to the year we are currently in. Another interesting thought is that the passuk could be read "וחמישתו" - in the fifth millenium - "יסף עליו" - add on the value [of the word וחמישתו, which is 770, and brings us to 5770]. It is also significant that the Ba'al Haturim mentions that in the previous passuk, the Torah refers to this sin as "חטאת האדם" - the sin of Adam (see there). Again, as we saw in the previous disussion of the nesi'im, Moshiach ben Yosef is a rectification of that sin of Adam.
Now we will turn to earlier places in the Torah where this number appears, and we will see some extremely interesting connections and hints to Yosef. The first place the number 770 appears is in the word תמשל, "you shall rule," which appears in Beraishis 4:7. This is the passuk that is Hashem's exhortation to Kayin to be careful not to fall into the trap that awaits him with his relationship with Hevel. In speaking of the sin that potentially awaits him, Hashem says, "ואתה תמשל בו" - You will rule over it. This sin, as we have noted in a previous post, was the classic sin of a fallen Moshiach ben Yosef, and the imperative of the verse seems to be stating that in the end, the final Moshiach ben Yosef will overcome and dominate the destructive force that was unleashed in the world through Adam's sin, which resulted in Kayin's sin.
Even more significant, however, is the second place where the word תמשל (whose numerical value is 770) occurs. This is in Beraishis (37:8). This verse is right in the middle of the story of Yosef, where he has just told his brothers about the dreams that he had. As is noted in Sefer Kol Hator, this was the very moment that Yosef stepped into the role of Moshiach ben Yosef. The response of his brothers is recorded in that verse, "המלך תמלך עלינו אם משול תמשל בנו" - "Will you be king over us, or will you rule over us?" The very word "תמשל" - "rule over us" has the gematria of 770, seeming to imply that this year has a deep connection to Yosef's rule over the Jewish people.
Another significant place that we see a word with the gematria of 770 is found in Beraishis 38:29. This is found in the following chapter which took place right after Yosef was sold, when the Torah records the story of the birth of Yehuda's two sons Zerach and Peretz. There, in speaking of the birth of Peretz, the Torah tells us the words that were said when Peretz 'burst forth,' being born first, though it initially seemed his twin would be first. The passuk says, "ותאמר מה פרצת עליך פרץ" - "And she said, how have you burst forth!" The word פרצת, 'burst forth,' refers to the nature of Moshiach which bursts forth, and has the numerical value of 770. Although this passuk is clearly speaking of the concept of Moshiach ben Dovid, nevertheless, we find that Moshiach ben Yosef always contains an aspect of Moshiach ben Dovid within him, and ultimately, the process of Geulah involves a joining of Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben Dovid.
This is particularly significant because we find that every period of time that involves Moshiach ben Yosef actually splits into two halves (and this occurs on multiple levels), the first being of a more external or superficial revelation of Moshiach ben Yosef, the second being a Moshiach ben Dovid type of revelation, that is, a more internal and miraculous type of revelation. Thus, the sixth millennium (from the year 5000-6000) is the millennium of Yosef, who corresponds to the sixth Sefirah of the lower seven, which is Yesod (as we see in the passuk צדיק יסוד עולם). This millennium is broken down into two halves, the first of which is the 'night' of the sixth day (from 5000/1240 until 5500/1740 which corresponds to 6 PM Thursday night - 6 AM Friday morning). This is the concealed aspect of the sixth day. The second half of the millennial day, from 5500/1740 until 6000/2240, corresponds to the revealed aspect of the sixth millennium, or the Moshiach ben Dovid aspect within Moshiach ben Yosef. This second half of the millennium further breaks down into two parts as well, one of which is more hidden, and one of which is more revealed. Thus, the period of time between the years 5500/1740 and 5750/1990 constitutes a more concealed aspect (the aspect of Yosef), whereas the years from 5750/1990 until 6000/2240 constitute the revealed part (or Dovid aspect of Yosef) of this half millennium.
[It might be illustrative to think of this in terms of Yosef himself, in his external or superficial aspect, as the leader of Egypt. This is what is revealed to the masses, and what the world sees. On a deeper level, there is a hidden aspect of Yosef, a פנימיות which could be referred to as צפנת פענח, the revealer of secrets. This is the deeper aspect of Yosef, or what we could call the Moshiach ben Dovid aspect of Moshiach ben Yosef. This distinction is referred to in Kol Hator as the aspects of Yosef ben Rochel and Yosef ben Yakov.]
