Chapter
2
Visualize
Zion, the city of our designated time
Your
eyes will see Jerusalem a tranquil habitation. To visualize the pleasantness of the Lord and seek deep
understanding in His Temple,
Teachings
of “Efraim My firstborn, ” height of his activity.
Cont e n t s :
It is a commandment and
manifold obligation for every man of Israel, for all those engaged in gathering
in the exiles, certainly for anyone who bears any responsibility whatsoever in
administering public affairs in the Holy Land, even more so anyone engaged in
settlement of the Holy Land--all of them must learn to know and understand
well, profoundly, and completely, all 156 aspects and characteristics of the Mashiach
of the beginning of the Redemption, Mashiach ben Yosef, through whom
the ingathering of the exiles will occur as part of the beginning of the
Redemption when the awakening comes from below.
Below are the 156 aspects
and characteristics of Mashiach ben Yosef, which include all the
appellations and the good qualities involved in the beginning of the
Redemption. The number 156 is
significant because in gematira the value of “Yosef” is 156, and so is the value of “Zion.” Both Yosef
and Zion are in sefirat Yesod.
According to the Midrash (Tanchuma, end of parsha “Vayegash”),
whatever happened to Yosef, happened to Zion.
1. [Jer. 31:9] “Efraim is my firstborn”; [Jer:
31:5] “Mount Efraim, ” [Jer.
31:17] “Efraim wanders”; (Jer.
31:20) “Efraim is my favorite son” -- all these are basic aspects of Mashiach
ben Yosef that appear in the same chapter. Efraim is called God’s firstborn, because he is the
first Mashiach through whom the ingathering of the exiles will occur,
which means the exodus from exile.
Mount Efraim is so called because it leads Israel up to Zion, as
we learn from the verse: “call out from Mount Efraim, ’Rise and let us ascend
to Zion.’” The aspect ‘Efraim wanders, ’ signifies that Mashiach ben
Yosef has no rest, he wanders from north to south, and from south to north,
as written: “wake up North, and
come to the South.” The initial letters of the 4 Hebrew words, , are equal in gematria to the value of
Mashiach ben Yosef (566). “Efraim
is my favorite son” is the aspect ‘Lovingkindness, ’ because Efraim himself
is from the left side, that means, from the side of Din, and always
accepts influence from the right side, that is, from the quality of
Lovingkindness. This is the import
of: “and he placed his right hand on the head of Efraim.” We are commanded to
speak of him constantly: “for whenever I speak of him, I remember him better”
(Jer: 31:20) etc. Efraim is the
one who wages war against Armilus.
In gematria, and are equal [331].
All
the above-mentioned aspects are in the line of Yosef ben Rachel, from the land;
thus this chapter speaks about Rachel--Rachel who weeps for her children. “Refrain your voice from weeping
... they will return from the land
of the enemy” refers to the exodus from exile; “your children will return to
their border” refers to the immigration (ascent) to Zion.
2. (Hab. 3:16) “that I might rest in the day of
trouble” -- In his commentary on Habakkuk, the Gaon explains that this verse
refers to Mashiach ben Yosef.
Likewise “the Lord will
reply to you on your day of trouble, ” and, in the same chapter, “the Lord will
save his anointed one.” As is known, wherever the term “salvation” appears, it
connotes that characteristic of Mashiach ben Yosef.
3. “truth
springs up from the land, and righteousness looks down from heaven” (Ps. 85:12) -- The verse refers to Mashiach
ben Yosef from the land, and to righteousness that is based on the quality
of Din (Judgment). This is
indicated by the verse that follows it: “yea, the Lord will give that which is
good, and our land will yield its produce” (Ps. 85:13).
4. “the
stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Ps. 118:22) -- As noted in the Zohar (on
Bamidbar), the verse refers to an aspect of Yosef. In gematria, the initials of this verse
[ ] equal [161]. In his blessings
to his children, Jacob said about Yosef: “from there he became the shepherd,
the stone of Israel” [Gen. 49:24].
5. “[You
shall have] a perfect and just weight” (Deut. 25:15) -- According to the Gaon, these words indicated that
his first mission was being the light of Mashiach ben Yosef. Following the command to use a
perfect and just weight, we read about wiping out Amalek, and immediately
afterwards, we find: “when you come to the Land” [Deut. 26:1], which is similar to the verse
“when you come to the Land and plant” [Lev. 19:23], etc.
All these are thus related and of equal importance. From this the Gaon learned about his
great mission regarding the revealed end.
The Gaon wrote that “a perfect weight” is a characteristic of Din from
the left side. Only when on his
way to the Land of Israel, did the Gaon realize that he had reached the level
of “faithful shepherd” [appellation of Moshe Rabbeinu] in the verse: [Isa. 54:7] “with abundant mercy I will gather you.” [Those words,
in gematria, equal the Gaon’s name: !
.] Therefore, the Gaon felt that he did not have the permission of
Heaven to enter Eretz Israel. He
then directed his students to act like the aspect of Joshua: that is, to begin
fulfilling the obligation of ingathering exiles.
6. (Ps. 97:11) “light is sown for the
righteous, and gladness for the upright of heart” -- This refers to another
aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef.
As is known, in general a righteous person is in the line of Yosef. For more details, see below (#109) concerning
“when justice reverts to righteousness, and all the upright of heart follow it”
[Ps. 94:15].
7. (Lam. 2: 4) “the tabernacle of the daughter
of Zion” -- This is the middle line, the line of compassion. Similarly, the “stone of Israel” is on
the right, and the “House of Jacob” on the left.
8. (Ps. 22:1) “the first rays of light before
the dawn” -- In this Psalm we find: “my God, why have you forsaken me, ” which
was the prayer of Queen Esther who was from the line of Mashiach ben Yosef. See below (#141). Our Sages said (Yerushalmi: Brachot,
ch. 1) that the redemption of
Israel will come about like the first rays of light before the dawn. They were referring to the beginning of
the Redemption, the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef. In connection with this, as an additional explanation of
, they also noted and referred to the mystery of Jacob’s blessing of
Naftali: [Gen. 49:21] “a hind let loose.” This is in the
line of Mashiach ben Yosef, from the aspect of “the firstborn of his ox”
[see 11] which is explained by the Gaon in his commentary on Habakkuk (Ch. 2).
9. (Ps. 69:36) “God will save Zion and build
the cities of Judah” -- This is similar to the verse “I was brought low, and he
saved me, ” which, according to the Gaon, was said about Mashiach ben Yosef,
and thus is also in the line of Yosef.
10. (Ps. 4:2) “in my distress, you relieved me
-- Likewise, “in distress ... the
Lord answered me and brought me relief” similar to the verse “He placed it as
testimony in Yosef.” Whenever the verb “to call” to God from distress is used,
and followed by God answering, this is in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef.
11. (Deut. 33:17) “the firstborn of his ox is
glory to him” -- an ox is the aspect of Yosef from the north side, from where
Yosef comes when the awakening starts from below.In Tikunei
Zohar it states: “Mashiach from below will awaken” (p. 30). See the Gaon’s explanation there. Similarly, in Midrash Tanchuma (on Genesis), it
states that in the verse “those who send forth an ox to roam freely” [lit., the
leg of an ox], the ox refers to Mashiach ben Yosef. See below (Section 85) for the
aspect: “His land is blessed by the Lord.”
12. (Gen. 28:3) “that God Almighty bless
him" [Isaac’s blessing to Jacob when Jacob left for Padan-Aram] -- When
spelled out as pronounced, "# " " becomes , its value
equals 1000 minus 1, that is, 999, which is in Yesod, according to the Gaon in
his explanation of the Hebrew alphabet (See Extracts of the Gaon).
Also see The gates of heaven on the verse: “that God Almighty bless
etc. The number 999 is the highest
level of Mashiach ben Yosef when the awakening comes from
below, as written: “the smallest will become a thousand, ” etc.
13. (Ps. 126:6) “he will surely come with
rejoicing, bearing his sheaves” -- According to the Gaon’s commentary on
Habakkuk (Ch. 2), this verse
refers to the two meshichim because the same verb is used twice, with a
slight modification (lit.: come, he will come). The first one refers to the first mashiach: Mashiach
ben Yosef; the second one, , to the last mashiach: Mashiach ben
David.
14. (Ps. 5:4 ) “in the morning, I will direct my
prayer to you, ” and wait expectantly -- The word “morning” is in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef. In gematria, equals [643] “as
testimony in Yosef.”
15. (Gen. 39:5) “the blessing of God ... in the house and in the field” -- This
verse was said regarding Yosef.
This blessing is included in the secret of the six names of God which,
together, in gematria equal 156 (26x6). “Yosef” equals 156, and so does “Zion.”
16. (Isa. 30:15) “in quietness and in security
will be your might” -- In the same chapter, we find, “in returning and rest you
will be saved.” The meaning of “in
quietness” is like the verse “place it ! ‘in the ears of’ Yehoshua.” The word !
in gematria equals (70). “In
returning and rest you will be saved” means ‘heh’ will return to ‘vau, ’ As it
says in the Zohar about the word ‘Teshuva.’ Then ‘vau’ will return to ‘heh’ as
explained in the Zohar which is the revelation of the Redemption, and in this
manner you will be saved [see 21].
Also, there is a hint of this in the word which in gematria equals Eretz Israel [832].
17. (Ov. 1:18 ) “the house of Jacob shall be a
fire, and the house of Yosef a flame” -- The House of Esau will be stubble as
our Sages said (in Tanchuma on ), because the Angel of Esau will fall into the
hand of the Angel of Yosef.
18. (Num. 25: ) [ (Num. 25:12)] “ my covenant of peace” -- Both words are in Yesod
and are used in connection with Pinchas, who is from the root of the soul of
Yosef. Mashiach ben Yosef is
also from the root of the soul of Pinchas.
19. (Ps. 81:8) “in distress you called out, and
I rescued you” -- This relates to the verses “as testimony in Yosef” and “in
distress I called out to the Lord and He answered me with expansiveness [i.e.,
by bringing me relief]” (Ps.
118:5).
20. (Joel
3:5) “among the remnant whom the Lord calls” -- The term ‘remnant’ refers to Mashiach
ben Yosef. In gematria both
and equal 566. In the verse quoted
it states: “And it will be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will
escape, for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be refuge, and among the
remnant whom the Lord calls.”
21. (Isa. 30:15) “in returning and rest you will
be saved” -- That is, when the letter ‘heh’ returns to the letter ‘vau, ’ as
explained in the holy Zohar, then the letter ‘vau’ comes down to ‘heh.’ The
holy Zohar explains that the Redemption is at ‘vau’ that is after the ‘heh, ’
which refers to Knesset Israel, draws near ‘vau’ during the awakening from
below--this is the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef in the line of Yosef
son of Rachel. (See above, 16,
regarding the aspect, “in quietness and in confidence”).
22. (Ps. 22:1) “the lustre of the dawn and the
fleetness of the dawn” -- Both are in the line of the first Mashiach.
