In the Honor of Yom Yerushalayim

The count of Chesed (or Malchut) reaches 499 in year 5727, the year in which Yerushalayim was reunited. The Zohar Chadash refers to the year 5727. A translation of the relevant section is here. The bold section reads:

"At the time of the End of Days, according to the hour of the day, at the time that the sun shines, from the 6th Day, at the time that is ready according to the count of years, of Yovel and Shmitah together, which is רע"ד (Raa'd, 274 in Gematria) from the 6th Day. At that time a single voice is prepared to awaken at the heights of the upper heavens, a sad and bitter voice, such that hasn't been since the day that the world was created."

The year 5727 is 274 years from the end of the conventional sixth "day", year 6001. The text speaks about Yovel and Shmita being together. This seems impossible, because a Yovel year is always one year after a Shmita year. However, the count of Chesed presents an explanation of the phrase "at the time that is ready according to the count of years, of Yovel and Shmitah together".

The phrase "according to the hour of the day, at the time that the sun shines" refers to the sunrise of the sixth day of history as defined in the previous post, which is the year 5729. The year 5727 is at the very brink of this sunrise. "The time that is ready according to the count of years" refers to the Chesed count reaching 499. After the year 5309, the Chesed count is every 12 and every 19 years. On average, this is close to every seven years. Thus, the years of Chesed are akin to Shmita years, and year 5727 is such a year. Moreover, year 5727 was also a Yovel year. See this post to learn about the Yovel years from the time of Bayit Sheni.

The hint is that the Chesed count to 499 is a long count towards the Yovel year 5727. From this year onwards, Yovel years are included in the Chesed count. The first such year was 5727. Hence, the year 5727 counts 499 of Chesed, but also 500. The next Yovel will be 5776, and after that it will be according to what Sanhedrin will decide. The addition of Yovel years to the count of the right is an instance of the principle B'Ita Achishena - in its time I will hasten it - (Yeshaya 60:22): When Chesed nears the end, when it is 499, I will hasten it to reach 500 in the same year, and I will hasten the count of Chochma, and so hasten the redemption. Yovel counting as Chesed (Tzekek) is the very hidden Sod תו מ''י of Zohar Teruma 140.

Summarizing, the count of Chesed is a sum of three cycles. It started as a 12 year cycle. In the year 5309, the 19-year cycle was added, the years of the latest Pesach. In the year 5727, the Yovel cycle was added.

The count of Chochma is the final leg of the Chesed count. It starts with the double count in 5309, reaches 72 in 5813, and 100 just before the end of the sixth millenium, in 5993 (cf. Zohar VaYera 119). This assumes that Sanhedrin will decide that three Yovel years will be between 5776 and 5993, e.g. years 5851, 5901, 5951. Sanhedrin will surely decide to shift the year of the latest Pesach, and that will affect the years of Chesed in the 19-year cycle. It is in the hands of man.

Until it expired when it reached 500, the count of Chesed was the principal clock of history. Without the inclusion of the Yovel years from year 5727 onwards, 500 would have been reached in year 5729, exactly 1200 years after the 1200 years of Galut had ended. The year 5729 was uniquely the year in which universal aspirations were reached - the year in which man set foot on the Moon, the year of the Woodstock "liberation." Due to its being a Yovel year, 500 was reached in 5727, uniquely the year in which Jewish aspirations were reached - the year of the liberation of the Land of Israel from the sea until the Jordan, the year of the liberation of Yerushalayim. As 5727 became 500 in the count of Chesed, 5729 became 60 in the count of Chochma. At this value, the count of Chochma became the principal clock of history, replacing the expired count of Chesed (cf. Zohar Parshat VaYera 119a, Zohar Parshat Shemot 9,10).

The Zohar in Shemot 10 says that Techiat HaMetim will be after a count of 144 years, 100 plus 40 plus 4. After Chochma reaches 100, a new Hanhaga starts, associated to a different count. After 5993, we count years of Chesed and years of Din, until their sum is 40. Assuming the most likely decisions of Sanhedrin, this will be in year 6125. Four years later is year 6129. Forty hints at the return of the Hanhaga of Atik Yamim. Four hints at the return of the Hanhaga of Yesod Adam Kadmon, under which the laws of Nature are subject to change.

