* December 11 2020; Kislev 24, 5781 (revised 12/16/20, Teves 1):

Happy Chanukah! Thanks for these breathtaking and dazzling Chanukah Gift Posts! These are examples of Mochin D’Gedolos, Higher Intelligence, and extraordinarily so. On a lower level are my following observations about Chanukah, that for what they are worth, I’d like believe are also beneficial to share:

Chanukah is spelled either as חנכה, gematria 83, or with a letter Vov in the middle חנוכה, gematria 89.

It is possible to say that the average between 83 and 89 is 86, with 83 + 3 = 86 and 89 – 3 = 86, and thus Chanukah resonates with the Name Elokim, gematria 86. Correspondingly, the victory of Chanukah was clothed in the confines of the laws of HaTevah, Nature, 86, and required Gevuarh and Milchomah, Strength and War. The letter Vov that is added in the middle of Chanukah represents the Letter Vov of the Name Hashem, connecting the supernatural to the natural, and ensuring Nisim and Purkon, Miracles and Redemption, and Teshuos and Niflo’os, Salvations and Wonders, as were wrought for our ancestors in those days at this time – and so may it be for us in this generation today.

Interestingly both numbers 83 and 89 are prime, with 83 being the 23rd prime, and 89 being the 24th prime.
The number 83, aside from being prime, is also the sum of 6 consecutive triangular numbers, for 83 = T2 + T3 + T4 + T5 + T6 + T7 = 3 + 6 + 10 + 15 + 21 + 28. Perhaps these 6 triangular numbers also correspond to the letter Vov, gematria 6, that is added into the word Chanukah. Of all the letters, the shape of the letter Vov also is the one that most resembles our standard candles that are used today.

Additionally, as was explained, we light Chanukah candles in a triangular number pattern, starting with 1 the first night, and ending with 8 the 8th night, so that the total number of candles from the beginning to the end that are used is always a triangular number, requiring T1 candles, 1, for the first night of Chanukah, T2 candles, 3, for all the candles through the second night..., and T8, 36 Mitzvah candles, for all of the 8 nights of Chanukah, and when counting the 8 Shamash candles, a set of 44 candles is needed for all of Chanukah.

This connection to triangular numbers is a reminder that several of the numbers that have come up for discussion recently are also triangular numbers, and additionally, there are 44 triangular numbers under the number 1,000, corresponding to the set of 44 candles needed for Chanukah. For review these 44 triangular numbers under 1,000 are: 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, 21, 28, 36, 45, 55, 66, 78, 91, 105, 120, 136, 153, 171, 190, 210, 231, 253, 276, 300, 325, 351, 378, 406, 435, 465, 496, 528, 561, 595, 630, 666, 703, 741, 780, 820, 861, 903, 946, and 990.

The number 89, aside from being prime, is also the 10th Fibonacci number and the 11th number in the Fibonacci series (since the number 1 appears twice at the beginning of the series).

The significance of Fibonacci numbers has also been discussed here many times, but they are still too often overlooked, and again some of the numbers that have been mentioned recently also happen to be Fibonacci numbers. There are relatively few of them, with only 19 or 20 of them under the number 10,000 (depending on whether the number 1 is counted once or twice). Perhaps these 19-20 numbers can be said to correspond in some ways to the numbers 19 and 20 that have come up for discussion here recently, including in regard to the recent days of the 19th and 20th of Kislev, considered the Rosh HaShonah for Chassidus. For review the complete Fibonacci series below 10,000 is: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, and 6765.

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The liberation of Chanukah commemorates the victory of Torah and Judaism over the Greek paganism and secularism, and it is the last of the Jewish holidays.

In some ways the liberation of Chanukah is similar to the liberation celebrated on Pesach, with the Exodus and the victory over Egypt and its false gods and religions. Pesach is the first of the Jewish holidays, and the connection between Pesach at the beginning and Chanukah at the end illustrates the principle of “the beginning is inserted in the end.”

Aside from the Menorah, the Dreidle has also come to symbolize Chanukah, and the shape of the Dreidle might be considered a combination of 3 distinct parts:

The first part is a line or a slender cylinder, which is held by the fingers of the hand to spin the Dreidle.

The second part, attached under this line or slender cylinder, is a cube or rectangular shape, with one Hebrew letter embossed, written, or engraved on each of the 4 square sides, spelling the initials of the phrase N’eis G’odol H’oyo Sh’om, “A Great Miracle Happened There,” and as explained many times the initials Nun Gimel Heh Shin are gematria 50 + 3 + 5 + 300 = 358, hinting to משיח, Moshiach, also gematria 358.

