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Thursday, May 18, 2017

The Or Hahayim and Yom Yerushalayim 5777

In the past, I've briefly mentioned the Or Hahayim on Behar that shows how the verses hint to various redemption scenarios.

Vayikra 25:25-28:
כה  כִּי-יָמוּךְ אָחִיךָ, וּמָכַר מֵאֲחֻזָּתוֹ--וּבָא גֹאֲלוֹ, הַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו, וְגָאַל, אֵת מִמְכַּר אָחִיו.25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and sell some of his possession, then shall his kinsman that is next unto him come, and shall redeem that which his brother hath sold.

The first scenario is what's known as Ahishena - which involves a spiritual awakening whereby we all do national Teshuva and Hashem will redeem us earlier than planned.

כו  וְאִישׁ, כִּי לֹא יִהְיֶה-לּוֹ גֹּאֵל, וְהִשִּׂיגָה יָדוֹ, וּמָצָא כְּדֵי גְאֻלָּתוֹ.26 And if a man have no one to redeem it, and he be waxen rich and find sufficient means to redeem it;
כז  וְחִשַּׁב, אֶת-שְׁנֵי מִמְכָּרוֹ, וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת-הָעֹדֵף, לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר מָכַר-לוֹ; וְשָׁב, לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ.27 then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; and he shall return unto his possession.
The second scenario is what's known as Be'itah Ahishena - in which Hashem acknowledges our sins and uses the hardship of exile and other suffering known as Hevlei Mashiah to "make up" for our shortcomings.  In this scenario, Hashem also redeems us earlier than planned, but for a price.

כח  וְאִם לֹא-מָצְאָה יָדוֹ, דֵּי הָשִׁיב לוֹ--וְהָיָה מִמְכָּרוֹ בְּיַד הַקֹּנֶה אֹתוֹ, עַד שְׁנַת הַיּוֹבֵל; וְיָצָא, בַּיֹּבֵל, וְשָׁב, לַאֲחֻזָּתוֹ.  {ס}28 But if he have not sufficient means to get it back for himself, then that which he hath sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubilee; and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession. {S}
The third and final scenario is what's known as Be'itah - whereby we are so far gone with no help of recovery that Hashem uses the final end date to redeem us.

Note that "Yovel" is the way the Torah hints to the final end date.  No human or angel knows when this date is (as we know לבא לפומא לא גליא).  However, it is quite plausible to suggest that the Yovel hinted to here is the 50th anniversary of the recapturing of Yerushalayim in 5727 or close to it.

May this assessment be correct.

1 Comments:

At Thu May 18, 01:44:00 PM 2017, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"If a foreigner who is a settler among you acquires means... (Vayikra 25:47)

"after being sold, he shall be redeemed... (Vayikra 25:48)

"based on his years [in servitude until the Jubilee], he shall repay [the amount for] his redemption... (Vayikra 25:52)

"and if he is not redeemed by these means, then he shall go free in the Jubilee Year. (Vayikra 25:54)

From this parshah we learn that a person should never give up hope about the coming of the ultimate Redemption [of the Jewish People], and neither should he ask, with skepticism, "How can our generation possibly merit the Redemption when past generations - that were much stronger regarding Torah and mitzvos - did not?"
The answer begins with a known fact - that our sins are the cause of our exile, as it is written, Behold, because of your iniquities you have been sold away (Yeshayahu 50:1). The whole purpose of our nation's exile is to purge us of our sins and gain us atonement for them, as it is says in the Book of Daniel: ... to terminate the transgressions, make an end of the sins and atone for iniquity (9:24). Each of our exiles has had a pre-determined duration based upon how much suffering the Jewish People would have to endure in order to be forgiven for its sins. The first exile, for example was set at the outset to end after four hundred years, as it is written, They [the Egyptians] shall afflict them for four hundred years (Bereishis 15:13). In Daniel we read that the exile to Babylonia - our second exile - was set to end after seventy years (see Rashi to Vayikra 25:18 'וישבתם על הארץ לבטח'), as it was written, 'Seventy years' are decreed concerning your people and your holy city (Daniel 9:24). Certainly, therefore, the same applies to our current exile -
The last one that our nation will suffer. Its duration has been pre-determined and atonement for the sins that we committee, this exile, too, will end and the [Final] Redemption will come. Clearly, it was determined at the outset by Divine decree that our current exile would span years, as it is written, For the Children of Israel will remain for many days without a king and without an officer (Hoshea 3:4)
- Chofetz Chaim on the Torah, volume 2, page 84

Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai says that the redemption will not happen all at once, but rather a little at a time (Zohar volume 1, page 170a). However, when the days of the Messiah approach, even children will be able to discover secrets of wisdom and through them can calculate the end of time, then it will be revealed to all (volume 1, Vayeira 118a 'כד אתון לגבי'). In the time that Mashiach will awaken, many signs and miracles will occur in the world (Zohar volume 2, page 8a). Teshuvah will bring about an immediate redemption (Zohar Chadash, Bereishis, page 8a). Teshuvah, the comprehensive principle of submission to G-d and His will, thus is the most obvious means to bring about the immediate coming of Moshiach (Ibid. Noach 23c-d). It does not require any extraordinary action or undertaking: the simple though sincere thought of regretting misdeeds with determination to better our ways is already complete teshuvah (See Zohar volume 1, page 129a-b). In the merit of Yisrael engrossing themselves in Torah, they will be redeemed (Zohar volume 3, page 270a. See there also 178b).

 

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