THE YEAR OF OUR REDEMPTION

22 Tevet 5786
Shavua Tov!

Is the Ayatollah reading the weekly parashah?

THE YEAR OF OUR REDEMPTION

I would like to share something that came to me over Shabbat.  Maybe some of the readers will have something to add.

I had already pointed out in a blog post after the New Year about 5786 with "86" being the gematria of Elokim, the name that describes HKB"H when He is operating by strict judgment.  I felt very strongly that this would be the year that the redemption would unfold.

So, I was reading the commentary on this week's parashah - Shemot...

Nearly 210 years had elapsed since Jacob's descent to Egypt, 116 since the beginning of servitude, and eighty-six since the beginning of the back-breaking oppression.  Hmmm, 86 again.

The commentary goes on...

...The preponderant Name of God in this chapter is Elohim. the Name that connotes strict justice, because He was about to judge Egypt for its excessive cruelty.  In the three places where He reveals Himself to Moses (Shemot 3.2, 4, 7), however, He is called Hashem, the Name of mercy, to show that His primary intention is to save Israel in a historic demonstration of Divine mercy (see Ramban to vs. 7).

Therefore, I was surprised when reading the parashah (3.18) to see the following...

...You and the elders of Israel shall come to the king of Egypt and say to him, "Hashem, the God of the Hebrews, happened upon us.  And now, please let us go on a three-day journey in the Wilderness and we shall bring offerings to Hashem, our God."

When Moshe carries out this instruction in chapter 5, vs. 1, is it any wonder that Paro responded with:  "Who is Hashem that I should heed His voice to send out Israel?  I do not know Hashem, nor will I send Israel!"  

As we will learn at the beginning of next week's parashah, not even the Patriarchs knew HKB"H by this name, but he should have understood from the second identification - "the God of the Hebrews" - who he was really dealing with.  

Interesting side note that Moshe said "Hashem" twice and Paro responded "Hashem" twice.  In the Thirteen Attributes, we start by saying "Hashem" twice.  (I don't know what the significance is, but nothing is coincidental.)

For the Children of Israel, Hashem was coming to save them, but for the Egyptians, Elokim was coming to judge them.  Like two sides of the same coin so-to-speak.  And we will see as the plagues unfold that Israel and Egypt did not share the same experience of the plagues.

Ok, back to "86".  Elokim acting in judgment.  He says...

"I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, except through a strong hand.  I shall stretch out My hand and I shall strike Egypt with my wonders...."  (Shemot 3.19-20)

The parashah ends off with...

Hashem said to Moses, "Now you will see what I shall do to Pharaoh, for through a strong hand will he send them out, and with a strong hand will he drive them from his land."  (Shemot 6.1)

Eight plus six (86) equals 14, the gematria of the word yad - hand.  And there were ten plagues - one for each finger on the 'hands' of Elokim.

Here is the final part.  If this year of  5786 is the year of our redemption, the final year of our exile, then the previous 86 years should correspond to the final 86 years of Egyptian servitude - the most oppressive time in our history until now.

If so, then Year 1 of the 86-year period would have begun in 5699 - the year which began with Kristalnacht and ended with the launch of WWII!   The year 5785 would have been the 86th year which was completed on Rosh Hashanah 5786 or will it only be complete on Pesach 5786!???

As it was in Egypt, Yeshayahu, chapter 40, on the final redemption...

"In Nissan we were redeemed and in Nissan we will be redeemed!

- 81 Days and Counting -