Hidden in Broad Daylight

The Zohar is one of the great mysteries of Jewish history. The secrets contained in it are beyond the imagination of most. The Zohar, aside from other issues, engages in giving down prophecies related to the End of Days. The fascinating thing is how it conceals itself.

One of the more well-known prophecies/predictions relates to 100 years of Galus for each of the 12 tribes, or 1200 years total. This shows up in multiple places in the Zohar.

The Zohar is written in a way to immediately discredit itself. If there are 1200 years of Galus after the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash in the year 3828 (68CE), that brings us to the year 5028 (1268CE). This is approximately the time that the Zohar was revealed. This interpretation of the calculation is brought by many an academic as backing up the claim that the Zohar is of 13th century origin. By itself, it seems like convincing evidence.

However, 1200 is not the only number mentioned in the Zohar.

• The Zohar Chadash on Mechirat Yosef (The Sale of Joseph by his brothers) says that Yosef was away from his father for 22 years, multiply this by 7 per the verse "seven for your sins" (from Bechukotai), and multiply by 10 for the 10 brothers that sold Yosef, and you end up with 1540 years after the destruction by Esav in the year 68CE. We are now in the year 1608CE. This is mentioned in context with Moshiach ben Yosef.
• The Zohar part 1 on Parshat VaYera mentions explicitly the year 5600 (1840CE) in a messianic context of when upper and lower wisdom would be bestowed.
• The Zohar part 1 on Parshat Toldot mentions the year 5408 (1648CE) in a messianic context as well.

It is fairly obvious from adding all these together that the writers of the Zohar did not believe that Moshiach was absolutely going to come in the 13th century, but rather some centuries after that.

Perhaps that is part of the secret of why the Zohar was revealed when it was.

Because He Can

Today, in the USA, the Israeli Prime Minister has announced intentions that mean no less than the division of Eretz Yisrael in general as well as Jerusalem in particular. One item that particularly irked Jews of Galus is brought here:

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124387

Olmert is highlighting what I have said before. The support of the Jews of Galus is needed, but it can only truly make a difference here. Not because of halachah, not because of ideology, but because it is the common rule amongst the Jews: numbers. Even if you show Olmert 5 million Jews in the USA that oppose these concessions, he will not listen to them. Why? Because he doesn't have to. He can do what he wants, because here, "we" are not a clear majority. We are an arguable majority. We have polls showing this that and the other, but when it comes down to election day, we do not have a clear voice. And so it continues.

Hashem Yerachem.

The Tamid

In the Mishnah of Masechet Taanit we have the following:

(4:6) Five things happened to our fathers on the 17th of Tamuz, and 5 on the 9th of Av. On the 17th of Tamuz:

• The tablets were broken
• The Tamid offering was ceased
• The walls of the city were breached
• Apastumus burned the Torah
• And he put up an image in the Heichal

On the 9th of Av:

• Our fathers were sentenced to not enter the Land
• The First Beit HaMikdash was destroyed
• And the Second (Beit HaMikdash was destroyed)
• Beitar was captured
• The city (Yerushalayim) was plowed

I would like to examine just the underlined items in blue shown above, regarding the walls of Yerushalayim and the Tamid offering.

The Zohar Chadash says that from the time of the cessation of the Tamid to the destruction, for both of the Batei Mikdash was 22 days. Note that it is 22 days and not 21 days; this is connected to the drash in Mechirat Yosef where this statement is made, where 22 is related to the 22 years that Yosef didn't see Yaacov.

The Talmud Yerushalmi (4:5) comments on both events separately. Regarding the Tamid, it recounts how during the sieges on Yerushalayim, the Jews used to send money out over the city walls in exchange for animals for the korbanot, and then one time the Romans sent up 2 pigs. It then goes on to say from that time, the sins caused the Tamid to cease and the Beit HaMikdash to be destroyed. See there for the entire account, which is also recounted in Yerushalmi Brachot. The next section of the Gemara is already dealing with the breach of the walls. The section regarding the breaching of the walls has to do with the actual dating of the events, because of the difficulty regarding the dates we go by and the dates which appear in the Tanach. The Yerushalmi states that the dates that are recorded in the Tanach are wrong, and were incorrect due to the troubles occuring at the time. See the mefarshim there on the daf for more.

The Bavli (Tannit 28b) is even more terse regarding the Tamid. It has one word: Gemara. Rashi there says "thus we have received from our fathers". I.e. it is a tradition that it occured on this day. On the breach of the walls, the Bavli says that it is not a problem, 17th of Tamuz is only for the 2nd Beit HaMikdash, the other date, namely the 9th of Tamuz, was for the 1st Beit HaMikdash. The Yerushalmi also brings this as a secondary explanation aside from the one I mentioned above.

As we can see from the two Talmuds, there is no explicit saying that the Tamid offering ceased the same year that the Beit HaMikdash was destroyed. The closest statement is the line from the Yerushalmi that in that hour, the sins caused the cessation of the Tamid and the Beit HaMikdash to be destroyed. However, just as all that was not in "that hour", so too not necessarily in that year.

The Zohar Chadash on Mechirat Yosef, however, is more of a problem. It says 22 days difference, and it links it to the Tamid, not the breach of the walls. However, I think the important item for this drash is that it is 22 days apart on the calendar, not necessarily that it is the same year. I have reason to believe, because of elsewhere in the Zohar, that this is the case, and that there is no contradiction.

From this we see the source of the different traditions regarding when the cessation of the Tamid offering took place. For some the different possibilities, see Mikraot Gedolot on Daniel. I do not believe, however, that the answer is to be found in the Mikraot Gedolot. HaMevin Yavin.

Different Approaches to Daniel

As a continuation of the last post, I would like to show a couple of different approaches among the Rishonim on Daniel.

Ramban (in Sefer HaGeulah) and Rashi both take the 1290 and 1335 to represent years. Both of them take them to be 2 periods of time with the same starting point related to the cessation of the Tamid offering. In other words, at 1290 years, there will be something which can be called the desolate abomination, and happy is one who makes it 45 years after that.

The years offered by Rashi and Ramban have of course passed already. The math shows that 1335 years passed the time of the last Tamid offering hundreds of years ago. If the wording in Daniel is literal, from the time of the cessation of the Tamid offering in the Beit HaMikdash, we cannot assume that it is two overlapping counts with a 45-year difference in length. Assuming the days are years and the Tamid is referring to something in the Beit HaMikdash, we must look for another way.

Ibn Ezra, on the other hand, takes the days to be literally days. He also takes them to be 2 separate periods of time. He says that the 1290 days is in reference to 3 years leading up to the destruction of the 2nd Beit HaMikdash. He goes on to say that we do not know the starting point of the 1335 days.

The Ramban argues on this idea. According to the Ramban, Daniel did not know the meaning of Moed, Moadim va'Chetzi (A time, times, and a half), and therefore the angel gave extra information to make him understand, being the 1290 and 1335. The Ramban takes from this that he didn't understand before, but at the end, he did understand. If so, the 1335 cannot have an unknown starting point, which by extension argues against the Ibn Ezra's positioning of the 1290 days to the time of the destruction of the 2nd Beit HaMikdash.

די למבין

Daniel

Daniel Chapter 12

9. And he said: Go Daniel, for shut and sealed are these things until the time of the Keitz.

10. Many shall be purified, whitened, and refined; the wicked shall do wickedly, and all of the wicked shall not understand, but the wise will understand.

