כ"ח פ"ה

The Midrash teaches that Israel's power (כח) is in his mouth (פה). Perhaps this concept is related to Chazal's teaching that Moshiach will come in Yovel period number 85 (פ"ה). In any case, the following is remarkable.

The time זי"ת ז"ך is after one Shmita of Yovel פ"ה. It is also two Shmita periods into the current Machzor Gadol, in its year Samech, right in the middle of its כ"ח years.

Now, this Machzor Gadol, the appointed time for the restoration of Israel's כח, is number פ"ה since 3417, which was very likely the first year of the first Machzor.

ואשים דברי בפיך ובצל ידי כסיתיך לנטע שמים וליסד ארץ ולאמר לציון עמי אתה

(ישעיהו נא:טז)

צו

ויקחו אליך שמן זי"ת ז"ך

We learned that Moshiach comes at זי"ת ז"ך. What that means follows from the words preceding זית זך in Shemot 27:20:

ואתה תצוה את בני ישראל ויקחו אליך שמן זית זך

The phrase preceding זית זך translates as "You shall command Bnei Yisrael that they shall take oil for you."

The exceptional thing to note in the above verse is that Moshe is not mentioned. The explanation is that it is directed also to Moshiach. In this reading, the oil to be taken is to anoint Moshiach. When is the anointing due? At זי"ת ז"ך. The words ואתה תצוה hint at a difficulty. Why is there a need for commanding the annointment of Moshiach? For some Jews it will not be easy to accept Moshiach, even after the war of Gog and Magog.

צה

The Shmita before Moshiach

Counting from the time of Ezra, year 5776 will be the 48th Yovel year. Eight periods of 50 years and forty periods of 49 years will have passed since year 3416. Before the Babylonian exile, 36 Yovel periods were counted. To be precise, the exile started after six Shmita periods of the 36th Yovel period. Hence, at the end of the current Shmita period, 84 Yovel periods will have passed, minus one Shmita period of Yovel period 36.

In Sanhedrin 97b, the Sages teach in the name of Eliyahu that Moshiach will come in the 85th Yovel period. In Sanhedrin 97a, the Sages teach about one Shmita period preceding the coming of Moshiach. In the light of the above, and the preceding post, the two teachings are connected: The Shmita period before Moshiach is the first Shmita period of the 85th Yovel period. It compensates for the one Shmita period that was missed.

צד

זי"ת ז"ך כ"ת י"ת למאור

We learned from the verse

שמן זית זך כתית למאור להעלת נר תמיד

that regarding the Mikdash (מאור) progress occurs in two steps, כ"ת י"ת. The first step is at ז"ך of the right, י"ת years after 5366. The second step is at ז"ך of the left, כ"ת years after 5366. The latter step marks the end of Yishmael's compensation for the 88 years of the Crusader kingdom during the years of Yishmael.

There is a similar count to the final fall of Edom. The exile count, which reached 499.5 in 5708, will reach ז"ך in 5783, זי"ת years after 5366. Year 5783 is one year after the end of Edom's compensation for the 104 years of the Hashmonean kingdom during the years of Edom. That one additional year is Gog's year.

צג

Edom, Yishmael, and Gog

Yisrael returned from Bavel to Eretz Yisrael to be controlled by the twelve tribes of Edom, by the Persians, the Greeks, the Romans. Edom was granted one day of history, a thousand years, the price for his birthright. Seeing Edom's reward, Yishmael claimed reward for his Mila and received 13 centuries, starting in year 4408, after 999 years of Edom's rule, as one year is reserved for Gog.

If Yishmael is entitled to 13 centuries of rule over Eretz Yisrael, how did the Crusaders manage to intervene for 88 years, and how did the British manage to intervene for more than 30 years, until the State of Israel? Yishmael was too eager and grabbed power from Edom in 4398, 10 years before the proper time. Yishmael had to repay the stolen time to Edom's twelve tribes, in twelve-fold measure, with 120 years of his 13 centuries. Therefore, according to Din, the count of the 13 centuries continued during the Crusaders' and British times, and the State of Israel arose in 5708. Note that the Crusaders' and British dominations do not exactly add up to 120 years. Again, one year is left for Gog.

Now, Yishmael may not accept the Din, and demand compensation for Edomite rule during his time. Lifnim MiShurat HaDin, compensation must be granted to Yishmael for the Crusaders' 88 years, though not for the British period, as England left Har Moriah in Yishmael's hands. Therefore, Yishmael must be granted a degree of control over Har Moriah until 5786, 1388 years after he took Yerushalayim. Note the symmetry: Year 5786 is 78 years after 5708. Year 4408 is 78 years after the birth of the founder of Islam.

Now, also Edom may argue and say that if Yishmael gets compensation for 88 years of Edomite rule, compensation is also due for the 104 years of Hashmonean sovereignty over Eretz Yisrael during Edom's time. According to Din, Edom's case can be dismissed, as the 104 years have already been taken into account, and years of the Crusaders and the British exceed the years of the Hasmoneans. However, since Yishmael was judged Lifnim Mishurat HaDin, Edom must be judged similarly. Therefore, Edom is granted a degree of control over Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael, until 104 years after the British conquest of Yerushalayim, which occurred on the 24th day of the nineth month, Kislev. What remains then is only the year of Gog.

צב

The End of Edom

As I argued before, in order to know when is the end of the exile, 22 centuries of exile must be counted from the year 3409, the beginning of the second-temple era, without including the period of Hasmonean rule over the Land of Israel. The end of these 22 centuries is the end of a total of 500 "years" of Jewish exile, where decades of Edomic exile are counted as years.

The Hashmonean period lasted 104 years, from 3620 to 3724. Together with 22 centuries we have 2304 years, and if we add these to 3409, we obtain that the 500 "years" were reached in the year 5713. We can thus conclude that the rise of the State of Israel, half a decade before, was after 499.5 "years", in accordance with the principle that HaShem hastens when the time arrives. Interestingly, the original Land of Edom, from the Dead Sea to Eilat, became part of the newborn State.

Yishmael was granted 1300 years in the shadow of Edom, because of his circumcision. Conversely, the rule of Edom over Yisrael was extended in the merit of Yishmael. Yishmael's circumcision rights were used up in 5708. However, Edom was granted one "day" of extra extension, 64 years, for selling his birthright to Ya'akov. As explained, this day can be counted from 5708 or from 5713. Interestingly and amazingly, around these years circumcision became very popular in the USA.

צא

The War of Islam

Yeranen Ya'akov brings that the name of king תדעל (Bereshit 14:1) hints at the number תדע"ל ,504. I would agree, but I think that the king should be identified with Ahmadinejad rather than Obama. Let me explain.

The count of Din reached 504 in 5765, when Ahmadinejad rose to power in Iran. In Parshat Bereshit, תדעל is the last of four kings who go to war against five kings. I think the four kings represent 32 years of Islamic war against the Western world, from the Iran hostage crisis in the year 5740 until year 5772. In other words, they represent the last four of the left kings of Edom. These 32 years are embedded in the 40 years of the last five of the right kings of Edom, the period from 5737 to 5777, from president Carter onwards. Note the hint at oil fields in Bereshit 14:10.

The war between Islam and the West was initiated by the Islamic world. The four kings must be them, not the West. At this stage, quite some notable spoils were taken by the Islamists. They made many Israeli victims, murdered Rabbi Meir Kahane, succeeded at 9/11, brought about a major economic crisis, and received South Lebanon as well as the Gaza strip.

צ