#24 - Completion of World-History

At the conclusion of today - 5 Nissan - the date that the Nasi/leader of the Tribe of Shimon, my namesake, brought his Korbanot/animal sacrifices on behalf of his tribe; I am inspired to write about the writings of a great rabbi whose name is Shimon - Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the celebrated author of the teachings of the Zohar, the foundation book of Kabbala. I will write more on this a little later on.

As this is my 24th blog, I do want to point out to a most fascinating thing about the letter Alef as it pertains to number 24. You see, we read Parshat Vayikra - the 24th Parsha of the Torah - this past Shabbat (even as we read two Parshiyot on the previous Shabbaty). And in the very first word of this Parsha - which is also the beginning of the 3rd Book of the Torah -Vayikra/Leviticus, the last letter of the word - Alef - is spelled small.

Now as we know, there are 24 Books of the T’nach/Jewish Bible. The last one of these - the 24th Book - is Divrei HaYomim/Chronicles. The very first word of this Book is the word Adam - the first man - and the Alef, which is the first letter of the Alef Beit, but as the very first letter of this Book - is spelled big.

According to the Zohar and Midrash, the big Alef in Adam's name as recorded in Chronicles represents completeness. Of course Hashem wanted to create the world for His own purpose; but in the totem poll, the world was created for mankind, and mankind in turn is expected to be the one type of creature to serve Hashem. And indeed, the last of the 10 Statements that Hashem declared in creating the world was the Statement "Let us make Man" - Na'aseh Adam.

It's interesting to note that in the days preceding the giving of the Torah, upon Moshe telling the Jewish Nation what the Torah was like, the Jews responded with Na'aseh V'Nishma - "We will do, and we will listen." Yes, in both the creation of mankind and in the process of giving the Torah, the common word used is NA'ASEH - we will make, we will do, we will accomplish what our mission is in this world. And just like there were 10 Statements that Hashem declared in creating the world, there is corresponding to this the 10 Commandments that encompass all the 613 Mitzvot that Hashem commands us to do.

And so you wonder, is there a connection between the small Alef in the first word of the 24th Parsha of the Chumash, and the big Alef in the first word of the 24th Book of the Torah?

You don't have to go far in Leviticus for the answer - in the very next verse - the very FIRST word that Hashem dictates to Moshe pertaining to the Korbanot/animal sacrifices is Adam/person - when a person brings "from you" a sacrifice to Hashem. That is, it isn't that a person brings a sacrifice to Hashem "to please Him", the way that the other nations of the world used to bring sacrifices - including human beings - to please the gods, without any regard of their own moral or ethical behavior. Believe me, Hashem doesn't need sacrifices for His own sake, as He points out time and again in the Bible. The whole idea here is that it is "from you" - you have to feel that you are giving a part of yourself towards this, and seeing that it is the animal, rather than you, that is being slaughtered, its blood being spilled out and burnt on the altar, that it will affect you in not only thanking Hashem for not taking your life for every sin that you commit, but that it will make a CHANGE in yourself in serving Hashem better.

Now, when the first Adam - ate from the forbidden fruit, the truth is that he was really supposed to die right then and there on the spot, for after all, Hashem did tell him that on the day that he eats from that forbidden fruit, that he will die. However, Hashem in his great mercy did not take his life at that time, but neither did He lie. You see, as noted in the Torah (see Psalms 90), Hashem's day equals 1,000 earth years. Thus, Adam was granted 1,000 years; and indeed, the letter Alef, when spelled out is Alef Lamed Fei. The very same letters/word can be read as Elef/Thousand. Though I did not see this before in any source, perhaps this is one more reason why there is a big Alef in the word Adam in Chronicles.

Now, even a child who is learning Chumash for his first year can ask me a simple question. Doesn't it say that Adam lived only for 930 years? Yes, he did live only 930 years - because he gave 70 years from his alloted 1,000 years to another person. And that person is Dovid HaMelech/King David. You see, when Hashem showed Adam the lives of his future descendants, he saw that King David, who was destined for greatness and many accomplishments, would only live for three hours. So, he donated 70 years of his alloted time for King David to live a lifetime of accomplishment. And the letters of Adam's name spells Adam-David-Moshiach, the latter who will be a descendant of King David.