11. And from the time of the ceasing of the eternal, and to giving of the desolate abomination, one thousand, two hundred and ninety days.

12. Happy is the one who waits, and arrives; to days - a thousand, three hundred, and thirty five.

13. And you, go to the Keitz, and rest and rise for your fate, at Keitz HaYamin.

These verses have intrigued over the ages as they seem to point to the final Keitz. So let us ask a few questions:

• The eternal, this is the word used for the daily offering in the Beit HaMikdash. This may be referring to the cessation of the bringing of the Tamid offering.
• If so, the first or the second Beit HaMikdash?
• The Tamid offering, according to certain opinions, did not cease 3 weeks before the destruction on the 17th of Tamuz, but rather some years prior (in the month of Tamuz for both Batei Mikdash). See Rashi on Daniel for example.
• The second item mentioned, the abominate desolation, is most likely related to the same essence as the Tamid mentioned.
• There are two numbers given, 1290 and 1335 days. Are these days or years? Ibn Ezra, for example, takes them to be days, whereas Ramban takes them to be years.
• If days are really years, why didn't the angel just say years?
• There seem to be 3 options regarding these two numbers:

1. They are two independent counts. This seems not to be true since the 1290 is given a starting point, 1335 is not.
2. The 1290 and the 1335 have the same starting point, where there is only 45 days/years extra to achieve the "happy is the one who waits" result.
3. The 1290 and the 1335 are two consecutive periods of time.

דניאל יב:ג- והמסכלים יזהרו כזהר הרקיע, ומצדיקי הרבים ככוכבים לעולם ועד

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).

Sha'ar Be'er Sheva

The most controversial chapter of Kol HaTor is chapter 5, part 2: Sha'ar Be'er Sheva. It was controversial enough that it was left out (i.e. censored) of the edition printed in HaTekufah HaGedolah. Rav Kasher felt that Kol HaTor was revolutionary enough as is, so he left it out (I'm not sure if he had kavanah to publish it at a later time or not).

The idea is based on our relationship as Jews to the natural sciences, particularly the Seven Wisdoms (translation to be added later).

1. חכמת החשבון התכונה והמדידה
2. חכמת היציריה וההרכבה
3. חכמת הרפואה והצמיחה
4. חכמת ההגיון הדקדוק והמשפט
5. חכמת הנגינה והקדושה
6. חכמת התיקון והשילוב
7. חכמת הביגו"ר (בין גשם ורוח) וכחות הנפש

As was written by the GR"A's students outside of Kol HaTor, the GR"A had completely mastered all of the Seven Wisdoms, save medicine; the GR"A's father commanded him not to learn beyond the base principles, lest he have to spend all his time saving lives. Different works about the GR"A mention how he was able to solve scientific problems of his day with great swiftness in a way that impressed greatly those who inquired of him.

One of the statements attributed to the GR"A there is that whatever one lacks in understanding in the Seven Wisdoms, one will lack one hundred-fold in Torah understanding.

But the plan, so to speak, is a bit more involved. The goal is Kiddush Hashem.

Kiddush Hashem will occur when the nations of the world realize the wisdom lies with Am Yisrael as guardians of the Torah. The problem is a paradox:

• The nations of the world can read the Torah, they don't need us for that, so that doesn't make us special in their eyes by itself.
• We can't teach them the wisdom contained in the Oral Torah, specifically Kabbalah.

The solution starts from an assertion: Kabbalah and Science are intertwined.

What we need, as per Kol HaTor, is Talmidei Chachamim who know Kabbalah to the extent that they are able to achieve great scientific advances based on the unique perspective on the universe that they will have from knowledged of Torah on all levels. It is a give and take relationship: Torah knowledge leads to scientific knowledge and vice versa. Then, when the nations of the world see that our wisdom in physical reality comes from our wisdom in the spiritual realm, they will see that this is a wise and understanding nation.

While what is written in Kol HaTor is mainly an action plan for Talmidei Chachamim who were Mekubalim (and thus it was in a special Beit Midrash for the sciences in the Old Yishuv), it still has halachah l'maaseh for the rest of us in regards to our approach to the modern day Science vs. Torah debates, as if it were one against the other.

This is the GR"A's approach to the desired state of affairs following the year 5600.

Zohar part 1, page 116B:

And in the 600th year of the 6th millenium, the gates of upper wisdom will open, as well as the springs of lower wisdom, and the world will be repaired ahead of the 7th millenium.

The siman for this is from the verse in Breishit 7:11:

In the 600th year of Noach's life, in the second month, on the 17th of the month, on this day, the founds of the great deep broke up, and the windows of heaven opened.

Let us notice that there should be no contradiction between these "waters" in our time. May this harmony soon be evident to all and may Hashem's Name be sanctified in the eyes of all.

Equal to them All

We are rapidly approaching the end of an era: the end of Galus.

Yishuv Haaretz is a mitzvah d'oraita. I think that is fairly clear to anyone who looks at the issue, and weighs the different opinions of the greatest authorities throughout the generations. However, I believe there is a reason that the greatest halachic decisors of our day have not called for all Jews to return home: preservation of free-will.

The fact that the rabbis of today have not told Jews of the Diaspora to come to Israel gives the Jews who have not yet come to Israel a choice which side of the halachic debate to choose. Afterall, there are differing piskei halachah regarding the mitzvah of Yishuv HaAretz. This (what can be perceived as a) lack of halachic clarity gives room for people to choose which way to go on the issue. Allow me to offer my take.

There are 7 mitzvot that are counted as equal to them all:

1. Abstaining from Avodah Zarah (Idolatry)
2. Milah (Circumcision)
3. Tzitzit ("Fringes" on garments)
4. Talmud Torah (Learning Torah)
5. Shabbat (Keeping the Shabbat)
6. Yishuv HaAretz (Settling in the Land of Israel)
7. Tsedakah (Charity)

As an aside, I saw on Meah Shearim street a few months ago a book dedicated just to these mitzvot. I believe I saw it at Sifrei Meah Shearim. The source for the saying that the mitzvah of Yishuv HaAretz is equal to the others is Sifrei on parshat Re'eh.

For our discussion, let us compare Yishuv HaAretz to the mitzvah of Tzitzit. The mitzvah of tzitzit is only in effect on garments with 4 corners. This basically excludes the vast majority of garments worn in Western societies. However, this mitzvah is considered to be as important as the other mitzvot combined, therefore it is written that G-d fearing Jews should go out of their way to wear a 4-cornered garment at all times. Now obviously the intent of Chazal telling us the importance of these mitzvot is not so that we will say "ok, I've done these mitzvot, I'm covered now for all other mitzvot", but rather that the importance of these is all encompassing. Tzitzit is a mitzvah that reminds us of the rest. Yishuv HaAretz, which is one of the base ideas permeating the entire Torah, how much more so?

Keeping Yishuv HaAretz on the side, there are no mitzvot here that require action where it is considered acceptable for a G-d fearing Jew to just do the mitzvah a little. Shabbat requires us to spend money on getting more desirable food, clothing, etc. Talmud Torah, which we fulfill our obligation just by our morning order of prayer (including Korbanot, etc), we still try to learn more every day, the more (both in quality and quantity), the better! Want to give more than 10% to charity? So long as it is below 20%, that is also praiseworthy.

