October 7th by the Numbers and as a Sign

The tragedy and catastrophe of the October 7th Massacre, like everything else, is hinted to in the Torah and Tanach.  For example, as we're in the Bein Hametzarim period, let's look at Eicha. 

Eicha 1:15:

טו  סִלָּה כָל-אַבִּירַי אֲדֹנָי בְּקִרְבִּי, קָרָא עָלַי מוֹעֵד לִשְׁבֹּר בַּחוּרָי; גַּת דָּרַךְ אֲדֹנָי, לִבְתוּלַת בַּת-יְהוּדָה.

15 The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin the daughter of Judah.'

The Sages use this verse to explain that Tish'a Be'av itself is called a holiday.  However, allow me to offer a different interpretation.  

This verse encapsulates the utter military failure that occurred on the Mo'ed of Shemini Atzeret/Simhat Torah.  We get an even more detailed comparison when we look at the Targum on this verse (emphasis in the source):

כְנַשׁ כָּל תַּקִּיפַי יְיָ בֵּינִי אֲרַע זְמַן עָלַי לִתְבִירָא חֵיל עוּלֵימַי וְעָלוּ עַמְמַיָּא עַל גְזֵירַת מֵימְרָא דַייָ וְסָאִיבוּ בְתוּלְתָּא דְבֵית יְהוּדָה דִּי הֲוָה דִמְהוֹן דִבְתוּלְתְּהוֹן מִיתְשַׁד הֵיךְ כַּחֲמָר מִן מַעֲצַרְתָּא בְעִידַן דִגְּבַר מְבַעִיט יָת עִנְבִין חֲמַר עִינְבוֹהִי שַׁדְיָין:

The Lord has crushed all my mighty ones within me; he has established a time against me to shatter the strength of my young men. The nations entered by the decree of the Memra of the Lord and defiled the virgins of the House of Judah until their blood of their virginity was caused to flow like wine from a wine press when a man is treading grapes and the wine of his grapes flows.

But how do we know that the Mo'ed referred to is Shemini Atzeret?

We just read Parashat Pinehas about Shemini Atzeret:

לה  בַּיּוֹם, הַשְּׁמִינִי--עֲצֶרֶת, תִּהְיֶה לָכֶם:  כָּל-מְלֶאכֶת עֲבֹדָה, לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ.	35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly: ye shall do no manner of servile work;
לו  וְהִקְרַבְתֶּם עֹלָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ, לַיהוָה--פַּר אֶחָד, אַיִל אֶחָד; כְּבָשִׂים בְּנֵי-שָׁנָה שִׁבְעָה, תְּמִימִם.	36 but ye shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish;
לז  מִנְחָתָם וְנִסְכֵּיהֶם, לַפָּר לָאַיִל וְלַכְּבָשִׂים בְּמִסְפָּרָם--כַּמִּשְׁפָּט.	37 their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the ordinance;
לח  וּשְׂעִיר חַטָּאת, אֶחָד; מִלְּבַד עֹלַת הַתָּמִיד, וּמִנְחָתָהּ וְנִסְכָּהּ.	38 and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and the drink-offering thereof.
לט  אֵלֶּה תַּעֲשׂוּ לַיהוָה, בְּמוֹעֲדֵיכֶם--לְבַד מִנִּדְרֵיכֶם וְנִדְבֹתֵיכֶם, לְעֹלֹתֵיכֶם וּלְמִנְחֹתֵיכֶם, וּלְנִסְכֵּיכֶם, וּלְשַׁלְמֵיכֶם.	39 These ye shall offer unto the LORD in your appointed seasons, beside your vows, and your freewill-offerings, whether they be your burnt-offerings, or your meal-offerings, or your drink-offerings, or your peace-offerings.

We are not including verse 30:1 since Rashi says that that verse is only there to separate the section of the Torah that talks about the sacrifices of the holidays from the next Parasha of Matot that talks about vows to show that Moshe Rabbeinu told the holiday Musafim section over to the people.

But we will include verse 29:39 despite the fact that it is a summarizing verse for all the holidays since it is part of the Parasha of Shemini Ateret and part of Hashem's words to Moshe.

Note the 30 Mems in these 5 verses.  Since each Mem has a gematria of 40, that means that 30 Mems have a gematria of 1200, the number of Korbanot murdered on October 7th.

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Without minimizing the enormity of such an event, we can also definitely say that without certain miracles from Hashem, the loss could have been so much worse.