23. (Jer. 31:8) “with entreaties I will lead
them” -- The word , which appears in the verse “weeping they will come and with
entreaties I will lead them” etc., has the same numerical value in gematria as
(566). The verse concludes with
“Efraim is my firstborn, ” referring to Mashiach ben Yosef. “With entreaties, ” in order to atone
for the sin noted in “when he entreated us, we did not listen.” In the holy
Zohar we find that the word in gematria equals [34]. (See below, 27, regarding the aspect, “I was brought low,
and He saved me”).
24. Gavriel
-- The angel Michael mitigates the quality of Din in Gavriel, because
the root of Mashiach ben Yosef is in the line of Gavriel, meaning the
quality of Din, as it says, “And the man Gavriel” (Daniel 9:21). Through Gavriel, Yosef fell into
distress; and through him, Yosef became great. This is the explanation of my colleague, R’ Saadiah.
25. (Ps. 103:4) “who redeems your life from the
pit” -- This is preceded by the verse: “who heals all your diseases.”
Redemption is in Yesod hinted at in the numerical value of the letters
of as pronounced: .The value
is 1194 as is the value of “His tabernacle [was] in Shalem, and his dwelling
place in Zion, ” which makes the verses comparable, and thus part of the
mission of the Gaon.
26. (Song
4:12) “like a locked garden ... a
sealed fountain” -- These are in the line of Tsofnat Paneach. The Gaon hinted that in gematria equals
[156]. This is explained below in
98 from the aspect of “mystery.”
27. (Ps. 116:6) “I was brought low, and He saved
me” -- King David, of blessed memory, said this prayer to save Mashiach ben
Yosef so that the latter would not die, as explained by the Gaon is his
work . Mashiach ben Yosef is
in the line of Joshua bin Nun.
28. (Es. 9:30) “words of peace and truth” --
That means the unification of Yesod and Malchut, which is the
mission of Mashiach ben Yosef.
29. (Ps. 20:7) “the Lord has saved his anointed
one” -- The entire Psalm that begins with “the Lord will answer you in your day
of distress, ” is a prayer to save Mashiach ben Yosef so that the latter
should not die. This is explained
by the Gaon in his commentary on Habakkuk regarding the verse: “that I might rest on the day of
distress”; and also in connection with
!# [Ps. 20:3] “‘your help
from the sanctuary”’ which hints at
“Mashiach ben Efraim’” because it equals it in gematria
[741].
30. (Ps. 126:5) “those who sow in tears will
reap in joy” -- The footsteps of the Mashiach will be like this. Every good thing will come out of pain
and distress. As written, “he who
walks along weeping, bearing the measure of seeds, will certainly return with
rejoicing, bearing his sheaves” (Ps.
126:6). This is in the line
of “my sheaf rose and remained standing.” The verb ‘to come’ appears twice: ,
referring to the two Meshichim, as explained by the Gaon in his
commentary on Habakkuk.
31. (Ez. 36:8) “you, mountains of Israel, will
send forth your branch” -- In the same chapter we find: “...and the cities will
be inhabited, and the ruins will be rebuilt” (Ez. 36:10).
Preceding this is the verse: “behold [I have spoken] in my jealousy.”
All these are signs of the revealed end, according to our Sages (Sanhedrin 98a,
Megillah 17b), as is also the verse: “for as the earth sends forth its
sprouts, and as a garden causes its seeds to sprout forth, so will the Lord God
cause righteousness and praise to sprout forth before the eyes of all the
nations” (Isa. 61:11). This was the main aspiration of the
Gaon, Rabbi Eliyahu. It is called
the ‘revealed’ end after the ‘revealed’ world, from the aspect of Yosef ben
Rachel, and after God who is
‘revealed’ by the purification of the holiness of the Holy Land and its fruit
from the spirit of the [the Sitra Achra], which is accomplished when
fulfilling the commandments pertaining to the Holy Land.
32. (Ps. 48:3) “Mount Zion on the sides of the
north” -- For it is “fairest of sites, joy of the whole earth, ” a description
similar to what was said about Yosef.
According to the Midrash (Tanchuma), everything that happened to
Yosef happened to Zion. For Mashiach
ben Yosef is in the North according to the Midrash. Also, in gematria equals [156]. In the same Psalm is the verse: walk
around Zion and encircle her, count her towers, etc. (v. 13), which
refers to the five circles of holiness around Jerusalem.
33. (Gen. 48:16) “the angel who redeems me” --
“The angel who redeems” is the Angel of Yosef. This means that as soon as Yosef was born, Jacob was able to
overpower Esau. As known, the
redeemer is in Yesod.
34. (Ps. 111:3) “Hod and Hadar are
His work, and His righteousness endures forever” -- Hod has the quality of Din. has the same meaning as in the verse:
like the firstborn of his ox is his glory. Both Hod and Hadar are in the line of Mashiach
ben Yosef according to the Gaon, as revealed in the mystery of the Hebrew
alphabet (Likutei Hagr”a, p.40).
35. (Isa. 60:22) “the smallest will become a
thousand and the youngest a mighty nation” -- The ‘smallest’ refers to Efraim
as is written: “his smaller brother will be more numerous than he, and his seed
will be filled with nations.” The ‘youngest’ also refers to Efraim. The meaning is that if he reaches the
level of 1000 minus one, that is 999 in the sefira Yesod, which is the
final level of the awakening from below, then I am the Lord, [even] in its
time, I will hasten it. The term
‘thousand’ means until 1000 exclusive of the number 1000, for the thousandth
level will be completed with the clouds of heaven, completely miraculously.
36. (Isa. 54:2) “expand the site of your tent, ”
etc. -- The commandment to expand
the borders is the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef as God had told the
prophet Jonah, who was on the level of Mashiach ben Yosef, to restore
the border of Israel (II Kings 14:25).
Likewise the verse: “in distress...in expansiveness, ” means that it was
his mission to expand the boundaries in the war against Amalek, who was the
destroyer, according to the Midrash.
“The enemy, the destructions are gone forever” which is related to the
verse: “God wages war against Amalek.” The verb “expands” is used in opposition
to the verb “destroys” [the order of the letters and are in reverse order in
the two words].
37. (Ps. 125:1) “Mount Zion never falters, but
abides forever” -- Likewise, a righteous person never falters (Prov.12:6). As brought in the Midrash: whatever
occurred to Yosef, occurred to Zion.
38. (Song
2:12) “the buds were seen in the land, the songbird’s time has arrived, and the
voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land” -- This refers to designated
missions, designated times and designated people. The buds are the designated missions, that is, the footsteps
of the Mashiach. The songbird’s
time has arrived: these are the designated times, that is, the ends and the
times of remembrance. The voice of
the songbird is heard: that is, the designated people, the special
messengers. All of these are
included in the mission of the first Mashiach.The voice of the
turtle-dove is the sound that precedes the turtle-dove. The turtle-dove is Moshe Rabbeinu who
comes with Mashiach ben David, the final redeemer.
39. (Gen. 42:8) Yosef recognized his brothers,
but they did not recognize him -- This is one of the traits of Yosef not only
in his own generation, but in every generation, i.e., that Mashiach ben
Yosef recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him. This is the work of Satan, who hides
the characteristics of Mashiach ben Yosef so that the footsteps of the Mashiach
are not recognized and are even belittled because of our many sins. (See below 103). Otherwise, our troubles would already
have ended. Were Israel to
recognize Yosef, that is, the footsteps of ben Yosef the Mashiach which
is the ingathering of the exiles etc., then we would already have been redeemed
with a complete redemption.
40. (Gen. 49:24) “but his bow was emplaced
firmly” -- This is a basic important principle for us: we must stand firm and
very stiff-necked with regard to our holy work of gathering in the exiles that
will be accomplished by the first Mashiach.
41. (Gen. 42:6) “now Yosef [was] the ruler over
the land” -- That is, he had overpowered all the forces of impurity, and this
is one of the great tasks of the first Mashiach -- to eradicate the
spirit of impurity from the land by settling the Holy Land, for the spirit of
impurity rules in the Holy Land where it is desolate, and this is revealed in
the words, [gematria: 832] “and the land will not become desolate.” Though this
was said about Egypt, the reference was to [gematria: 832] Eretz Israel, in
accord with the spirit of Yosef, and as affirmed in gematria.
42. (Ps. 76:3) “His tabernacle [was] in Shalem,
and his dwelling place in Zion” -- We have already explained that all the
characteristics of Zion are in the line of Yosef as explained in the Midrash (Tanchuma,
end of the parsha “Vayegash”). The Gaon saw in this verse [gematria 1200] a holy hint
regarding his name including three generations of his family, i.e., ! [gematria
1200]. He adds: Just as the
commandment regarding a succah is a command to do something, not to take from
what is already made, so is the commandment regarding Zion.
43. The
upper light (in the Zohar, and in the Ari’s Book on Gilgulim) --
is the root of Yosef, the root of Metatron the minister of Interior whose value
in gematria is 999. This is the
meaning of (Deut. 60:22) “the
smallest will become a thousand, ” which was said regarding Efraim as explained
above (#35).
44. (Deut. 32:7) “remember the days of old,
understand the years of generation after generation” -- This refers to the
first Mashiach who fights Amalek in an eternal war. The Lord wages war against Amalek in
generation after generation. That
is the mission of Joshua who was Mashiach ben Yosef.
45. (Zach. 8:12) “the seed is of peace” -- Shalom
[peace] is in the sefira Yesod, and therefore the seed of peace is ben
Yosef, and the force of “‘shalom’”
is the one that subdues “Esau.’”
In gematria they are equal (376).
We learn this from the verse: “...the seed is of peace, the vine will
give forth its fruit, and the land...its produce.” The gematria relates this to
the revealed end.
46. (Ps. 21:5) “life he requested of You; You
gave him length of days” -- This was said about Mashiach ben Yosef, as
explained at length in the works of the holy Ari, in the section on
intentions. This is one of the
prayers included in the Psalms, that King David of blessed memory prayed for
the life of Mashiach ben Yosef.
47. ([mentioned
in] Ex. 17:13) “the sword of
Joshua” -- This is the sword of the first Mashiach who fights Amalek as
revealed in the great force of the name of God that is concealed in the words
“the war of the Lord” and in the combination of two names of God, "" (value of 91), that is also the value of the word [91]
go out, used in connection with fighting Amalek.
48. (Isa. 33:20) “visualize Zion, the city of our
designated times” -- This is in the line of Rachel, as hinted at in the initial
letters of the verse: , which in gematria [value: 238] equals [238]. It refers to Mashiach ben Yosef. The holy Ari considered this verse a
hint that his own name was that of Mashiach ben Yosef (as brought in the
section on gilgulim and in the section on kavanot in Pri Etz
Chaim on the prayer beginning “and the throne of David, your servant” in
the Amidah.