The third part, attached at the bottom of the cube, is an inverted pyramid-like shape (which is sometimes rounded off to some extent), so that when the handle is turned the entire Dreidle spins around upon the tip of the upside-down pyramid at the bottom.

It is possible to say that the handle of the Dreidle, the line or slender cylinder at its top, corresponds to the shape of the letter Vov, and represents the connection to the Hands of Hashem that created and that spin and control everything in the universe. The handle’s thin tubular shape corresponds to the Kav, Ray or Line of Divine Light, that creates and illuminates all. The word הקו, HaKav, is gematria 111, corresponding to אלף, Aleph, representing Hashem is One. Also in Chassidic thought it is explained that the word רצון, Rotzon, Will, is letters צנור, Tzinor, Tube or Conduit, and thus the thin cylinder shape at the top of the Dreidle also represents the Conduit through which the Divine Will flows to the world.

The cube or rectangle attached to the handle, with the 4 letters on its 4 sides, represents Torah and Mitzvos, the fulfillment of which leads to experiencing Miracles and the revelation of Moshiach, as hinted in these letters. It is also possible to say that the cubic shape corresponds to the shape of the Holy of Holies which was also cubic in shape in both the Tabernacle and in the Temple, and it also corresponds to the cubic shape of the Tefilin, another key symbol of Judaism, and according to some opinions the Luchos, Tablets, were also cubic in shape, and similarly is the shape of the Mizba’ach, Altar, which was rededicated on Chanukah, with a meaning of Chanukas HaMizba’ach, Dedication of the Altar, and of course also the Dedication of the Menorah. Perhaps the cubic shape also represents the special magic/miraculous 3^3 cube that has been discussed at length here.

The upside-down pyramid shape at the bottom of the Dreidle seems to represent the victory of Israel and the Jews over the Egyptians and the Greeks. This is because even for those who hold the Great Pyramid is and exception [which IMHO it is not], nevertheless they have to admit that from ancient times until today the pyramid has been the undeniable symbol of the Egyptians and of their false religions and beliefs, and the pyramid was also praised and adopted by Greeks and can also represent their similarly false religions and beliefs. The pyramid symbol, being uprooted and turned upside-down as it is in the Dreidle, and being dominated by the cube representing Torah and Mitzvos above it, and by the handle at the top of the Dreidle that connects everything to Hashem Above, represents the victory of Hashem and Judaism over these opponents.

Despite its negative symbolism, the pyramid is not to be discarded entirely, but it rather just has to be turned around, to be placed in the service of Torah and Mitzvos, and in the service of Hashem. There indeed are many mathematical and scientific aspects of the pyramid that can and must be utilized for good, but they must be understood as in the Dreidle, and they have to be used only as a basis and as a chariot to support and carry around and spread the light of Hashem and His Torah and Mitzvos to every aspect of nature and of the world.

On the back of the dollar bill of the US currency is also a representation of a pyramid, and it seems to also represent the continuing “deep state” influence of the ancient Egyptian and Greek religions and secularism that still lingers among us even until today. Nevertheless the US motto, also on the currency, is “In G-d we trust,” and in the end we will certainly see that Hashem’s Influence and Light will prevail and permeate all the way down to us in these dark and trying times and places, and ultimately uproot all of these fraudulent and malevolent remnants of the ancient corrupted cultures, and our victory over them is assured and it will be very soon.

May we merit to have a happy Chanukah filled with joy and fun and celebrations. May we merit to see the promised Miracles and the promised Moshiach, especially in this auspicious Chanukah Holiday of Liberation, and may we merit to see the Light of Moshiach and the Light of the Holy Menorah in the rebuilt and rededicated Beis HaMikdosh very soon indeed.

Happy Chanukah and Good Chodesh Teves to all!

*   *   *

* December 18, 2020 (1):

A couple of weeks ago, in my long comments on Parshas VaYeshev, December 4, 2020, http://kabbalahsecrets.com/part-xxix-spherical-time-tick-tock-who-started-the-clock/#comment-7040 , I wrote at the beginning of section 18: The initials of the 6 words of the first verse of Parshas VaYeitzei are ו’יצא י’עקב מ’באר ש’בע ו’ילך ח’רנה, Vov Yud Mem Shin Vov Ches, and when slightly rearranged is revealed that these letters spell the word ומשיחו, U’Meshicho, “And His Moshiach.”… See there at length, and in the continuing section 19.