And alas, here is the elevated mitzvah of Yishuv HaAretz, with its own levels of fulfillment, which so many not considering it a mitzvah even to be "yotzei y'dei chovah". There are those that make Eretz Yisrael their home a majority of their year, and go back to Galus, those that never leave Eretz Yisrael, there are those that live in Yerushalayim, those that live in cities where they are surrounded by a hostile nation. See the Ramban on the mitzvah of Yishuv HaAretz (in his hasagot on the Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot) to fully understand what I mean.

May Hashem speedily and painlessly bring us to a situation where all Am Yisrael can fulfill this mitzvah in the best way possible.

Birkat HaChamah - Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer

(Make sure to read all posts on Birkat HaChamah here)

I do not believe that one can really begin to understand the sod of Birkat HaChamah without learning Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer about the solar cycle.

Particularly chapter 6 discusses, in a rather cryptic way, the correlation of the sun and the moon. The internal contradictions point to something very deep. (Please note in some printings it is chapter 6, others it is chapter 7. The chapter starts with the words Rabban Yochanan Ben Zakkai)

On the one hand, the exact halachic length of the lunar cycle is mentioned. However, there is a cycle concept introduced for the Molad progression. Namely, if we take the Molad to occur at the hour of a certain planet, like Shabbtai, for example, which one will it land in in the next month, and twelve months later?

In order to give over this answer, we must assume round numbers of hours. This is in the exact same chapter where we are told the length of the month down to the number of chalakim.

We are shown that if we assume no leap years (i.e. every year is always 12 months, no Adar II), that the Moon has a cycle of 21 years.

Now, as an aside, we see here that the first Molad is taken as the same moment that the Sun was created, i.e. Tuesday night 6pm, the day of the Spring Equinox, not in line with our system of calculating the Molad, based on the first Molad to have occurred by the end of Elul, BaHaRaD.

So the beginning of the 21 year cycle and the beginning of the 28 year cycle start at the same moment, what is the logical thing to do? That would be to determine the point how often the two cycles start at the same time. The earliest amount of time for this is 84 years, because 21 * 4 = 28 * 3.

We have now introduced an 84 year cycle to the mix. But what is it based on?

84 years * 365.25 days, we get 30681 days.

84 years * 354 days (approximate lunar year length), we get 29736 days.

Subtract one from the other and get 945 days differential. So the significance is not that the events occur at the same time at all (or in the same calendar year).

That all being said, it is further asserted that 84 years is the time it takes for one hour to pass for Hashem. If we take 1000 years and divide by 12 hours, we get 83 and a 1/3 years per hour, a value stated explicitly in chapter 48.

That, however, doesn't necessarily explain 84 years. The math presented is contradictory. Every 84 years they line up. Is that 84 lunar or solar years? I would theorize that we are directed to make a brachah on the solar, and not the lunar. The solar takes precedence. The number 84 is 12 times 7, the 7 leap years and the 12 simple years, the 19 year cycle.

That is part of the sod.

The GR"A on Zachu/Lo Zachu

The GR"A teaches different teachings on Yeshayahu 60:22 (B'Itah Achishenah) and Chazal's take on it from Bavli Sanhedrin chapter 11.

Zachu - Moshiach ben Yosef

In the hagahot of the GR"A on the Rambam's halachot on Moshiach, a teaching is brought to resolve the disagreement between the Rambam and the Raavad.

The Rambam holds that the world will continue as normal, whereas the Raavad holds that the world will shift to a miraculous nature. The GR"A there says that these are both the words of the Living G-d.

He goes on to explain: Tana D'vei Eliyahu teaches that the years 4000-6000 are 2000 years of Moshiach. The GR"A explains, if we merit, from the year 4000 onward we can have Moshiach ben Yosef come and rule over us. Moshiach ben Yosef is from the side of Din, so whether or not he comes is dependent on our actions alone. How early in this time period he arrives is dependent on how much zechut we have.

Moshiach ben David, on the other hand, is from the side of Chesed, so this cannot be merited, as this is against the concept of Chesed. When Hashem decides to give us this gift, and we cannot change this.

So to summarize, if we merit it, Moshiach ben Yosef can come at any time between the year 4000 and the time of the advent of Moshiach ben David.

Keitz B'Itah

In the GR"A's peirush to Sifra Ditzniuta, chapter 5, the GR"A boldly states that not only does he know the final Keitz B'Itah, but also he says how to figure it out yourself. Of course he does not make it easy. A logical inference limits it merely to 5751-5834 (the 10th hour, in which Adam HaRishon sinned), whereas the GR"A is quoted elsewhere that the Geulah can really be defined down to a single year. The implication from the way he writes there is that he is going by the classic understanding of Zachu/Lo Zachu.

The Middle Path in Kol HaTor

In Kol HaTor, an interesting problem is raised regarding the interpretation of Chazal of B'Itah Achishenah. The thing is, Chazal's drash is not according to any sort of pshat. Let's look at the pasuk again:

The smallest will be for a thousand, and the young lad for a mighty nation, I am Hashem, in its time, I will hasten it.

So the real "pshat" is that at a certain point, the time of the Geulah will be moved up. When will that be? When the first pasuk is fulfilled, that we will reach the level of a thousand (ad v'lo bichlal, 999) and a mighty nation.

This takes us back to the drash on the 4 paths of Geulah that I wrote about a few months back. We have the ability to choose the way the Geulah comes. We can arrive at the level of Teshuvah required and then we will be redeemed (the Rambam says in Hilchot Teshuvah that this would be immediate), Hashem will compel us to do Teshuvah, we can wait for the last moment, or we can do the actions of the Atchalta in the role of Moshiach ben Yosef.

Therefore the "pshat", if you would pardon the term, is as follows:

If we do our efforts here from below and advance on the path that is laid out before us, fulfilling the goals of Moshiach ben Yosef, then we will arrive at level of 999, and at that point, the Geulah will be sped up. Then the Moed of the Keitz will come towards us instead of vice versa.

Please note on the word "pshat" that I used here. The GR"A is quoted as saying in Even Shleimah that until you understand the sod of a pasuk, you cannot be certain that you understand the pshat. The two must match or the pshat is wrong.

Eilu v'Eilu...

It turns out that all four paths converge in the end.

1. The Teshuvah we need at this time to merit the Geulah is both within our personal space (the daled amot of halachah) as well on the national level, of us doing Teshuvah here in Eretz Yisrael.
2. The Diaspora will be eliminated one way or the other in the near future, by our desire or by way of refuge. I am starting to believe that there will be less obvious warnings than the last time the Diaspora was in danger.
3. Hashem is pushing Am Yisrael closer and closer to the Keitz Meguleh, forcing our hand on a regular basis towards Tikkun (Why is it so hard to establish a state for the Arabs here?)
4. The Keitz Mechuseh, the final appointed time, is rapidly approaching. The Keitz is not at the end of the 10th hour.

Geulah - Miraculous or Natural

The Rambam states in chapter 11 of the Laws of Kings and Their Wars

Do not think that the King Moshiach needs to do signs or wonders, or make something new in the world, or revive the dead, or other such things like the stupid people say; it is not so. For we see that Rabbi Akiva was a great sage from the Sages of the Mishnah, and he was a supporter of Ben Koziba (Bar Kokhba) the king, and he would say about him that he was the King Moshiach And he, and all the Sages of his generation, thought that he was the King Moshiach, until he was killed (for) sins; and because he was killed, it was made known that he wasn't Moshiach, and the Sages did not ask of him a sign or a wonder.

The Raavad says on that halachah the exact opposite. He states the the opposite of the Rambam; Bar Kokhba was required to perform a miracle in front of the Sages, and because he couldn't, the Sages killed him.