If you notice how King David's name in Hebrew is spelled in Chronicles, unlike the typical spelling of Dalet-Vav-Dalet, it is spelled here with a Yud between the Vav and the Dalet. Perhaps this indicates that King David, as his years were given to him by Adam, was the one who best rectified Adam's sin, as Adam was the result of the 10th Statement that Hashem declared, and Yud is the numerical value of 10, which is also a number of completeness, and in the future of his descendant who will be the Messiah, there will be a 10 stringed harp, reminiscent of the harp that King David played with, especially with his composition of Tehillim/Psalms.

On a personal note, it was one year ago on Rosh Chodesh Nissan that I added a Hebrew name to myself - Matisyahu, a true Jewish leader who showed much sacrifice in leading the battle against the Syrian Greeks who attempted to stop the Jews from practising Judaism. As a result, we have the holiday of Chanuka, when we read in the Torah on each of its eight days about the Korbanot that the leaders of each of the tribes brought for their particular tribe. There is also a custom starting from Rosh Chodesh Nissan for the first 13 days to recite (but not necessarily from the Torah Scroll) the same thing that we read in the Torah on Chanuka.

Anyways, speaking of the 24th Book of the T'nach - Chronicles I, Chapter 25 lists the 24 shifts of the Levites who sang in the Temple (and I am a Levite). Yes, there was a Matisyahu who lived in Biblical times - he was the head of the Levite family who was in 14th place of the 24 shifts. The reason I word it this way is because King David's name as it is usually spelled is the Gematria of 14, but with the extra Yud as spelled in the 24th Book of Chronicles, it has a Gematria of 24.

Now, as I mentioned in the past pertaining to my first name Shimon, there is a custom at the end of the Shemoneh Esrei prayer to say a verse from the Bible which begins with a letter corresponding to the first letter of one's name, and ends with a letter corresponding to the last letter of one's name. So, when I added the name Matisyahu, I had a choice from 98 verses throughout the Bible that I could pick from. I have to admit, there was a bit of competition with some very worthy verses. But at the end, I picked a verse that has something in common with my verse that corresponds to Shimon - which is about Jerusalem & Zion. The particular verse that I picked for Matisyahu is in Psalm Chapter 24 Verse 3 - Mi Ya'aleh V'Har Hashem U'Mi Yakum B'Mekom Kadsho - "Who may ascend the mountain of Hashem, and who may stand in the place of His sanctity"? Now, in a literal sense, this refers to the holy environs of the Holy Temple Mount, which is in Jerusalem. Also, I liked this particular verse, because it poses a challenge - as it can be seen in the following verse, only one who is honest with others in terms of finances, promises, and doesn't take lightly one's commitment to Hashem can have the right to "ascend the mountain of Hashem" and "stand in the place of His sanctity". Only such a person who refines his behavior can really reach spiritual heights. And the sacrifices that one brought in the Temple were only a stepping stone towards what would accomplish being an atonement for a person, not a end means of itself. It is only now that I see the connection of the Psalms 24:3 verse - the 24th Book of Chronicles, and the 3rd Book of Leviticus - that teach a similar thing about what really counts in life - and what is real service of Hashem. Our life is not an end means of itself - except as the stepping stone if we TRULY follow Hashem's instructions to get our foot in the door of Eternal Bliss.

Speaking of Psalm 24 - it is the Shir Shel Yom/Song of the Day - the daily hymn that the Levites sang in the Temple - for the "FIRST day of the week" (Sunday), as we word it in our prayers. Of the psalms for each day of the week, it is the ONLY one that mentions King David's name, starting with "L'David Mizmor..." While King David composed the bulk of the 150 Psalms, there are psalms that were composed by several others. It so happens that the day that I had my name Matisyahu added following the reading of the Sefer Torah was Sunday - the first day of the week - corresponding to the first millenium in which Adam lived, whose descendant King David made a rectification for him which will be completed by the Messiah.

Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz, known as the Shlah (also a Levite), points out that the world was created with Emet/Truth, which spells as Alef-Mem-Tav/Sav. So, when Adam sinned, the Alef was removed from Emet, leaving the word as Meit/Dead, as death was decreed on mankind as a result. Also, the Alef in Adam's name in effect was spritually removed as well, leaving this word as Dam/Blood(shed), and hence, this is what it means when it says in the above verse in Leviticus - Adam Ki Yakriv - "When a person will bring a sacrifice from among you(rselves)", refering to the animal sacrifice which was slaughtered and its blood spilled out in lieu of the person offering it in the Temple.