49. (Ps. 16:6) “lots...in pleasant places” --
This refers to the lot of the first Mashiach.This is also hinted at in
the verse: [ ] (Ez. 47: 13) two
lots for Yosef.
50. “the
wisdom of scribes” (See ! Tikunei
Zohar, Tikun 70, the Gaon’s commentary there) -- One of the matters listed
by our Sages as connected with the footsteps of the Mashiach is that the wisdom
of the scribes will stink (Sotah, 49). The Gaon explains in Tikunei Zohar (p. 139) that this refers to the wisdom in
gematria hints, in the mystery of the chariot, and in numerology (commentary of
the Gaon in Tikunei Zohar, p.
5), that are revealed by Mashiach ben Yosef. These are the mission of Rabbi Eliyahu,
the Vilna Gaon, the light of Mashiach ben Yosef, who, as is known
suffered greatly from derision regarding this.
51. Good
is in the sefira Yesod -- See the explanation of the Gaon regarding
“tet” in the sefira Yesod: “whoever sees good in a dream, ” etc. This is a trait of Yosef, about whom it
says: “A good eye will be blessed.” It is 999 in the sefira Yesod ( Likutei Hagr’a, p.41).
52. “what
is hidden is good” or “the North is good” -- according to the verse (Ps. 31:20) “how abundant is your goodness
that you have hidden away” or “...that you have placed in the North.” This is
the same aspect as mentioned above.
The Gaon explains in the Song of Songs that the verse refers to
the northern side, where all the good things are, as explained in the Midrash
where it states that Mashiach ben Yosef is in the North.
53. (Prov. 22:9) “one who has a good [bountiful]
eye will be blessed” -- (in Likutei
Hagr’a). That means 999 in the
sefira Yesod, which refers to Yosef, as explained above, because he gave
of his bread to the poor.
54. “Yosef,
son of Rachel and son of Jacob” -- Mashiach ben Yosef from two aspects:
as son of Rachel from the land, and as son of Jacob from heaven. Sometimess both aspects are combined:
Yosef, son of Jacob and Rachel. --
“even all in the Heavens and Earth.” In gematria has the same value as Yesod
[80],
55. (Ex. 17:16) “the hand is on the throne of
God” [God swears]: “the Lord wages war against Amalek from generation to
generation” -- This is the mission of Joshua who is Mashiach ben Yosef.
56. “the
unification of Yesod and Malchut” -- This is one of the principal
missions of Mashiach ben Yosef:to unify heaven and earth, to unify the
two meshichim, which means the tree of Yosef with the tree of Judah
during the awakening from below with the joining of Jerusalem above with
Jerusalem below by a rebuilt Jerusalem.
Then it will be like a city that is united together (Ps. 122:3).
57. (Ps. 118:18) “God has chastened me
considerably, but has not given me over to death.” The entire Psalm, that
begins with “in distress, I called out to the Lord, ” was said about Mashiach
ben Yosef, as explained below (#88), from the aspect of the expansiveness
on the part of God. In this sense
it is connected to the verse: “I was brought low, and He saved me, ” according
to the commentary of the Gaon, as explained below. This is one of the prayers that King David, of blessed
memory, prayed so that Mashiach ben Yosef would not die.
58. (Gen. 42:6) “Yosef [was/is] the ruler over
the land” -- This refers to the fact that Yosef overpowers all the outer layers
of impurity of Ismael and Esau.
59. (Ps. 72:17) “may his name be perpetuated” --
“may his name be perpetuated forever, for as long as the sun endures.” In that
same Psalm we find: “may the righteous flourish in his days, abundant peace
beyond the days of the moon” [Ps.
72:7]. According to our
Sages (Sanhedrin 98b)., the word is one of the names of mashiach,
that is, it refers to Mashiach ben Yosef.
60. (Jer. 31:16) “there is hope regarding your
end... and your children will
return to their border” -- The entire Psalm, particularly from the verse
beginning “behold I am bringing you from the North” was said about Mashiach
ben Yosef and the ingathering of the exiles. Four traits of Efraim are mentioned in the Psalm (as
explained above in 1 on “Efraim is My firstborn”), and all of them are from the
aspect of Yosef ben Rachel, which means when the awakening comes from below
until the final level of 999 in the sefira Yesod, which is divided into
two: 499 1/2 on the left, the quality of Din; and 499 1/2 on the right,
the quality of Lovingkindness.
This is the meaning of “the smallest will become a thousand...” as
explained above. Then the number
1000 will be completed on both sides when there will be [] 500 in vau, and []
500 in heh. This is what is meant by .
61. (Ps. 110:6) He will judge the nations filled
with corpses -- The entire Psalm, beginning with “Sit on my right” was said
about Mashiach ben Yosef, whose name is hinted at in the initial letters
of the words going from left to right, just like the quality of Din starts
at the left side. It is also
written in this Psalm, from
a river along the way he will drink.
This refers to the quality of Lovingkindness, which is hinted at in the
initial letters from right to left, just as the quality of Lovingkindness
starts at the right side.
62. Joshua
bin Nun -- together with Mashiach ben Efraim who wages war against
Amalek. Akiba ben Yosef is in the
line of Joshua, and this is affirmed in gematria [391]. Likewise, it states [Ps. 132:6] “we heard about it in Efrata, ”
which refers to Joshua from the tribe of Efraim (Zevachim 54b).
63. (Isa. 14:32) “for God founded Zion, and in it
the poor of his people take shelter” -- Yosef and Zion are in the sefira
Yesod. Their rebuilding comes
through poverty according to the trait of Mashiach ben Yosef, like the
verse “I was brought low, and He saved me, ” and as it says, “in weeping they
will come, and with entreaties I will lead them, ” as explained above
(#23)--from the aspect of entreaties I will lead them.
64. (Isa. 40:3) “make a straight path in the
desert” -- The initial letters of these words from left to right hint at Mashiach
ben Yosef. As is known, all
the activities concerned with preparing the way and paving the road for the
Redemption are part of the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef. “in the desert” hints at the revealed
end; they are equal in gematria [279].
With this, the Gaon hinted to me concerning my mission from heaven, with
the help of God.
65. (Isa. 42:13) “like a man of war he will stir
up zealousness” -- All war waged against enemies of God occur as part of the
mission of Mashiach ben Yosef. The
first one given this mission was Joshua bin Nun. The term means
zealousness on behalf of God and Zion, and indeed, in gematria the value of is
156, as is the value of .
66. (Ps. 102:14) “for it is the time to favor
her” -- The Psalm also states: “You will have mercy on Zion.” All matters of
mercy and comfort for Zion are part of the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef,
and this is hinted at in the gematria of the words which equal [643].
67. (Isa. 9:6) “David’s throne” -- This refers to
Mashiach ben Yosef.In the same verse we find: “to establish it and
sustain it through justice and righteousness.” Preceding this verse, the Psalm
states: “for a child has been born to us” etc. According to the holy Ari (on the blessing )[see 127], there
is a great and holy obligation when we say the prayer that we always
concentrate on praying that Mashiach ben Yosef will not be killed by the
wicked Armilus. As it says: “I
will raise [] the fallen tabernacle of David” (Amos 9:11). Wherever the verb is used, it refers to
Mashiach ben Yosef. See
above (#133) about the aspect of “My sheaf rose.” This idea is also hinted at
in the world (with a )which is equal to 566 [as is ]. The purpose of his work in gathering in the exiles is to
establish David’s throne in our war against the wicked Armilus as revealed in
the verse “the Lord wages war
against Amalek.”
68. (Isa. 61:10) “like a bridegroom who adorns
himself with splendor” -- Adornment is part of the mission of Mashiach ben
Yosef from the aspect of Yosef ben Jacob in the sefira Tiferet.
69. (I
Chron. 29:11) “even all in the
Heavens and Earth” -- That is, in the sefira Yesod in the line of
Yosef. The words in gematria equal
[80]. Likewise, in gematria the
words equal . [741] Mashiach
ben Efraim..
70. (Isa. 44:28) “he will fulfill all my desires”
-- This was said about Jerusalem by Ezra and Nehemiah as part of the mission by
Cyrus as noted in this Psalm: “who says of Cyrus, ‘he is My shepherd, ’ he will
fulfill all my desires, and who says of Jerusalem ‘it will be built, ’ and of
the Temple ‘it will be established.’” All this will be according to the quality
of Din from the left side, as the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef.
71. (Malachi
3:24) “the heart of fathers to the children” -- “Behold, I send you Elijah the
prophet, ” etc. and he will return
the heart of fathers to the children.” One of his missions is to revive the
soul of Mashiach ben Yosef.This is hinted at in the words which is equal
to the value of [643], and as is known, Messiah ben Yosef is from the
root of the soul of Elijah.
72. (Isa. 28:6) “counterattack” [lit.: return the
war to the gate] -- The word is composed of the initial letters of Mashiach
ben Yosef, whose mission it is to wage war against Amalek in the gates of
Jerusalem at the entrance to the city.
73. (Ps. 24:3) “who may ascend the Lord’s
mountain” -- The initial letters of the first three words are the initial
letters of Mashiach ben Yosef [though not in the same order], whose duty
it was to gather in the exiles.
Likewise the initial letters of [in that same verse] “who may rise
within His holy place” are the initial letters of Mashiach ben Yosef .The
term refers to building from the aspect of? My sheaf rose.? The words [24:5]
“he will receive a blessing from the Lord, ” also begins with the initial
letters of Mashiach ben Yosef. The
word ‘blessing’ refers to planting, which can be affected by a blessing. The initial letters of the noun form of
the second words in the three quotations just mentioned, that is, ' ' , form
the word , and thus refer to the direction of the footsteps of the Mashiach
.
74. (Ps. 31:12) “because of all my enemies, I
became a disgrace” -- The entire Psalm is one of the prayers that King David,
of blessed memory, prayed on behalf of Mashiach ben Yosef, as it says:
“you have known of the troubles of my soul” [Ps. 31:8].
Similarly, we find written in connection with Yosef: “because we have
seen the distress of his soul, I was forgotten like a corpse from the
heart. "how abundant is your
goodness that you placed in the North [] for those who fear you.” The word
indicates that this refers to Mashiach ben Yosef, because he is from the
north [ ]. See above (#52) on the
aspect “the North is good.” It says about the footsteps of the Mashiach,
“for they have taunted the footsteps of Your Mashiach” (Ps. 89:52).
75. admonish
to repent. -- not only Israel, but
also the other nations, in the line of the prophet Jonah, who was the Mashiach
ben Yosef in his generation, as explained in midrashim and in the holy
Zohar. As is written: (Isa. 2:4) he will admonish many peoples; also, [ ] (Prov. 24:25) “for the admonishers it will be
pleasant, and a good blessing will come upon them”; and also, (Isa. 11:4) “and admonish righteously the
humble of the earth.”
