The Future Zerubavel

Chaggai 2:10-23 is said about the future Zerubavel, in our time. It is explained that until 24 Kislev, HaShem has no interest in the building of His Temple. With the reasoning of the Cohanim, and their power, there is really is no place for His Temple. But on this day, 24 Kislev 5783, the foundation of the Temple is laid, because the power of the Cohanim is no more. The nation will turn to HaShem, away from the Torah of the Cohanim. The nation will turn to Truth, away from dogma. From this day onwards, HaShem will bless Zerubavel.

Structure of "45 weeks"

The "45 weeks" of Gog thus have a structure. First there are six months leading to Tisha b'Av 5782, then there are 45 days to 24 Elul, and finally there are three months until 24 Kislev 5783. This is another instance of Moed, Moadim, and a half, and a projection from the 45 days starting on Tisha b'Av 5775.

Ten Months

The nine months could actually be more than ten months. See, the first 3.5 years will end on 24 Elul 5775, being the end of 1335 days, 1335-1290 days after Tisha B'Av. From there, count 7 years and 3 months.

That brings us to 24 Kislev 5783, the day before Chanukka. From this day, the 24th day, I will bless you. On that day, I will shake the heavens and the earth (Chaggai).

And the reason for waiting so long, is the Torah of the priests, as explained (here and Chaggai 2:11-15).

Eitsa Amuka

Reading the paragraph starting with Yeshayahu 50:4, one is left with the awesome nature of the prophet. Against the odds, the opposition strenghtens him. A daily portion, a spiritual portion, is all he needs. We have seen a similar figure, Ramchal. A daily portion of Divrei Emet, of the secrets of Torah, and the many opponents have no chance.

From this, one can learn an Eitsa Amuka, and it is a deep one indeed. The Geula will come without a doubt, in a way that is straight in the eyes of HaShem, through the very opposition against it.

קרא ממזרח עיט מארץ מרחק איש עצתו אף דברתי אף אביאנה יצרתי אף אעשנה

(Yeshayahu 46:11)

To Know In Time

In this week's Haftara, the prophet says about himself:

אדני ה' נתן לי לשון למודים לדעת לעות את יעף דבר יעיר בבקר בבקר יעיר לי אזן לשמע כלמודים

My Lord, Hashem, gave me a language of teaching, to know in time the thing for the thirsty, morning by morning he wakens -- wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.

(Yeshayahu 50:4)

Sefer Yeshayahu

Exactly in the weeks of Sefer Devarim, exactly in the Chalal, we read the Haftara out of Sefer Yeshayahu. This is quite fortunate, in view of this post.

At the very end of Parshat Ki Tetsei, we read Parshat Amalek. So really, this Parasha, Ki Tetsei, does not belong to the Chalal. Its Haftara is from Yeshayahu 54, and ends with verse 9 and 10. Again there is a fortunate aspect to this, as Yeshayahu 54:9,10 does not belong here, or there, or anywhere. A copy "error", we assume. The pairing with a Parasha that is not in the Chalal is therefore fortunate.

Hashgacha, that is what it is.

The Prophet Of Truth

Having the Torah divided into three parts, the Torah Kedumah, and the P and D rabbinic parts, is there a similar division among the prophets? The answer is affirmative. We read the prophet of P, Yechezkel, with the same Chashad as we read P. The prophet of D, Yiremyahu, has a similar fate. The prophet of the Torah Kedumah, is Yeshayahu, the real prophet of truth.

We Bought A Few Years

The IDF was surprised by the network of tunnels. It was much more sophisticated, and much more diverse, than was thought possible. The tunnel network is all but destroyed now, as far as the direct threat to Israel goes. Hamas will need a few years to rebuild things. The same thing is true for the rocket threat, we bought a few years. The price was high, almost 70 soldiers have given their lives. The operation that was done is the maximum the IDF can do, given the other threats, from the North and the East. We could have expelled the whole population of Gaza, but that would have brought the world's wrath upon us, and it was decided not to do it. Though the option was on the table, at one point. The IDF cannot reconquer Gaza, with the civilians inside, fighting only "Hamas." It would cost too much "fighting time," time the IDF does not have.

Because in the North, there is a problem growing, and in the East, there is a problem growing.

The Reason For Shabbat

Comparing what D says about Shabbat (Devarim 5:12-14, this week's Parasha),

שָׁמוֹר אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, לְקַדְּשׁוֹ, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד, וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל-מְלַאכְתֶּךָ. וְיוֹם, הַשְּׁבִיעִי--שַׁבָּת, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ: לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָל-מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ-וּבִתֶּךָ וְעַבְדְּךָ-וַאֲמָתֶךָ וְשׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרְךָ וְכָל-בְּהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ--לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ, כָּמוֹךָ. וְזָכַרְתָּ, כִּי עֶבֶד הָיִיתָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, וַיֹּצִאֲךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִשָּׁם, בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וּבִזְרֹעַ נְטוּיָה; עַל-כֵּן, צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לַעֲשׂוֹת, אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת.