Obvious contradiction. Seems straight forward, let's check to see the source for each.

Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 93b has the Raavad's version.

Talmud Yerushalmi Taanit 24a has the Rambam's version.

While the source of each story here tells us something, it is not exactly what we are looking for. What is necessary, however, is a basic analysis of the concepts in the Tanach. The Sin of the Spies and its aftermath show the situation clearly. Am Yisrael was commanded to take action - capture the Land, but due to the Lashon HaRa of the spies, decided not to. Then the next morning, the Ma'apilim decided to go in to Eretz Yisrael on their own initiative and capture the Land. They were told not to by Moshe, and decided to ignore that command.

One second they are advised action is needed to achieve the perfection of Geulah, the next they are told that it won't work; action is forbidden.

Yeshayahu told the people to stand firm, Yehudah would not fall to the kingdom of Ashur.

Yirmiyahu told the people to surrender, rebellion would cause the downfall of Yehudah and the destruction of Yerushalayim.

On Shabbat Chol HaMoed Succot we read Kohelet. In chapter 3, verse 1, we read:

For all there is a time, and a season for every desire under the heavens.

In the Tanach, there is a time to act, and a time to pray. And then Galut Bavel came. How did we know how to act before then? Hashem let us know. But now, the time of prophecy was over. Hashem would no longer direct us how to balance action and reliance on above.

• There are two approaches that we see through the course of Jewish history: Act towards the goals of the Geulah, and if it doesn't work out, then the failure indicates that it isn't Hashem's will
• No need for action, everything will come in a miraculous manner from above

And thus we see in the same Rambam a quote from Shmuel:

There is no difference between this world and the Days of Moshiach except the servitude of the nations (i.e. in the future, we will no longer be subservient to the other nations)

The Raavad again disagrees and says that the Geulah will come in a miraculous manner on the clouds of heaven (quoted from Daniel).

The GR"A says there that both are true:

• The Rambam refers to the Days of Moshiach ben Yosef.
• The Raavad refers to the Days of Moshiach ben David.

The GR"A there is making a big Chiddush. It would seem from a reading of the Rambam and the Raavad there that the Rambam refers to the manner of a "poor man riding on a donkey", meaning the poor-man's Geulah, natural in essence. The Raavad, on the other side of the coin, refers to on "the clouds of heaven", or miraculous Geulah. In Sanhedrin 98a it says if we are Zocheh, it will be on the clouds of heaven, and if not, like a poor man riding a donkey.

The GR"A's chiddush here is that both of them will occur. Zachu and Lo Zachu are not talking about two different scenarios but two different stages of the same scenario. That is our center line, balance between natural and miraculous.

This topic somewhat includes the topic of the Sanhedrin, but I will leave that for another time.

Torah and Science

It is a fact plain to the eye. According to a simple reading of many classic Jewish texts, our tradition is incorrect about science in more than a few instances. The religious Jew generally sees two ways to (actively) approach this problem (as opposed to just saying it doesn't matter).

1. The Torah was given to Chazal, but not science. Modern science can be trusted as being authoritative, as Chazal were simply using the tools of their time. If they would be alive today, they would have adjusted their rulings and statements to be in line with modern science. (Generally, this brings many quotes from the Rambam)
2. All of the words of Chazal are necessarily true and beyond dispute. If there is a conflict between modern science at what we see in Chazal, science is wrong. (Some add to this that science has a dishonest agenda of proving Torah to be false)

I do not want to get in to the details of this dispute, as there are volumes online about it already due to the debate of the ban on Rabbi Slifkin's books. The point here is that these two points of view seem to take themselves as exclusive. Either the findings of science are true, or the statements of Chazal are true. There is no in between.

But there is a center line in Kabbalah. In the book Pitchei Shearim, by Rav Yitzhak Isaac Chaver (a student of Rav Menachem Mendel of Shklov, who was a student of the GR"A), in the last section on Iggulim v'Yosher, Rav Chaver explains the following:

This world can be understood through two points of view, one of Iggulim, of General Providence, Nature, or alternatively of Yosher, Personal/Particular Providence, Miracles.

As an example, we see a statement in the Gemara that the sun rises in the east, sets in the west, and then goes above the Rakia (the firmament, or sky, if you would) in order to make the trip back to the east side of the sky. Whereas the science shows us that the sun is really underneath us during the night.

The Truth, according to what is brought there, is that both are right. Chazal were talking about one thing, the Gentiles were talking about another. Two different perspectives, both correct. The entire idea from Chazal is spiritual in nature and not talking about the physical world. We see this play through to the first blessing before Shma during Maariv, many ideas which have no basis in observable physical reality.

Now this obviously does not directly resolve all of the problems mentioned in this debate, however it is an approach. We do not write off Chazal, nor do we write off science. It is difficult for the laymen who has access to secular education but not the secrets of Kabbalah, and therefore this might seem hard to accept. We must approach these seeming contradictions with the understanding that not everything we see in Chazal is meant to be understood literally, and we cannot always assume that we understand what we read to its fullest extent.

For application of this idea:

The Earth does revolve around the sun, and the sun does revolve around the center of the galaxy, and we are moving away from the center of the universe. However, the place of the Holy of Holies is most definitely the center of the universe. The former statement refers to the physical, whereas the latter to the spiritual. The spot of Kodesh HaKodashim on Har HaBayit is the central physical reference point for spiritual physics.

Birkat HaChamah - More on the Cycle

(Make sure to read all posts on Birkat HaChamah here)

Birkat HaChamah occurs once every 28 years as discussed before. Let me review some of the math.

For these calculations we are assuming a year length of 365.25 days derived from Tekufat Shmuel (That each year is made of 4 equal seasons of 91 days and 7.5 hours. Not scientifically accurate, but remember that physical reality is not the entirety of the existence).

If event X occurs Tuesday night at 6pm (or any time for that matter), the following year, it will occur 30 hours later in the week (7 days * 52 weeks = 364, leaving 1.25 days remainder per year). After 28 years, it will cycle through week to make it back to the starting point. For further illustration, you can create an Excel spreadsheet to show the cycle, Column A being the year #, Column B being the hour of the week (7*24=168 hours per week).

Leave that on the side. We've established a 28 year cycle for the Jewish calendar due to the year length being 365.25 days, aside from the 19 year cycle linking the solar and the lunar years.

However, that is not the way the Gemara and Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer present the creation of the Sun. It is not just that it is the beginning of the Fourth Night, but also at the hour of Shabbtai.

Chazal bring down a cycle of 7 different bodies in our solar system, and tell us that they cycle through in a 7-hour cycle, each one having its own hour of influence. Interestingly enough is that this necessitates another independent cycle within the 28 year cycle. It does not matter what the yearly remainder is in hours (i.e. 365.25 days per year gives us 30 hour remainder, but it doesn't matter if this is 31 hours or 29 hours), the result is a 7-year cycle.

For example: In year 1, Tekufat Nissan fell in Shabbtai. That means that it also fell in Shabbtai in year 8. Shmitah years are (in our time) always in a year that Tekufat Nissan falls in Kokhav.

The difference between the two cycles:

In the 7-year cycle, we mark the 7th year (the end of the cycle), just like the 7th day.

In the 28-year cycle, we mark the 1st year (the beginning of a new cycle).

That is why this year is Shmitah and next year is Birkat HaChamah.