In my previous post about Obama, I mentioned other things as related to him being the "44th President" of the United States", and how he was politically born on Tisha B'Av. Well, the day of the Destruction of the First Temple which happened on Tisha B'Av, fell out on Sunday when the Levites were supposed to sing Psalm 24. However, the Talmud in Tractate Ta'anit tells us that they actually sang Psalm 94, the Psalm for Wednesday. The significance?

Amazingly, the very FIRST word of Psalm 24, the song for the FIRST day of the week, is L'David - the Gematria of 44! Remember, this is David as spelled without the Yud, a letter denoting completeness. And as we just said, the word Adam without the Alef leaves this word as Dam/Bloodshed. And instead, the Levites sang Psalm 94, which begins with the word E-l, one of Hashem's name that denotes particular his attribute of Chesed/Kindness, as in the name Shmuel - a contraction of the words Shmo E-l/His name is G-d, the name of the Talmudic Sage whose calculation of the solar system we follow in terms of saying Bircat HaChama/Blessing for the Sun which is always recited on Wednesday morning, following our morning prayers which includes the Song of the Day for Wednesday!

Perhaps the Levites prophetically sang a different Psalm, since it was Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia who destroyed the First Temple that day, and as I also mentioned in my previous blog, Saddam Hussein, president of modern day Babylonia, is belived to be Nebuchadnezzar's reincarnate. His favorite personality was Nebuchadnezzar, even as the latter was an idol worshipping pagan, and Saddam's country of Iraq is full of Moslems. He also had four army divisions, one of which he called the Nebuchadnezzar divison. Anyways, it was only since Barack HUSSEIN Obama's political birth on TISHA B'AV that Saddam HUSSEIN was executed. As we know from the Talmud, before one righteous person passes away, another righteous person will be born. Thus, it seems to follow a similar pattern among wicked people. And certainly, Barack HUSSEIN Obama represents the OPPOSITE of TRUTH/EMET, when he has lied about his personal past, when he changed his political tactics pertaining to Israel, and so on. Such people as Saddam and Barack represent BLOODSHED/DAM=44, and G-d forbid have lead or will lead many people to being DEAD/MEIT. Thus, perhaps the Levites in their prophetic vision did not wish to pronounce doom on the Jews in our generation in the final throes of our exile which is considered to be Galut Yishmael/Exile of Yismael-Arabs as lead by Moslem Arab Obama; and instead sang a psalm beginning with Hashem's kindness as a "G-d of revenge" against the nations who have worked against us.

To note, we are now in the month of Nissan, whose Mazal/constellation is Aries/Taleh which is the Gematria of 44. The significance of this is that the Jews while still in Egypt, followed Hashem's orders and slaughter a lamb for the Pascal sacrifice, the Egyptian idol. Indeed, the Jews CHANGED the Mazal of the month to their own benefit by their trust in Hashem without fear of the Egyptians. Similarly, with our true trust in Hashem, we need not fear 44th President Obama and his policies and his CHANGES. Hashem is the one who runs the world, as it was in the merit of the blood/Dam=44 of circumcision and the Pascal sacrifice throught which the Jews had merit to leave Egypt. On a similar note pertaining to trust in Hashem, I noted in a previous blog that the month of Shvat, the first Hebrew month following Obama's becoming president, for which the Mazal/constellation is Aquarius/D'li which also has the Gematria of 44.

As I mentioned earlier, I am now going to be writing something pertaining to the Zohar. There are various parts to the Zohar. The bulk of the Zohar is presently arranged according to the order of the Chumash. There are other books of the Zohar - which include what is considered the holiest part of it, known as the Tikunei HaZohar - Rectification of the Zohar. Many people who know something about the Zohar will know that this includes 70 Tikunim (rectifications) that are all based on the first word of the Torah - Bereishit. However, what most do not know is that it is also based on the order of Parshat Bereishit -the first Parsha of the Chumash, ending off with the reason given for Noach's name, which is near the end of this Parsha. Anyways, a thought occured to me - what is the 44th Tikkun? Well, the first 39 Tikkunim deals exclusively with subjects related to the first day of Creation. Tikkunim 40-48 deals with the remaining days of Creation, including Shabbat. So, Tikkun 44 is the one Tikkun that deals with...the 4th day of Creation!