to the P original in Shemot 20:7-10:

זָכוֹר אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד, וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל-מְלַאכְתֶּךָ. וְיוֹם, הַשְּׁבִיעִי--שַׁבָּת, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ: לֹא-תַעֲשֶׂה כָל-מְלָאכָה אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ, עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ, וְגֵרְךָ, אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ. כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת-יָמִים עָשָׂה יְהוָה אֶת-הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת-הָאָרֶץ, אֶת-הַיָּם וְאֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר-בָּם, וַיָּנַח, בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי; עַל-כֵּן, בֵּרַךְ יְהוָה אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת--וַיְקַדְּשֵׁהוּ.

one sees that the author of Devarim tries to "repair the damage." The Shabbat is not to emulate the ceasing of creative Divine work. It is to give rest to others, and to commemorate the Exodus. We do something similar by replacing Shemot 20:7-10 by

זָכוֹר אֶת-יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, לְקַדְּשׁוֹ

the real original. This replacing was something D could not do. The P version existed already. But, his Mesora was fine. We, however, don't need D. Rather, we confer rabbinic status to both P and D.

למלא את החלל

נכנסנו לתוך חלל, תקופה בת כמה שבועות ללא קריאה של תורה הקדומה בבתי כנסת. את החלל הזה יש למלא. תקרא

זָכוֹר, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק, בַּדֶּרֶךְ, בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם. אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל-הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ--וְאַתָּה, עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ; וְלֹא יָרֵא, אֱלֹהִים. וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ מִכָּל-אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב, בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה-אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ--תִּמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם; לֹא, תִּשְׁכָּח.

וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה, בְּאָזְנֵי כָּל-קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הַשִּׁירָה, הַזֹּאת--עַד, תֻּמָּם.

רְאוּ עַתָּה, כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא, וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים, עִמָּדִי: אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, מָחַצְתִּי וַאֲנִי אֶרְפָּא, וְאֵין מִיָּדִי, מַצִּיל. כִּי-אֶשָּׂא אֶל-שָׁמַיִם, יָדִי; וְאָמַרְתִּי, חַי אָנֹכִי לְעֹלָם. אִם-שַׁנּוֹתִי בְּרַק חַרְבִּי, וְתֹאחֵז בְּמִשְׁפָּט יָדִי; אָשִׁיב נָקָם לְצָרָי, וְלִמְשַׂנְאַי אֲשַׁלֵּם. אַשְׁכִּיר חִצַּי מִדָּם, וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר; מִדַּם חָלָל וְשִׁבְיָה, מֵרֹאשׁ פַּרְעוֹת אוֹיֵב. הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ, כִּי דַם-עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם; וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו, וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ.

כמובן, נתכוון למלחמה הנוכחית בעמלק.

Making Up For The Chalal

We are entering a Chalal, a period in which the Torah Kedumah will not be read, for several weeks, in Batei Knesset. To make up, read:

זָכוֹר, אֵת אֲשֶׁר-עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק, בַּדֶּרֶךְ, בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם. אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ, וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ כָּל-הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ--וְאַתָּה, עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ; וְלֹא יָרֵא, אֱלֹהִים. וְהָיָה בְּהָנִיחַ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְךָ מִכָּל-אֹיְבֶיךָ מִסָּבִיב, בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה-אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ--תִּמְחֶה אֶת-זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק, מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם; לֹא, תִּשְׁכָּח.

וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה, בְּאָזְנֵי כָּל-קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הַשִּׁירָה, הַזֹּאת--עַד, תֻּמָּם.

רְאוּ עַתָּה, כִּי אֲנִי אֲנִי הוּא, וְאֵין אֱלֹהִים, עִמָּדִי: אֲנִי אָמִית וַאֲחַיֶּה, מָחַצְתִּי וַאֲנִי אֶרְפָּא, וְאֵין מִיָּדִי, מַצִּיל. כִּי-אֶשָּׂא אֶל-שָׁמַיִם, יָדִי; וְאָמַרְתִּי, חַי אָנֹכִי לְעֹלָם. אִם-שַׁנּוֹתִי בְּרַק חַרְבִּי, וְתֹאחֵז בְּמִשְׁפָּט יָדִי; אָשִׁיב נָקָם לְצָרָי, וְלִמְשַׂנְאַי אֲשַׁלֵּם. אַשְׁכִּיר חִצַּי מִדָּם, וְחַרְבִּי תֹּאכַל בָּשָׂר; מִדַּם חָלָל וְשִׁבְיָה, מֵרֹאשׁ פַּרְעוֹת אוֹיֵב. הַרְנִינוּ גוֹיִם עַמּוֹ, כִּי דַם-עֲבָדָיו יִקּוֹם; וְנָקָם יָשִׁיב לְצָרָיו, וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ.

Obviously, we have in mind the current war against Amalek.