The Hidden Nature of Moshiach

It is brought in Kol HaTor that Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben David are hidden, as long as Am Yisrael and the Shechinah are in Galus.

This indeed has been the case during history.

As mentioned before, the main tasks of Moshiach ben Yosef are:

• Kibbutz Galuyot
• Binyan Yerushalayim
• Setting up Anshei Amanah (the precursor to the Sanhedrin)
• Revealing the Secrets of Torah

The Ariza"l and the GR"A, both identified in the role of Moshiach ben Yosef, revealed many secrets of Torah. The GR"A sent his students to start the work of Moshiach ben Yosef. But what about afterwards?

We find that the person who is credited as the father of Zionism is Theodore Herzl, a secular Jew. The First Zionist Congress in Basel, 1897, which was initiated and chaired by Herzl, was a pivotal event in the history of Zionism. Rav Kook referred to him as Moshiach ben Yosef (if anyone can supply an exact source for that, I would appreciate).

How can we consider Theodore Herzl as one of the many incarnations of Moshiach ben Yosef? He did not keep Torah and mitzvot; his life story is public knowledge for one that wants details.

That is exactly the key: Since Am Yisrael and the Shechinah were still in Galus, and the appointed time had come to arouse Am Yisrael to make Aliyah, the Moshiach ben Yosef who came forth had to be someone who did not fit the mold.

This also teaches another idea: the revelation of Moshiach is dependent on Am Yisrael returning to Eretz Yisrael.

1050 - Mechirat Yosef

On the ratio between Bayit Rishon and Sheini against Yemot HaMoshiach.

The division is based on two numbers: 830 years and 220 years, which add up to 1050.

(For this drash I am only using round numbers.)

If we look at the numbers, they both end in 0, so let's divide by 10.

83 years and 22 years.

Both of these years are in the Chumash.

• Aharon was 83 years in the year 2448, when he became the first Cohen.
• Yosef didn't see Yaakov Avinu or his brothers for 22 years, due to being sold by his brothers (Mechirat Yosef).

The Zohar Chadash, in Maamar Mechirat Yosef (first couple of sentences), mentions these 22 years as an explanation as to why Am Yisrael spent 210 years in Mitzraim.

22 years * 10 tribes = 220 years. Subtract 10 years, 1 per the actual heads of the tribes that received a portion of Din in that they perished in Mitzraim, and you get 210 years.

Nonetheless, we know that the sin of Mechirat Yosef was not completely atoned for, see the matter of the Asarah Harugei Malchut. There is also a relation between Mechirat Yosef and the Sin of the Spies. For, as Midrash Tanchuma states, whatever happens to Yosef happens to Tzion, and thus they are equal in gematria (156).

I propose that Am Yisrael as a whole will have a final opportunity to fix the collective sin of Mechirat Yosef starting at the beginning of Yemot HaMoshiach. One of the main errors that caused Mechirat Yosef? It is hinted at during the brothers encounter with Yosef at the end of 22 years.

בראשית מב:ח - ויכר יוסף את אחיו, והם לא הכרהו

Breishit 42:8 - And Yosef recognized his brothers, but they didn't recognize him.

May our success come soon, let us all recognize Yosef at the beginning of these "22 years" and thereby repair the split between Yosef and Yehudah.

Tefillat Od Yosef Chai

In chapter 5 of Kol HaTor, there is a nusach of a Tefillah entitled Od Yosef Chai (Yosef still lives). It was a tradition in the Old Yishuv to daven this Tefillah at the place entitled Pitcha D'Karta (Aramaic for the Opening of the City). How the placing of this was determined is an interesting topic. The bottom line is that the this location was determined, back in the 19th century, to be at the top of Rechov Shtraus in downtown Yerushalayim, where the old Histadrut building is.

In the weeks prior to the Hitnatkut in 5765, there was a gathering at this location to say this prayer.

Rav Yosef Rivlin, one of the editors of the 5754 edition of Kol HaTor, and a direct descendent of Rav Shlomo Zalman Rivlin who published Kol HaTor originally in the period between the 2 World Wars, was there. He recounted how they would come back in his youth to this location to daven this tefillah. He told us that they would say that the Histadrut building was built davka there in order to keep them from praying at the spot (the prayer was then moved to the backyard of the building).

