Timing is Everything

We live in one of the most exciting times on Earth. It is a time when many expect to see the full and complete redemption of Israel, a time when mankind will witness the beginning of the World to Come. Current events bear witness to this.

We have explained in the past that the timing of these events can be compared to the rising crescendo of a symphony just before its climactic conclusion. The current cadence of this symphony correlates with the speed of the approaching climax. Things are happening so fast that it is almost impossible to keep track.

It is also a time when many of G-d's mysteries are being revealed. Yes, G-d is revealing mysteries that have been hidden since the beginning of time. May we merit to see them and understand their significance.

The purpose of this article is to remind the reader that G-d does have a plan, that His plan is perfect in every way, and that the nation of Israel is central to this plan.

We will review this concept to the extent that it manifests itself in the Mo'eds or "appointed times" for Israel. Keep in mind that such festivals represent a meeting with destiny that was known from the beginning. As it is written: "To everything there is an appointed time, and a moment for every purpose under Heaven" (Kohelet [Ecclesiastes] 3:1).

The concept of time in Torah is entirely different than our limited view of linear time. Rather, it is looked at as a cyclical dimension, or, more accurately, a spiral dimension, revolving as it were around the Jewish people and the nation of Israel. It is the continual repetition of this spiral that defines time. That is how history and prophecy are connected. Each historical moment has its ever expanding counterpart as creation works toward tikkun or rectification, and each Mo'ed is like a mile marker to measure its progress.

Some of these Mo'eds , like Pesach (Passover), are found in the Torah along with the statutes and ordinances pertaining to their observance. Still other Mo'eds occurred long after the Torah was given but were nevertheless recognized by the sages as an "appointed meeting" because of their timing and significance. An example would be Purim. The details of how Purim was eventually recognized and accepted as an "appointed time" are beyond the scope of this article.

We will instead focus our attention on a more recent event in modern history, an event that has occurred in our own generation. We will show, amazingly enough, that Pesach actually points to this modern day event and includes it in a prophetic picture of the festivals.

We will also show that this event was known from the beginning, that it was predicted to the very day and was, until this century, a "missing" element to the "sequence of events" that constitutes the Mo'eds. The possibilities are intriguing and the explanation best brought forward from the beginning.

So . . . from the Torah we read . . .

"In the beginning G-d created the Heavens and the Earth" (Genesis 1:1)

To the casual observer the text of the written Torah would appear somewhat limited. Other than the fact that creation progressed over a period of six days, and that during that time G-d made everything that was made, the details seem somewhat lacking. We do know however that it was not until the sixth day that G-d created man (Genesis 1:26).

Most students of the Bible, Jewish and Christian alike, know that to HaShem a day is like a thousand years (Psalms 90:4 & 2 Peter 3:8). Most students are also aware that the six days of creation parallel the history of man. The concept is not new.

A day that is considered to be a thousand years is sometimes referred to as one of "G-d's days" or a "millennial day." Its hours, minutes and seconds however are somewhat longer than those represented by the average wristwatch.

By applying a little math, we can relate this to our own concept of time and see that by our reckoning a single hour of this "millennial day" would equal 41 & 2/3 years (1000 years divided by 24 hours per "day" = 41.6666666 years)

The Zohar confirms, at Chadash 16b, that the six days of creation allude to, and actually parallel, the various millennia of human history. The Talmud, in Tractate Sanhedrin, 38b, agrees and even records the details of what happened during each "hour" of the sixth day of creation, the exact details of how G-d created man! This is what happened.

The sixth day was the first Friday just before the first Shabbat. According to the Talmud, by the end of the first hour G-d had gathered together the "main ingredients" with which to make man. By the end of the second hour, those main ingredients were present and the "form" of the man began to take shape (tissue, sinews, flesh etc). At the end of the third hour, his bones or "limbs" had been formed. At the end of the fourth hour G-d "breathed life" into Adam and at the fifth hour Adam "stood up." By the end of the sixth hour Adam possessed divine consciousness and was able to "recognize" and call the animals by name. And, finally, in the seventh hour, Adam's "marriage" manifests itself in a perfect relationship with G-d.

These texts deal specifically with the creation of man, but the Prophet Ezekiel uses similar terms to describe the resurrection of the House of Israel and its eventual marriage to HaShem.