This week’s Torah portion, read this Shabbos, Parshas Mikeitz, begins with verse Breishis 41:1, and the first 6 words of this verse are ו’יהי מ’קץ ש’נתים י’מים ו’פרעה ח’לם, V’ayehi M’ikeitz Sh’nosayim Y’omim U’Pharaoh Ch’oleim, “And it was at the end of two years and Pharaoh dreamed” – and again remarkably the initials of these first 6 words, with only the last two letters having to be rearranged, spells the word ומשיחו, U’Meshicho, “And His Moshiach.”

Interestingly, the gematria of these 6 words sums to 31 + 230 + 800 + 100 + 361 + 78 = 1600, which is a very significant number. For starters, 1600 = 40 x 40, the 40th square number, and also 1600 is the sum of two triangular numbers, 1600 = T39 + T40 = 780 + 820.

Additionally 1600 can be written as a sum of positive squares in only one way, 1600 = 576 + 1024 = 24^2 + 32^2. Also 1600 = 25 x 64 = 5^2 x 2^6, which has many interesting resonances, including that 5^2 hints to 2 x 26, i.e., 2 times the Name Hashem, and 2^6 likewise hints to 26, the Name Hashem. These numbers also resonate with Chanukah, since 25 + 64 = 89, the gematria of the fully spelled out word Chanukah, with the letter Vov, 89, as explained before.The average for the 6 words comes to 1600 / 6 = 266.66666…, which has special resonances, 260 = 10 x 26, plus 6.66666…

Parshas Mikeitz is the 10th Parsha of the Torah, and the entire first verse, Breishis 41:1, consists of 10 words, hinting to the 10 Sefiros, the 10 Sayings, and the 10 Commandments. These 10 words consist of 37 letters, hinting to 10 x 37 = 370, which 370 is the gematria of the word U’Meshicho, and which has many other resonances as was explained before.

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The first verse, Breishis 41:1, hints to the prime number 41, which is the 13th prime (and with 13 being the 6th prime), and of course 1 is in a category of its own, beyond the concept of primes. Perhaps together 41 + 1 hints to the 42 Letter Name.

This verse is also the 1198th verse of the Torah, with 1198 being a semi-prime, 1198 = 2 x 599, with 2 being the 1st prime and with 599 being the 109th prime. Also the product of the digits of 1198 is 1 x 1 x 9 x 8 = 72, corresponding to the 72 Triplet Name, and the sum of its digits is 1 + 1 + 9 + 8 = 19, which reduces to 1 + 9 = 10, which reduces to 1.

There are 146 verses in the Parsha, with 146 also being a semi-prime, 146 = 2 x 73, with 2 again the 1st prime and with 73 being the 21st prime.

The last verse of the Parsha is verse Breishis 44:17, with 44 = 2 x 2 x 11, the 1st prime times the 1st prime times the 5th prime (hinting to 1 + 1 + 5 = 7). This last verse of the Parsha is the 1343rd verse of the Torah, with 1343 being a semi-prime, 1343 = 17 x 79, with 17 being the 7th prime and with 79 being the 22nd prime, and 7 + 22 = 29, which is the 10th prime.

May we see great miracles this last day of Chanukah 5781 and even higher on Shabbos Parshas Mikeitz, “At the End,” which hints to the End Time Redemption, soon in our time!

*   *   *

* December 18, 2020 (2):

It seems that one of the most important things today is Executive Order 13848—Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election, signed by President Trump on September 12, 2018.

That date, 9/12/18, was at the very beginning of 5779, with the two days of Rosh Hashonah 5779 starting on the evening of 9/9/18, and continuing on 9/10/18 and 9/11/18, and with 9/12/18 being Tishrei 3, Tzom Gedalya, the Fast of Gedalya, with all of those dates being extremely significant and filled with many important resonances.

The number of the Executive Order, 13,848, can be understood as a combination of 13 and 848, with 13 being gematria Echod, One, etc., and 13 is the 5th prime, and 13 is a Fibonacci number (the 6th, but the 7th in the series, perhaps hinting to 6 x 7 = 42, and hinting to the 42 Letter Name), and 13 x 2 = 26, thus resonating with the Name Hashem, while 848 = 2 x 424, and thus resonating with 2 times the gematria of Moshiach Ben Dovid. (Also 848 = 8 x 106 = 16 x 53, with 53 being the 16th prime, with many other important resonances.)

Mathematicians point out that when 13,848 is divided into these two parts, 13 and 848, their sum is 13 + 848 = 861, which is the 41st Triangular number, and 861 is also 10 times 86, the gematria of the Name Elokim, plus 1 for the Kolel, representing Hashem Echod, Hashem is One.

Subtracting from 13848 its sum of digits, 24, we obtain a cube, 13848 – 24 = 24^3, and this seems extra significant since the cube is of value 24, the same as the sum of its digits.