Within the last few years, a set of books was published by the name of Torat HaGeulah. If I recall correctly, the publisher is on Yehudah HaMaccabi street near Lishkat HaGiyus. With this set of 3 books, they also have a tiny paperback copy of this Tefillah.

Happy is One Who Waits...

Daniel 12

9. And he said, go Daniel, for closed and sealed are the words until the time of the Keitz. 10. Many will be refined, whitened, and the wicked will do wickedly, and the wicked will not understand, and the enlighted will understand. 11. And from the time of the cessation of the Tamid, and to the giving of the Desolate Abomination, days: one thousand two hundred and ninety. 12. Happy is the one who waits and arrives to days: one thousand three hundred and thirty five. 13. And you Daniel, go to the end, and rest and stand for your destiny for the Keitz HaYamin.

The Introduction to Tikkunei Zohar on page 4b

And immediately after it went up, "and they went without strength before the pursuer", and because of this the masters of the mishnah have set up, that everyone that says Amen Yehei Shmeh Rabba with all his might, (in heaven) they tear up a sentence of 70 years, that these 70 years, are after 1200 years, that the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, and there are those that calculate it from the time that the Tamid ceased, because the Keitz of the Redemption is dependent on the level of Yaakov, which is the level of Truth, and that is what is written "Give truth to Yaakov" (Michah 7), which is the sign for 1290, and there are those that add a further 2, from "Close is Hashem to those that call Him, to all those that call Him in truth (in truth has 2 more in gematria), to know in the land Your ways, thus it is here with land, Aleph Ra"tz (i.e. Elef, or 1000, and Ra"tz which is the gematria of 290), 90, to fulfill with it Truth sprouts up from the Land, so that there will be a value of Land (i.e. 1290), but the sentence itself is 70 years.

I do not want to enter in to the subject that is actually being discussed, which is 1200 years of Galus.

Note the following:

• The time of the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash is taken as a different year than the cessation of the Tamid. When dealing with years, 3 weeks (between the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av) is not significant.
• The juxtaposition of the two year counts, 1200 and 1290, indicates that they start at the same time.

So the question is, are we referring to the 1st Beit HaMikdash or the 2nd Beit HaMikdash?

The GR"A's peirush on the Tikkunei Zohar answers this implicitly. On the words "and there are those that calculate it from the cessation of the Tamid", he writes that the Tamid ceased to be brought 20 years prior to the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. In his notes on the bottom of the page, on the issue of the 2 years for the letter beit, he writes that in reality it was 18 years.

(Explanation - We go 20 years back, and then count 1292 years, or go forward 2 years before counting 1290. Alternatively, subtract 18 from the year of destruction.)

The 1st Beit HaMikdash was destroyed in the year 3338. If we look 18 years prior, we find the year that Nevuchadnezar first came to Yerushalayim. The writers of the Tikkunei Zohar are referring us to this year as our starting point.

So theoretically, if we add 1290 years to this point, we should find our answer as to the identity of the Desolate Abomination.

• 3338 - 18 = 3320
• 3320 + 1290 = 4610
• 4610 - 3760 = 850 CE

What happened in 850 CE of note that might shed light on the matter? Nothing.

However, according to the physical reality, the 1st Beit HaMikdash was not destroyed 2430 years ago, but rather a further 163 years prior in the year 3175 (586 BCE).

• 3175 - 18 = 3157
• 3157 + 1290 = 4447
• 4447 - 3760 = 687 CE

That year was the beginning of the construction of the Dome of the Rock.

That is it.

The verses say to count days. Why would it say days if the meaning is years? I propose that the word days is given to indicate to us that these are physical years. Why? If I tell you to count a number of days, you can actually count the number of days very easily. If I tell you to count a number of years, you will most likely find an outside event as a reference point for your beginning and end. Days represent the physical reality, while years represent a different, yet not contradictory, spiritual reality based on the Jewish year count.

It is clear as day that 45 years later (i.e. 1335 years from the starting point) was not something to rejoice over. We must start over at 0 and count to 1335 starting the next year.

4448 + 1335 = 5783

Construction continued until 4451.

4451 + 1335 = 5786

Indeed happy we will be to witness the events that will occur during those years.