This last point explains the significance of something else that we discussed, which is the advent of Mincha Gedolah on Rosh Chodesh Av of this year. We saw that Mincha Gedolah is the time that corresponds to the counterforce against the Erev Rav. The question is, Why? We saw that the Erev Rav gains power at noon, so why do Chazal wait, as it were, to unleash the power of our tefillah until twelve thirty? It could be possible to explain that since the second half of the hour always denotes the more inner dimension - the Dovid aspect - of the spiritual potential of that time, it is only through that inner dimension that one can overcome the forces of evil. This would also explain why the publication of the book Kol Hator could not occur until 1968. Although there was an incredible revelation that occurred at the beginning of the sixth hour, which corresponds to the year 1948, it was only able to be seen on the external level of Yosef 'the ruler of Egypt'. The Dovid aspect within Yosef 'צפנת פענח', or the inner dimension of the revelation that occurred in 1948, was not to be revealed until 1968, with the publication of Kol Hator. Similarly, 5750/1990 was the beginning of the seventh hour in which we now stand, but all of the revelations that have been occurring have been in the external aspect of Yosef, the incredible scientific and technological breakthroughs that are the external aspect of the deeper dimension of the new Shefa that is pouring down from heaven. This is a result of the fact that we have entered the second half of the second half of the millenium. We are now about to pass the mid-hour point, which means that we are entering into the deeper dimension of this hour, when the Dovid aspect of Yosef (צפנת פענח) will be revealed. This is when the power of Yosef rises, on the wings of its inner dimension, and can finally begin to do battle with the external forces of the Erev Rav and Esav, who he is destined to vanquish.
With this in mind, we can see a possible explanation as to why the word פרצת, "bursting forth" has the gematria of our year. It refers to the Dovid aspect of Yosef which comes into play in תש"ע - 5770, on Rosh Chodesh Av.
We can further see this dual relationship, where the first half is an external/superficial (Yosef) aspect hiding the inner dimension, and the second half is the internal (Dovid) aspect, in the following observation. We have previously seen that the millennium can be divided into twenty four hours. These hours each consist of forty one and two-thirds years. The division of the millennium can also be done into twelve hours, where each hour will be eighty three and a third years. This is because every two hours are really components of a greater hour. Thus, each of the 41-year hours is also half of an 83-year hour. We can thus see that the fifth hour (1907-1948) and sixth hour (1948-1990) are two parts of a larger hour. The first period is thus the exterior aspect of the inner dimension that is revealed in the second period. During the first period, the world experienced the most wrenching transformation that it has ever known. It was characterized by two world wars, and millions upon millions of deaths. It also saw the incomprehensibly brutal murder of over six million Jews, and the events that would lead up to the creation of an official homeland for the Jewish people. I will leave it to your own minds to develop this deep idea to its fullest, but suffice it to say that the fifth hour was the hour of a certain redemptive process developing in an external and hidden way, while the sixth hour was the hour of the revelation of the inner dimension of that process. This repeats itself with the sixth and seventh hours, as well, where that which was revealed in the sixth hour (1948-1990) is, relatively speaking, the external aspect of that which is to be revealed as the inner dimension in the seventh hour (1990-2031).
With this idea, we can also understand something else that was mentioned in a previous post, which is the statement of the Gemara in Sanhedrin (38b) that the seventh hour of the original sixth day of creation was when Hashem married Adam to Chava. It was during that hour that Adam was made to sleep so Hashem could separate Chava from him, and thereby bring them back together, marrying them as man and wife. This was the external aspect of what was to occur in the following hour, where they would actually have relations and thereby bring children into the world. This aspect also corresponds to what the Zohar says is the purpose of the current seventh hour (1990-2031), which is the rebuilding of the Beis Hamidash, which is the rejoining of the Jewish people with the Shechina (the Divine presence), as well as the aspect of הקדוש ברוך הוא with שכינה. This is the outer dimension of Yosef, which will be followed in the eighth hour by the inner dimension of Dovid, whose job is Techiyas Hameisim, revival of the dead, which the Zohar says occurs in 5790/2030.