Remember my previous blog where I write all about the timing of the spring equinox that took place ending with the number 44 on the minute position of the clock, and what it represents, and how the Bircat HaChama of the 4th day - Wednesday comes into place? Indeed, while this may have been the very first equinox/solstice since the 44th U.S. President Obama took office, there is a Tikkun/Rectification here. Obama took office in the very year of Bircat HaChama that is recited only once in 28 years, always recited on a Wednesday - the 4th day of Creation. And as pointed out by rabbis who spoke about the significance of Bircat HaChama, as per the first comment of Rashi, commentator of the Torah, on the Chumash - he quotes from Rabbi Yitzchak "Why doesn't the Torah begin with the first commandment that the Jews were given (before the Torah was given) about Sanctification of the New Moon?" The answer given is that Hashem wants to show Who controls the world by taking away the land of Israel from others who used to live there and giving it to the Jews, thus represented by the account of Hashem creating the world. In this context, Psalm 111:6 is quoted - Ko-ach Ma'asav... "The strength of His deeds he declared to his people, to give them the heritage of the nations", and the Hebrew word for strength - Koach - is also the number for 28, and there are 28 letters to the first verse of the Chumash starting with Bereishit. And even as the sun represents the other nations, and the moon represents the Jews; Hashem wanted the aspect of the sun as represented by the number 28 to begin the Torah as opposed to the moon, because the ultimate purpose of the Torah is to make a CHANGE (as opposed to Obama's CHANGE) of the power of the nations for our use in serving Hashem, represented by our conquering the Land of Israel without fear of what the world will say to us, which seems to be a hard challenge to this day, but what is needed here is total faith and trust in Hashem, regardless of politics, money, and fear.

Anyways, in Tikkun 44 of the Zohar, it mentions that Moshe's countenance was like that of the sun, and his student Joshua's countenance was like that of the moon. Now, as I mentioned a little earlier, the 70 Tikkunim of the Zohar ends about Noach. Noach's name is the same Gematria as HaChama/the sun (58). And there were exactly 365 days that Noach, his family, and the creatures he saved on board were in Noah's Ark, corresponding to 365 full days of the solar year. And so the question can be asked, how can we save ourselves here? (This was Hashem's way of making a NEW WORLD ORDER - see my previous post about this, and the connection with 365 days, the equinox of March 20, and Bircat HaChama).

For one thing, living in Israel is in effect living in Noah's Ark in these turbulent times, because at least in Israel, we have Hashem's special protection; and while very unfortunately, many Jews have been murdered, injured and maimed here, there are countless stories of what DID NOT HAPPEN, and the fact that only a few rockets out of thousands thrown by our Arab enemies have hurt people comes to show that Hashem is indeed running the show. And even at this, most of Israel is still not being rocketed, but that may depend on everyone's participation of speaking out against what the Israeli government is attempting to do now in giving more land away, and also millions of more Jews - especially TRUE right wing Jews (not necessarily "religious") moving to Israel can make a HUGE difference.

There is one more thing mentioned in this Tikkun 44 that we can all work on. You see, an interpretation that the Zohar gives on this section on the sun and moon is that the "big light" (sun) refers to rich people, and the "small light" (moon) refers to poor people. In this context, the Zohar mentions the Mitzva of Tzedaka/Charity. This is especially crucial at this time of year - more than any other time of the year, especially with the economic crisis when countless of people, including some who are Jews, have been laid off for work for some time now, and truly need help making ends meet, let alone be able to celebrate a Passover Seder the way they have been used to doing it. In the very beginning of the laws of Passover in the Code of Jewish Law/Shulchan Aruch, it mentions the special Mitzva of Kimcha D'Pischa - "Flour for Passover" - that is, ample provisions for the poor so they can celebrate Passover properly according to Jewish Law, and with happiness of heart. And as Proverbs tells us - Tzedaka Tatzil MeMavet - "Charity saves from death". Indeed, those who show mercy to others now when most needed can be assured that in the end, they will be part of Hashem's protection, and with Hashem's help - will be spared the bloodshed that will G-d forbid soon target the ones who have shown a lack of faith and trust in Him.

In conclusion, the 6,000 year history (as slated to be until Hashem will make a new world out of this one) can be divided into 24 parts, like the 24 Books of T'nach. Thus, the 24th period started in 5750/5751 (around the secular year 1990). It was just around this time that the internet - "The Tree of Knowledge" started surfacing in the public (though it took a few years until it caught on), not limited anymore to the Pentagon as it was back in the 60s. This corresponds to the Tree of Knowledge that Adam ate from. As described in the Chumash, this was a tree of good and evil, as is the internet. As Adam, with the big Alef (has a connotation of learning/teaching), begins the 24th and final Book of T'nach - Chronicles, which is a summation of world history from the beginning until the return of Jews to the Temple (in this context, it was the Second Temple), focusing on the Davidic dynasty from which the Messiah will come from, we now have a choice and a chance to do it right, because we are the very ones who are living on the brink of the coming of Moshiach, which will result in the world having knowledge of Hashem and much spirituality, the end result of our good deeds. So let us ask ourselves - "What have I done today to bring Moshiach - one step closer - that I will be able to honestly say later; yes, thank G-d, I did something that will allow myself to be part of Hashem's protection and Eternal Bliss?"