76. (II
Sam. 22:34) “who made my legs like
the hinds’” -- ‘My legs like those of hinds, ’ refers to both meshichim who
lament in Netzach and Hod and stand in the gates of rebuilt
Jerusalem. It is the mission of Mashiach
ben Yosef to make these legs, the legs of the footstool of God in an equal
and righteous manner 499 for the left section and 499 for the right
section--together 999 in Yesod.
77. (
Gen. 49:24) “by the hand of the
Mighty Power of Jacob; from there he became the shepherd, the stone of Israel”
-- This is the blessing of Yosef with regard to the existence of Mashiach
ben Yosef. The meaning is like
the verse “ one stone has 7 eyes [apertures]” (The Holy Zohar on
Numbers, p. 243).
78. (Ex. 17:16) “God wages war against Amalek
from generation to generation” -- All this is the task of Joshua, who was Mashiach
ben Yosef, and this task has continued in every generation and has become
more and more difficult in the footsteps of Mashiach ben Yosef, and this
is the war against Armilus (as explained above in 67 from the aspect of David’s
throne).
79. a
fountain of salvation. -- This is
in line with joy according to our Sages (Succah 48), and refers to Mashiach
ben Yosef. So in gematria
equals Mashiach ben Yosef [566].
The Gaon told us that if he had been created solely in order to
comprehend what our Sages meant (Ibid.) with regard to joy and happiness -- he
would be satisfied.
80. (Gen. 49:10) “nor a lawgiver from among his
descendants” -- In the line of Yesod this is said about Mashiach ben
Yosef. This is the explanation
of the Gaon in Tikunei Hazohar (p.
36). There it is written:
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from among his
descendants” refers to the fact that both meshichim will exist in every
generation.
81. (Isa. 52:7) “he announces salvation” -- In
that chapter, we find the words “the footsteps of the herald, ” which refer to
both meshichim. But the
verse, “he announces salvation, ” is written in the singular form because it
refers to Mashiach ben Yosef. This
is so, because whenever salvation during the footsteps of Mashiach appears,
it refers to the mission of Joshua bin Nun and the mission of Mashiach ben
Yosef. This is explained by
the Gaon in his commentary on the verse “I will bear the cup of salvation.”
82. (Num. 17:20) “his staff will blossom” -- Note
the hints in this verse: the man I choose . The initial letters of the last three words [ ' ' ] are the
initials of [ ' '] Mashiach ben
Yosef, though in a different order.
In addition, in gematria equals [358].
83. (Isa. 32:20) “those that send forth the ox to
roam freely” -- The Midrash (Tanchuma on Genesis) explains that in , the
ox refers to Mashiach ben Yosef.
[See 11.] Preceding these words, in the same sentence, we find:
“happy are those who sow every wet place.” Also, in the same chapter it says:
“and my people will dwell in a peaceful habitation and in secure dwellings and
in tranquil resting places” [Isa.
32:18].
84. “brings
a redeemer” -- This is the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef. Redemption is in the sefira
Yesod, which is hinted at in the gematria of the word (see the Gaon?s
commentary on Tikunei Zohar).
85. (Deut. 33:13) “his land is blessed by the
Lord” -- This was said in the blessing of Yosef. It is on the right side, in opposition to “the firstborn of
his ox is his glory” which is on the left side, the quality of Din. This is explained above as a matter of
balanced measures. In gematria
equals [985].
86. (Lam. 1:16) “a comforter to restore my soul”
-- This is one of the appellations of mashiach according to our Sages (Sanhedrin
98b), by comparison with the verse: “and the soul of the child was restored
to his insides, ” which was said about Mashiach ben Yosef and according
to what is explained in the Tosafot (Baba Metzia 114a).
87. (Midrash
Rabba) “Mashiach in the North” -- This refers to Mashiach ben
Yosef who is in the North on the left side which is the quality of Din. Similarly, the verse: “how abundant is
your goodness that you have placed in the North for those who fear you, as
explained above (#52) from the aspect “the North is good.” See the Gaon’s
commentary on the Song of Songs, where he explains that indicates the northern
side.
88. “expansiveness”
-- (Ps. 118:5) “in distress I
called out to the Lord, he answered me with expansiveness” [i.e., he brought me
relief] -- Likewise, (Ps. 31:9)
“You set my feet in a wide space.” Also there, (Ps 31:20) “how great is your
abundance that you have placed in the north for those who fear you [see
19]. Similarly, (Ps. 81:8) “in distress you called out, and
I rescued you, I answered you, ” etc.
Also there, (Ps. 81:6) “as
testimony in Yosef.” (Ps. 126) [118:5] from “distress” to “expansiveness.”
Likewise, (Isa. 54:2) “expand the
site of your tent, ” which is the task of Mashiach ben Yosef to restore
the border of Israel which is the mission of the prophet Jonah who was Mashiach
ben Yosef as explained above (#36), from the aspect of “expand the site of
your tent.” Merchavia is one of the appellations of Eretz Israel, and this is
revealed in the letters of the
line of Mashiach ben Yosef as revealed by the word: the expanses of the
river, because now God has expanded us, and we have multiplied in the land (Likutei
Hagra revealed in the letters
and the explanation there), and it reveals the secret concealed in (I
Kings 17:21) “please return this child’s soul.” This is also the intent of the
verse (Jer. 31:16) “your children
will return to their border, ” that is, after returning from the enemy’s land,
they will return to their own border.
89. “equal
measures” -- Mashiach ben David will not come until all measurements are
equal [/accurate]. Mashiach ben
David will not come until all the prices are equal (Sanhedrin 98a). This is related to the equally measured gardens mentioned by
our Sages.
90. (Jer. 32:12) Neriah -- This is one of the
names of Mashiach ben Yosef. In
gematria equals [265]. See below
(#96) from the aspect of the revealed book. Likewise, the verse (Ps. 132:17) “I have prepared a lamp for My anointed.”
91. (Ps. 126:6) “bearing the measure of seeds”
-- This is a characteristic of Mashiach ben Yosef--going from distress
to salvation--as explained by the Gaon in his commentary on Habakkuk regarding
the verse: “that I might rest on the day of distress” [Hab. 3:16] [see 2]. Likewise, other verses: “it is a time
of distress for Jacob, from which he will be saved”; “in distress” till
“expansiveness”; “its weepers will become joyful”; “the bearer of sheaves will
come in joy.” These are from the aspect “my sheaf rose.” The entire Psalm speak
of the return to Zion, i.e., the ingathering of exiles, and that is the mission
of Mashiach ben Yosef.
92. pursued
-- “God always seeks the pursued” as is written (Koh. 3:15) “what has been,
already exists; and what is to be, has already been; and God always seeks the
pursued.” The pursued is the Mashiach ben Yosef who appears in every
generation. I have already
explained that there are hints in the words “God always seeks the pursued.” The
hints are revealed through gematria, for the words equal [832] which is epitomized by Zion,
which is in the line of Yosef according to the Midrash (Tanchuma on the parsha
“Ki Tezeh”): whatever occurred to Yosef, occurred to Zion.
93. (Ps. 31:13) “like the dead, I have been
forgotten from the heart” -- In the same Psalm we find: “how abundant is the
goodness that you have placed in the North for those who fear you, ” etc. Also in the same Psalm, we find: “you
set my feet in a wide space.” He was forgotten like a dead man from the heart,
means: he was forgotten from the heart--from the heart of Jacob, because there
is a decree regarding the dead that he is forgotten from the heart of a person,
though not from his soul.
Therefore, it is written about Jacob, “and he refused to be comforted.”
94. “a
youth” -- (Gen. 37:2) “and he was
a youth” -- Four individuals were given the appellation ’ youth’: Yosef,
Joshua, Metatron, and David.
95. “a
man’s soul is the lamp of the Lord” (Prov. 20:27) -- The words “lamp of the Lord” include the union of
the three names of God: ' '.
Altogether, in gematria, they equal [250]. Their uniqueness comes from the mystery of the sefira
Yesod.
96. the
unsealed deed in Anatot” (Jer. 32)
-- The two deeds mentioned in this chapter refer to the two meshichim. The open deed refers to Mashiach ben
Yosef who is from the aspect of the revealed world . This is the mystery of the revealed end
mentioned by our Sages. The sealed
deed is from the aspect of Mashiach ben Dav id from the aspect of the h
idden world . The unsealed deed is
related to the four aspects o f Efraim as noted above (#1) in the discussion o
f the aspect “ Efraim is My firstborn , ” and this is the in tention of the
revealed end.
97. (Gen. 28:12) “a ladder was set on the Land
and its top reached to Heaven” -- This is a quality of Yosef as known: whatever
occurred to Jacob, occurred to Yosef, that all his deeds are in the awakening
from below and he is helped by Heaven.
See above (#69), for the aspect “even everything in the Heavens and
Earth” [1 Chron. 29:11]. For Mashiach ben Yosef has two
aspects: the aspect of Yosef ben Rachel, and the aspect of Yosef ben
Jacob.
98. “the
secret of the Lord is for those who fear him” (Ps. 25:14) -- Whenever the word is mentioned, it refers to the
mission of Mashiach ben Yosef as hinted at in the verse: “place it into
the ears of Joshua.” In gematria, ! in the ears of, equals [70] and when the
value of the letters of as pronounced are added up [i.e., ' '], they equal [566].
99. (Song
4:16) “North, wake up; South, come” -- In gematria, the initial letters of the
words: equal [566] Mashiach ben Yosef who first awakens in the
North. As it states in the
Midrash: The mashiach is in the North. Therefore the beginning of the ingathering of the exiles is
from the land of the north, as is written: “behold, I will bring them from the
land of the North” (Jer.
31:7). In the same chapter
we find: “Efraim is My firstborn, ” and “call out on Mount Efraim, ’Rise and
let us go up to Zion’” (Jer. 31:
5) etc., as explained above (#1), in the discussion of the aspect “Efraim is My
firstborn.”
100. (Jer. 30:7) “it is a time of distress for
Jacob, from which he will be saved” -- All of this refers to Mashiach ben
Yosef, as explained by the Gaon on Habakkuk on the verse: “that I might
rest on the day of distress.” Wherever the term salvation occurs, it refers to
the mission of Joshua bin Nun, who is in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef with
his great strength. This is
revealed in the number 999 in the sefira Yesod in opposition to “it is a
time of distress for Jacob.” This is affirmed in gematria [this verse equals
999]: “from which he will be saved” means that from it, with the strength of
this number, he will be saved.
101. (Ez. 37:19) the wood of Yosef -- This refers
to Mashiach ben Yosef for the entire Redemption depends on the
unification of the two pieces of wood: the wood of Yosef and the wood of Judah
(as it states in this chapter).
They are the two meshichim: Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach
ben David, who at first, i.e., when the Redemption starts naturally from
below, will be separate individuals in “your hand” [Ez. 37:17]. Afterwards, they will become one in “My hand” [Ez. 37:19], the hand of God--that is,
miraculously, with the help of the clouds from Heaven.
102.
(Ez. 37:16) the wood of Efraim ?
