5777: King David and the Stone

5777 is not a prime number, as it is made up of 109 x 53.

109 is the gematria of דוד המלך (King David), the first king from Yehuda.  It is also the gematria of יהודה בעז (Yehuda Boaz), two of King David's ancestors who were leaders of the Jewish people in their respective days.

53 is the gematria of אבן (stone).  We can go 3 ways here:

1) אבן symbolizes Yosef

It was in the blessing of Yosef where Yaakov Avinu said: מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל and Rashi there says that אבן is notarikon for אב ובן - father and son.  Although Rashi clarifies this as Yaakov and his sons (plural), he is likely emphasizing the special bond between Yaakov and the son to whom he is blessing - Yosef.  (Kabbalistically, we know that גוף וברית חד הוא so המבין יבין.)  If אבן symbolizes Yosef, we have 53 (Yosef) being multiplied by the 109 (King David) and we get the symbolism of the following verse:

יט  דַּבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם, כֹּה-אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הִנֵּה אֲנִי לֹקֵחַ אֶת-עֵץ יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד-אֶפְרַיִם, וְשִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבֵרָו; וְנָתַתִּי אוֹתָם עָלָיו אֶת-עֵץ יְהוּדָה, וַעֲשִׂיתִם לְעֵץ אֶחָד, וְהָיוּ אֶחָד, בְּיָדִי.

19 say into them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his companions; and I will put them unto him together with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand.

2) אבן symbolizes David

The Midrash notes that David was hated by his family until Shemuel Hanavi selected David as the new King of Israel.  When that occurred, David's mother Nitzevet exclaimed:

כב  אֶבֶן, מָאֲסוּ הַבּוֹנִים--    הָיְתָה, לְרֹאשׁ פִּנָּה.

22 The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief corner-stone.

The connection between the selection of David as king and the upcoming selection of Mashiah as king couldn't be clearer.  When we take the 53 (King David as a boy) and multiply that with 109 (King David as king), we get to the point in time to select King David's descendant as Mashiah.


3) אבן symbolizes the Foundation Stone

The Foundation Stone (אבן שתיה) is Kabbalistically related to Malchut.  (See the Zohar No'ah 72a where it talks about King David taking the stone with him.)
Also, there is a story (based on the gemara Sukkah 53a) of King David almost destroying the world by flood after lifting a stone deep beneath the earth - all while trying to dig the underground tunnels and lay the foundation of the Foundation Stone for the Beit Hamikdash - until the Holy Name of Hashem was written which calmed the waters.
The 53 (Foundation Stone) and the 109 (King David) came together to lay the foundations of the first Beit Hamikdash.  It is now time for the foundations of the third Beit Hamikdash to be set.


When do we hope all this will occur?  In 5777.