They seem so related, 4 cycles of 7 takes us to the beginning of the next 28 year cycle, yet they are mathematically independent, one based on the year-length, the other based on the hourly-cycle.

Neither is based on anything which is astronomically observable (the actual physical solar year is not 365.25 days long, and there is no observable 7 hour cycle among the planets), yet both are based on objects in our solar system.

The significance of these cycles is great, each cycle's significance is a secret of Torah which I am not here today to reveal. Also note that everything mentioned here is based on the year length and the cycle being based on an integer number of hours. This becomes more glaring in another cycle in Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer.

For further reading:

• Bavli Brachot 59b
• Bavli Eiruvin 56a
• Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer chapter 6-8

Succot and Eretz Yisrael

It once occurred to me that there are two positive mitzvot in all the Torah that can be done while sleeping: Succah and Yishuv HaAretz. This was a yearly vort that I would give people until I found it worded slightly differently in the name of the GR"A in the first chapter of Kol HaTor: There are two mitzvot that a person enters in to with their entire body: Succah and Eretz Yisrael. The mitzvah of Succah is that it should be made, and not from what is already made (Aseh v'lo min he'asuy), and thus it is for Tzion (that the building of Tzion/Eretz Yisrael requires doing from Am Yisrael). May we all be zocheh to perform these two mitzvot in their shleimut during the coming Chag!

Hebrew

What better way to catch everyone off guard than starting with something not on the list in the last post? Hebrew is one of my passions, so I thought I would discuss the dualities in Hebrew. The difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardi Hebrew (and by that I mean the way it was pronounced before the modern era, when the communities were still relatively insulated) is enough to confuse someone not used to the variety. The Hebrew language has the following characteristics:

• There are 22 letters, of which 6 (or 7 according to Sefer Yetzirah) have secondary sounds. Only two letters should have duplicate sounds (Sin and Samech), giving us a total of 27 or 28 unique sounds.
• There are 8 basic vowel sounds (not including kamatz and shva and chaser variations)

When an Ashkenazi Jew hears Sephardi Hebrew, he notices all the new sounds of the consonants. The chet and the ayin are usually the most striking. Depending on the community, the sounds of quf, tsadee, and tet, as well as beged-kefet letters without a dagesh, will also stick out.

When a Sephardi Jew hears Ashkenazi Hebrew, he notices the greater variety in vowel sounds than his own Hebrew.

But who is right and who is wrong? Our sources surely show that there are more consonental sounds than is present in Ashkenazi Hebrew (take beged-kefet letters as the obvious case, and the statement in the Gemara to lengthen the daled at the end of Shma Yisrael). The necessity for differences in the vowels is also self-evident. Kamatz is from the language of k'mitzat ha'peh, closing the mouth in an aw or oh sound. Patach is from p'tichat ha'peh, meaning to open the mouth wider, which is an accurate description of most Ashkenazic pronunciations of these vowels.

The answer is that neither is 100% right, but each has an essential aspect of Truth within it.

In closing, I will translate a Baraita from the Yerushalmi from Brachot 2:2:

תני אין מעבירין לפני התיבה לא חיפנין ולא בישנין ולא טיבעונין מפני שהן עושין היהין חיתין ועיינין אאין אם היה לשונו ערוך מותר

It is taught: (We) do not appoint as Shliach Tzibur not people from Haifa, nor people from Bishah (I'll admit I have no idea how that city name is pronounced), nor people from Givon, because they pronounce their Heh's like Chet's and their Ayin's like Alephs, but if their language is proper, it is allowed.

This is of course an issue that touches on halachah and one should look in to the subject seriously in the halachot of Kriat Shma and Shliach Tzibur in the Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, etc, but we should notice that the implication here is that those that formed this Baraita did not say that because it was their minhag, it was acceptable behavior. They said it was wrong and therefore we shouldn't let such a person be the shliach tzibur.

Postscript: Yes, I ignored Yemenite Hebrew in this analysis. From my own humble analysis it is indeed very close to proper Hebrew, but I do have some logic issues with it that are off topic.

The Fight for Balance

The Jewish world, as we know it, suffers from immense division. We find many different parts of Torah that are taught in opposing fashions. The move towards polarization has increased in the last few generations. Our goal in this generation is balance. That is the message in Kol HaTor, balancing the Left and the Right. The truth is found between the extremes that we find, and it is our task to reveal the Center. That is where the Truth stands. I would like to examine some Jewish dichotomies in the coming posts and hopefully find some clarity and show a point of Truth. Possible Subjects Include:

• Outlook on Geulah - Natural or Miraculous
• Approach to apparent contradictions between Science and Torah - Rational or Blind Faith

The Three Oaths

Sorry for the long delay since the last post. I have been back from my "break", but I have not wanted to post until I had what to say.

The source text for this topic is a Gemara at the end of Ketubot, on page 111a. Starting on the prior page (110b) there are a few statements brought down in the Rambam about Eretz Yisrael, but these are not 100% on topic today.

Based on the phrase "I have imposed an oath on you, daughters of Jerusalem" from Shir HaShirim, which occurs three times throughout the book, it is taught that there are three oaths which have been imposed on Am Yisrael and the Nations of the World upon our entry to Exile.

1. That Am Yisrael will not go up "in a wall" (usually meant to mean "as" a wall, i.e. in great numbers)
2. Not to revolt against the Nations of the World
3. That the Nations of the World are not to enslave us too greatly (the word, shi'bud, is the same word used for the slavery in Egypt, and what we seek freedom from by the hand of Moshiach ben Yosef)

Note there are two oaths put upon us, one upon the Nations of the World.

For those of you who are not familiar, the Three Oaths are the halachic block that some groups use to say that Jews shouldn't make Aliyah until Moshiach comes.

Rav Chaim Vital, in the introduction to Etz Chaim, writes that the oaths had a duration of one millenium, and he brings a few sources for this opinion, which we can take as the Ariza"l's opinion on the matter as well.

From what I have seen, the GR"A does not say that the oaths expired, but he does interpret them differently. It says not to go up as a wall. The Gemara does not say "where" we are going up to. In his commentary on Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkun 26, Daf 157, on the words ובמה וכו' בימינא), he says that the oath about going up as a wall is referring to the Beit HaMikdash. We are not permitted to use force to build the final Beit HaMikdash. The oath does not apply to creating a political entity who sovereignty over part or all of the Land of Israel.

This leads me to the Churvah synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. It was either in Mosad HaYesod or Chazon Tzion, which come in the same set of 3 books (If you have this set and would like an exact reference, please let me know, its been a while and I'll have to dig it up). It said that in building the Churvah synagogue, the Jews were on one hand building a community and religious center. On the other hand, they were calming the fears of the Ottomans and the Arabs that they had immediate aspirations to the Temple Mount.

When the time is right, Hashem will bring down the Final Beit HaMikdash, around which the physical building will be built by human hands (thus fulfilling the two opinions, one that it is built by us, the other is that it is built Above and descends to earth, see the Ramcha"l, Mishknei Elyon. I don't have a page, but search for the words הבית העליון יתפשט. For online text, go here and click on משכני עליון on the right side of the page). This will be with the agreement of the nations. Their agreement will not necessarily seem to come from such pure intentions, much as it was in 1947, nor will it last for long, as it did then.

Awakening from Below

אתערותא דלתתא

The above phrase (pronounced roughly "it'aruta di'l'tata) is a concept important to the Keitz Meguleh. The basic idea is that we put in our efforts below on Earth, and then Heavenly Assistance is added on. We show desire to have the Land of Israel, and Hashem helps us make it happen. We show the desire for the Beit HaMikdash, and we move towards it being built. I'd like to put that into a drash for this week's Parshah, Shoftim.