This is the wood of Yosef. In the
same verse we find Yosef is the wood of Efraim. Regarding this, the Gaon added a hint that in gematria
equals , the ingathering of exiles.
103. (Ps. 89:52) the footsteps of your Mashiach
-- In the verse “who taunted the footsteps of your Mashiach.” Wherever
footsteps of mashiach are mentioned, they refer to the mission of the
first Mashiach, Mashiach ben Yosef.As is known, the enemies of
God and the enemies of Israel cause trouble to the entire process of the
beginning of the Redemption that occurs in the footsteps of the Mashiach. In the Psalm, it states regarding this
matter: “who taunted the footsteps of your Mashiach” [Ps. 89:52]. Our Sages have already enumerated all the tribulations that
come during the footsteps of the Mashiach. We have no one to lean on except our Father in Heaven and
His will that we occupy ourselves with the awakening from below, and stand
firmly against all disturbances and taunts. We must act in the spirit of Eitan HaEzrachi, who is our
forefather Abraham, and according to a parable of the Gaon (as explained in
Chapter 1), the first Mashiach ben Yosef. The Gaon added the hint in the verse: “How will I know
that I will inherit it .” The word ‘’ in gematria equals [566].
104. “the
footsteps of the Mashiach” -- They are called footsteps for two reasons;
one, because they come step by step; two, because all the special attributes of
the Redemption come like the heels of a person , indirectly, in a roundabout
way, so that impure layers do not fasten themselves securely.
105. (Isa. 26:1) “the city is a stronghold for us;
He will grant salvation to its high walls and outer wall.” -- There is a strong
tower against the enemy, like the words in the verse: ”out of the mouths of
babes and those who nurse, you established strength.” The term salvation and !
strength are in the sefira Yesod.
’City’ is in the line of Malchut. Together they unite Yesod and Malchut, which
means the city will become united together, which will take place in rebuilt
Jerusalem. So Efraim is referred
to as the “stronghold of my head.”
106.
(II Chron. 31:21) “he acted and he
succeeded” -- This is one of the characteristics and special attributes of
Yosef, that his success comes only by doing, as it says about Yosef:
“everything that he did, the Lord made succeed in his hand” (Gen. 39:3.. The Gaon added that there is a hint to this in the fact that
the verse: , equals 613 in gematria.
107.
(Gen. 2:9) “the tree of knowledge
of good and evil” -- Both are in the sefira Yesod. As is known, the decision between them
depends on a hairbreadth.
108. [Gen.:
45:26]) “Joseph is still alive” -- All are in the sefira Yesod, and
within these words are concealed the essence of the existence and life of Mashiach
ben Yosef as well as the existence of Mashiach ben David. For as long as Yosef is still alive,
King David of Israel is still alive and exists. Therefore, we pray daily for the life of Mashiach ben
Yosef in the prayer that contains the words: “the throne of David, your
servant, ” in the blessing “who builds Jerusalem.” This is explained above
(#67) from the aspect of David’s throne (see above, chapter 1, section
21). The Gaon, who was the light
of Mashiach ben Yosef used to pray daily the prayer “Yosef is still
alive” for all 999 footsteps of the Mashiach during the beginning of the
Redemption depend on him. When
saying this prayer the Gaon would mention also the merit of the his own
great-grandfather, Rabbi Eliyahu Chasid, who was Mashiach ben Yosef in
his generation. This is the
meaning of the verse about Efraim: “I will yet remember him” that is, the
characteristic of “Yosef is still alive.”
109. (Ps. 94:15) “justice will revert to
righteousness, and all the upright of heart will follow it” -- Both are in the
line of Mashiach ben Yosef, as is written: “righteousness and justice
are the foundation of his throne.” Establishing the throne, David’s throne, is
the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef, as explained above (#67) from the
aspect of “the throne of David, your servant.” The Gaon added a hint to
this. The words in gematria
equal Eretz Israel [832]. The term “righteousness” is also used
in connection with Cyrus, who was in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef: “I
awakened him with righteousness” [Isa.
45:13].
110. (Ex. 13:19) the bones of Yosef -- This
contains the secret of the independence of Mashiach ben Yosef. From here we learn that all the qualities
and special attributes come not only from the channel of abundance in the sefira
Yesod, but also from his own nature.
His nature is connected with the final complete Redemption of Mashiach
ben David that will come together with Moshe Rabbeinu, the final
redeemer. This is what is meant
by: “and Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him.”
111. (Ps. 122:3) “a city that is united together”
-- That is, the complete connection between Jerusalem above and Jerusalem
below. When will this occur? When
Jerusalem will be rebuilt, as stated in the same verse. This connection will be brought about
by the two meshichim who are like the feet of God--Netzach and Hod--
as written in this Psalm: “our feet stood within your gates, O Jerusalem.” And
the building of Jerusalem below is the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef, and
this entails establishing David’s throne, as it says in the prayer about the
rebuilding of Jerusalem. See above
(#67) on the aspect “David’s throne.”
112. (Koh. 10:20) “for a bird of the skies will
carry the sound, and some winged creature will relate the matter” -- This was
said about Metatron, the Minister of Interior, as brought in Tikunei Zohar.He
is the Angel of Mashiach ben Yosef.The word hints at , and in gematria
the two words are equal [156].
113. (Jer. 5:1) “one who executes justice, who
seeks faithfulness” -- That verse states: “wander about the streets of
Jerusalem ..., if you see a man, ” like Gabriel, who seeks faithfulness, as
revealed in the words: “a faithful city” [Isa. 1:21] which precedes: “Zion will be redeemed through
justice” (Isa. 1:27). Similarly, “a righteous person lives by
his faith” (Hab. 2:4). With regard to the verse: “one who
executes justice, who seeks faithfulness, ” our Sages explained that it refers
to men of faith [they also explained that it refers to men of truth] in
Jerusalem.
114. (Zach. 9:9) “a lowly person, riding on a
donkey” -- (Midrash Tanchuma on Bereshit) Mashiach ben Yosef is a
lowly person, see above (#27), on the aspect of “I was brought low, and he
saved me.” His lowliness protects him from death..
115. (Deut. 11:12) “the eyes of the Lord your God
are always on it, from the beginning of the year till the end of the year” --
The word “eyes” in plural form refers to the two meshichim. The beginning of the year refers to Mashiach
ben Yosef who is the quality of Din; the end of the year refers to
the month of mercy -- to Mashiach ben David, who is the quality of
Mercy. “The eye of the Lord is on
those who fear him, who await his lovingkindness" [Ps. 33:18]. This is from the aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef. This is what is meant by (Job 8:8)
inquire now of the first generation.
The word equals [566].
116. Ezra
and Nehemia-- ! Ezra Nehemia are from the aspect of . In gematria, they are the same [391], as noted by the Gaon
in his hints: Joshua is Mashiach ben Yosef. Likewise, Ezra and Nehemia had the mission of Mashiach
ben Yosef. We have already
explained that the entire beginning of the final Redemption, all its details,
even minor details, of all the work during the footsteps of the Mashiach--all
are included in the mission of Ezra and Nehemia, as occurred during the time of
Cyrus, during the Second Temple period.
117. (Ps. 81:6) “He placed it as testimony in
Yosef when He went forth over the land of Egypt -- This means that the
rulership of Yosef overcomes every impure spirit, and the task of Mashiach
ben Yosef is to drive away the impure spirit from the Land by gathering in
the exiles, rebuilding Jerusalem, and planting the desolate areas. Thus the Gaon hinted at the following
principles: Return to your cities -- in gematria these words equal a testimony
in Yosef [643]; likewise, [643] build Jerusalem; likewise [643] for the time
has come to favor it [/to plant it].
The word means planting, as is written , which means planting a desolate
place. See above (#73) on the
aspect “who will ascend the mountain of God” (in connection with this too, see
the Gaon’s hint regarding his own mission: in gematria equals [479].
118. (Isa. 35:10) “the redeemed [ransomed] of the
Lord will return, and come to Zion with glad song” -- Whenever redeem is
mentioned, it refers to the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef through whom
the exiles will be gathered in, as explained by the Gaon at length in his paper
on the secret of the letters (Likutei Hagra). From this we learn that the main ingathering of exiles is
not less that 600, 000, according to the interpretation of our Sages regarding
this verse (Masechet Shabbat 88a) in connection with the two crowns and
the Golden Calf and the atonement for the sin. With regard to the verse: “they will obtain joy and
happiness, ” our Sages said (Succah 48b). The Gaon commented about this verse, that had he been born
solely to understand the meaning of the Talmud on this matter, he would have
considered it worthwhile. In
essence, the verse speaks about the two meshichim.
119. (Ps. 116:16) “You have released my bonds” --
This was said in connection with “I was brought low and He saved me, ” that was
mentioned in the previous chapter as referring to Mashiach ben Yosef,
according to the Gaon. Likewise in
connection with “You have released my sack and girded me with joy.” See above
(#27), on the aspect of: “I was brought low, and He saved me.”
120. (Jer. 1:15) “the entrance of Jerusalem’s
gates” -- This is the entrance of the city where our Sages maintained would be
the main battle of the two meshichim against the Angel of Esau. This is a revelation explaining the
verse: from Emeq Achor to [999] (Hos.
2:17), which is 999 in the sefira Yesod, as well as in
gematria. This is the explanation
of the Gaon regarding the mystery of the Hebrew alphabet in connection with the
line of Yosef in the revelation of “a good eye [bountiful man] will be blessed.”
It is divided into two: 499 on the left side, and 499 on the right side as
revealed by the fact that there will be two armies, and in gematria this is 999
footsteps of the Mashiach as is known. This is the beginning of the completion of the 500 in vau on
the right and 500 in on the left. This is what is meant that “there is hope regarding your end, ” that is said
regarding Mashiach ben Yosef, as explained above (#60) on the aspect
“there is hope regarding your end” [Jer.
31:16]. This is the
beginning of the victory and the fulfillment of the commandments dependent on
living in Eretz Israel. This is
the Gaon’s explanation of the verse mentioned above: Emeq Achor to Petach Tikva
(as explained below in Chapter 5).
(Deep revelations about this matter, etc., were explained to me by the
Gaon privately, etc.).
The
entrance of the city, which is located halfway between the area of the walls
and the area of the gates on the west on a place referred to as ?the top of the
hill, ? as written: ?upon your walls, O Jerusalem, I have posted guards? [Isa. 62:6]. The plural form [guards] is used to refer to two meshichim.
121. (Prov. 11:8) “a righteous person is rescued
from trouble” -- Likewise, “Mount Zion will not collapse, it will always be
inhabited” (Ps. 125:1). Wherever the term righteous person is
mentioned in general, that is, when it does not refer to a specific person,
then it is in the line of Yosef the righteous person. See above (#32) on the aspect “Mount Zion.” Likewise, “a
righteous person will flourish like a palm tree” (Ps. 92:13).