The final place that we will discuss where we find a word with the value 770 is at the end of the story of Yosef and his brothers, when they have completed the tikkun and Yosef has revealed himself. As described in Beraishis 45:22, Yosef gave each of them חלפות שמלת, new clothing. The numerical value of שמלת, clothing, is 770, as we discussed at length in a previous post. It is extremely interesting that before the story reached this climax, when the brothers took out their sacks to prove that they did not contain Yosef's goblet, they tore their clothing when the goblet was found in Binyomin's sack. There (Beraishis 44:13), the Torah uses the same word for clothing and says, "ויקרעו שמלתם" - "They tore their garments." Paradoxically, this tearing of their garments in grief was the beginning of the final revelation of Yosef. Yosef would replace those garments in the passuk mentioned above. [By the way, it is interesting that the word referring to Biyomin's sack is "באמתחת" has a gematria of 851, the same as the value of the words בעתה אחישנה, in its time I will hasten it.]
Again, as I wrote at the beginning of this post, although these ideas are extremely powerful and exciting, it is important to remember that the Geulah process is just that - a process. It is likely that Rosh Chodesh Av will come and go with no discernible difference before and after. However, I firmly believe that we will look back at the date and see that a cosmic shift occurred that moved us ever closer to our final redemption, במהרה בימינו אמן.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Clothing of Geulah and Cosmic Friday's Mincha Gedolah
In the parsha podcast a few weeks ago, I mentioned the interesting point that when Yosef comes out of jail, he immediately receives a change of clothing, which is referred to as שמלות. Similarly, when Yosef finally reveals himself to his brothers, he gives them each a change of clothing - חליפות שמלות. This reference to clothes as שמלות comes in contrast to previous references to clothing as בגדים (e.g. when Potiphar's wife grabs Yosef's clothes). The chiddush that I said then was that the difference between a בגד (beged) and שמלות (Semalos) is that the root of the first comes from the word 'to rebel' - an indication of the clothing's function after the sin of Adam Harishon, to cover up his rebellion. After Yosef and his brothers achieved their complete rectification, they each earned their שמלות. Since the first letter is the letter 'sin' and it is interchangeable with the letter 'samach,' it could be explained that the concept of שמלות represents the concept of a סמל - something that represents. Whereas the בגד betrays who the person is, the שמלה represents properly who the person is. Thus, they received a change of clothing - now that they rectified their previous blemishes - clothing that reflected their true greatness.
As the ba'al korei read the parsha this past week, I had to smile as I saw that when the Jews left Mitzrayim, they 'borrowed' gold and silver - as well as שמלות! At the very moment which represented the final rectification of the Galus of Mitzrayim, just as at the first moment of the tikkun, the Jews got new clothes - שמלות.
What I didn't mention in the podcast was something else I noticed about the word שמלות. In the Torah, it is actually spelled חסר, without the ו"ו. Thus it is written שמלת. The Gematria of the word is תש"ע - the year we currently stand in. Thus, the very word which represents the completion of the rectification has the same value as this year.
What is also interesting is that when the Jews leave Egypt, the passuk says that they borrowed gold, silver and clothing. There the word is with the extra ו"ו which means 'and.' This brings the gematria of the word to be the same as the year תשע"ו which is in six years from now.
Thus, if there is any significance to this observation, it could be said that there is a significant rectification that might be accomplished by the leaders of the Jewish people in our current year (5770). Perhaps the rectification of the entire Jewish people is hinted to as being set to occur in the year 5776. It must be noted that the year 5776 is a yovel year, and the last one was in 5727 (1967) when the six-day war occurred. It is worth checking out Keitz Meguleh's post, entitled "Geulat Mitzraim to Yemot Hamashiach" which speaks at length about the significance of these dates. Also, see his online book on Yovel and the year 5776, which is fascinating.
It is also significant to note that in this year we also reach an important point in time on the sixth day. What I am referring to here is that each thousand years of history corresponds to a day. The period of 6000-7000 is Shabbos. Thus, we are in the second half of Friday. 1990 marked חצות - midday - of Friday. There is no question (and I have seen this in completely secular books) that the year 1990 marked a new chapter in the annals of mankind. Russia and Communism fell, and we began a new age of computers and internet. (Stephen Covey refers to this age as the 'knowledge-worker age.') The world today is vastly different from the world of the 1980s.