My next post, G-d willing, will be shortly before the day of Bircat HaChama/Passover.

5 Nissan 5769, date of the leader of the tribe of Shimon offering his Korbanot

P.S. For the interested, I have found during this past week, a few new discoveries pertaining to Obama/44th President, as hinted in the Torah Codes: As follows...

The first two initials of Obama's name - Beit Cheit (as spelled in Hebrew) also spell the secular year of his election - 2008 (as in Obama 2008). Accordingly, I have found using Torah Codes where at least one of each way of his name spelled (sometimes on lists, people have the last name followed by their first names) clearly hinting to him.

First things first - Beit Cheit Alef Vav Beit Alef Mem Hei - spelled backwards every 19,094th letter. On one of the lines preceding the letter Beit in Obama's name, spells the word Nasi/Leader in the beginning of Parshat Korach where the 250 Nesi'ai Eidah followers of Korach were challenging Moshe & Aharon. Then amazingly, a few lines above the vertical line of the code of Obama's name, spells backwards the Hebrew year 5769 (but without the Hei before it), - year of Obama's election/rise to power; the Teit found in the name Potiphera, priest of On, who imprisoned Yosef based on Potiphera' wife's false accusations of Yosef.

The other way - Alef Vav Beit Alef Mem Hei Beit Cheit - spelled every 3,801th letter. On one of the lines preceding the letter Hei in Obama's name, is the context of the sin of the idol Peor (somewhat similar to the name Potiphera) in the end of Parshat Balak, first describes Zimri ben Salu as V'Hinei Ish M'Bnei Yisrael, where in these four words, every 4th letter spells the word Nasi/Leader - and in fact was the Nasi of Shevet Shimon (though I don't like to mention this fact as this mentions my name in a bad light) - and a few words later is the word HaMiDyanit - describing the Midianite princess with whom Zimri consorted with, where the first three letters is Hei Mem Dalet - THE 44th! Then, in the beginning of Parshat Pinchas - only several verses later - when Hashem tells Moshe to fight the Midianites, it describes the Midianite princess this time as Kozbi Vas Nesi Midian, spelling out Nosi Mem-Dalet - 44th President - the ONLY consecutive spelling like this in the entire Tnach!

The secular date of Obama's ascendancy to office: This date appears exactly one time in the Chumash - spelled backwards with every 24,162th letter - January 20, 2009, that is, Yud-Nun-Vav-Alef-Reish Chaf Beit-Teit. The letter (on the line) on top of the Teis is Nun, and spelling backwards the word Nosi every 6th letter. Then, on the line on top of this one - on top of the letter Sin spelling the word Nosi is Obama's ancestor Yishmael - in the very phrase that Avrohom requested of Hashem about his son Yishmael - Lu Yishmael Yichyeh Lefaneicha - "Would that Yishmael live in Your presence" the results of which we are suffering until today, and this phrase is near the end of Parshat Lech Lecha - the week that Obama was voted in. Alternatively, the letter Yud following Yishmael's name can make it spelled as Yishameli/Ishmaelite describing the Arabic race, particularly Obama.

"The 44th President" - Nasi Ha Mem Dalet, i.e. Nun-Sin-Yud-Alef Hei-Mem-Dalet. The shortest interval of letters is all in one Posuk in Deutronomy 4:32, in the midst of the Kriat HaTorah/Torah Reading of Tisha B'Av - the date that Obama was politically born - where this phrase is spelled every 14th letter. The letter Sin in Nasi/Leader falls out in the word Asher, this word having the same letters as Rosh, which has the same Gematria as Obama's full name (501), and then the Alef falls out in the word Adam, of which the remaining two letters spells Dam/Blood(shed)=44, which was the first of the 10 Makkot/plagues of the Egyptians of which the Rashei Teivot/initials add up to 501, again, the same Gematria as Obama's full name. May it be Hashem's will that He will take pity on His nation for the sake of the good ones after everything that our nation suffered, and instead give the Makkot to the Goyim/nations who will attempt to do away with us.