Whenever a righteous person is mentioned, it is in the line of Yosef the
righteous person. Similarly, ’it
will blossom, ’ in the sense of “his staff will blossom, ” refers to Mashiach
ben Yosef. This is affirmed in
gematria where equals mashiach [358]. See above (#82) on the aspect “his staff will blossom.”
122. (Gen. 41:45) Tsofnat Paneach “one who
explains what is hidden” -- This was said about Yosef, and it is one of the
missions of Mashiach ben Yosef that in every generation he explains the
hints in the Torah, especially as the footsteps of the Mashiach come
nearer, as is known.
123. (Ps. 89) [97:2] “his throne is established
on righteousness and justice” -- Similarly, “establish the throne of David
within it quickly.” A sign that this is so, is that in gematria equals [832]
Eretz Israel. See above (#67) for
more details on the aspect “David’s throne.” This is revealed in the mystery of
as explained by the Gaon in his commentary on Tikunei Zohar.
124. (Isa. 1:27) “Zion will be redeemed through
justice and those who return to her through righteousness” -- Zion is the light
of Yosef as is known: whatever occurred to Yosef, occurred to Zion. Wherever the term redeem [or ransom] is
used, it is in the line of the first Mashiach. As the Gaon hinted: in gematria, equals [920]. This is explained above (#118) on the
aspect “the redeemed of the Lord will return.”
125. “a
righteous sprout” -- in the verse
(Jer. 23:5) “I will raise a
righteous sprout from David.” A righteous sprout refers to the first mashiach,
Mashiach ben Yosef. Like
David’s throne, as explained above, it prepares the way for Mashiach ben
David. We are greatly
obligated to pray on his behalf that he not be killed in the war by
Armilus. Therefore we focus on
this daily in the Amidah prayer that includes: “the sprout of David” and “raise
his horn in your salvation.” All this is revealed in the mystery of the
words: “the horns of an ox.” At
the conclusion of the blessing it states: “who causes to sprout ’the horn of
salvation’” which in gematria equals Mashiach ben Efraim (741). We also have to focus on this
number. See below (#135) on the
aspect “a scepter has risen in Israel” [Num. 24:17].
126. (Hab. 2:4) “a righteous person lives by his
faith” -- See above (#113) for the aspect “one who executes justice, who seeks
faithfulness.” From this we learn of the promise that Mashiach ben Yosef will
live also because of the merit of men of faith [also, men of truty] and a
faithful city [also, a city of truth].
Additional proof of the promise, is that in the verse that precedes “a
righteous person lives by his faith, ” it states “there is another vision for
the designated time, ” etc.
127. (Prov. 10:25) a righteous person is a
foundation of the world -- Both are in the sefira Yesod, for one of the
principle missions of Mashiach ben Yosef is founding and building a
world, which refers to the rebuilding of Jerusalem, as explained above (#67) on
the aspect “David’s throne” in the blessing of “build Jerusalem.”
128. (Prov. 13:17) “a faithful emissary brings
healing” -- The verse states: “a messenger of the wicked falls into evil, but
an emissary of the faithful brings healing.” The wicked messenger refers to the
angel of Esau who, because of his wickedness, will fall into the hands of the
angel of Yosef, as is written in Midrash Tanchuma (on ), who, as an
emissary of the faithful, brings healing.
This can be compared with “through his wounds, we were healed”
[Isa. 53:5).
129. Zion (Jer. 31 [Jer.
30:17]) “Zion, I will heal you of your wounds” -- The healing of Zion is
in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef, as in the sentence, “An emissary of
the faithful brings healing” which is quoted above. Likewise, “who heals all your ailments” [Ps. 103:3], “who redeems your life from the
pit” [Ps. 103:4]. Similarly, we find the verse: [Ps. 107:20] [ in gematria: 897] “he would send his word and heal
them, ” that is said of Mashiach ben Yosef, and in gematria equals
[897].
130. “righteousness”
-- the aspect of Yosef son of Rachel in Malchut. So it is written about Cyrus: “I
awakened him with righteousness and will smooth out all of his paths; he will
build my city and set free my exiles, said the Lord of Hosts” (Isa. 45:13). As is known, Cyrus was under the command of Mashiach ben
Yosef. The meaning is similar
in the verse: “till justice reverts to righteousness.” See above (#109) for
more details on that aspect.
131. “horns
of an ox” -- as is written, (Deut.
33:17) “his horns are like those of an ox, with them he gores nations.”
The main idea refers to Mashiach ben Yosef, as the Gaon explains at
length in his remarks on this verse (in his work Aderet Eliyahu), for Mashiach
ben Yosef is in the line of Joshua, who took part in the war “the Lord
wages against Amalek from generation to generation.” The horns of an ox is
refer to the war of Gog and Magog, which is divided into many parts, like the
parable in the Midrash. In the
parable, a king became angry at his son, and swore to throw a huge stone at
him. Later on, he regretted what
he had said, etc.It’s an important principle that all pain and anguish that
Israel suffers because of the nations of the world, generally and well as
personally, even more so in connection with the ingathering of the exiles--all
these decrease the amount and intensity of suffering during the war of Gog and
Magog (see the beginning of the section on Efraim is My fistborn as is
known). Happy are you, dear sons
of Zion who stand in the breach against savage descendants of Hagar, as
promised to us that Mashiach ben Yosef will gore nations, and the Lord
will provide the salvation. Now
the best and surest path and medicine to lighten, even remove all the
tribulations of Gog and Magog and all the tribulations of Eretz Israel, is to
correct one’s conduct by setting up people of Truth in the Holy City. This will lead to the redemption of
Truth and sanctification of the Holy Name, which are the main purpose of all
our deeds during the beginning of the Redemption. We have already explained above that, according to the Gaon,
while the footsteps of the Mashiach progress through the ingathering of
the exiles, the Sitra Achra becomes stronger and stronger in his main
purpose, which is to deny and uproot truth and righteousness, as our Sages have
said: “during the footsteps of the Mashiach, truth will be missing”
[Sota 49b], etc. In order to
counter this, we must act and fight with all our strength with the help of God,
to overcome the Sitra Achra with good deeds and with all the
corrections, as noted and explained below.
132. “the
revealed end” -- (Sanhedrin 98; Megilla 17) on the verse
(Ez. 36:8) “you, mountains of
Israel, will give forth your branch, and bear your fruit for My people, Israel,
when they are about to come.” Rashi, in his commentary on this verse, writes
that the revealed end will make the end of the Redemption come closer, and this
is the task of the first Mashiach, for anything that prepares for the
Redemption is part of the task of Mashiach ben Yosef and is called the
’revealed’ end, after the ’revealed’ God, and after the ’revealed’ document of
Anatot from the aspect of the ’revealed’ world in the line of Rachel.
133. (Gen. 37:7) “my sheaf rose and also remained
standing” -- Anywhere the term arise is used, it is in the line of Yosef. See above (#73) on the aspect : “who
will ascend ... and who will rise,
” etc.
134. (Zach. 1:14) “I have become exceedingly
jealous on behalf of Jerusalem and Zion” -- All this is in the line of Yosef,
as brought in the Midrash (Tanchuma, end of ), in comparison with “his
brothers were jealous of him.”
135. “the
horn of salvation” -- This refers to
Mashiach ben Efraim, and equals it in gematria (741). See above (#125) on the aspect “a
righteous sprout, ” and further on (#138) on the aspect “a scepter has risen in
Israel.”
136. (Isa. 60:1) “rise and shine! for your light
has arrived, and the glory of the Lord has been shining upon you” -- Wherever
the term is used, it is in line with Yosef, according to what is written: “my
sheaf rose and remained standing.” Likewise in gematria equals [156].
137. (Gen. 49:26) “let them be upon the crown of
the head of the one who was separate from his brothers” -- This referred to
Yosef --.
138. (Num. 25 [Num. 24:17]) “ a scepter has risen in Israel” -- This refers to Mashiach
ben Yosef who rises by himself naturally during the awakening from below
(as explained by the Gaon, writer of Or Hachaim with regard to this
verse). The words equals in
gematria [457].
139. (Jer. 31:5) “rise and let us ascend to Zion”
-- This refers to Efraim who is Mashiach ben Yosef through whom the
ingathering of exiles will be accomplished. See above (#1), on the aspect “Efraim is My firstborn.” As
known, wherever the term is used, it is in line with Yosef, like the reference:
“my sheaf rose.”
140. (Isa. 66:6) “a sound of tumult comes from the
city” -- The verse continues: “a sound from the Sanctuary, the sound of the
Lord paying back his enemies.” The next verse reads: “before she feels labor
pains, she gives birth” [Isa.
66:7]. Similarly, we find
“the sound [or voice] of the herald, ” which refers to Eliyahu who is the
foundation of the root of Mashiach ben Yosef.
141. (Song
2:12) The sound [voice] of the turtle-dove --This is the voice of Joshua in the
line of Mashiach ben Yosef.
Moshe Rabbeinu was in this line until the Torah was given, which is
revealed in the words “and Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him (according to
the Gaon’s hints equals [747] Moshe son of Amram in gematria. This belongs to the footsteps of the Mashiach,
as it states there: “the buds were seen on the land”). After the Torah was given, Moshe
Rabbeinu of blessed memory rose to the level of Tiferet, and learned the
mysteries of the TO”R. Later on,
he passed on his previous level as revealed in “the voice of the turtle-dove, ”
to Joshua. In the word the Gaon
saw a hint in that his name ! equals it in gematria [606]. Besides, (without the vav as in the
turn of Esther) equals [741] in gematria.
I also merited noting a holy hint in the words according to the Gaon,
which is that in gematria the phrase [Zach. 8:2] “I have become jealous on behalf of Zion” equals
[747].
142. as
in and he laid his right hand on the head of Efraim [see Gen. 48:14 ( and Gen. 48:17 }] -- The head of Efraim is the
spiritual side of Mashiach ben Yosef who is aided by the abundance of
Lovingkindness from the right side.
This is what is meant by “his right hand on the head of Efraim.” Among
the hints of the Gaon, is that in gematria equals [832]. Also, among the hints of the Gaon
(according to my father, my teacher, R’ Benyamin), equals ! [1062 ] [Isa. 33:20] “visualize Zion, the city of our
designated time”.
143. (Song
of Songs 4:8) [double entendre:] “the peak of Amana” (a mountain in the north
of Israel); or, “the beginnings of your covenant of faith [/Truth]” -- This is
in the line of Hod and Malchut from the north-west aspect,
because Mashiach ben Yosef is in the north, and the Shechina in
the west. See above (#126) on the
aspect “a righteous person lives by his faith.”
144. the
head of Yosef -- as in (Gen.
49:26) “they will be on the head of Yosef.” The term ’head’ or ’first’
is used in reference to Yosef because he himself was, and from him will come,
the first Mashiach.
145. (Gen. 1:2) “the spirit of God hovered upon
the surface of the waters” -- The spirit of the mashiach, as is written
about Yosef: “a man in whom is the spirit of God”; and like the verse: “there
is a spirit in man, and it is the soul from the Almighty that gives them
understanding” (Job 32:8).
