#7 - Countdown 2 Bircat HaChama

Yes, the original thing in the sky - the sun, moon, starts & the rest of the planetary system were created on the 4th day of Creation. The birds were created a day later, and planes were just invented one century ago. We are very close on the countdown to the day we praise Hashem for the sun - called Bircat HaChama - that is in the same position which always falls out on the 4th day of the week as in Creation - which happens once in every 28 years. We are now exactly 5 months, or 21 weeks , or 147 days away. This ceremony will be taking place on the morning of April 8, 2009 on Erev Pesach - the same day as some 12 hours later, we will finding ourselves celebrating the Seder - the last time this event will be falling out on Erev Pesach in the 6,000 years of the world's existance.

My question to you is - where will YOU be on this momentous occasion? On my end, I remember this event 28 years ago, when I was in Yeshiva elementary day school, and we went to the beach on the east side of town where we could have a clear view of the sun in the morning to praise Hashem for this momentous occasion. Back then, it was Miami Beach, Florida - this time for me, it will be nowhere except in Jerusalem, Israel at the Kotel. Who knows what will be in 28 years from now? Baruch Hashem, I'm now living in Israel - my only challenge is getting there after searching for Chametz the evening before right before Pesach, getting a little sleep, and then racing to the Kotel some time before dawn before it gets pack jammed.

So other than the number 28, what does Bircat HaChama have to do with Gematriya? The answer - this is what connects the end of the Torah with the beginning of the Torah.

At the end of some Chamashim-the five Books of Moses- and Moshe (Moses) is compared to the sun as our Rabbis tell us P'nei Moshe K'Pnei HaChama - Moshe's face is compared to that of the sun - you will see a list of the number of letters, words, and verses in the Chumash, as I discussed in my very first post. This time we will be focusing on the total number of verses - which are 5845 in total. There is a Siman - sign that is given to remember this - it's in the phrase "Ohr HaChama Yihyeh Shivatayim" - (Yeshaya 30:26) This verse in T'Nach is telling us that in the future, the light of the sun will be sevenfold - (THIS IS MY SEVENTH BLOG). In any case, HaChama bears the number 5845 at this - Hey=5, Cheit=8, Mem=40, Hei=5. Take away the zero number from here, put the numbers together - and presto! The magic number of 5845 - the number of verses of the Chumash is hinted in the word for "the sun". In fact, this phrase "Ohr HaChama" is written one more time in the Torah - in that same verse. It says that the light of the moon will in the future have the brightness of today's sun, and today's sun will be 7x it's own brightness today like it was originally when Hashem created the world, but decreased its brightness for the time being.

Now, let's look at the beginning of the Chumash - particularly, the very first Rashi - the number one commentary on the Chumash. "Bereishit" - "Rabbi Yitzchak says: The Torah only needed to start from where it says the 1st Mitzva commanded to the Jewish nation "This month shall be to you" (referring to Nissan being the first of the months - the Mitzva to look for the New Moon to declare a new month). So why did the Torah start with its historical account (since the main purpose of the Torah are the 613 Mitzvot that Hashem commanded us)? Because of what it says "The power of Hashem's works He declared to His nation, to give them the inheritance of nations" (Psalms 111:6) for should the other nations challenge us saying that we are robbers for we conquered the land - the Land of Israel - that at one time belonged to other nations, we can answer back that really all the land belongs to Hashem, for after all, Hashem created it and gave it to whoever He felt like giving it to. With the same will that Hashem used giving this land to them , is the same will that Hashem used in taking it away from them and giving it to us."

Now, a question can be asked here. Why is Hashem so worried that we have to have a "lullabie story" to appease the nations? The truth is that Hashem can do what He wants anyways, so who cares what the nations think. If we do the right thing, Hashem will protect us from them anyways, so why should Hashem go out of His way in the Torah just to give the goyim an answer to shut them up? I think the key to the answer lies in the above verse quoted from Psalms - "The power of Hashem's works". Hashem wants the world to know of His power, as He demonstrates it best when Hashem grants us His gifts - including the place for us to live to serve Hashem, just as Hashem created the world in its entirety so mankind can do its function. Now, in this context, the Hebrew world for power is Ko'ach. This word has the Gematria of 28 - and indeed the sun - over which we praise Hashem every 28 years - is the most powerful object seen on this planet - just ask your eyes. Indeed, the very last words of the Torah/Chumash is "L'Einei Kol Yisrael" literally means "in front of the eyes of the entire nation of Israel". Also, the very first verse in the Torah has exactly 28 letters.

In the first day of creation - in creating the light - Ohr - it says "Yehi Ohr". Hashem said "Let there be light". I will show you how this phrase, and the word Ohr itself, refers to this very Bircat HaChama in all of history. You see, on this coming Erev Pesach, April 8, 2009, it will be the 207th time that the sun will be in the exact same orbitary position from the first time that it was at its creation. Indeed, Ohr-"Light" is the Gematria of 207! Moreover, the phrase Yehi Ohr is the Gematria of 232, and this year 5769 is the 232nd year from the end of the slated 6,000 years of this worlds' existance! I truly believe that it will be THIS Bircat HaChama that will take place right before Passover - the holiday of redemption - that will usher in the Messianic Era that will begin to change the world.

But wait, there is more. The very beginning of Tractate Pesachim, the section in the Mishna that deals with the laws of Passover starts off with the words "Ohr L'Arba'ah Asar" - The "Ohr" referring to the night of the 14th (day of Nissan) talking about searching for Chametz which is supposed to be done at the BEGINNING of the night. Similarly, when Hashem created the sun and all, this happened at the BEGINNING of the night - which happened on Tuesday evening - the night of the 4th day of the week, since according to the Jewish calendar, the day begins at night. Similarly, this year, 14th day of Nissan will fall out on the 4th day of the week, when we will be praising Hashem for the sun for its same orbital position for it's 207(th)=Ohr time - that is, the Ohr - 207th time that will fall out this time - and the last time of the world's existance - on the 14th of Nissan - "Ohr L'Arba'ah Asar"! Thus, both the Chumash in its description of the light's creation, and the Mishna's law on searching for Chametz on the night of the 14th of Nissan, the evening before Passover, are both referring to this one day of history as this type of combination that never happened before, and will never happen again! That is, there is only one time in history that it's the 207th time - exactly 232 years before the end of world history, and it coincides with the 14th of Nissan, as hinted in the Mishna! Indeed, the light of spirituality as it was when the sun was first created will be here once again - which will begin in exactly five months!

Now, I will ask you again - where will YOU be on this day of Bircat HaChama - and this very Bircat haChama which will usher in THE new era of spirituality of the Messianic Era??? Remember the very first Rashi that we quoted which is all about the Land of Israel associated with Hashem's power- Ko'ach which equals 28. If it's too inconvenient for you for any reason to be at the Kotel - you want to be somewhere on this Biblical Holy Land on this most momentous day that NEVER happened before and will NEVER happen again!

14 Cheshvan, 5769