3290 Years

Today, Rosh Hodesh Menahem Av 5777, is Aharon Hakohen's 3290th Yahrtzeit, as we just read this past Shabbat:

לח  וַיַּעַל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אֶל-הֹר הָהָר, עַל-פִּי יְהוָה--וַיָּמָת שָׁם:  בִּשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים, לְצֵאת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי, בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ.

38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month.

That is 3290 years ago since Aharon Hakohen died in the year 2487, a few months before the Jewish people crossed the Jordan River.

Why is 3290 significant?

The famous verse in Daniel states:

יא  וּמֵעֵת הוּסַר הַתָּמִיד, וְלָתֵת שִׁקּוּץ שֹׁמֵם--יָמִים, אֶלֶף מָאתַיִם וְתִשְׁעִים.

11 And from the time that the continual burnt-offering shall be taken away, and the detestable thing that causes appalment set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

The word "ימים" can denote 2000 years since we know that one of Hashem's "days" is equivalent to 1000 years, as it says:

ד  כִּי אֶלֶף שָׁנִים, בְּעֵינֶיךָ--    כְּיוֹם אֶתְמוֹל, כִּי יַעֲבֹר; וְאַשְׁמוּרָה    בַלָּיְלָה.

4 For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, {N} and as a watch in the night.

and a minimum (and thereby default) of a plural is 2.  Therefore, ימים can mean 2000 years.  Add to that the 1290 from the rest of the verse, and you get 3290.

What, then, does הוסר התמיד and שקוץ שמם refer to?

Let's try to answer this one at a time.

The removal of the "Tamid" may refer to the death of Aharon Hakohen, who was no longer able to bring his Minhat Havitin, which he brought every day and is referred to in the Torah as "Tamid":

יג  זֶה קָרְבַּן אַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו אֲשֶׁר-יַקְרִיבוּ לַיהוָה, בְּיוֹם הִמָּשַׁח אֹתוֹ--עֲשִׂירִת הָאֵפָה סֹלֶת מִנְחָה, תָּמִיד:  מַחֲצִיתָהּ בַּבֹּקֶר, וּמַחֲצִיתָהּ בָּעָרֶב.

13 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half thereof in the evening.

(See Rashi there.)

Even though it continued via his successor Elazar, it still can be considered "removed" from its original performer, Aharon, the first and quintessential Kohen Gadol.

Another possibility is that הוסר התמיד refers to the gemara (see Rashi there) that talks about how 15,000 Jewish men dug their graves and died every Tish'a Be'av throughout the 40 years in the desert - until the final 40th year when a miracle occurred and they remained alive.  This was that same year - 2487 - that this occurred (a mere few days after the death of Aharon).  So perhaps, the removal of the consistent pattern of death on Tish'a Be'av is what is referred to here.

Regarding the שקוץ שמם, perhaps it refers to the capture of Sihon, King of Emori, that same year. According to Bemidbar Rabba 19:18, this occurred in Elul, 2487.

The Torah describes what those who speak in parables (Rashi notes that it refers to Bil'am and his father Be'or) said at the time:

כז  עַל-כֵּן יֹאמְרוּ הַמֹּשְׁלִים, בֹּאוּ חֶשְׁבּוֹן; תִּבָּנֶה וְתִכּוֹנֵן, עִיר סִיחוֹן.	27 Wherefore they that speak in parables say: Come ye to Heshbon! let the city of Sihon be built and established!
כח  כִּי-אֵשׁ יָצְאָה מֵחֶשְׁבּוֹן, לֶהָבָה מִקִּרְיַת סִיחֹן:  אָכְלָה עָר מוֹאָב, בַּעֲלֵי בָּמוֹת אַרְנֹן.	28 For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it hath devoured Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of Arnon.
כט  אוֹי-לְךָ מוֹאָב, אָבַדְתָּ עַם-כְּמוֹשׁ; נָתַן בָּנָיו פְּלֵיטִם וּבְנֹתָיו בַּשְּׁבִית, לְמֶלֶךְ אֱמֹרִי סִיחוֹן.	29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh; he hath given his sons as fugitives, and his daughters into captivity, unto Sihon king of the Amorites.
ל  וַנִּירָם אָבַד חֶשְׁבּוֹן, עַד-דִּיבֹן; וַנַּשִּׁים עַד-נֹפַח, אֲשֶׁר עַד-מֵידְבָא.	30 We have shot at them--Heshbon is perished--even unto Dibon, and we have laid waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba.

The idol and idolatry of Mo'av is mentioned here ("high places of Arnon" [see Onkelos], and the idol Ke-mosh).  Perhaps, that is the שקוץ from Daniel.  And in verse 30, it mentions the word ונשים [and we have laid waste] - same root as the word שמם from Daniel.  Mo'av's idols were devoured by Sihon so that Israel can lay waste to Sihon and the idols therein.  That is the ולתת שקוץ שמם - the placing of the act of laying waste of Mo'av's idols during the destruction of Sihon.

And we are 3290 years from these events which occurred in Av and Elul, 2487.

May it be Hashem's will to let us see the Final Redemption as visioned by Daniel speedily in our days, Amen.