146. (Isa. 57 [Isa. : 52:7]) “the feet of the herald” -- The feet of the herald
refer to the two meshichim, in Netzach and in Hod, as is
said about them: “our feet were standing within your gates, O Jerusalem”
(Ps. 122:2). A herald is in the sefira Yesod in
the category of the first Mashiach.
147. “joy
and gladness” -- as in the verse, (Isa.
35:10) “then the ransomed of the Lord will return, ” etc., “they will
attain joy and gladness.” -- Joy and gladness refer to the two meshichim. Joy refers to Mashiach ben Yosef,
for it is said of him: “the ransomed of the Lord will return.” According to the
Gaon (in his book, Likutei Hagra), the letters reveal this, and this is what is meant in the Talmud (Succah
48b) with regard to joy and gladness.
And the Gaon merited understanding the intention of the Talmud in this
matter completely, and the Gaon said about this matter that if he had been born
solely to understand this matter, it would have been worth his while. As is know, the Gaon himself was the
light of Mashiach ben Yosef, and he was meant to arouse people about
first gathering in the exiles as revealed in the words his left hand under my
head, which was on the level of Hod. This is revealed by the words ! “Efraim is the stronghold of my head” [Ps. 60:9]. Later on, when the Gaon traveled to the Holy Land, he rose
to the level of Netzach of Tiferet (a few of my colleagues have
written about this mystery. Since
two are better than one, I will mention two of them: R’ Saadya and R’ Menachem
Mendel, son of Baruch, Ner Israel).
148. (Ex. 17:14) “place it in the ears of Joshua,
that I will surely erase the memory of Amalek, ” etc.-- In gematria, the word !
“in the ears of” equals [70] “secret” for the way to fight Amalek is at first
secretly, as already explained above, because work in gathering in the exiles
is the waging of war against Amalek in order to subdue Samael in the gates of
Jerusalem. Joshua is part of the
mission of Mashiach ben Yosef.
The Gaon also hinted at what is found in the verse: It is the honor of
God [Prov. 25:2] to conceal a matter, and those
two words equal [871], see above (#98) on the aspect the secret of the Lord is
for those who fear him.
149. (Jer. 32:44) “they will buy fields with
money” -- This is a decree as punishment to atone for “selling a righteous person for money” (Amos 2:6), which
refers to Yosef. The matter of
buying fields is juxtaposed to the chapter (Jer. 31) where it speaks of the four qualities of Efraim who is Mashiach
ben Yosef as explained above (#1), on the aspect Efraim is My firstborn.
150. Seraiah
son of Dan -- He helps Mashiach ben Yosef to overthrow the wicked
Armilus, as brought in the Zohar.
151. (Gen. 42:23) “Yosef understood” -- in the
verse: “and they did not know that Yosef understood them.” Without the vau in
the first word, the two words in gematria equal Mashiach ben Yosef [566]. This means that the brothers did not
know that the mission of Yosef was that he was Mashiach ben Yosef. The Gaon has already explained the
first thought of Yosef’s brothers.
They knew that when the soul of our forefather Abraham went down into
the world, a “layer” from the right side attached itself to him. Therefore Ismael came out of him: in
order to separate that layer from him.
When the soul of our forefather Isaac went down into the world, a layer
from the left side attached itself to him. Therefore Esau came out of him in order to separate that
layer from him. The brothers
thought that the center layer had attached itself to Jacob, who is the middle
line. But when they saw that Yosef
was acting in line with the traits of arrogance, they felt certain that Yosef
was the layer that had separated itself from Jacob. They did not know his holiness and great mission to prepare
the way for the Redemption.
152. (Amos
5:15) “the remnant of Yosef” -- According to the Midrash, and as brought by
Rashi on this verse: all of Israel is called Yosef because he supported his
brothers in Egypt. As the Gaon
explained, the remnant of Yosef means the remnant of Israel’s existence
relative to Yosef’s mission as Mashiach ben Yosef. Accordingly, it is written: “for God
sent me ahead of you to be a provider.” This mission has continued generation
after generation.
153. (Ps. 127 [126:1]) “the captivity of Zion” --
In the same sentence we find: “we were like dreamers.” All of the aspects found
in this Psalm beginning: “when God returns the captivity of Zion, ” etc., were
said about the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef, as explained in the
Midrash (Tanchuma, end of the parsha “Vayegash”). Regarding this matter, the Midrash
states: Whatever happened to Yosef happened to Zion, because the ingathering of
exiles in the footsteps of the Mashiach is accomplished through Mashiach
ben Yosef. The Gaon added his
own hints: (Psalm 46:6) “toward morning” was said regarding the end of the
Redemption (see Metsudat David there). Also, the words equal [868] in gematria. In addition, the word equals Mashiach
ben Yosef [566] from the aspect “the dawn” that is mentioned in the Talmud
[Bavli, Masechet Yoma, 29a].
154. (Jer. 31:20) “return to your cities” -- The
entire Psalm was said about Mashiach ben Efraim. See above (#1), on the aspect “Efraim
is My firstborn” through whom the exiles will be gathered. The Gaon added a hint: The three words
( without the vau) equals “as testimony in Yosef” in gematria (see above 117)
on the aspect “as testimony in Yosef.” In that same verse (Jer. 31:20) it states: “set up road markers
for yourself ... set your heart
toward the road, ” etc.
155. apple -- as in
(Song 2:3) “like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved
among the sons.” This is in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef.
156. “repair of the
world in the Malchut of the Almighty” -- Wherever repair is mentioned,
it is part of the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef. This is the ultimate purpose of all the
work connected with the beginning of the footsteps of the Mashiach,
whose main goals are as follows: to gather in the exiles, rebuild Jerusalem,
remove the impure spirit from Eretz Israel, redeem Truth, sanctify the name of
God, and repair the world in the Malchut of the Almighty, as is written:
“with their own eyes they will see when God returns to Zion” (Isa. 52:8). This refers to the ingathering of the exiles. “Burst out, sing glad songs together, O
ruins of Jerusalem” (Isa.
52:9). This refers to
rebuilding Jerusalem and reviving the land that has been desolate. “God has comforted his people, he has
redeemed Jerusalem” (Isa. 52:9),
refers to God’s redemption of Truth, for Jerusalem is called “the city of
Truth” (Zach. 8:3). “God has exposed His holy arm before
all the nations” (Isa. 52:10),
refers to sanctifying the name of God.
“All ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God” (Isa. 52:10), refers to repairing the world
in the Malchut of the Almighty.
All of these are the mission of the mashiach of the beginning,
the first Mashiach, Mashiach ben Yosef, who comes at the time of
the awakening from below, and will find completion when Mashiach ben David comes,
speedily in our day, Amen.
The
above constitute the 156 aspects and appellations of the Mashiach of the
beginning, Mashiach ben Yosef.
I repeat that there is an obligation and commandment to pray daily for
his life and success as explained above in Chapter 1. There is an additional important commandment to speak of him
continuously, since doing so arouses the mercy of Heaven on his behalf and on
behalf of the entire House of Israel.
As is written about Efraim, who is Mashiach ben Yosef: “for
whenever I speak of him, I remember him better; therefore my inner self yearns
for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord” (Jer. 31:19).
Chapter
2
Section
2
The
Two Meshichim of the Generations
Contents
“We must do our
utmost to promote the complete union of the two meshichim, Mashiach
ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David, ’the wood of Yosef and the wood of
Judah.’ This is the great foundation for the unification of the Holy One
Blessed Be He and the Shechina to bring about the return of the Shechina
[to Zion]. -- We must
participate in God’s assistance to the heroes, i.e., to the two meshichim alluded
to in the verse: “and saviors will ascend Mount Zion.’ The saviors wage war
against the coupling of Seir and his father-in-law [Ismael] on Mount Zion. We can assist by gathering in the
exiles, by rebuilding Jerusalem, and by establishing and maintaining people of
truth -- Just as in the case of the general Redemption, the first mashiach is
Mashiach ben Yosef and the one who completes the task is Mashiach ben
David, so in the case of every activity--general or personal--related to
the footsteps of the beginning of the Redemption naturally, the first supporter
is Mashiach ben Yosef; the supporter who completes the task is Mashiach
ben David. This is on the
level of the two meshichim of the generations, which is considered the
aspect of ’Judah saves Yosef.’”
1. In
the case of the general Redemption, the first mashiach is Mashiach
ben Yosef, and the one who completes the mission is Mashiach ben David. Likewise in the case of each and every
activity, general or private, carried out in connection with the footsteps of
the beginning of the Redemption, when the awakening comes from below naturally,
little by little--all the activities demonstrate the Gaon’s important
principle: the first heavenly assistance comes through Mashiach ben Yosef, and
the task completed by Mashiach ben David. The two meshichim of the generations are the
miraculous powers that maintain the existence of Israel, and strengthen it
during the exiles; they are also the miraculous supporters during the footsteps
of the Mashiach. Mashiach
ben Yosef is the miraculous power behind the physical and material
existence and strengthening, whereas Mashiach ben David is the
miraculous power behind the spiritual existence of Israel generally and
particularly. Both meshichim of
the generations play a role in many of the aspects, as explained in the Gaon’s
compositions.
The
two meshichim cooperate and help one another: Mashiach ben Yosef,
as revealed in the words “Yosef still lives”; and Mashiach ben David, as
revealed in the words “David, King of Israel is alive and exists.” They are
alive and exist in every generation, carry out their missions, and affect one
another with their powers and special attributes. Thus they need one another. Without the abundance of their strength, their might, and
their endowments, Israel could not exist for even one moment, God forbid. However, they--their powers, images,
and endowments--are hidden as long as our many sins cause Israel and the Shechina
to remain in exile. We must
know that these two great powers can operate and their strength can affect,
even totally affect events, only when no one disturbs or separates them.
At
times, the tasks of the two meshichim are apportioned differently, both
with regard to levels and with regard to influences, depending on whether the
aspect of Leah or Rachel, that is, of Daat or Malchut is
involved. Mashiach ben David is
the one who causes the upper abundance to flow. Mashiach ben Yosef, on the other hand, is the one who
receives and carries out what is included in the aspect of Judah saving
Yosef. If the aspect of Yosef and
Judah together is involved, i.e., Yesod and Malchut, then Mashiach
ben Yosef causes the abundance to flow, and Mashiach ben David is
the recipient. All this is true at
the beginning of the Redemption, when the wood of Yosef and the wood of Judah
are “pieces of wood in your hand, ” when they are still divided into two, on
the level of the awakening from below.
At the time of the complete redemption, however, when the two pieces of
wood have become “one in My hand” (the hand of God), then the meshichim will
be like two inseparable friends; they will have become one, they will have
become the King Mashiach who is on the level of the trustworthy friend
of the final redeemer, Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace. This is on the level of the great
thousand, when God will become king over all the land, etc. (this is affirmed in gematria: [and] together, equal 1000). Since we are standing on the threshold of the beginning of
the Redemption, we must learn and know all the aspects and tasks of the two meshichim,
the meshichim from below, regarding the paths of the beginning, with the
help of God.