Note how this period coincides with the time that Moshiach ben Yosef will finally be completely free of the Klipah of the Left as I wrote in The Sprouting of Moshiach. The implication is clear. The reason that we are to pray for the survival of Moshiach ben Yosef during the blessing regarding the building of Yerushalayim is now understood. Moshiach ben Yosef will build the Beit HaMikdash. He will be in danger at that time, but he is destined to succeed, for Moshiach ben Yosef does and he succeeds.

Postscript: The chidush here is not the simplicity of seeing that 3175 is about 1290 years before the Dome of the Rock was built, but rather:

• The calculation for the exact year comes directly from an ancient Jewish source, Tikkunei Zohar, made more precise/explicit by the GR"A.
• The "secular" dating of Churban Bayit Rishon also has its place in Torah.
• If the Geulah follows the order of prayer, we can have a further sense of where we are and where we're going.

Further, it opens up further interesting questions to ponder:

• What date was the introduction to Tikkunei Zohar written?
• Though the GR"A obviously lived after the Dome of the Rock was built, did he know the actual year it was built?

8th Tikkun - Tikkunim Chadashim

Here's a short translation from Tikkunim Chadashim of the Ramchal, Tikkun #8. This can be found on page 86 of Machon Ramchal's edition, with translation from Aramaic to Hebrew.

And just like (Moshiach ben Yosef) needs death to fix this defect, thus about (Yisrael) it is said (after the Sin of the Spies): In this desert they will be finished and there they will die (Bamidbar 14:35). And also Moshiach ben Yosef after halfway through the sixth day is set to die, to fix a complete Tikkun. And from there and onword the two trees will join as one to stand in one completeness.

On Calculating the Keitz

The following is a translation of the last 2 paragraphs of Kol HaTor chapter 4.

And in regard to the opinion that all Kitzim (plural of Keitz) have passed, the meaning is for those appointed time that the specific actions of the appointed emissaries were note fulfilled as explained above. And for those who say "the bones of those who calculate the Keitz should explode", the meaning is those that calculate alone, without the actions of the Awakening from Below, who are not considering the Atchalta which comes by the First Moshiach, Moshiach ben Yosef as the great preparation by way of action. Therefore it is written in the language of "their bones" for they sin against the "bones of Yosef", which within is the secret of Moshiach ben Yosef in the verse "And Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him".

And in the measure that we hasten the Geulah, to desire her stones and to cherish her dirt, the Geulah comes towards us in the secret of "for the appointed time is coming" and like is written "return to Me and I will return to you". And in that measure as well, holy hints are revealed before us about the appointed times of rememberence and the Keitz Meguleh in the Last Generation that arrive until the Final Keitz, Keitz HaPlaot (the Wonderous End), until the Keitz HaYamin in the fullness of blessing in the secret of "his right hand is on the hand of Ephraim". A bit of what has been revealed on the way of Tso'fnat Pa'aneach up to what we are allowed to reveal about these hints will be discussed in the next chapter with the help of Heaven.

_______________

I would like to comment on this.

While it can be a somewhat intriguing topic when people believe Moshiach is coming, calculations by themselves do not hold inherent positive value, for a person might get this idea that we are stuck in the flow of history and we do not have an active role in Am Yisrael's destiny. Some of the hints, such as what I have written on this blog, indicate what preparations we need to make, both on a physical and mental level. Physical, I mean leaving Galus. Mentally, I mean removing Galus our minds. Or in our metaphor of being the Generation of the Desert, replace Galus with Egypt. The Redemption of Truth is a goal for us all, leading to essential changes in perception. It is the key to adapting to the changes of our future. It is essential for turning the hearts of the children to their parents and parents to their children.

Moshiach ben Yosef in the Torah

This is an elaboration of the prior post.

Avraham Avinu became Moshiach ben Yosef from the time of Brit Bein HaBetarim. According to the Seder Olam, this was in 2018, when Avraham was 70 years old. According to the GR"A, it was in the year 2023, when he was 75 years old.

Yitzchak Avinu became Moshiach ben Yosef from the time of the Akeidah. This was in 2085, when he was 37 years old.

Yaakov Avinu became Moshiach ben Yosef from the time he fought with Esav's Angel at Peniel. This was the year 2205, Yaakov was 97 years old.

