Paras, Russia, Ukraine, and the Geula

With a few days until Purim, we will speak about "Paras", of course.

In a previous post, I mentioned the connection between Iran and Russia.  

I noted that Josephus calls תירס (from Bereishit 10:2) "Rusi" while Rashi, based on Bereishit Rabbah, calls תירס "Paras".  That is no proof, but it seems to indicate a connection.  There seems to be a connection with the letters רס.

I further noted what was mentioned in the name of the Gra that Russia inherited the Kelipa of Dubiel from Paras.

Some other connections:

• Wikipedia on Scythians:

The Scythians are generally believed to have been of Iranian origin;^[12] they spoke a language of the Scythian branch of the Iranian languages,^[13] and practiced a variant of ancient Iranian religion.^[14] 

• Both Russia and Iran have prevented Jews from leaving their respective countries. 
• Russia is a nuclear weapons powerhouse.  Iran is a nuclear weapons wannabe.
• Doctrines of both nations is to form alliances with other nations against the US.
• See also Rav Fish.

Based on this, let's reexamine the famous Pesikta Rabbati (quoted also in the Yalkut Shimoni):

אמר רבי יצחק שנה שמלך המשיח נגלה בו כל מלכי האומות העולם מתגרים זה בזה מלך פרס מתגרה במלך ערביא והולך מלך ערביא לאדום ליטול עצה מהם (והחזיר) [וחוזר] מלך פרס (והחריב) [ומחריב] את כל העולם כולו וכל אומות העולם מתרעשים ומתבהלים ונופלים על פניהם ויאחוז אותם צירים כצירי יולדה וישראל מתרעשים ומתבהלים ואומרים להיכן נלך ולהיכן נבוא ואומר להם בניי אל תתייראו [כל מה שעשיתי לא עשיתי אלא בשבילכם מפני מה אתם מתייראים אל תיראו] הגיע (ימי) [זמן] גאולתכם ולא כגאולה ראשונה כך גאולה אחרונה כי גאולה ראשונה היה לכם צער ושיעבוד מלכיות (אחרים) [אחריה] אבל גאולה אחרונה אין לכם צער ושיעבוד מלכיות (אחרים) [אחריה]:

Devash's recent partial translation: 

Rabbi Yitzchak said: "In the year that the Messiah will be revealed, all of the leaders of the nations will provoke each other.

"The king of Persia will provoke the king of Arabia, and the king of Arabia will go to Edom to receive advice from them.

"And the king of Persia will go and destroy the entire world, and all the nations of the world will shake and panic and fall on their faces and feel contractions like those of giving birth, and Israel will shake and panic and ask: 'Where will we go?'

"And (God) will say to them, ‘My children, do not fear, because everything I did, I did for you. Why are you afraid? Don’t be afraid. The time has come for your redemption’.”

This Midrash has, in recent years, been famous in predicting Iran's belligerence against Arab states in the Middle East.  To that effect, what is described in this Midrash remains a very likely scenario.

An alternative scenario that would make Geula predictions happening more immediately is that the "Paras" from the Midrash refers to Russia, as we explained above.  And the "King of Arabia" from the Midrash refers to Ukraine.  How so?  In a couple of ways:

• מלך ערביא (King of Arabia) is exactly the same gematria as אוקראינה (Ukraine).
• Russia currently has its eyes on both Ukraine and Moldova, 2 countries that are not (yet) a part of NATO and the 2 countries that make up the old Bessarabia.  Perhaps ערביא refers to Bessarabia and its environs.

There is no question that Ukraine is appealing to the rest of Edom for help.  And that the world is in a state of panic.  And that many of the Jews from the area are also panicked.  

According to this interpretation, there is no reason for Jewish panic - for the time period of our Redemption has arrived!