2. The
purpose of our work in ingathering the exiles is to set up people of Truth who
will promote the unification of both meshichim in the gates of Jerusalem
so that the Shechina will return.
The purpose of the Redemption is that there be a true redemption and
sanctification of God. According
to the Gaon, may he rest in peace, we must participate in God’s assistance to
His heroes, who are the two meshichim. We must learn well all the practical aspects and tasks in
order to carry out whatever is required.
In
all generations, the major tasks of the two meshichim together, Mashiach
ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David, are self-defense and to wage war
against the three heads of the outer shells or layers: Esau, Ismael and the
mixed multitude. The special task
of Mashiach ben Yosef is to counter Esau, the outer shell on the
left. The special task of Mashiach
ben David against Ismael is to counter Ismael, the outer shelf on the
right. The two meshichim together
are duty-bound to operate against Esau and Ismael, who are likened to an ox and
a donkey of impurity.
Armilus,
the angel of the mixed multitude, is the one who attempts to couple Esau and
Ismael, and this could destroy Israel and the entire world, Heaven forbid. The main desire of the mixed multitude
is to couple Esau and Ismael and to separate the two meshichim. Our main task to counter, even battle
such deeds; we must destroy the might of the mixed multitude, the layer of the
wicked Armilus, and drive them out of Israel. The mixed multitude is our greatest enemy, for it separates
the two meshichim. The
outer shell of the mixed multitude operates only by delusions and
indirectly. Therefore the war
against the mixed multitude is the most difficult and bitter, and we must wage
war against it and overpower it with all our might. Anyone who does not participate in the war against the mixed
multitude, is actually becoming a partner of the “layer” of the mixed
multitude. Whoever he is, he would
have been better off had he not been born. The primary power of the mixed multitude is at the gates of
Jerusalem, particularly at the entrance to the city, which is on the western
middle line.
3. The
two meshichim are the guards and defenders of the existence of Israel
throughout all the generations, even during the exile. Their main place is at the gates of
Jerusalem, the opening of the walls.
This is revealed by the words: “our feet were standing in the gates of
Jerusalem.”“Our feet” refers to the two meshichim in the line of of Netzach
and Hod. But when is it
possible to stand with a sense of security? When Jerusalem is rebuilt like a
city that has been joined together.
Concerning this, it is written: “On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have
appointed guards for all day and all night.”“All night” includes during the
darkness of the exile. But as long
as Jerusalem is desolate, the guards have only enough strength to guard, not to
wage war against the Sitra Achra.
For they guards cannot stand on the Holy Land in its destruction because
of the fastness of the outer layers of impurity. When, then do “our feet stand”? When Jerusalem is
rebuilt. Then the city is joined
together: Jerusalem of below is joined with Jerusalem of above. Their central spot is at the entrance
to the city on the middle line, to the west of the walls.
Regarding
the two meshichim it says: “and saviors will ascend Mount Zion.” The
word “ascend” means that the two meshichim will prevail: that is, the
wood of Yosef and the wood of Judah will prevail on the levels of Heaven and
Earth. Their levels are determined
by their actions, and their actions are determined by their missions. An activity at the time of the awakening
from below, naturally, from the left line which is the quality of Din,
is part of the task of Mashiach ben Yosef from the land, and the level
is the aspect of Yosef ben Rachel (Yesod of Malchut). An activity designed to draw down help
and mercy, goodness and the blessing of God Almighty that come from abundance
from above, belongs to the aspect of Yosef son of Jacob (Yesod of Tiferet).
When
the activity occurs at the time of the awakening from below, but from the right
line, then the quality of Lovingkindness is involved, and this is the task of Mashiach
ben David.The level in this case is the aspect of Judah son of Jacob (Malchut
of Tiferet).
When
the activity is designed to generate a great amount of Chesed and Rahamim,
then it is from the aspect of Judah ben Leah (Malchut of Tevunah).
When
the activity comes at the time of the awakening from below, but from the middle
line, at the level of 999 in Yesod, then it is the mission of Mashiach ben
Yosef, as revealed in the words: “even all that is in the Heavens and
Earth.”
4. As
explained by the Gaon, the two meshichim play a role in many aspects
depending on their tasks, as discussed below, and depending on the repairs
entailed (?). The missions of the meshichim
from below and from above depend on their deeds, and the deeds depend on
the root of their souls. The two meshichim
from below are the first involved in leaving the exile. They are the two Hebrew midwives in
Egypt, as mentioned by the Gaon in his Tikunei Zohar Chadash regarding
the verse: “and they [the midwives] let the children live”
because they occupied themselves with saving Israel. Likewise in every generation there are meshichim from
below who are the forefathers of the meshichim of the generations; their
helpers belong to their categories.
The two meshichim appear in many different aspects according to
their missions and deeds, each one by his flag with the letters of his
forefathers. They are “a scepter
and a lawgiver.” It was promised that “the scepter will not leave Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet.” This means that they appear in all
generations. They are “the wood of
Yosef and the wood of Judah.” Whenever they appear, at first the wood will be
in pieces “in your hand.” Finally, they will become one in the hand of
God. They are the holy ox and holy
donkey who wage war against the impure ox and impure donkey, i.e., Ismael and
Esau. They hold fast to two hosts
that are 499 from the right section and 499 from the left section, which equal
1000 minus one, like the gematria of
[999] “’the foot of an ox and donkey’, ” as revealed in the verse:
“happy are you who sow on all water.” They are the “’feet of God’” that are in Netzach and Hod. They stand firmly in the gates of
Jerusalem. This is what is meant
by “our feet in your gates, O Jerusalem, ” as already mentioned.
5. There
are many appellations to cover different aspects of the two meshichim. These are: “a star has come out of
Jacob, and a scepter has risen from Israel” [Num. 24:17] -- “Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephuneh”
[Num. 14:6] -- “they will obtain
joy and gladness” [Isa. 35:10] --
“the sons of Jacob and Yosef, Selah” [Ps.
77:16] -- the light of the moon and the light of the sun [Isa. 30:26].
--
There are references and hints regarding two meshichim in the Bible
[i.e., a duality or plural form appears]: “your children will be students of
the Lord, and your children’s peace will be abundant” [Isa. 54:13]; the two cherubim; the two
apples (“spread apples about me” [Song 2:5], as is known); “rivulets of water”
[Song 5:12]; the two hosts, of the right and of the left; “they will certainly
come with joyful song” [the verb ’to come’ appears twice, though in a different
grammatical form] (the words quoted go together with: “the one who bears the
measure of seeds” [Ps. 126:6]);
the learning of Torah and performance of deeds of lovingkindness -- “saviors on
Mount Zion” [Ov. 1:21]; guards of
the walls of Jerusalem -- the quality of Din and the quality of
Lovingkindness; “the horns of an ox” [Deut. 33:17]; “the holy ones in the earth, and the mighty; all my
delight is in them” [Ps. 16:3]; “the
humble [the plural form is used] of the earth” [Ps. 76:10]; “the humble [the plural form is used] shall inherit
the earth” [Ps. 37: 11]; “’the
sealed deed and the open deed’” that were hidden in pottery in Anatot
[Jer. 32]; “the feet of the
herald” [Isa. 52:7]; the homes of
the righteous about which it is written: “those who trust in the Mount of the
Lord, in Mount Zion”; “the sound of your observers; they raise their voices [in
unison] ... because every eye [the
word ’eye’ appears twice] will see when the Lord returns to Zion, ” etc. [Isa. 52:8]; “a strong city; it will be our salvation” [Isa. 26:1]; “and you strong foundations of
the earth” [Micha 6:2]; the two aspects of “we will do and we will obey”
[Ex. 24:7] and the return of their
crowns shortly, as our Sages said on the verse: and “the redeemed of the Lord
will return and come to Zion with glad song, ” etc. “they will obtain joy and gladness”; north and south as is
written: “awake, you from the North; and come, you from the South” [Song 4:16]
as is known --
“You
will raise up generations-old foundations” [Isa. 58:12] (this verse is included among the hints of my father,
author of -- the words: “’generations-old
foundation’” equals
[546] “‘the students of Elijah’” in gematria) -- The words “the
covenant of the forefathers” is in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef.The
words ! “the merit of the forefathers” is in the line of Mashiach ben
David. This [the Shechina]
will also be restored at the time of the ingathering of the exiles, with the
help of God. -- Regarding the
words: “affection” and “love”: “affection is in the line of Mashiach
ben Yosef, as is written in the Midrash: “abundant affection is known to
Zion”; and it is known that Zion is in the line of Yosef. “Love” is in the line of Mashiach
ben David, as it says: “I have loved you with an everlasting love”
[Jer. 31:2].
- - - God will establish our handiwork over
us to unify the two meshichim, as explained above, according to the
verses “every eye will see when God returns to Zion, ” etc.. The ‘handiwork’ refers to bodies set up
to handle the process of the Redemption, which includes: the ingathering of
exiles; the rebuilding of Jerusalem; the routing of the impure spirit from the
land and the fulfillment of the commandments related to the land; the
redemption of Truth by setting up people of truth; and the revelation of
mysteries of the Torah - - -.
- ---Likewise the wisdom from below.
-
- - - For with the revelation of the Mashiach, and the 999
footsteps involved, the upper wisdom and the lower wisdom will be revealed, as
written in the Holy Zohar: “In the 600th year of the Sixth Millennium,
the gates of the upper wisdom and of the lower wisdom will be opened, the world
will be repaired... in order to
raise the Knesset Israel from the dirt, ” etc. All these are the mission of Rabbi Eliyahu, the Gaon of
Israel, whose light will last till the day is established with the aid of the
Rock of Israel and its Redeemer.
Therefore, the Gaon tried to understand with his holy spirit also the
seven wisdoms from below which are known to be like mixtures and samples at the
bottom of the mountain, in order to explain the wisdom of the Torah and to
hasten the Redemption -- whose great purpose is sanctification of God as is
written: “and all the peoples of the earth will see the salvation of our God, ”
also in order to repair the world in the Malchut of the Almighty,
etc.
As
mentioned above, the goal of our work is to promote the fulfillment of the
commandment of ingathering the exiles and settling the holy land as the way of
the beginning of the Redemption, as explained in the following chapters, -- in
order to hasten the Redemption in deed with the awakening from below, and to
rout the spirit of impurity from the land. Then there will be a unification of the Holy one blessed be
He and the Shechina through the unification of the two meshichim in a
union and strong, everlasting, bond, which is the mission of the two advocates
of the Jews, Hanoch and Eliyahu -- Metatron and Sandal ) and together equal in gematria--a fact that is revealed in
the great mystery of “Kol HaTor”).
This is the path to our God so that the Shechina will return to
Zion, and the Redeemer will come, speedily in our day, Amen.
Previous