The number 13848 is also a “Harshad number” since it is a multiple of its sum of digits, 24, i.e., 13848 = 24 x 577, and also it is a “Moran number” because the ratio of 13848 to the sum of its digits is a prime number: 13848 / (1 + 3 + 8 + 4 + 8) = 577. Since 13848 = 24 x 577, and since 24 = 8 x 3, therefore the number 13848 seems to resonate with 577 + 8 = 5778, and with 5778 + 3 = 5781.

Additionally 577 is the 106th prime [with 106 being the gematria of the word קו, Kav, which was mentioned recently, and 848 = 8 x 106 (and thus also hints to 8 lines or “candles” as has been discussed here], and 577 can be written as a sum of positive squares in only one way, 576 + 1 = 24^2 + 1^2, which again highlights the number 24 (which of course has many properties, including being a reflection of 42, corresponding to the 42 Letter Name).

Also 13848 starts with digit 1 and ends with digit 8 (corresponding to the Shamesh and the 8 lights of Chanukah), and in reflection the first and last letters form the number 81, which is the gematria of the Name Anochi, “I Am.” The other unique digits of 13848 are the 3 and the 4, which sum to 7, and 13848 consists of 5 digits, and thus all together it may be said that 13848 hints to the year 5-7-81.

Also it is possible to sum the whole year 5778 plus 3 days, i.e., the first 3 days of 5779, the 2 days of Rosh Hashonah and the 1 day of Tzom Gedalyah, which was when this Executive Order was signed, and together this hints to 5778 + 2 = 5780, and 5780 + 1 = 5781.

The potential powers signed into Law on that Day seem to becoming realized in actuality starting today, with today being, as explicitly mentioned in EO 13848, the 45th day after the 11/3/20 election, which corresponds to today, the 8th and last day of Chanukah 5781.

It appears that there was a war unleashed against the US, and against us, by the deep state and global enemies of humanity, and those brave patriots fighting against those enemies are unquestionably in the category of modern day Macabees. May Hashem help that President Trump and his Macabee supporters will prevail with a decisive and miraculous victory very soon!

Sholom U’Brocha, Peace and Blessings!

*   *   *

* December 23, 2020 (1):  [Corrected version]

Executive Order 13,848 signed by President Trump on 9/12/18, was discussed previously. It is also possible find similar hints regarding the related Insurrection Act of 1807:

 The Insurrection Act is dated March 3, 1807, and the year 1807 was 2020 – 1807 = 113 years ago, with the number 113 being the 30th prime. It is possible to say that 113 is in the middle of a triad of numbers, 112-113-114, where 112 = 86 + 26, etc., and 114 = 42 + 72, etc., and thus it is right in the middle of very potent Divine Forces.

Also note that the Hebrew calendar year begins with Rosh Hashanah in the fall, so it is slightly out of alignment with the secular calendar. The Hebrew date when the Insurrection Act became law, corresponding to 3/3/1807, was Adar I 23, 5667, and regarding the year number, 5667, it was 5781 – 5667 = 114 years ago, with 114 = 42 + 72, corresponding to a resonance of the 42 Letter Name with the 72 Triplet Letter Name.

Additionally, the number 1807 is semi-prime, with 1807 = 13 x 139, and with 13 being the 6th prime and with 139 being the 34th prime.

In reverse, or in reflection, or turned around, the number 1807 becomes 7081, which is also semi-prime, with 7081 = 73 x 97, and with 13 being the 21st prime with 97 being the 25th prime.

The sum of the prime ordinal numbers of the factors of these reflective numbers, 1807 and 7081, is thus 6 + 34 + 21 + 25 = 86, and thus these numbers resonate with the gematria of the Name Elokim which is also 86.

Together 1807 and its reverse 7081 sum to 8888, which resonates with the 8 days of Chanukah that ended last week, and in the glow of which we are still basking. [B’Ezras Hashem more about Chanukah and the custom of playing Dreidle will also be shared soon].

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Dropping the zero from 1807 makes it 187, which is also a semi-prime, 187 = 11 x 17, with 11 being the 5th prime and with 17 being the 7th prime.

Dropping the zero from 7081 makes it 781, which is also a semi-prime, 781 = 11 x 71, with 11 again being the 5th prime and with 71 being the 20th prime.

The sum of the prime ordinal numbers of the factors of these reflective numbers, 187 and 781, is thus 5 + 7 + 5 + 20 = 37, and 7 is itself a prime, the 12th prime, with an important role as has been discussed in the process of creation and in the the Torah’s first verse, gematria 2701 = 37 x 73, again a convergence of reverse or reflective numbers 37 and 73 (and as mentioned above one of theprime factors of 7081 is 73).