ומקים אמונתו לישני עפר

I have hereby fulfilled my promise to explain my claim about the year 6129. I have restricted myself in the process. To the serious student, the above can be strenghtened. In particular, the preceding can be accommodated with what is written regarding Techiat HaMetim in Midrash Ne'elam Toldot. That is, it can be shown how Techiat HaMetim of the Tsadikim is 210 years before 6129, and 40 "years" after Kibbutz Galuyot, in year חי of the third Yovel period, if the Yovel years will be as assumed above. It can also be shown under which circumstance the time distance between the two instances of Techiat HaMetim is 214 years. This understanding is in fact key to my confidence. Without it, I would not have dared to write the last five posts, but I cannot elaborate.

כ

About Hanhagot and Sephirot

Most of the history of Homo Sapiens was under the Hanhaga (rule) of Partzuf Keter, or Arich Anpin, associated to the 72-letter Name. After the end of 72*1000 years of this Hanhaga, until the beginning of the Hanhaga of Zeir Anpin in year 1329, were 1440 years. They were ruled by the Parzufim under Keter and above Zeir Anpin. In decreasing order of elevation, these are Chochma, Bina, and Da'at. In between the length of Keter (72), and that of Da'at (135), Bina and Chochma have length 100. Chochma ruled over the first 5*100 of the 1440 intermediate years, Bina over the subsequent 4*100, and Da'at over the final 4*135 years.

From the rule of Chochma in year -111 until 6129 are 6240 years, by Hashgacha a number close to 6000. These are the years that saw the rise and the evolution of human culture. The word B'Reshit hints, via the letter Bet, at two beginnings, the first through Keter and beyond, and the second through Chochma. During the ages, until modern times, the beginning through Keter was not known. Only the beginning through Chochma was revealed. Correspondingly, the world was held to be young. Correspondingly, the final redemption could not come until our times.

The rule of Zeir Anpin reaches from 1329, when the Shechina came down at Mount Sinai, until 6129. These 4800 years are naturally divided in six periods of 800 years, with each period associated to one Sephira of Zeir Anpin: Chesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod.

This is at variance with the traditional attribution of 1000 years to every Sephira, but this is not a real problem. The 800-years attribution cannot be stated without revealing the non-physical nature of the years of Malchut. Secrets are secrets (Raya Mehemana Tzav 28a). The wise will understand and the practical difference is not big. The Arizal started teaching in the very beginning of the period of Yesod. In the same vein, notice that the beginning of the Hanhaga of Da'at and the beginning of the period of Hod coincide.

Chazal divide human history into three equal parts - the period of Tohu, the period of Torah, and the period of Moshiach. We can now understand this teaching in a new light. The period of Tohu was from Yetziat Mitzrayim until Eliyahu (physical year 2929). The period of Torah was from the secret work of Eliyahu and other prophets until the secret work of the Stammaim, the editors of the Talmud. After 4529, the end of the 1200 years of Galut, is the period of Moshiach.

Ergo, mentions of 1000 years in our sources may refer to 800 physical years. Scaling 1000 to 800, 600 becomes 480. The Zohar in Vayera 117 announces the revelation of upper and lower Chochma 600 years into the last "day" of history. This may therefore be taken to refer to 480 years after 5329, a parallel to the 480 years of the first day until Bayit Rishon and Shlomo HaMelech.

The first half of every day of 800 years is to be considered its night, followed by sunrise, followed by daylight. With this, history is naturally divided into units of 400 years. Since Bayit Sheni, the 400 year periods start with years 3729 (day four, start of Roman hegomony over the land of Israel), 4129 (sunrise day four, end of Sanhedrin), 4529 (day five, closing of the Talmud), 4929 (sunrise day five, Rambam), 5329 (day six, Arizal), 5729 (sunrise day six, Jewish control over the Land of Israel).

יט

The Hanhaga of Da'at and the 1200 Years of Galut

In the previous post, I explained the counts of Malchut and Zeir Anpin, Partzufim of the world of Atzilut. The higher Partzufim of this world, Da'at, Bina, Chochma, and Keter, also have associated counts, bringing the total to six counts (cf. Zohar VaYera 117).

Partzuf Da'at has a hidden nature, and is usually not counted among the Partzufim. Likewise, its count has a hidden nature and the Zohar more or less hides it when mentioning year counts related to the process of redemption. However, in the translation of Zohar numbers to historical years, the count of Da'at is to be inserted.

Insertion of the count of Da'at makes the Galut longer than would seem from the Pshat of the Zohar. In particular, the Zohar mentions in several places that the Galut is 1200 years, 100 years for every tribe, and promises that the redemption will occur a relatively short time after these 1200 years. Obviously, the years of Galut are much more than 1200. The Zohar is not mistaken. It is hiding its secrets. The numbers of the Zohar are closed to who does not know this.

