Hot Ends

The gemara in Yoma 29a says that the heat of the end of the summer (Rashi explains that this refers to Elul) is more oppressive than that of the main part of the summer itself.

The world has experienced some heat extremes in the past few days, breaking all-time records, such as in Yerushalayim (the seat of the world's Kedusha) and Los Angeles (or Hollywood, one of the seats of the world's Tum'ah).

Malachi chapter 3 explains what will occur to both the evildoers and the righteous when Hashem takes His sun out of its sheath in the End of Days:

יט  כִּי-הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם בָּא, בֹּעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר; וְהָיוּ כָל-זֵדִים וְכָל-עֹשֵׂה רִשְׁעָה, קַשׁ, וְלִהַט אֹתָם הַיּוֹם הַבָּא אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יַעֲזֹב לָהֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ וְעָנָף.

19 For, behold, the day cometh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all that work wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall set them ablaze, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

כ  וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי, שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה, וּמַרְפֵּא, בִּכְנָפֶיהָ; וִיצָאתֶם וּפִשְׁתֶּם, כְּעֶגְלֵי מַרְבֵּק.

20 But unto you that fear My name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.

Interestingly, the gematria of both of these verses, with a little help, can equal the same number - 5760.

The regular gematria of verse 19 plus the letters equals 5760.

The gematria of verse 20, using the final letters as big numbers, plus the words equals 5760.

Although the year 5760 was 20 years ago, the number 5760 has a special significance as the number of egg-sizes that make up a Mikveh.  At the End of Days, the sun will act as a Mikveh to purify the world by burning the wicked and healing the righteous.

That doesn't mean that the year 5760 was insignificant.  (The first two-thirds of this book show how significant it was.)  On the contrary, on that year, one can say that we entered a Mikveh of sorts when the Second Intifada started, eventually sparking global terror on the part of Yishmaelim.  20 years later, we are witnessing which entities will come out of this Mikveh burnt and which will be healed.

A couple verses later, we see:

כב  זִכְרוּ, תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי, אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אוֹתוֹ בְחֹרֵב עַל-כָּל-יִשְׂרָאֵל, חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים.

22 Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, even statutes and ordinances.

In this verse, the prophet is telling us to remember the Torah.  Many elementary schools, high schools, Yeshivot, and seminaries were closed due to the virus - causing us to forget the Torah.  This is why we must not forget, but rather remember to learn and keep the Torah.

The gematria of this verse, using the final letters as big numbers, plus the words and the kollel - equals 5780.  Despite all of what has transpired this year, we must remember the Torah.  

And what verse comes next?

כג  הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם, אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא--לִפְנֵי, בּוֹא יוֹם יְהוָה, הַגָּדוֹל, וְהַנּוֹרָא.

23 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD.

Eliyahu comes in the merit of the Torah.

May we merit to speedily see Eliyahu Hanavi coming to herald in Mashiah Tzidkeinu, Amen.