We learn from Chazal that we were commanded to do Three Mitzvot when we entered the Land of Israel:

1. Appoint a King
2. Destroy Amalek
3. Build the Beit HaMikdash

I used numbers instead of bullets because this is taken to be the proper order for this to occur.

So what's the problem? I don't have Seder Olam Raba out in front of me, but Am Yisrael was in Eretz Yisrael more than 300 years before asking for a king. We see in Sefer Shmuel explicitly that Am Yisrael requested a king, and then and only then did the three mitzvot take on full force. We got a king, and the Mitzvah of Amalek, and finally the command to build the Beit HaMikdash.

Posting to this blog will be sparse for the next 2 weeks.

Shabbat Shalom

The Purpose Of It All

The following is a summary/translation of parts of Chapter 5, part 2, of Kol HaTor.

In the Haftarah for Shoftim we have some pesukim dealing with the Geulah.

כי עין בעין יראו בשוב ה' ציון. פצחו רננו יחדו חרבות ירושלים, כי נחם ה' עמו גאל ירושלם. חשף ה' את זרוע קדשו לעיני כל הגוים, וראו כל אפסי ארץ את ישועת אלקינו

• כי עין בעין יראו בשוב ה' ציון
• For eye to eye they will see Hashem’s return of Tzion
• GR”A – i.e. Kibbutz Galuyot

• פצחו רננו יחדו חרבות ירושלים
• Be happy and joyful together, ruins of Yerushalayim
• GR”A – i.e. the building of Yerushalayim

• כי נחם ה' עמו גאל ירושלם
• For Hashem has comforted His nation, redeemed Yerushalayim
• GR”A – i.e. the Redemption of Truth (גאולת האמת), for Yerushalayim is called the City of Truth

• חשף ה' את זרוע קדשו לעיני כל הגוים
• Hashem has revealed His Holy Arm to the eyes of the nations
• GR”A – i.e. Kiddush Hashem

• וראו כל אפסי ארץ את ישועת אלקינו
• And all the inhabitants of earth will see the Salvation of our G-d.
• GR”A – this hints at the victory of Israel in the War of Gog and Magog which is after the First Redemption from the Servitude of the Nations.

We learn from here that a major preparation for our victory in the War of Gog and Magog is the Redemption of Truth for the same of (Sanctification of G-d’s Name (Kiddush Hashem). The GR”A also taught us that as Kibbutz Galuyot increases, the Other Side (S”A) increases in strength more than any time of the Galut. This can be understood, for with the end of the Footsteps of Moshiach (Ikveta DiMeshicha) comes the end of the forces of impurity. The forces of impurity know this, and therefore they come together with all their strength to prevent this from happening.

We are leaving the Galut of Edom. It says of Edom that “Esav hates Yaakov”. It also says in the Navi that “You will give truth to Yaakov”; Yaakov represents Truth and Esav hates Yaakov.

All forces of impurity (Tumah) get their energy from Kedushah, and as such we understand the struggle over Yerushalayim. It is not a coincidence that Yerushalayim is such a controversial subject, beyond logic. (Why is a child born in Hadassah Ein Kerem not allowed to have the country of Israel printed on an American passport? No one has claimed that the western side of Jerusalem belongs to the Arabs, afterall, right?)

The implications of what is written here should not be underestimated. The connection between the rise of negative forces and the advancement of Kibbutz Galuyot is very purposeful. This plays through to settling different parts of Eretz Yisrael as well. Please take these words to heart.

Mitzvot Dependent on the Land

As I have mentioned before, in order to remove the impure spirit from the Land of Israel, we must fulfill the Mitzvot that can only be done in the Land of Israel. For the average modern Jew living in Israel, this comes down to making sure that the produce being eaten is not Tevel, i.e. that all the different Terumot and Maaserot have been taken accordingly. We have another mitzvah fast approaching us, the mitzvah of Shmitah. It is brought down in the 10th chapter of the Yerushalmi Masechet Shvi'it that the mitzvot of Yovel and Shemitah are not d'Oraita at this time, but rather d'Rabbanan. The drash on the psukim brought in the Yerushalmi is that as long as Yovel is not d'Oraita, neither is Shmitah. Yovel is in full force only when all Jews are back in Israel. I will leave that last sentence without further detail, because it is a bit more complicated. The year that we keep Shmitah is an interesting topic, G-d willing I'll find the original sources and make a post out of that. In the past (and the way it will be in the future, G-d willing), the Sanhedrin would count the years of the Shmitah cycle and also the Yovel cycle. Now, however, we use a simple equation. 7 * n for n = 1 through 857 For those of you in Israel, now is the time, as we have about 6 weeks before the onset of Shmitah. Learn what you can, decide how you will keep the mitzvah. There are plenty of English and Hebrew sefarim out there to help us keep this important mitzvah. May it be Hashem's will that we shall soon have an established Sanhedrin to count the years of the Shmitah cycle and we will be able to keep Shmitah as Hashem has commanded us. Please note, since Tu B'av, it is already forbidden to plant any trees until after Rosh HaShanah 5769.

B'itah Achishenah

One of the more famous verses in Tanach regarding the Geulah is the last verse of chapter 60 in Yeshayahu: הקטן יהיה לאלף והצעיר לגוי עצום, אני ה' בעתה אחישנה The smallest one will be for a thousand and the young lad for a mighty nation, I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it. The Gemara in Masechet Sanhedrin says: If they merit it, "I will hasten it"; if they don't merit it, "in its time". This division complements what I've written before. If we do sufficient Teshuvah we will be redeemed, and if not, it will still happen but only at its appointed time. It is pointed out in Kol HaTor, however, that is not the plain meaning of the verse. The second half of the verse has no conditions. In its time it will be hastened. This is a biblical promise that we will not have to wait until the very end, the year 6000. Kol HaTor further explains that the verse itself tells us what to do. When will the second half of the verse happen? After the first part of the verse happens. The smallest one will be a thousand? That means that we will reach the last level of one short of 1000, which is 999 in the level of Yesod. And the young lad will be a mighty nation? The young lad refers to Ephraim, a hint at Moshiach ben Yosef. When Moshiach ben Yosef will get us to the level that we are a mighty nation, this will have occurred. What is a mighty nation? In Egypt, we are described with this same word for mighty, and there we had 600,000 Jews. So once 600,000 Jews reach Israel, this will have been fulfilled.

Glossary of Terms

I will be editing this post as needed to add explain new phrases. Please post any requests for additions to the comments of this post. Organized by alphabetically by Hebrew spelling.