In the 37th Chapter, starting at the first verse, we read:

"The hand of the L-rd came upon me. He took me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the valley. It was full of bones. He led me around them; there were very many of them spread over the valley and they were very dry. He said to me, 'O mortal, can these bones live again?' I replied, 'O Lord G-d, only you know.' And He said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus said the Lord G-d to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you and you shall live again. And you shall know that I am the Lord!' I prophesied as I had been commanded. And while I was prophesying, suddenly there was the sound of rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked and there were sinews on them, and flesh had grown, and skin had formed over them but there was no breath in them. Then He said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, O mortal! Say to the breath: Thus said the Lord G-d: Come O breath, from the four winds, and breathe into these slain, that they may live again.'

(37:7-10) I prophesied as He commanded me. The breath entered them, and they came to life and stood up on their feet, a vast multitude.

(37:11-12) And He said to me, 'O mortal, these bones are the whole House of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone; we are doomed. 'Prophesy therefore, and say to them: Thus said the Lord G-d: I am going to open your graves [amongst the nations] and lift you out of the graves [nations], O my people, and bring you to the Land of Israel.

(37:14) I will put my breath into you and you shall live again, and I will set you upon your own soil. Then you shall know that I the Lord have spoken and have acted . . . declares the Lord . . . .

(37:24-28) . . . My servant David shall be king over them; there shall be one shepherd for all of them. They shall follow My rules and faithfully obey My laws. Thus they shall remain in the land which I gave to My servant Jacob and in which your fathers dwelt; they and their children, and their children's children shall dwell there forever, with my servant David as their prince for all time. I will make a covenant of peace with them . . . it shall be an everlasting covenant with them . . . I will establish them and multiply them, and I will place My Sanctuary [Tabernacle] among them forever. My presence shall rest over them; I will be their G-d and they shall be My people. And, when my Sanctuary abides among them forever, the nations shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel.'"

Ezekiel is told that these bones and their "resurrection" are the whole House of Israel. He also describes G-d's covenant of peace with Israel, the redemption of the Jewish people, and His eternal presence with them. Even though the Prophet is referring to the restoration of national Israel and ensuing events, his words bear a remarkable resemblance to those of the Zohar and the Talmud and their description of the creation of man. Moreover, as we will see, the order of Ezekiel's account is identical.

Like modern-day Israel, Adam developed over a gradual period of time. Keep in mind that Clal Yisrael (the eternal soul of Israel, past, present and future) is referred to as "he" in the Tanach much like any other individual. The development of modern day Israel is nearly a mirror image of the sixth day of creation in the physical sense. But what about timing? Could it also, on some higher level, allude to the time of the restoration of the nation Israel and the redemption of the Jewish people? If we examine the timing of the rebirth of Israel we find some very interesting parallels.

INTERESTING PARALLELS

The sixth millennium, for example, begins in the year 5000 on the Hebrew calendar. According to Jewish reckoning, a day begins at sunset, and then ends at sunset on the following day (as opposed to midnight to midnight, as in Gentile reckoning). We say, ". . . there was evening and then there was morning."

By Jewish reckoning, the morning of any given day is already 12 hours into that day. Friday morning of the sixth day of creation, for example, would already be 12 of "G-d's hours" into the sixth day, or some 500 years into the 5th millennium by His reckoning (considering a thousand years as a day).

Accordingly, the Friday morning of creation (half way through the sixth day) would equate to the year 5500 on the Hebrew calendar. The first hour of the morning of the sixth day would therefore begin in the Hebrew year 5500 and end 41.6 years later in the Hebrew year 5541.6, or the years 1781-82 on the Gregorian calendar.

The second hour would end in the Hebrew year 5583 (1822-23 Gregorian calendar).

The third hour would end in the Hebrew year 5625 (1864-65 Gregorian calendar).

The fourth hour would end in the Hebrew year 5667 (1906-07 Gregorian calendar).

The fifth hour would end in the Hebrew year 5708 or 1947-48 Gregorian calendar.

The sixth hour would end in 1989-90 on the Gregorian calendar,

Tthe seventh would begin in 1990, etc.