In the system of the Zohar, the 100*12 years of Galut are the first 1200 years of the 1290 "days" mentioned in the book of Daniel, which started when Korban HaTamid ceased to be offered (Husar HaTamid). This refers to the destruction of Bayit Rishon. The Zohar indicates that the Tamid was stopped before the actual Churban in year 3339 of Malchut. The Galut years being 100*12 suggests that the Galut years are synchronized with the 12-year cycle of Malchut. The last year in this cycle before the Churban was year 3329. Counting 1200 years of Galut from there leads to 4529.

Counting Chesed years from 4529 (4529 is "one", 4541 is "two", etc.), 66 is reached in 5309. The Zohar brings the number 66 in several places as the time of great events. Notice that year 5309, is approximately 1200 years after the true dark ages started with the disappearance of Sanhedrin, surely a fulfillment of the prophecy regarding Husar HaTamid (Raya Mehemana Tzav 28b).

The count starting at 4529, after the 1200 years of Galut, is the count of Da'at. It is to be seen as counting towards the completion of Daniel's 1290 "days". Hence, 1266 "days" are reached when the count reaches 66, in year 5309. Staying in sync with the count of Malchut, 1290 "days" are reached in year 5480, the year in which the GR"A was born. Da'at reached 72 in 5347, the year in which Chaim Vital received official recognition in Yerushalayim. The total length of Da'at is 135, reaching until the end of Daniel's 1335 "days", but what will happen at that point, and when it will be, is still beyond our scope.

[many thanks to Gedaliah]

יח

Din and Chesed until a Thousand minus One

In a number of posts, I will B'Ezrat HaShem state a number of principles and definitions. I will not give a rationale or source for every statement. The best rationale is the emergence of the whole picture. Therefore, be patient.

During most of human history, a heavenly hindrance existed that prevented Malchut to reach maturity. I will not go into the mechanics of the hindrance. The Zohar in Parshat VaEra tells us about a thousand minus one streams (Yeorin) that have to be passed. The GR"A teaches that Isaiah 60:22 ("the least shall become a thousand") refers to this 999. The principle is often called תצ''ט, the number 499, because, according to the teachings of the Arizal and the GR"A, the 999 streams split up into 499.5 on the left and 499.5 on the right. The left count is called the count of Din, and the right count is called the count of Chesed (see Kol HaTor, chapter 2:60).

The background of the Din and Chesed counts and their convergence, is what would have been if Am Yisrael would not have drawn Din onto itself in an early stage of its existence. In this scenario, the count to 999 would have been what I will call "a priori", as follows.

A priori, the count on the right is obtained by viewing the 6,000 years of Malchut as 500 times 12. The number 12 denotes Chesed. The planet of Chesed is Tsedek (Jupiter), which revolves around the Sun every 12 years. Every 12 years, in what is called a year of Chesed, Chesed flows to the world. Point zero of the count of Chesed is year 5 of the years of Malchut. That is, at year 17 we count "one", at year 29 we count "two", until year 5993, which is 499. Half a count of Chesed is 6 years, so that 499.5 would be reached in the year 5999.

A priori, the count on the left started when 14 years after entering the Land, Am Yisrael started counting Shmita years. The Land was entered in the year 2489, and the first Shmita period therefore started in 2503. Counting every seven years, 2510 is "one", 2517 is "two", et cetera, one arrives at 499 in year 5996. Half a count of Din is 3.5 years, so that 499.5 would be reached within months from when the 499.5 count of Chesed would be reached.

This would have been, but Am Yisrael sinned. The first collective Sin, to be repaired fully only in the course of history, was the selling of Yosef by his brothers. The Din and Chesed counts both changed in the wake of this Sin. The Din count changed because of the Sin, the Chesed count changed in the merit of its repair.

The Sin of Yosef's brothers shifted point zero of the count of Din to the year 2237, the beginning of the seven years of drought that were to bring the brothers to Yosef. And so, 2244 is "one", 2251 is "two", and 499 is in 5730. In other words, the count of Din became 38 (38 times 7 years) ahead of what it would have been "a priori" and instead of reaching the end of 6,000 years together at 499.5, the two counts cross each other at value 446.5, reached in both counts by the year 5363, with 5366 being the first year of Din surpassing the Chesed count, 22*10 years of Din after 3826 (see Zohar Chadash, Parshat VaYeshev, page 29), the onset of the destruction of Bayit Sheni because of Sin'at Chinam among Yisrael.

