The Secret of "The End"

1 Iyyar 5784
Rosh Chodesh Bet
Day 16 of the Omer

The book of Prophet Daniel is all about The End of Exile.  It talks about going into the first of four exiles - the exile into Babylon.  And his dreams are about the various exiles Bnei Yisrael would experience until The End of Exile.  At the end of the book, he wants to know the same thing we all want to know - when!  When will be The End of all Exiles?  He is answered with a riddle.  A nonsense riddle that will make no sense to anyone until The End arrives and at that time, according to the words of the book, anyone would be able to see it and understand it.

I'm making no specific claims about what I am about to share but these are some of the thoughts which occurred to me while I pondered on this subject.

Back in 2019, I wrote a series in which I discussed the riddle of the "time, times and half a time."  Some period of undefined time.  I was thinking there had to be a "key" to unlocking The Secret of The End.  So, what or who is "key" to ending all the exiles?  Mashiach ben Yosef.  He is the ultimate destroyer of Eisav and through his deeds ends the final exile.

For the day of the Lord over all the nations is close; as you have done shall be done to you; your recompense shall be returned upon your head. ...the house of Jacob shall be fire and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau shall become stubble, and they shall ignite them and consume them, and the house of Esau shall have no survivors, for the Lord has spoken. (Ovadiah)

As mentioned before, due to the stature of HaRav Mordechai Eliyahu, ztz"l and his words about Jonathan Pollard being the Yosef of this generation, I was already watching to see if his words would come true.  This is why I investigated everything I came across about Pollard over the intervening years and it was because of this that my mind already held a crucial bit of information.

The words in Daniel only indicate an unspecified period of time, so I'm thinking to myself, how do we measure time?  Seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks. months, years, decades....  Wait!  There is an inaudible click in my mind.  I recalled that it was reported more than once or twice that the normal sentence for the crime Jonathan Pollard committed was ten years, with the median sentence being two to four years.  There was a report that said an agreement had been made between the US and Israel, because of the high profile of the case, to keep Pollard in prison for ten years then quietly let him go.  I think that is why Netanyahu was so sure Clinton would keep his promise to give him Pollard as a bonus for signing the Wye Agreement in 1997.

Clinton broke his promise, deciding to go with his advisors who suggested Jonathan could be a prime bargaining chip for future manipulation of the Israeli government.  So, after the initial 10 years, Jonathan served an additional 20 years before he became eligible for parole.  When he finally left prison after 30 years, he was held virtually under house arrest for another 5 years.  When the entire period of incarceration was up on Nov. 30, 2020, Jonathan was set free.  However, his original life sentence was for 45 years and if the US ever wanted to, they could re-arrest him for some perceived infraction.  Like Yosef HaTzaddik, Jonathan had to be rushed out of the US because information came to light that in a matter of weeks, when Biden would take office (Jan 2021), he was planning to do just that.  

When this all occurred to me, I could not get over how specifically the time was partitioned:  a "time" (10 years) + "times" (20 years) + "half a time" (5 years).  It's just too coincidental in my mind.  That is as far as I had gotten until this past Shabbat, when I was again pondering these things and something else occurred to me.  Reading from Daniel, chapter 12 (with some Rashi commentary)...

...And you, Daniel, close up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many will run to and fro, and the knowledge will increase.

And I, Daniel, saw, and behold two others were standing, one on this side of the river bank, and one on that side of the river bank.

And he said to the man clad in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be until the secret end?"

And I heard the man clad in linen, who was above the waters of the river, and he raised his right hand and his left hand to the heavens, and he swore by the Life of the world, that in the time, times and a half, and when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people, all these will end.

[and when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people: Heb. נַפֵּץ יַד, lit. shattering the hand. When Israel’s strength terminates, [similar to] (Deut. 32:36): “that power has vanished (אָזְלַת יַד) and nothing left to keep or abandon.”]

And I heard, but I did not understand, and I said, "My lord, what is the end of these?"

[but I did not understand: I did not know what “the time, two times and a half” means what is the end of these: the end of these calculations]

And he said, "Go, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.

They will be clarified and whitened, and many will be purified, and the wicked will pervert [them], and all the wicked will not understand, but the wise will understand.

[They will be clarified and whitened: [i. e.,] these calculations.]

[and… will be purified: [i.e.,] many [will be purified] by them to understand them.]

[will not understand: All the wicked [will not understand] them]

[but the wise will understand: them when the time of the end arrives.]

On Shabbat, I noticed that another important detail is revealed in Daniel's vision...

...in the time, times and a half, and when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people, all these will end. 

This says to me that even after the 35 years of incarceration have ended, there is an extension of time during which "they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people."  Another translation uses the word "fragmenting" instead of shattering.  There is no question that "the holy people" are Torah-faithful Jews, but "the strength" of this people is debatable.  And who is "they" and what does it mean specifically to "shatter" or "fragment"?  