It is significant to note that modern-day Israel began to take recognizable "form" in the mid 1800's when Jews from all over the world began to return to the Land. This "third hour" was a period when many great Rabbis of the Diaspora began telling their people it was time to return. Even though the nation was beginning to take form, however, the world still did not recognize it for what it was. There were sinews . . . and flesh had grown, and skin had formed over the bones . . . but there was no breath in them. Not until the end of the fourth hour, when certain events brought about the Balfour declaration, did G-d "breathe life" into this otherwise lifeless body. In that "hour," British Colonial Palestine was officially recognized as a homeland for the Jews and an infant was born. The breath entered them, and they came to life. The fifth hour ended during the Fall of 1947 when the United Nations approved the creation of a Jewish State. That Spring, exactly to the year, the fifth "hour" ended. It was May 15, 1948, when he "stood up" on his own, to become "a vast multitude." Israel declared its independence! The Gregorian year 1948 coincides exactly with the end of the fifth hour. The creation account found in the Talmud and Ezekiel's description of Israel in the 37th chapter are amazingly similar.

There is, however, an even stronger, more precise reference. The Tikuney Zohar, (Yeshayahu 60) gives the year for Israel's redemption as 5708 (1947-48). But what about the day itself, May 15? Is it possible that even the day was predicted? And if so, what if there was a way, known from the beginning, that could be used to calculate on what day of the week Israel's Independence day (May 15, 1948) would fall in any given year? What if it could be done in such a way as to positively link it to the celebration of the other Mo'eds? And what if it could be shown that the sequence of festivals was somehow incomplete without it?

To examine this possibility we first need to understand the Hebrew Alef-Beit (alphabet) and something known as the Atbash.

The Hebrew Alef-Beit consists of 22 letters. The ABCs of the Hebrew Alef-Beit are, in order, Alef, Beit, Gimel, Dalet, Hei, Vav, Zayin, Chet, Tet, Yud, Kaf, Lamed, Mem, Nun, Samech, Ayin, Pei, Tzadik, Kuf, Reish, Shin, and Tav.

There is a concept in Hebrew known as the Atbash where the letters are juxtaposed to represent other letters. When the Atbash is applied to an Alef, for example, which happens to be the first letter of the Hebrew Alphabet, it becomes the Tav which is the last letter of the alphabet. When the second letter, which is Beit, is juxtaposed with the second-to-the-last letter, it becomes Shin, and so on. The Gimel would thus equate to Reish, the Dalet with Kuf, the Hei with Tzadi, the Vav with Pei, and the Zayin with Ayin, etc.

Also, there are no independent characters in Hebrew to represent numbers. Instead, the letter Alef can be used in the numerical sense as the number one. The Beit represents number two, Gimel is three, Dalet is four and so on.

As mentioned earlier, there are some "appointed times," like Pesach, that are found in the Torah, while others are not. Regardless, each is celebrated according to a precise timetable. The days on which they are celebrated can vary from year to year due to the nature of the lunar calendar. The calculation for deriving the day on which any given holiday is to be observed can therefore be rather complex. But remember, G-d has a plan that encompasses every detail of history and every facet of Clal Yisrael. The festivals, or appointed times, are part of that plan. And Pesach is central to all of the festivals in that it begins the cycle.

Pesach is celebrated for a period of seven days (eight days for those Jews still in the Diaspora). R. Yosef Caro, who wrote the Shulchan Aruch, explains that if you number each of the days of Pesach 1 through 7 using the corresponding numerical letter of the alphabet, i.e. Alef thru Zayin, and then apply the Atbash, a mysterious thing happens. The complicated calculation of when to celebrate all of the other festivals becomes simple and the results are identical to those on which the various days of Pesach fall.

The first day of Pesach, for example, which would be numbered "1", or Alef, when juxtaposed using the Atbash, becomes Tav ("T" in the English Alphabet). The Tav, or "T", is for the Mo'ed known as T]ish B'av. If the first day of Pesach falls on a Tuesday, as it did this year, then Tish B'av will also fall on a Tuesday.

The second day of Pesach, which would be represented by the letter Beit ("B" in the English Alphabet), would juxtapose with the letter Shin, which is the second letter from the end of the alphabet. The Shin, or "Sh", is for the Mo'ed known as [Sh]avuot. If the second day of Pesach falls on Wednesday, as it did this year, then Shavuot will also fall on a Wednesday.

