Geula-Related Recent Links

Monday, April 09, 2012

Verses of Shemot 12 as Years

I'm throwing this idea out there. I have no outside basis for this idea so definitely do not take it as MiSinai.

As I just posted before Yom Tov, this is the first time in 14 years that the first day of Pesah falls out on Shabbat. The last time this occurred was in 5758/1998.  As was mentioned in earlier comments, it is quite unusual to have such a large "drought" of Pesah not falling out on Shabbat.  For example, the next time this will occur is in 3 years - in 5775/2015 and then again the following year in 5776/2016.

It is interesting to note that the Sephardic custom is that when the first day of Pesah falls out on Shabbat, we begin the Torah reading from Shemot 12:14 - and not on 12:21 - as noted by halacha 22 here.

Furthermore, we know that we have the concept of יום לשנה - a day for a year - by the episode of the spies. We can extrapolate from that concept that a חודש - a month - can represent 30 years.  We will begin this 30-year period from the year the "drought" began.

Perhaps, we can use the verses in Shemot 12 to represent these years.

Consider the table below:

SourceVerseJewish YearSecular Year
Shemot 12:1וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל-אַהֲרֹן, בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר57591999
Shemot 12:2הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם, רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים:  רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם, לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה57602000
Shemot 12:3דַּבְּרוּ, אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר, בֶּעָשֹׂר, לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה:  וְיִקְחוּ לָהֶם, אִישׁ שֶׂה לְבֵית-אָבֹת--שֶׂה לַבָּיִת57612001
Shemot 12:4וְאִם-יִמְעַט הַבַּיִת, מִהְיוֹת מִשֶּׂה--וְלָקַח הוּא וּשְׁכֵנוֹ הַקָּרֹב אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ, בְּמִכְסַת נְפָשֹׁת:  אִישׁ לְפִי אָכְלוֹ, תָּכֹסּוּ עַל-הַשֶּׂה57622002
Shemot 12:5שֶׂה תָמִים זָכָר בֶּן-שָׁנָה, יִהְיֶה לָכֶם; מִן-הַכְּבָשִׂים וּמִן-הָעִזִּים, תִּקָּחוּ57632003
Shemot 12:6וְהָיָה לָכֶם לְמִשְׁמֶרֶת, עַד אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה; וְשָׁחֲטוּ אֹתוֹ, כֹּל קְהַל עֲדַת-יִשְׂרָאֵל--בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם57642004
Shemot 12:7וְלָקְחוּ, מִן-הַדָּם, וְנָתְנוּ עַל-שְׁתֵּי הַמְּזוּזֹת, וְעַל-הַמַּשְׁקוֹף--עַל, הַבָּתִּים, אֲשֶׁר-יֹאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ, בָּהֶם57652005
Shemot 12:8וְאָכְלוּ אֶת-הַבָּשָׂר, בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה:  צְלִי-אֵשׁ וּמַצּוֹת, עַל-מְרֹרִים יֹאכְלֻהוּ57662006
Shemot 12:9אַל-תֹּאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָא, וּבָשֵׁל מְבֻשָּׁל בַּמָּיִם:  כִּי אִם-צְלִי-אֵשׁ, רֹאשׁוֹ עַל-כְּרָעָיו וְעַל-קִרְבּוֹ57672007
Shemot 12:10וְלֹא-תוֹתִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, עַד-בֹּקֶר; וְהַנֹּתָר מִמֶּנּוּ עַד-בֹּקֶר, בָּאֵשׁ תִּשְׂרֹפוּ57682008
Shemot 12:11וְכָכָה, תֹּאכְלוּ אֹתוֹ--מָתְנֵיכֶם חֲגֻרִים, נַעֲלֵיכֶם בְּרַגְלֵיכֶם וּמַקֶּלְכֶם בְּיֶדְכֶם; וַאֲכַלְתֶּם אֹתוֹ בְּחִפָּזוֹן, פֶּסַח הוּא לַיהוָה57692009
Shemot 12:12וְעָבַרְתִּי בְאֶרֶץ-מִצְרַיִם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, וְהִכֵּיתִי כָל-בְּכוֹר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, מֵאָדָם וְעַד-בְּהֵמָה; וּבְכָל-אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם אֶעֱשֶׂה שְׁפָטִים, אֲנִי יְהוָה57702010
Shemot 12:13 וְהָיָה הַדָּם לָכֶם לְאֹת, עַל הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם שָׁם, וְרָאִיתִי אֶת-הַדָּם, וּפָסַחְתִּי עֲלֵכֶם; וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה בָכֶם נֶגֶף לְמַשְׁחִית, בְּהַכֹּתִי בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם57712011
Shemot 12:14וְהָיָה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לָכֶם לְזִכָּרוֹן, וְחַגֹּתֶם אֹתוֹ חַג לַיהוָה:  לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם, חֻקַּת עוֹלָם תְּחָגֻּהוּ57722012
Shemot 12:15שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, מַצּוֹת תֹּאכֵלוּ--אַךְ בַּיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן, תַּשְׁבִּיתוּ שְּׂאֹר מִבָּתֵּיכֶם:  כִּי כָּל-אֹכֵל חָמֵץ, וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל--מִיּוֹם הָרִאשֹׁן, עַד-יוֹם הַשְּׁבִעִי57732013
Shemot 12:16וּבַיּוֹם הָרִאשׁוֹן, מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, מִקְרָא-קֹדֶשׁ יִהְיֶה לָכֶם:  כָּל-מְלָאכָה, לֹא-יֵעָשֶׂה בָהֶם--אַךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵאָכֵל לְכָל-נֶפֶשׁ, הוּא לְבַדּוֹ יֵעָשֶׂה לָכֶם57742014
Shemot 12:17 וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, אֶת-הַמַּצּוֹת, כִּי בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, הוֹצֵאתִי אֶת-צִבְאוֹתֵיכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם; וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת-הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם--חֻקַּת עוֹלָם57752015