Din crossing Chesed before reaching 499.5 would have destroyed the world. However, the holy Arizal achieved the full repair for the Sin of the sale of Yosef through his studies of the secrets of Torah, and the destruction was prevented. The Chesed count was changed such so that the convergence at 499.5 was restored. In addition to every 12 years, also every 19 years became a year of Chesed, starting with year 5309. The combined Chesed count arrives at 499 in the year 5727. Value 499.5 is reached half a count of Chesed later in 5733, whereas the count of Din reaches this value 3.5 years after 5730. The addition of the 19-year cycle to the count of Chesed is an instance of the principle B'Ita Achishena - in its time I will hasten it - (Yeshaya 60:22): When a premature end nears, I will hasten the count of the right.

[It is sometimes thought that the death of Aseret Harugei HaMalchut atoned for the sin of the sale of Yosef. However, this death was in part punishment for a repetition of this sin - the ban of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanos. As a sign of the Tikun of the Arizal, the banning of Rav Azaryah Di Rossi's magnum opus Me'or Einayim was prevented by Heaven. However, rejection of truth in the name of Torah is a desolating Shikutz. The attempted ban clarifies why redemption could not come at the time.]

That is, the two counts meet at the Yom Kippur war, the turning point of history. As for preceding historical turning points, Israeli independence was declared in the year 5708, which was a year of Chesed due to the 19-year cycle, and Yerushalayim was reunited and Makom HaMikdash regained in the year 5727, likewise a year of Chesed.

Note that the above cycle lengths are known numbers: 19 is the length of the calendar cycle, which has 7 leap years and 12 normal years. The Chesed count added at the time of the Arizal takes place in the 8th year of the calendar cycle, the year in which the solar date of Pesach is later than in all other years.

In terms of Partzufim, the Chesed count is called the count of Malchut, because originally it covers all of Malchut, and the count of Din is called the count of Zeir Anpin, because it started with the advent of Yisrael. The counts to 500 can be viewed as counts to 500/7, close to 72. Four other "72" counts exist, corresponding to four other Partzufim, as we shall see.

[thanks to Gedaliah]

[A reader of this post made this spreadsheet with three tables. The first features the "a priori" counts of Zeir Anpin and Malchut. The second features the change at Mechirat Yosef and the resulting would-be crossing of Din and Chesed at 446.5. The third table features the counts of Zeir Anpin and Malchut taking account both Mechirat Yosef and the Repair.]

יז

In the Honor of Lag B'Omer and Rabbi Shimon

In terms of the secrets of Torah, we live in the period of the Partzuf "Malchut", which represents all human souls on one side, and is the gate of Divine influence on the physical world, on the other. In the course of history, Partzufim of higher elevation than Malchut exert their influence to make Malchut grow to completeness, so that mankind may perfect and elevate the world.

The period of Malchut is limited. It lasts 6,000 years, and these are the years that are counted by the Jewish counting of the years. Hence, the Jewish year count starts with the appearance of human souls, and not with the creation of the physical world, as is often thought. In fact, before the emergence of mankind there were six periods of 7,000 years, corresponding to the six Sephirot that precede Malchut in the system of Kabbala: Chesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. The six periods total 42,000 years, which are called the years of Atik Yamim, the carrier of the 42-letter name of HaShem. The years of Atik Yamim are not physical years. Each year at this level corresponds to 3*100*1000 physical years. That makes 12.6 billion years, the age of the oldest stars. The six days of creation of the Torah correspond to these six Sephirot. Hence, the "Let there be light" of the first day corresponds to the creation of the first stars. Likewise, the creation of the Sun on the fourth day, corresponds to the creation of the Sun in the 2.1 billion years of the fourth Sephira, Netzach. The fifth Sephira, Hod, corresponds to the biological evolution towards the type of cells we are made off, eukaryotes. The sixth Sephira, Yesod, corresponds to the evolution from single cells to man. The number 42 is not only 6 times 7. It is also 40 plus 2, where the 2 corresponds to the 600 million years of the evolution of animal life.

Before the period of Atik Yamim was the rule of the Sephira preceding the seven Sephirot from Chesed to Malchut, i.e. the rule of the Sephira of Da'at, and of the Partzuf Yesod Adam Kadmon, corresponding to the 4-letter name of HaShem. This Partzuf is the most elevated spiritual concept we may conceive of. The above formula also applies to the translation of the rule of Yesod Adam Kadmon to physical years. Hence, here are another 4,000*3*100*1000 physical years, 1.2 billion. The years of Yesod Adam Kadmon saw the creation of time and space, the creation of the laws of Nature, a fast expansion of the Universe, and the breaking of the homogeneity of the spatial distribution of matter and energy, setting the stage for the stellar evolution.