The third day of Pesach, which would be represented by the letter Gimmel ("C" in the English Alphabet), would juxtapose with the letter Reish, which is the third letter from the end of the alphabet. The Riesh, or "R", represents the Mo'ed known as [R]osh HaShana. If the third day of Pesach falls on Thursday then Rosh HaShana will also fall on a Thursday.

The fourth day of Pesach, which would be represented by the letter Dalet ("D" in the English Alphabet), would juxtapose with the letter Kuf, which is the fourth letter from the end of the alphabet. The Kuf, or "K", represents the Mo'ed known as [K]ri'at HaTorah (also known as Simchat Torah). If the fourth day of Pesach falls on Friday then Kri'at HaTorah will also fall on a Friday.

The fifth day of Pesach, which would be represented by the letter Hei ("H" in the English Alphabet), would juxtapose with the letter Tzadi, which is the fifth letter from the end of the alphabet. The Tzadi, or "Tz", represents the Mo'ed for the [Tz]om, which means the "fast," of Yom Kippur. If the fifth day of Pesach falls on Saturday then the Tzom of Yom Kippur will also fall on a Saturday.

The sixth day of Pesach, which would be represented by the letter Vav ("V" in the English Alphabet), would juxtapose with the letter Pei, which is the sixth letter from the end of the alphabet. The Pei, or "P", represents the Mo'ed known as [P]urim. If the Sixth day of Pesach falls on Sunday then Purim will also fall on a Sunday.

These traditional festivals or appointed times, have been celebrated for at least 2500 years. However, you may have noticed that there is something missing. There are seven days in Pesach and we have so far examined only six. What about the seventh? We seem to have a missing Mo'ed . . . a missing festival. There is one more day and one more letter. Could it point to another Mo'ed?

The seventh day of Pesach, represented by the letter Zayin ("Z" in the English alphabet) would juxtapose with the letter Ayin, which is the seventh letter from the end of the alphabet. The Ayin, or "Ai", represents the Mo'ed known as the day of [A']tzmoot. What is Yom HaA'tzmoot you ask? It's Israel's "Independence Day," May 15, 1948! Amazingly enough, if the seventh day of Pesach falls on Monday, like it did this year, then the celebration of Independence Day (on May 15th) will also occur on a Monday.

As you might have guessed, the odds of all this happening by accident are beyond measure. But, the realization that Israel's Independence day (1948), is also a Mo'ed, an appointed time, that was known from the very beginning, is even more awesome.

THE EIGHTH DAY

But wait! There is still another day, another letter! You see, even though Pesach begins on the 15th of Nissan the sacrifice is performed sometime "between the twilights" of the 14th day (i.e. from sunset to sunset), thus adding a day to the observance of the festival. And unleavened bread is eaten for eight days. What if this eighth day is another appointed meeting. What if there's still another Mo'ed representing an event that has not even happened yet, let alone been recognized and declared as a Mo'ed.

If there is an eighth day and an eighth letter, then it would seem that we're still missing a Mo'ed! Could the days of Pesach point to one final Festival? And if so, what could it be? What are the implications? If the eighth day and its corresponding letter points to one final Mo'ed, it must be one of staggering proportion. If this is the case, it's worth examining the next letter.

An eighth day would be represented by the eighth letter Chet("Ch" in the English Alphabet). The Chet would juxtapose with the letter Samech, which is the eighth letter from the end of the alphabet. If the Samech, or "S", represents one final Mo'ed, it could well signal the beginning of the Redemption. Such an event, yet to occur, would occur on the same day of the week as the extra day. So what exactly does the Samech represent?

The form of the letter Samech is that of a circle whose end is embedded in its beginning. It symbolizes an "endless cycle," as is written, "their end is enwedged in their beginning and their beginning in their end."

We see an interesting parallel in the kingdoms of Israel. Saul, for example, was anointed at Gilgal and it was there that his kingdom had its beginning. But just as it had its beginning at Gilgal, it was there that Saul's kingdom came to an end. His kingdom's "end" occurred in the exact same place as its "beginning."

When the Prophet Samuel anointed David, he did it at Gilgal, just as he had anointed Saul. Absalom later wrested control of the kingdom from David, but when it came time to restore the Kingdom to David, it was done at Gilgal.

When the time comes to restore the final kingdom of the House of David will it pick up where it left off? Will it occur as it did at the first? It has been written: ". . . I will restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning" (Isaiah 1:26).