The sefer Kol Hator notes that if we divide 1000 years into 24 (hours of the day), each hour corresponds to 41 2/3 years. This would mean that the year 5500 was daybreak of the sixth day, and 5750 was חצות (as we saw). This year (5770/2010), we hit 12:30, which is 20 5/6 years (half an hour) since 5750. This occurs on Rosh Chodesh Av. The time 12:30 is referred to as Mincha Gedolah - the first time you can daven Mincha. It is also the time that the daily afternoon Tomid offering was brought. This time is also known as the time when the walls begin to darken as the sun is no longer directly overhead. It is also the time that the sun begins to lean towards the west. Interestingly, this time is referred to as בין הערביים - between the eves. This is because the word ערב (normally translated as eve) means 'to set.' This is the first time the sun sets, as it has passed its peak and it begins to head downward. The second time the sun sets is at shkiah - sundown. Thus, Rosh Chodesh Av is the beginning of the suns descent on erev Shabbos.
Now, as in the past, I am reluctant to make any predictions, but I think it is safe to say that when we look back at this year, we will be able to note a very significant point in history, just as we do when we look back at the year 5750 (1990).
As the ba'al korei read the parsha this past week, I had to smile as I saw that when the Jews left Mitzrayim, they 'borrowed' gold and silver - as well as שמלות! At the very moment which represented the final rectification of the Galus of Mitzrayim, just as at the first moment of the tikkun, the Jews got new clothes - שמלות.
What I didn't mention in the podcast was something else I noticed about the word שמלות. In the Torah, it is actually spelled חסר, without the ו"ו. Thus it is written שמלת. The Gematria of the word is תש"ע - the year we currently stand in. Thus, the very word which represents the completion of the rectification has the same value as this year.
What is also interesting is that when the Jews leave Egypt, the passuk says that they borrowed gold, silver and clothing. There the word is with the extra ו"ו which means 'and.' This brings the gematria of the word to be the same as the year תשע"ו which is in six years from now.
Thus, if there is any significance to this observation, it could be said that there is a significant rectification that might be accomplished by the leaders of the Jewish people in our current year (5770). Perhaps the rectification of the entire Jewish people is hinted to as being set to occur in the year 5776. It must be noted that the year 5776 is a yovel year, and the last one was in 5727 (1967) when the six-day war occurred. It is worth checking out Keitz Meguleh's post, entitled "Geulat Mitzraim to Yemot Hamashiach" which speaks at length about the significance of these dates. Also, see his online book on Yovel and the year 5776, which is fascinating.
It is also significant to note that in this year we also reach an important point in time on the sixth day. What I am referring to here is that each thousand years of history corresponds to a day. The period of 6000-7000 is Shabbos. Thus, we are in the second half of Friday. 1990 marked חצות - midday - of Friday. There is no question (and I have seen this in completely secular books) that the year 1990 marked a new chapter in the annals of mankind. Russia and Communism fell, and we began a new age of computers and internet. (Stephen Covey refers to this age as the 'knowledge-worker age.') The world today is vastly different from the world of the 1980s.
The sefer Kol Hator notes that if we divide 1000 years into 24 (hours of the day), each hour corresponds to 41 2/3 years. This would mean that the year 5500 was daybreak of the sixth day, and 5750 was חצות (as we saw). This year (5770/2010), we hit 12:30, which is 20 5/6 years (half an hour) since 5750. This occurs on Rosh Chodesh Av. The time 12:30 is referred to as Mincha Gedolah - the first time you can daven Mincha. It is also the time that the daily afternoon Tomid offering was brought. This time is also known as the time when the walls begin to darken as the sun is no longer directly overhead. It is also the time that the sun begins to lean towards the west. Interestingly, this time is referred to as בין הערביים - between the eves. This is because the word ערב (normally translated as eve) means 'to set.' This is the first time the sun sets, as it has passed its peak and it begins to head downward. The second time the sun sets is at shkiah - sundown. Thus, Rosh Chodesh Av is the beginning of the suns descent on erev Shabbos.
Now, as in the past, I am reluctant to make any predictions, but I think it is safe to say that when we look back at this year, we will be able to note a very significant point in history, just as we do when we look back at the year 5750 (1990).
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