Yehudah became Moshiach ben Yosef from the day he saved Yosef. According to the Seder Olam, he was born in 2195. That is 4 years older than Yosef, therefore this was when he was 21 years old.

Yosef became Moshiach ben Yosef from the time of his first dream, at age 17, the year 2216.

Moshe Rabbeinu became Moshiach ben Yosef from the time he took Yosef's bones with him in the year 2448, at the age of 80.

Yehoshua Bin Nun fought against Amalek in the year 2448, at the age 42 (Yehoshua was born in 2406).

Moshiach ben Yosef in the Past

The following is a translation from Kol HaTor, chapter 1.

Od Yosef Chai (Yosef Still Lives) - Also many from the Forefathers, and many from the Prophets of Hashem, Kings of Israel, and many of the Tanna'im and Amora'im, and many of the Gedolei Yisrael and Men of Action in all the generations were in the line of Moshiach ben Yosef.

The first was Avraham Avinu in the secret of "How will I know that I will inherit it", and as is known, any language regarding inheritance which is said about Eretz Yisrael is in the line of Moshiach ben Yosef, and thus it is hinted in the word "I will inherit it (irashenah)" which is equal in gematria to "Moshiach ben Yosef". Avraham Avinu started with the first Atchalta DiGeulah, meaning redemption of the Kedushah of below, i.e. the earth of Eretz Yisrael.

Yitzchak Avinu entered into the line of Moshiach ben Yosef from the day of the Akeidah. This is also hinted at in his name Yitzchak which has the letters spelling Keitz Chai.

Yaakov Avinu, from the day he fought with the ministering angel of Esav, and Yaakov came complete. Complete to Sukkot.

Yehudah, from the day he saved Yosef.

Yosef, from the day of his first dream.

Moshe Rabbeinu from the day he took with him the bones of Yosef.

Yehoshua bin Nun, who was the first in Hashem's War with Amalek.

Shaul and David who both worked in the Wars of Hashem, and as is known that every War of Hashem is in the line of Moshiach ben Yosef, etc.

And in the later generations, also the Holy Ariza"l and his special student Rav Chaim Vital, and the Holy Rav the Ohr HaChaim were of the line of Moshiach ben Yosef as is known.

And in the last generation it is our Rabbi the GR"A who is the light of Moshiach ben Yosef, whose light goes before us and lights up the way. And also a few of his students merited, those who follow his command in the Vision of Tzion to receive from his spirit and from his great light in this line (of Moshiach ben Yosef).

So What Happened?

So many of the goals stated in Kol HaTor have been fulfilled on some level, yet most all of them are in a way that is not in line with Torah. How did we get to this state of affairs? The early 19th century showed beginnings in the tasks of Moshiach ben Yosef from the side of kedushah, aliyah for the sake of starting Kibbutz Galuyot, planting in order to start the Keitz Meguleh, living in equal footing in order to fulfill the principle of equality mentioned in Sanhedrin and in chapter 5 of Kol HaTor.

What did this turn in to?

Secular Aliyah to defend ourselves from the nations of the world, violating Jewish law in agriculture, and the Kibbutz movement. Each item is on a "non-religious" level parallel to the tasks of Moshiach ben Yosef, yet each is decidedly not in line with Torah in one way or the other. From a Moshiach ben Yosef perspective, it is the right actions, but with the wrong intention or execution.

There are quite a few different ways to approach this question, many different levels of truth.

Here's one:

History has its schedule, dictated by Hashem. In the early 19th century, with the work of Torah-true Jews towards the Keitz Meguleh, Am Yisrael started the path towards the ultimate Tikkun, little by little. These Jews in Eretz Yisrael sent emissaries to Europe to inspire further Aliyah, but alas, they did not come in numbers, and in the end, the secular Jews took over due to the geopolitical situation in Europe at the time. The Land of Israel was inundated with idealistic Jews with socialist backgrounds. They took over a very holy enterprise and purposefully made it mundane on many levels.

The opportunity to take Am Yisrael's destiny and attach it to the Torah was wasted. For the last few generations, the holy Moshiach ben Yosef has been effectively invisible. The path was already chosen, the path of the Keitz Meguleh, but we failed to step up to the task.