• Achishenah - Literally "I will hasten it", refers to a word in Yeshayahu 60:22 - The small one will be for a thousand, and the lad will be a mighty nation, I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it.
• B'Itah - Literally "In its time", refers to a word in Yeshayahu 60:22 - The small one will be for a thousand, and the lad will be a mighty nation, I am Hashem, in its time I will hasten it.
• Birkat HaChamah - The Jewish Solar Calendar according to Shmuel has 365.25 years (Eiruvin 56a), and according to tradition, the Sun was created Tuesday night, at the first moment of the beginning of the Fourth Day (Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer). If you do the math, it returns to this point in the week once in 28 years (Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer and Brachot 59b). Every 28 years, the morning after this occurance, we recite a blessing "Blessed is the One that Did the act of Creation". Next date is 14th of Nissan 5769 (April 8th, 2009)
• Doresh L'Tzion - Part of a 3 book set called Torat HaGeulah. Contains Mosad HaYesod and Chazon Tzion, which are about the history of the Old Ashkenazi Yishuv, as well as this book, which is mainly drashot from the Old Yishuv. The drashot are by descendents of Rav Hillel, author of the material that became Kol HaTor.
• Geulah - The Redemption of the nation of Israel
• GR"A - The Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu, a.k.a. the Vilna Gaon
• Maamar HaGeulah - Written by the Ramchal, explains the spiritual side of of the process of Galus and Geulah.
• Keitz - A term meaning the End, usually in the context of leading in to a new beginning. In our context, this is referring to the appointed time of the Geulah
• Keitz Mechuseh - Refers to the absolute latest time for Geulah, which is hidden, and a constant. It is a deadline built in to creation. The "proof" that this fixed time exists comes from the book of Daniel.
• Keitz Meguleh - Keitz Meguleh translates to "Revealed End", referring to the process that unfolds before our eyes, and influenced by our actions. The supporting verse of this process is in the book of Yehezkel.
• Kol HaTor - A book published in the 20th century by a few different sources. Controversy surrounds this book, since it relates "nationalist" ideas to the Vilna Gaon. The 1994 edition brings sources throughout Kabbalistic works of the Vilna Gaon, shedding much more light on the books authenticity. It is attributed to Rav Hillel from Shklov, one of the students of the GR"A. The expression Kol HaTor (Voice of the Turtledove) comes from Shir HaShirim 2:12.
• Klipah - Literally a husk, or a shell. Simply put, the term Klipah refers to negative spiritual forces.
• Ramcha"l - Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato
• HaTekufah HaGedolah - A sefer written by Rav Menachem Kasher on Geulah by natural means. As he was completing this sefer, shortly after the Six Day War, the manuscript of Kol HaTor basically "fell" in to his lap, and he published it with minor edits (namely, he removed Sha'ar Be'er Sheva on the GR"A's relationship to science).

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.

Little By Little - The Big Picture

A major principle of the Keitz Meguleh is the idea that all comes little by little. Everything that we will have at the end of the road has its beginning. In our generation of instant gratification, this is an essential perspective shift that we must take. Looking at our current status and then dreaming of the steps between here and the end of the Geulah is daunting. One might want to say:

1. All the Jews living in Israel? Look at how many Israeli's leave!
2. Sanhedrin? The majority aren't Shomer Shabbat!
3. Build the Beit HaMikdash? What would the Arabs do?!

But step back, see the big picture.

1. When the students of the GR"A arrived in Yerushalayim in 1812, there weren't even 10 Ashkenazi Jews. Everyone went to the Sefardi shul (forced unity due to lack of numbers). Today, there are more than 5 million Jews in Israel.
2. Just 100 years ago, the Torah center of the world was Europe. Now, Baruch Hashem, it is Yerushalayim.
3. Yerushalayim is massive city, with dozens of neighborhoods, hundreds of thousands of Jews. Up until late in the 19th century, whether or not there was water was a serious issue on a yearly basis.

The general principle is that Moshiach ben Yosef starts, Moshiach ben Dovid finishes.

Moshiach ben Yosef is the miraculous working force for the physical Geulah, whereas Moshiach ben Dovid is the miraculous force working for the spiritual Geulah.

Now, do not think that the conclusion being Moshiach ben Dovid detracts from the importance of the physical side of Geulah. The physical Geulah is the "seat of David" that we have in our daily prayers. The Ariza"l taught (in Sha'ar HaKavanot) that on the words "and the seat of David your servant quickly set up within it (Yerushalayim)" we should be thinking that Moshiach ben Yosef shouldn't die. Moshiach ben Yosef is the preparation for Moshiach ben Dovid.

As such, we should appreciate the realization of this in our world. We see the physical has made seemingly great advances, and we see that the spiritual seems to lag behind. The events of 1948 and 1967 were not missed opportunities. They were Appointed Times that advanced the physical Geulah. The things that tend to really let down a religious Jew looking at these events (the actual text of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, handing over Har HaBayit to the Waqf, etc) were a function of where we stood on the road to spiritual Geulah.

Taking this perspective, of little by little, and seeing the big picture, we can understand that we have made great advances, and that there is still what to be done in our day to ease our path to perfection.

Tu B'av

Here's my chidush for Tu B'av:

In Talmud Yerushalmi Masechet Taanit, chapter 4, halachah 7, we have an opinion as to why we celebrate Tu B'av. Translation is my own:

Rabbi Abun says that in it (Tu B'av), the digging was cancelled. And Rabbi Levi says (explaining the statement of Rabbi Abun): Every Tishah B'av Moshe would send out an announcement in the whole camp and say "Go out and dig! Go out and dig!" And they would go out and dig themselves graves and sleep in them, and in the morning they would stand up and find themselves missing 15,000 and change (the word is protrot), and in the last year they did thus and found themselves whole (i.e. no one died). They said "perhaps we made a mistake in our calculations, and thus on the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 15th. And because the moon was full they said that it appears that HaKadosh Baruch Hu has nullified that harsh decree from us, and they stood up and made a Yom Tov celebration.

The story is difficult. How could it be that Moshe tells them to go lie down and that no one passed away the last year? Korban HaEidah and Pnei Moshe explain that the Gemara is precise. Moshe didn't say to go out the last year, but "they", meaning the people, did so at their own volition, without an order from Moshe.

These people were in essence part of the collective group of people that did not have faith in Hashem when the Ten Spies came back from Eretz Yisrael. The next day some of them went to battle against the Emori and Amaleki, against the command of Hashem via Moshe. They were punished for lack of faith and not listening to Moshe.

Now here they are, essentially being freed of the punishment for this sin. Moshe didn't tell them to dig their graves. So what do they do? They dug their graves!

But even after that, they stay in the graves straight through the 15th of Av! Did they not know that every year the punishment was on the 9th of Av? The Gemara says that they got up on the 15th of Av, because only then the moon was full.

But the 9th of Av is the 9th of Av. The 9th of Av is the ninth day starting from Rosh Chodesh. There is no doubt as to the date. Even if for some reason they think they counted wrong, all they had to do was walk over to the Sanhedrin and ask them the date, and that was the end of their doubt. But they didn't. Only on the 15th did they feel confident enough to celebrate. On the 15th, they had non-Torah confirmation that they were safe.

Shaar HaGilgulim Hakdamah 20:

..also then, in the last generation, the entire Generation of the Desert, including the Erev Rav, will be reincarnated...

This is the test of our generation. Faith. The Generation of the Desert, according to their level, had open miracles to prove Hashem's Hand in this world, and yet they couldn't translate their faith in to action. So too we see in our generation. Countless miracles occurred since 1948. However we have seen a consistent pattern, especially since the early 1990's, of running away from the consequences of these miracles.

It is my prayer that we speedily move towards a complete rectification of this fault and we begin to view our faith as a practical matter that is to be reflected in our daily and national lives.