We know that there are 20 days of Biblical holidays mentioned in Parashat Pinehas:

1. Shabbat (counted as 1 day)
2. Rosh Hodesh (counted as 1 day)
3. Pesah (7 days)
4. Shavuot (1 day)
5. Rosh Hashana (1 day)
6. Kippur (1 day)
7. Sukkot (7 days)
8. Shemini Atzeret (1 day)

If Shemini Atzeret claimed 1200 lives, if you multiply that by all the days of the holidays (20), you get 24,000.  This is the number of those who died in the plague in Shittim.  Then, as now, we were duped by an enemy and paid the price.  

But B"H, the October 7th massacre was relegated to one one-day holiday - Shemini Atzeret - which is a רגל בפני עצמו - a holiday unto itself.  With Hashem's lovingkindness, we were spared a much greater tragedy that could have occurred.

And just as then, when in Parashat Matot, Moshe was commanded to take vengeance against the Midianites, it seems like vengeance is being exacted against Hamas, especially with today's news.

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The Book of Daniel contains this famous cryptic verse:

ז  וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת-הָאִישׁ לְבוּשׁ הַבַּדִּים, אֲשֶׁר מִמַּעַל לְמֵימֵי הַיְאֹר, וַיָּרֶם יְמִינוֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ אֶל-הַשָּׁמַיִם, וַיִּשָּׁבַע בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם:  כִּי לְמוֹעֵד מוֹעֲדִים וָחֵצִי, וּכְכַלּוֹת נַפֵּץ יַד-עַם-קֹדֶשׁ--תִּכְלֶינָה כָל-אֵלֶּה.

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

Perhaps, the Mo'ed refers to Shemini Atzeret, 5784, which was the event that Daniel was to wait for.  We know this from the verse in Eicha above that I surmised was referring to that very day and is called a "Mo'ed".  

Then, he was told to wait for the Mo'adim.  Since we know from the first Mishna in Rosh Hashana that Rosh Hodesh Nissan is the New Year for holidays, that means that Shemini Atzeret is the last of the year's holidays.  So, he must have been told to wait for the following year's holidays.

But then it says וחצי, meaning that when it referred to the Mo'adim, we don't have to wait for all the Mo'adim to pass - only half of them.

We see from the list of holidays above that whether you count the number of holidays or whether you count the number of days of the holidays, the halfway point is reached at Shavuot.  The next half of holidays begins at Rosh Hashana.

So we need to find the midpoint between Shavuot and Rosh Hashana to find the exact חצי. 

The first day of Shavuot is June 12th, 2024.  The first day of Rosh Hashana is October 3rd, 2024.  That is a span of 114 days (when you include both days).  That would mean that 57 days from Shavuot would be the midpoint, which comes out to August 8th, 2024, or the 4th of Av, 5784.

וּכְכַלּוֹת נַפֵּץ יַד-עַם-קֹדֶשׁ perhaps means: when the bombing by Hezbollah/Hamas/Houthis/Iran of the holy Jewish people will stop, which we hope בע"ה will be done by that date the latest.  Things are heating up in the entire region so the terrible status quo seems to be ending soon.  And we will inevitably enter a new phase of war, which we pray won't be even more terrible.  ה' ישמור.

But in the end, it will be good.  Very good.

All this is pure conjecture.  May we merit it!

BD"H Rav Moshe Wolfson ZT"L

This week, we heard the sad news of the passing of Rav Moshe Wolfson ZT"L.  

I was not zoche to know him, but he made it to this blog a few times:

12 years ago: Rav Wolfson Shlit"a on the Iranian Threat (Updated)

9.5 years ago: Rav Wolfson Shlit"a Talks About 5775 Being the Year of Geula
        follow-up: Link to Rav Wolfson's Source

May he be a Meilitz Yosher to intercede and plead for the Geula with mercy.

The Years 5780 - 5784

President Trump is an Oheiv Yisrael.  However, he has a bad reputation when it comes to his personal behaviors.  Of course, Biden is not much better, but Trump's indiscretions have been much more public and known for many years already. 

It is therefore no coincidence that he was found guilty for something that all began with another one of these indiscretions (albeit in a sham trial with a biased judge and an out-to-get-him DA) on the day that corresponds to גבורה שביסוד.  Vehameivin Yavin.

With the beginning of Covid19 in 5780, suffice it to say that the years 5780-5784 have not been good to President Trump or, for that matter, to the Jewish people either.  Both are looking forward to better days ahead in the end of 5784 going into 5785.