Whatever the answers to these questions are, I think it is safe to say that they can be found all rolled up in our own current events.   Reading from Or Hara'ayon...

"Trouble and strife will be the lot of Israel, especially the righteous among them, and this even before the War of Gog and Magog.  As R. Yochanan concluded (Sanhedrin 98a), 'If you see a generation engulfed by troubles as by a river, wait for [the Messiah],' We also find (Ibid., 97a):

'The Rabbis learned: 'The L-rd will take up the cause of His people [and comfort His servants].  He will have seen that their power is gone, with no protection or help' (Deut. 32:36): The son of David will not come... until they despair of redemption, as though there is no support or help for Israel, as it says, 'with no protection or help.'

"Such redemption comes not because of Israel's merit, but only to sanctify G-d's name. It says (Zechariah 14:1-2):

...'Come, My People, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you.  Hide yourself for a brief moment until the wrath is past.  For the L-rd shall leave His abode to punish the earth's inhabitants for their sin.'

"With this, G-d informs Israel that before redemption comes, before G-d leaves his abode to punish the nations for their sin, there will be a moment of wrath; that is, a period of wrath and suffering.  This clearly is referring to the War of Gog and Magog.  Redak wrote: 'This says that in the war of Gog and Magog, Israel will suffer briefly.'  Our sages taught (Yalkut Shimoni, Yeshayahu, 432):

'Come My People, enter into your chambers': Examine the chambers of your heart regarding precisely why I have brought you suffering...  Do not criticize Divine justice. rather, shut your doors behind you.'

"Although it says, 'Hide yourself for a brief moment,' and Redak commented that they would 'suffer briefly,' woe to us for that brief moment, for it will include Jerusalem's conquest and accompanying atrocities, as I have explained, and the nations' conquest of Eretz Yisrael for nine months, and in G-d's eyes, that, too, will constitute a 'brief moment.'

"...Gog and the nations with him will initially take control and claim victory.... Dreadful troubles will ensue, and only later will G-d defeat Gog and the nations and bring redemption.

As is promised in the words of Daniel: " when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people, all these will end."  All these calculations will end; all these exiles will end; all the sufferings will end.

There is yet another piece of the puzzle I'd like to tackle.  Maybe it is a clue to how long this final period lasts.  End of Daniel, chapter 12...

And from the removal of the daily sacrifice and the silent abomination placed, is one thousand, two hundred, and ninety.  Fortunate is he who waits and reaches days of one thousand, three hundred, and thirty-five. 

It occurred to me that this being a cryptic puzzle, it would be in some kind of code.  These two statements seem disconnected form the rest of the subject matter.  I noted that two events are mentioned, as well as two sets of numbers:

Removal of the daily offering - Placement of "the silent abomination"  

1,290 days - 1,335 days

These events are connected to the Temple and the Temple Mount, if one assumes "the silent abomination" is the Dome of the Rock. (Recall that the Third Messianic War is about the liberation of the Temple Mount.]

However, they are reminiscent of the beginning of the current (and final) exile.  What we are awaiting is the reversal of those events.  What if we are meant to read it in reverse?  

The restoration of the daily offering - the destruction of "the silent abomination."  They would also occur in reverse order.  Just like the Dome was built after the Temple service ended, it would have to be removed prior to the re-establishment of the Temple service.

Now, to the numbers: is the Dome of the Rock removed from the Temple Mount after 1290 days?   and is the daily offering restored after 1335 days?  ("Fortunate is he who waits and reaches days of 1,335.")  But, counting from when???

I am proposing that this is the length of the period of "when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people" which we were already informed by Daniel would follow the "time, times and half a time."

Jonathan Pollard was set free on November 20, 2020.  Counting 1290 days from that date brings us to June 2, 2024 (25 Iyyar, the 40th day of the Omer).  Counting another 45 days to reach 1,335 brings us to July 17, 2024 (11 Tammuz).  

Jonathan arrived in Eretz Yisrael on December 30, 2020.  The years 2021, 2022, 2023 and Jan-June 2024 make 3 1/2 years, or another time, times and half a time!!  

Fact of note:  The Six Days War began on June 5, 1967 (26 Iyyar, the 41st day of the Omer). 

Will HKB"H bring us right back around to that historical moment when Rabbi Gur famously cried, "The Temple Mount is in our hands!"  And this time, it will be forever!!

[The Temple Institute is] building a stone altar offsite so that when the opportunity arrives we can move it to its proper location on the Mount. The Divine service, including the offerings can begin before the building of the Temple itself, once the altar is built and standing in its proper place.  (Source)

~ CHODESH TOV UMEVORACH ~