Verse 2 tells us that the 30-year period from 5758-5787 will be considered the first 30-year period of the new era of Redemption - just like Nissan, 2448 was the first month of the new era of Redemption from Egypt.

Verses 3-5 talk about "taking sheep".  "Taking" as in וה' לקח.  The years that correspond to these verses were difficult years for the Jewish people with bus bombings and major terrorist attacks.  (I'm ignoring the fact that it says בעשר לחדש הזה.  It's a קשיא.)

Verse 6 tells us to wait until "day 14" (5772), at which point all of Israel will slaughter their enemies after Minha Gedola (Av, 5771), which begins the period called "Bein Ha'arbayim".

Verse 7 tells us what we were commanded to do with homes that we would soon be leaving.  This reminds us of the homes that were left in Gush Katif in 5765.

Verses 8-11 tell us how to have our enemies for lunch, i.e., how to defeat them.  In 5766 was the Second Lebanon War, so when we "ate", we ate with bitter herbs as well.  However, in 5769, we were told eat quickly, so we merited a quick victory and many miracles.

Verse 12 tells us what will occur to Egypt "that night", referring to the following year.  Their first-born - i.e., many protestors (just as the first-born protested on 10 Nissan, 2448) - will be smitten.

Verse 13 tells us that the Arab Spring, which began in Tunisia and Egypt, will pass over Israel ב"ה, and while Egypt is getting smitten, Israel will be safe.

Verse 14, as I mentioned earlier, is the verse that Sepharadim begin with when the first day of Pesah falls out on Shabbat.  Notice that it says היום הזה - this day.  It's telling us that "this day" - i.e., this year (of 5772)will be a rememberance for future generations and will be celebrated forever.

Verse 15 tells us that a Birur process will start - whoever eats Hametz and doesn't want to be redeemed will be cut off.

Verse 16 says that converts will not be accepted any longer (as in הנפש אשר עשו בחרן) unless they already started the process beforehand.

Verse 17 is the second verse - after verse 14 - that says היום הזה - this day. And it says it twice.  And it says that the Redemption will occur on "this day".  And again, this year (of 5775) will be remembered as an everlasting law for generations to come. 

Both 5772 and 5775 will have highly significant events in the Redemption process according to Rav Fish.  And both have the first day of Pesah falling out on Shabbat - something not copied by any other year of the "חודש" thus far.

2 Comments:

At Mon Apr 09, 07:56:00 PM 2012, Blogger Leah said...

May it come to fruition!Chag kosher v'sameach.

 
At Tue Apr 10, 04:10:00 AM 2012, Blogger Devorah Chayah said...

During this same time period there was a drought of rain as well and everyone in Eretz Yisrael knows that the drought ended this year! :-)

 

Post a Comment

<< Home