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I was struck by this verse in last week's parasha:

כה  וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיכֶם חֶרֶב, נֹקֶמֶת נְקַם-בְּרִית, וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּם, אֶל-עָרֵיכֶם; וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי דֶבֶר בְּתוֹכְכֶם, וְנִתַּתֶּם בְּיַד-אוֹיֵב.

25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant; and ye shall be gathered together within your cities; and I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

Everything in this verse occurred in the past 4-5 years:

• וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיכֶם חֶרֶב - Murder on October 7th
• נֹקֶמֶת נְקַם-בְּרִית - this ברית can be interpreted in various ways.  The simple explanation is vengeance for not keeping the Torah.  It could also be vengeance for not being עמלים בתורה (engrossed in the Torah) or allowing others to be (as per Rashi near the beginning of the parasha).  Alternatively, it is vengeance for not guarding the Berit Milah.
• וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּם, אֶל-עָרֵיכֶם - Residents of both the South and North needing to leave their homes and go to hotels in larger cities.
• וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי דֶבֶר בְּתוֹכְכֶם - Covid19
• וְנִתַּתֶּם בְּיַד-אוֹיֵב - The hostages

Perhaps, we can say that the 2 calamities that occurred in 5780 and 5784 are hinted to in this verse, also from last week's parasha:

מג  וְהָאָרֶץ תֵּעָזֵב מֵהֶם וְתִרֶץ אֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתֶיהָ, בָּהְשַׁמָּה מֵהֶם, וְהֵם, יִרְצוּ אֶת-עֲוֺנָם; יַעַן וּבְיַעַן--בְּמִשְׁפָּטַי מָאָסוּ, וְאֶת-חֻקֹּתַי גָּעֲלָה נַפְשָׁם.

43 For the land shall lie forsaken without them, and shall be paid her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them; and they shall be paid the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected Mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes.

As mentioned 4 years ago and again 2 years ago, the word יען has a gematria of [5]780 (when using the final letters' big gematria equivalents).  The "ביען ב" has the gematria of [5]784.  These are the 2 years when we were punished for rejecting Hashem's ordinances and our souls abhorring His statutes.

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Rav Fish has an interesting explanation why Meiron was either closed or met with tragedy or severely curtailed for the past 5 years (again 5780-5784).  He explains at length that going to Meiron was a place to gather during times of Galut.  However, since we are close to the Geula, we are being rejected by Shamayim from Meiron.  Rather, we should be transitioning to have our pilgrimage only to the Beit Hamikdash. 

May these calamities that we experienced the past 4-5 years be the final Hevlei Mashiah, and may we soon see the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash with all Jews gathered there speedily in our days, Amen.

21.5 Days

Warning: This post contains a prediction.  This prediction may or may not come to pass.  Those whose Emuna will be negatively affected by predictions not coming true should not read this post.

During the "3 weeks", or בין המצרים, we are in a state of mourning for 21.5 days.  This is because we start fasting basically at midnight on the 17th of Tamuz (or close to it - whenever we go to sleep).  Then, 3 weeks later, the mourning comes to a peak at Hatzot Hayom (halachic midday) of Tish'a Be'av.  After Hatzot, although we are still fasting, we are already in Geula mode.  This mourning period is therefore 21.5 days.

This tells us that there is something special about 21.5 days whereby things can turn around.

The atrocities of October 7th occurred 21.5 days after the New Year.  Rosh Hashana 5784 started approximately 6PM on Friday night - September 15th.  The October 7th massacre occurred 21.5 days later on Shemini Atzeret morning at around 6AM.  Therefore, the normal part of this year was a mere 21.5 days.

But Hashem works זה לעמת זה.  If a negative occurrence took place after 21.5 days from a noted date during the month of Din, a positive occurrence is due after 21.5 days from a noted date, Be'ezrat Hashem, during the month of Hessed and Rahamim.

In the previous post, I noted that Tekufat Nissan was when the 9 months of "pregnancy" was over and when the "birth" began.  Tekufat Nissan was on Sunday April 7th at 12:39 PM.

The following Sunday - April 14th - the 6th of Nissan - the Jewish people were attacked by Iran with over 300 ordinances (including ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and suicide drones) and experienced an incredible miracle from HKB"H that not 1 Jew got a scratch.  If April 7th was the "birth", then April 14th was the "Berit Milah".  Of course, we learned from last week's Parasha that a Berit Milah cannot be performed at night - only in the daytime.  But the Jewish people didn't know the full extent of the (lack of) damage until the daytime, and that was when the Mazal Tovs could start.  ישתבח שמו לעד.