Another approach:

Basing himself on heretical ideas and a prediction recorded in the Zohar, Shabbtai Tzvi (ysh"v) inspired Jews to make the very actions that we look for in this generation. Many Jews were tricked in to abandoning their possessions and starting their trek to Eretz Yisrael. For this is what happens, Moshiach arrives; Jews take the very real-life step of moving to Eretz Yisrael. They did not ask him to do anything for them, they did for themselves. This was balance, used for the Other Side. Real action accompanying the bringing of Moshiach, but only this wasn't Moshiach.

Am Yisrael entered in to an era of despair in the aftermath. The split would only become evident in the generations following between Moshiach Now of the Left and Moshiach Now of the Right, but the crack set in to place. The keepers of the center path shrank in numbers and influence. The attempts were made in the early 19th century, but the lead was taken away by the Left (not in the modern political sense) ever since.

Moshiach ben Yosef is from the Left as well. It is not a coincidence, but rather a consequence of the fight being b'akifin, in a round-about, hidden way.

For generations, the tasks of Moshiach ben Yosef were hijacked and fulfilled in not ideal ways. And at a certain point, for a certain reason, the role of Moshiach ben Yosef was declared enemy from without and from within.

May Hashem help us save Moshiach ben Yosef.

Rebbi Akiva and Bar Kokhba

It is becoming increasingly evident to me, via the writings in Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer, that at least some of the Sages of the Mishnah knew when the Final Keitz would be. The chapter of Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer quoted in the latest post on Birkat HaChamah includes within it Rebbi Akiva, famous for, among other things, for being a supporter of Bar Kokhba as Moshiach.

I mentioned before that according to the GR"A, if we are worthy, Moshiach ben Yosef could have come any time after the year 4000 and reigned over us until the appointed time came for the arrival of Moshiach ben David. This is the GR"A's drash on the 2000 years of Moshiach from the Tana D'vei Eliyahu.

For reasons I will not discuss at this time, it is apparent that the count that we use today for years is 163 years behind the physical year count since the events of the Sixth Day when Adam HaRishon was created. If we adjust the year count for the Churban of Bayit Sheini, we receive a year in the 4th millenium, but Bar Kokhba's revolt is squarely in the 5th millenium.

I think from this that Rebbi Akiva believed Bar Kokhba to be Moshiach ben Yosef, who fought against Edom, worked towards the building of Yerushalayim, etc. However, as the Rambam says in the Mishneh Torah, he died due to sins.

That is to say that any Moshiach that comes before the final Keitz in our generation and dies, it is known that we did not have the proper level of zechut, and inversely the sins of the generation (as well as individual sins) caused the death.

From this we can interpret the statement of Rebbi Yochanan in Yerushalmi Taanit (4:5) that grass would grow from Rebbi Akiva's face and still Moshiach ben Dovid will not have arrived. Perhaps Rebbi Akiva agreed, the Final Keitz was indeed far off. Rebbi Akiva thought that the situation was ripe according to the merit of Am Yisrael to move in to the age of Moshiach ben Yosef, but his colleagues disagreed on this point. Every generation, indeed every year, has its own special level of Teshuvah necessary for us to merit the Geulah. Their Teshuvah isn't our Teshuvah. This level of National Teshuvah, whatever it may be at an appointed time, causes Am Yisrael to be successful in actions towards the Geulah. Anything less than this level, and things go according to the last date (for each of Moshiach's Footsteps).

The Levels of Moshiach ben Yosef

In Kol HaTor, we are taught that there are essential three levels of Moshiach ben Yosef (See Kol HaTor chapter 1, siman kaf).

1. The Upper Moshiach ben Yosef - This is the M"T (The highest angel in the heavenly sphere), they are in the upper war against Armilus (in particular in the war of Gog and Magog)
2. The Lower Moshiach ben Yosef - This is one Jew in every generation that merits by his actions to work for the salvation of Israel, actions of salvation and raising the banner of Torah with personal sacrifice, until he reaches the level of 999 in Yesod (another conversation in itself)
3. All Beit Yisrael - Any Jew who in his actions takes up a part of the tasks of Moshiach ben Yosef (which are the tasks of the Keitz Meguleh listed before), big or small, according to the particular soul.

I would add that that for the second level, of the individual in every generation, there is a sub-level. This is the final Moshiach ben Yosef. This is the Moshiach that will be revealed in the year 66 mentioned in the Zohar. This is the Moshiach that will not die.