Just as the beginning, ending and restoration of each kingdom occurred at Gilgal, we may find the final kingdom restored at Gilgal! As it was in the beginning. So will it be at the end . . . which is itself a new beginning.

The shape of the Samech is no less significant. It is contained within two concentric circles. Gilgal not only means circle, but it is located in the Kikar of the Jordan, which is a basin that is circular in form, a flat basin that rises in a series of ever-widening concentric circles. This vivid characteristic is readily visible from the digital terrain model of the area.

The word Gilgal means a "circle" as in " . . . to roll away the reproach of . . . ." A "gilgal" is actually a circle that stands vertically in an upright position, like a wheel that rolls on the ground. By contrast, a "kikar" is a horizontal "circle" that lays flat on the ground like a pancake on a plate. The Succah of David stood upright at Gilgal in the midst of the Kikar of the Jordan. One could easily visualize a Samech standing upright at Gilgal in the midst of this circular basin like "a wheel within a wheel".

The circular rings of the Samech, both inner and outer, are said to represent historical cycles. When the VJRI team entered the real Gilgal (not the one listed on the maps) and found the Geder to the Mishkan, it was on the anniversary of the very day that Joshua entered Gilgal. It was there that the Tabernacle was raised. But more importantly, the Tabernacle "which is fallen" will one day be recovered and raised again. The very meaning of the letter Samech is "to raise that which is fallen" !

The Sanctuary stood at Gilgal for 14 years during the conquering and dividing of the Land. It is written: " . . . and I will raise up the Succah of David which is fallen . . ." Amos 9:10-11). Just as the letter Samech means "to raise that which is fallen," HaShem will one day raise the Tabernacle "which is fallen" and the historical cycle will repeat.

On a higher level, the Samech means "the future to come," and "the divine presence in marriage," symbolizing the Seventh Millennial Day and His presence with Israel. As is written: "I will place My Sanctuary [Tabernacle/Succah of David] among them forever. My presence shall rest over them; I will be their G-d and they shall be My people." In that aspect, the Samech is called the "Wedding Ring."

When each letter associated with the Atbash and the seven days of Pesach is juxtaposed with its partner, the letter becomes the first letter of its Mo'ed, or "appointed meeting". The word [S]uccah or Succat, like Succot, begins with a Samech. And, for some strange reason, the Festival of Succot is the only major festival whose presence is not contained within the sequence of events represented by the seven days of Pesach. Is this a coincidence? Is there a relationship? Is it possible that the celebration of Succot is a shadow of something even greater to come? Is the main event yet to occur?

There is considerably more to this than we have revealed, but we can see an emerging pattern, one which appears to be both physically circular and historically cyclical in dimension. Is it possible that history and prophecy are beginning to merge again? Does this eighth day point to another event, and if so, could it be related to the raising of the [S]uccah of David? To say that it does would be premature. For now, we can only take pause and wonder.

After all, such conclusions can be made only after the fact (like for the first seven days of Pesach) in order to remind ourselves "that G-d does have a plan, that His plan is perfect in every way, and that the nation of Israel is central to this plan" (which, in case you forgot, was the purpose of this article).

Time alone will tell. One thing is sure, G-d does have a plan, " . . . a moment for every purpose under Heaven." We'll just have to wait to see what it is.

[The author would like to thank Rabbi Reuven Grodner for his assistance with the mechanics of the Atbash, Rabbi Yosef Caro for revealing the correlation between the days of Pesach and the other Mo'eds. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai for revealing the six days of creation in terms of millennial days and Vendyl Jones for his insight on the eighth day.]

The author also wishes to acknowledge and recommend the following:

For more information on the national soul of Israel as "he" is referred to in the Tanach see: Torat Eretz Israel: The Teachings of HaRav Tzvi Yehuda HaCohen Kook, published by Torat Eretz Yisrael Publications, 20G Ben Zion Street, Jerusalem, Israel.

For more information on the Mo'eds, Israel's appointed meetings and the concept of non-linear time, the reader is encouraged to read: Patterns in Time by Rav Matis Weinberg, published by Feldheim Publishers LTD POB 35002 Jerusalem Israel.

For more information on the letters of the Hebrew Alef-Beit, their meaning and significance, see The Hebrew Letters: Channels of Creative Consciousness by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, published by Gal Einai Publications, POB 35042 Jerusalem, Israel.