If one starts from Tekufat Nissan on April 7th (the "birth") and counts 21.5 days later, one will arrive at halachic midnight of the 7th day of Pesah, an auspicious time for the Jewish people.  Many people have the custom to stay up late on Shevi'i Shel Pesah before Hatzot reading Tikkun (which talks about Mashiah) or doing other learning - and after Hatzot reciting Az Yashir.  This is to commemorate the miracle of the Splitting of the Red Sea that occurred that day.

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I received an email on February 2nd, 2023 and a follow-up email on February 4th, 2023.  These emails were from a man I do not know.  He allowed me to share the contents of the emails.  

In the emails, he told me that he had a dream on November 22, 2022 that Mashiah would arrive on Shevi'i Shel Pesah, 5784 at halachic midnight.

May we merit to see it!

Year 8 and the 9 Months - Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

For those following these posts, the timeline that I proposed is based on R' Ari Goldwag's video, but slightly different than that of his timeline.  R' Ari is counting 9 lunar months from Av until Adar Bet.  My calculation is counting 9 solar months from Tamuz (July 8th) until 2 days before Rosh Hodesh Nissan (April 7th) - based on the Tekufot.  

As I explained in detail in Part 2, the beginning of the 9 months started on the day of Tekufat Tamuz.  The October 7th massacre occurred on the secular day of Tekufat Tishri (which occurred Oct. 7th at 9:39PM).  This was also explained in detail.  

The end of the 9 months' "pregnancy" - also known as the "birth" - falls out on Tekufat Nissan, which is 2 days before Rosh Hodesh Nissan, or April 7th at 12:39 PM, if all this is accurate.

See the Wikipedia chart by clicking here and scrolling up very slightly.  Note that the Tekufot I'm referring to are according to Shemu'el - not Rav Adda.  Halachically (e.g. for reciting Barech Aleinu/Vetein Tal Umatar in the Diaspora), we follow Shemuel's Tekufot.

It follows that there will be 4 days in a row next week with important significance:

April 6th - Shabbat HaHodesh - we read about the importance of Nissan and the Korban Pesah

April 7th - Tekufat Nissan

April 8th - Solar Eclipse in the USA (a bad sign for the nations, according to the gemara Sukkah 29a)

April 9th - Rosh Hodesh Nissan

May these days bring good tidings.

Roy Neuburger on Tzav/Parah

Hatam Sofer's Ketz Redux 2

 The Hatam Sofer's Ketz has been mentioned on this blog a few times.  It is based on the verse:

מח  אַחֲרֵי נִמְכַּר, גְּאֻלָּה תִּהְיֶה-לּוֹ:  אֶחָד מֵאֶחָיו, יִגְאָלֶנּוּ.

48 after that he is sold he may be redeemed; one of his brethren may redeem him;

See the first part of this post for a more detailed explanation of his Ketz.

Rav Fish's latest post noted via ר' דָּוִד וַיְצְמַן that the Sofei Teivot of the Milui of the words ויהי אחרי (the beginning of Sefer Yehoshua): 

ויו

יוד

הי

יוד

אלף

חית

ריש

יוד

making the words דויד תשפ"ד (i.e. David 5784).

Using this idea and applying it to the Hatam Sofer's Ketz verse, we can use the words אחרי נמכר:

אלף

חית

ריש

יוד

נון

מם

כף

ריש

making the words תשפ"ד משפן (i.e. 5784 from the hyrax).

(I fleetingly entertained the word possibly being "Fishman" or "Shiffman", perhaps as an interesting individual, but I thought better of it.)  

So, why משפן - from the hyrax?

In Vayikra Rabba at the end of Parashat Shemini, there are various explanations regarding the correlation between the 4 non-Kosher domesticated animals with 1 of the 2 Kosher signs and the 4 exiles.

The Midrash states that the שפן (hyrax) refers to Madai - which is part of the Persian Empire.  

An additional connection between the word נמכר and Persia is Queen Esther's statement to King Ahashverosh:

ד  כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְעַמִּי, לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרוֹג וּלְאַבֵּד; וְאִלּוּ לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחוֹת נִמְכַּרְנוּ, הֶחֱרַשְׁתִּי--כִּי אֵין הַצָּר שֹׁוֶה, בְּנֵזֶק הַמֶּלֶךְ.

4 for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, for the adversary is not worthy that the king be endamaged.'

So, the Hatam Sofer's Ketz verse is hinting to the idea that in 5784, from something that occurs in the country of Iran or someone who comes from the country of Iran, the Redemption will come.  And one of our brothers - The King Mashiah - will redeem us.  בב"א.