Parashat Miketz begins:
| א וַיְהִי, מִקֵּץ שְׁנָתַיִם יָמִים; וּפַרְעֹה חֹלֵם, וְהִנֵּה עֹמֵד עַל-הַיְאֹר. | 1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. |
This was the end of two extra full years in jail for Yosef, who, on his level, didn't completely trust in Hashem and was therefore punished by having to endure these extra 2 years in prison. Yosef stands for the people currently in Eretz Yisrael as יוסף is the gematria of ציון - the people of the Zionist State of Israel. We put our trust in the government to save us, but ולא זכר שר המשקים את יוסף וישכחהו - we were forsaken by our government. We trusted in the conceptzia instead of trusting in Hashem to protect us. When Hashem doesn't protect us, שוא שקד שומר - no one can protect us.
So now, we are exactly at the end of 2 years since the Simhat Torah massacre when the hostages were captured. And at the end of these 2 years, it is a קץ. As the Midrash here in Miketz says, quoting the verse in Iyov 28:3, "קץ שם לחשך" - Hashem is putting an end to the darkness. This refers to the darkness endured by Yosef Hatzadik - and the hostages of today - in the dungeons of Egypt and its Gazan neighbor respectively.
Daniel 12:1
| א וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יַעֲמֹד מִיכָאֵל הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל, הָעֹמֵד עַל-בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, וְהָיְתָה עֵת צָרָה, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-נִהְיְתָה מִהְיוֹת גּוֹי עַד הָעֵת הַהִיא; וּבָעֵת הַהִיא יִמָּלֵט עַמְּךָ, כָּל-הַנִּמְצָא כָּתוּב בַּסֵּפֶר. | 1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. |
In the End of Days, the Angel Michael will be our great defense attorney in the Heavenly Court against the attacks from the Yishmaelim (see
Metzudat David on this verse) as it will be a time of great trouble that we never endured before, but at that time, the Jews will escape - if you were written in the book. לולא דמסתפינא, perhaps, this time of trouble refers to the Simhat Torah Massacre and the people who escape refers to the remaining hostages who were written in multiple lists over the past 2 years.
Which brings me back to Miketz. What occurred at the end of 2 years?
| יד וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-יוֹסֵף, וַיְרִיצֻהוּ מִן-הַבּוֹר; וַיְגַלַּח וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו, וַיָּבֹא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה. | 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. |
When the 2 years were up, Par'oh - the most respected leader of the world's largest superpower at that time - sent for Yosef to be rushed out of the dungeon of Egypt to freedom. And Yosef actually went to go meet this leader.
Similarly, after exactly 2 years were up, Trump - the most respected leader of the world's largest superpower of today - sent for the hostages to be rushed out of the dungeons of Gaza to freedom. And reports are that Trump
may make a surprise hospital visit to the hostages if time permits. But even if he doesn't, Trump has seen many other released hostages in the past 2 years and will likely see the newly released ones soon.
Interestingly, the Sha"ch
says that it's possible that the one who shaved Yosef and changed his clothes was the Angel Gavriel, who was the one who protected Yosef for many years and taught him 70 languages. That was then when we were beginning the first exile of the Jewish people, so it required the attribute of Din, which Gavriel is associated with.
Now that we are at the end of our final exile, the Angel Michael, who is associated with the attribute of kindness, will be our defense against Yishmael, as the aforementioned verse in Daniel states.
The entire verse:
וַיִּשְׁלַח פַּרְעֹה וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-יוֹסֵף, וַיְרִיצֻהוּ מִן-הַבּוֹר; וַיְגַלַּח וַיְחַלֵּף שִׂמְלֹתָיו, וַיָּבֹא אֶל-פַּרְעֹה.
when using final letters as big numbers - has the gematria of 5685. When we add 101 for מיכאל, we get 5786.
On Hoshana Rabba, we
say verses at the end of Hoshanot that have to do with the Final Redemption. A couple of these verses seem appropriate for the hostage release:
| ז מַה-נָּאווּ עַל-הֶהָרִים רַגְלֵי מְבַשֵּׂר, מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם מְבַשֵּׂר טוֹב--מַשְׁמִיעַ יְשׁוּעָה; אֹמֵר לְצִיּוֹן, מָלַךְ אֱלֹהָיִךְ. | 7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, that announceth peace, the harbinger of good tidings, that announceth salvation; that saith unto Zion: 'Thy God reigneth!' |
Only Mashiah can announce "Peace". But we hope that a cessation of fighting in Gaza will bring peace. Trump is optimistic. Skeptics abound (including myself), but let us pray for it.
| יא וּפְדוּיֵי יְהוָה יְשׁוּבוּן, וּבָאוּ צִיּוֹן בְּרִנָּה, וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם, עַל-רֹאשָׁם; שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה יַשִּׂיגוּן, נָסוּ יָגוֹן וַאֲנָחָה. | 11 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. |
No explanation needed on this verse.
May Hashem bring comfort to Kelal Yisrael in many ways.
חג שמח!