Adding the years of Yesod Adam Kadmon to the years of Atik Yamim, we get 13.8 billion physical years. The latest scientific measurements for the age of the Universe give a value of 13.73 ± 0.12 years.

If the 42,000 years of the six Sephirot that preceded Malchut do not correspond to physical years, why would the subsequent period of 6,000 years of Malchut correspond to physical years? They do not. In order to explain how it really is, let me review the key years of the history of Malchut (Note the symmetry involving the number 480):

Year 1: Creation of Adam HaRishon
Year 2449: Yetziat Mitzrayim
Year 2929 (2449+480): Bayit Rishon
Year 3339: Churban Bayit Rishon
Year 3409 (2929+480): Bayit Sheni
Year 3829: Churban Bayit Sheni

Mankind exists already for a very long time, much longer than 6,000 years. To derive the physical years of the events of Malchut, we scale Malchut's years with similar yet smaller factors as above. Homo Sapiens arose not 2448 years but 2448*3*10 (73,440) years before Yetziat Mitzrayim. The 73,440 years hint at HaShem's name of 72, which corresponds to the Partzuf Arich Anpin or Keter, who ruled for 72,000 years. The remaining 1440 years were under the Partzufim Chochma, Bina and Da'at. (I will elaborate Bli Neder in later posts.)

As I explained before, the 480 Malchut years of Bayit Rishon until Bayit Sheni must be multiplied with a factor 10/3, so that they come out to be 1600 physical years. From Yetziat Mitzrayim until Bayit Rishon, and after Churban Bayit Sheni until the end of days, there is no scaling: physical years equal years of Malchut. The scaling of the period of Bayit Rishon until Bayit Sheni pushes back the date of Yetziat Mitzrayim to the year 1329.

Now, notice a remarkable numerical coincidence. If we add the 2300 years of Daniels prophecy (8:14) to the year of Churban Bayit Sheni, we get 6129, which year is exactly 10*480 years after Yetziat Mitzrayim in 1329 - another instance of scaling of 480 years.

I invented the proposal described here to harmonize historical and scientific findings with principles of Torah, combining knowledge with knowledge. As such it has merits, but its solution is not unique. However, after discovering the number 6129, a whole new dimension opened up, which gives the proposal a strong flavor of unique truth.

There is much more to the above proposal than meets the unaided eye, and more than I can expound now. I have an astounding Perush of Zohar Shemot 10 and Midrash Ne'elam Toldot regarding the dates of Techiat HaMetim, which confirms that the year 6129 will see the revival of the dead. [For completeness, Techiat HaMetim of the Tzadikim will take before this time, and the 6129 corresponds to the opinion of rabbi Yehuda in Midrash Ne'elam. Going with rabbi Yitzchak, it would be 6133.]

In upcoming posts, Bli Neder and B'Ezrat HaShem, I will try to explain the Perush. Step by step, slowly, because it is a lot of material, and because I must be careful. The Perush has strong implications regarding the timing of Biat HaMoshiach.

Let me conclude with some insights gleaned from the Perush: The six Sephirot before Malchut were elevated very much above the lower worlds. Hence the big scaling factor, 3*100*1000. With the advent of man, they formed together the Partzuf Zeir Anpin, which came down to the lower worlds together with Malchut.

Malchut came down gradually, and with ups and downs. This is the background of the various scaling factors. If the scaling factor is 1, Malchut is at the final destination, close to the lower worlds. If the scaling factor is higher, Malchut is elevated above the lower worlds. Until Yetziat Mitzrayim, Malchut was still quite removed from the lower worlds. Hence the scaling factor 10*3. After having come down all the way at Yetziat Mitzryaim, Malchut rose towards Zeir Anpin at Bayit Rishon, but lacking completeness, Malchut could not elevate the lower worlds, and became elevated from them. Hence the factor 10/3. At Bayit Sheni, Malchut made the final descent in order to go up forever at the time of Moshiach, together with the lower worlds.

Although the Partzufim Yesod Adam Kadmon and Atik Yamim withdrew when Malchut came down, and exerted only very little influence on the lower Partzufim in a direct way, this will change from the time of Moshiach onwards. From this we may understand the awesome nature of what is to come.

טז