Believing in Moshiach's Arrival

Some people may have problems with what I'm writing, because it sets the actual arrival of Moshiach somewhat far away (i.e. not now), as is inherent to any process. The GR"A in his Peirush to Sifra Ditzniuta wrote almost explicitly that the Moshiach would come after 5666 (this was not a specific year he was trying to state, but rather an explanation on why the Moshiach would come in the last third of the 6th millenium). The GR"A lived from 5480 - 5558. So the GR"A didn't believe Moshiach could come any day? The resolution of this problem lies in the same perush, that we are dealing with if Am Yisrael does not merit the Geulah. The GR"A indeed did not believe that Geulah without merit could happen in his own lifetime. So what is the belief that the Rambam mentions, that "even if he tarries, I shall wait every day that he should come"? Moshiach will come "today", "if you will heed His voice", as it is taught in Sanhedrin 98a. This of course means that Moshiach's immediate arrival is dependent on our merit. What we see from this is the following: The understanding that the latest revelation of Moshiach itself is not on the threshold does not in any way interfere with our pure faith in Moshiach's arrival.

Practical Goals

In Chapter 6 of Kol HaTor, we learn the following:

Our Goals in the Keitz Meguleh are as follows:

• Ingathering of the Exiles - This has a minimum shi'ur of 600,000, which was reached in 1948. Further milestones to be reached are a majority of world Jewry and all of world Jewry.
• Building of Yerushalayim - This is building the literal city. The Beit HaMikdash is the crown of the process.
• Burning away the impure spirit from Eretz Yisrael - This is done by planting in the Holy Land, and fulfilling the associated Mitzvot (Shmitah, Orlah, Terumot and Ma'aserot, etc)
• Setting up Men of Faith (Men of Truth) for the sake of the Redemption of Truth and Sanctification of G-d's Name - For it says in Masechet Shabbat that Yerushalayim was only destroyed because there ceased to be Men of Faith in her.
• Torah MiTzion - That Yerushalayim should be the source of Torah (see Chapter 5B of Kol HaTor for the convergence of science and Torah in the End of Days)
• War Against Amelek
• To Heal Tzion - Spiritually (Done by Yishuv of Am Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael and performing the Mitzvot related to the land) as well as physically (getting rid of all the diseases that are in the land durings the period of desolation)

G-d willing I will discuss these items in depth in the future.

Misconceptions - Geulah in 5769

For a comprehensive discussion on Birkat HaChamah, click here.

This is slightly off the direct subject, but for the sake of Truth I feel compelled to write.

I've now seen in numerous places online that people think that the Geulah is going to come in 5769. Why?

Because Birkat HaChamah will fall on Erev Pesach, as it did the year the Jews left Egypt, and in the time of the events recorded in Megillat Esther. And this is only desinted to occur 3 times in all of history.

What is Birkat HaChamah?

In Masechet Brachot 59B, a Baraita is taught:

One that sees the Sun in its Tekufah, the Moon in its Strength, the Stars in their Paths, and the Constellations in their Order makes the blessing Praised is the One that did Creation.

When is this? Abaye says: Every 28 years, the cycle returns and Tekufat Nissan falls in Shabbtai (Saturn) at the beginning of the Fourth Day (Tuesday night by our count).

So there are a few ideas that need be explained

• Tekufat Nissan - This is the beginning of the Jewish Solar Year. Theoretically speaking it is the Spring Equinox.
• Shabbtai - Chaza"l bring down that each of the 7 celestial bodies (that are visible to the naked eye) in our solar system are assigned an hour of the night. It is taught that this cycle started the beginning of the Fourth Day of creation (Tuesday night). The order starting at the beginning of the Fourth Day is: Shabbtai (Saturn), Tzedek (Jupiter), Maadim (Mars), Chamah (Sun), Nogah (Mercury), Kokhav (Venus), Levanah (Moon).

The Jewish Solar Year brought down in the Gemara there is according to Shmuel (Eruvin 56a) which is 365 days and 6 hours (365.25 days). If you do the math, you will see that every year, Tekufat Nissan advances 30 hours in the week. For our purposes here, we only care about when in the week this event occurs. If you continue the math, you will see that it returns to the exact same hour after 28 years. It is on those years, on the following morning, that we make the Brachah.

Therefore to see all of the years where according to this system, Birkat HaChamah would be said, simply take 1 + 28n, where n >= 0.

The first thing that you can check is to see if Birkat HaChamah occurred in 2448, the year that our forefathers left Egypt. Birkat HaChamah occured before we left Egypt in the year 2437, and afterwards in 2465.

The incidence of Birkat HaChamah with Erev Pesach is rare, but not unheard of. It last occurred only a few cycles ago in 5685 (1925). Persistence with a good Hebrew Calendar program will show you that this has happened between 5-10 times in the last thousand years (sorry, it's been a while since I checked). We simply cannot say that the third time is the Geulah.

So in order for us to be intellectually honest with this, we must say one of the following:

• The Exodus did not occur in the year 2448 as our tradition dictates
• The calculations used to determine when to recite Birkat HaChamah have changed, in which there is an inherent inconsistency to attach significance to 5769.
• This prediction of the Geulah in 5769 is not correct.

Just as a side note, an interesting calculation that I've found:

If you line up the Solar Years according to Tekufat Shmuel and Tekufat Adda, and see which years are in common for Birkat HaChamah (for Tekufat Adda, which years fall during the entire first hour of the Fourth Day, as it never returns to the exact moment), you will find two years: year 1 and 4297 (637CE), which was the year that Jerusalem fell to Omar and the Muslims. For the sake of truth, we must note that this is because over the course of approximately 2150 years, the two "new years" drifted apart until it the difference became equal to exactly one week. So while 4297 is the one year that Birkat HaChamah would be true for both systems, it would not be the same week.

Note: This is not to say that 5769 will be an insignificant year. See here for more.

Understanding the Essence of the Keitz

From what I see written on Jewish websites, a lot of people seem to think that the Geulah is something fairly simple. It is when all the things written in the Rambam happen. This is simplistic and leads to people entering in to calculations and guessing games as to when it will occur. However, the awesome ideas behind what the essence of Geulah represents should dissuade people from these number excercises. The Ramban brings down in his explanation of Breishit that the events of the 6 Days of Creation parallel the events of the 6,000 years of human existence that followed. While the Ramban was definitely not the first to bring this idea, his explanation is in many of our libraries in Mikraot Gedolot. See Breishit 2:4 for the Ramban's commentary, where he describes the parallels for each millenium. It therefore is derived that the events of the 6th millenium parallel the day when Adam HaRishon was created. This is the background for the statement in Kol HaTor regarding the "hours of the day". The 6th millenium is divided amongst the hours/stages that Hashem created Adam HaRishon on the 6th day. In Kol HaTor, the 6th Day is divided in to 24 hours, with the creation occuring during daylight hours, from 5500-6000. In Pirkei D'Rebbi Eliezer, chapter 6, it is stated that 84 years is one hour for Hashem (The 84 years discussed here is a whole other conversation). Therefore we can say that the day is divided in to 12 hours (the night hours are swallowed up in the day). Know that there is no contradiction between the two. I will not delve in to this further, but understanding of the 6th day is key. When the GR"A proclaimed in his peirush on Sifra Ditzniuta that he knew the secret to the End, he stated that it was based on this knowledge. What results from this knowledge is the following:

1. Calculating the Gematria of one word will not give you the year of Geulah.
2. Adding 60 or 66 years to the starting year of your choice will not give you the year of Moshiach ben Yosef's revelation.
3. The conjunction of Birkat HaChamah and Erev Pesach does not mean that the Geulah will occur in 5769.

True understanding of our times, where we come from, and where we are heading, comes from understanding history, the calendar, and the parallel between the 6 days and the 6 millenia.