For both numbers 1807 and 7081, and also for numbers 187 and 781, the product of their non-zero digits is 56, and the sum of their digits is 16, and 56 + 16 = 72, corresponding to and resonating with the 72 Triplet Name.

The number 187 has 4 divisors whose sum is 1 + 11 + 17 + 187 = 216, which corresponds to and resonates with the 216 letters in the 72 Triplet Name.

The number 781 has 4 divisors whose sum is 1 + 11 + 71 + 781 = 864, which can be viewed as 8-64, and also as 86-4, with by now self-understood resonances.

Summing the sums of the 8 divisors of the numbers 187 and 781 we find that 216 + 864 = 1080, a significant number with many special properties, including that it is the 27th pentagonal number (as has been discussed before and will surely be discussed again).

The totient of 187 is 160. The totient of 781 is 700. The sum of the two totients is 160 + 700 = 860 = 10 x 86, thus corresponding and resonating with the gematria 86 of the Name Elokim.

The number 781 is also the sum of 11 consecutive triangular numbers, 781 = T6 + T7 + T8… + T14 + T15 + T16 = 21 + 28 + 36 + 45 + 55 + 66 + 78 + 91 + 105 + 120 + 136.

Also, of course, the number 781 resonates with this auspicious Hebrew year, 5-781.

*   *   *

Sorry, at the end I must have gotten a bit dizzy. Three times I wrote the number 871, which had the three digits out of order, and instead I should have written the number 781, which I was in the middle of explaining. Please correct these mistakes in the 4th paragraph of the 2nd part, and twice in second to the last paragraph. Hopefully there are no other mistakes in what I wrote. [Interestingly the number 871 is also a semi-prime, 871 = 13 x 67, the 6th and the 19th primes respectively.] Best regards!

*   *   *

Regarding the above, the Hebrew year when the Insurrection Act of 1807 became law, as mentioned above, was 5667, 114 years before this year 5781. The number 5667 is a semi-prime, for 5667 = 3 x 1889, with 3 being the 2nd prime and with 1889 being the 290th prime. Interestingly 290 = 10 x 29, and 29 is the 10th prime.

Also the number 667 is a semi-prime, 667 = 23 x 29, and with these prime factors being the 9th and 10th primes respectively.

The Insurrection Act was signed into law on the 3rd day of the 3rd month, by President Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd President of the United States. It is recorded in the official record of the 9th Congress, Statutes at Large, section 2, chapter 39, page 443. Later it was codified as U.S. Code Title 10. Armed Forces Subtitle A. General Military Law Part I. Organization And General Military Powers. Chapter 9A, Audit. Section §§ 251 to 254b. Renumbered §§ 240a to 240f.

There are lots of 3s and multiples of 3 in these numbers. Interestingly this page 443 contains chapters 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41, with 37 being the 12th prime and with 41 being the 13th prime, and chapter 39 is right in the middle of those numbers, and with 39 = 3 x 13. The number 443 is itself a prime, the 86th prime, corresponding and resonating with the gematria 86 of the Name Elokim. The number 251 is also prime, the 54th prime, and the number is basically and anit-prime, with very many factors, 240 = 2^4 x 3 x 5 = 2 x 120 = 3 x 80 = 4 x 60 = 5 x 48 = 6 x 40 = 8 x 30 = 10 x 24 = 12 x 20 = 15 x 16, and with many more resonances as well.

At any rate this is a very important law that the continued existence of our country has depended upon in the past and may depend upon in the future, and it is good to have it available as a so-to-speak “Trump card” that can be relied upon in situations of national emergency, such as we evidently find ourselves in now in the uncharted fallout from the recent contested election.

Here is also the place to mention that Israel’s 23rd Knesset was dissolved yesterday due to failure to agree on a budget, and new elections for the 24th Knesset will be held probably on or about March 23, 2021.

May Hashem help that the laws will be followed and that the best candidates will be elected in both the US and in Israel.

*   *   *

It is interesting that yesterday, after writing the previous comment about the number 1807, while web-surfing I came across an article about prime numbers, “A Curious Sequence of Prime Numbers – Scientific American Blog Network,” dated May 24, 2019, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/roots-of-unity/a-curious-sequence-of-prime-numbers/ — that mentions the number 1807 in an amazing way. Here is an excerpt from the article (which is best seen in its entirety):

“Euclid’s proof [that there are an infinite number of primes] starts with a finite list of prime numbers and describes a way to generate a prime that is not on the list. If your primes are p1, p2, p3,…,pn, take the product of all of them: p1×p2×p3×…×pn and add 1. This number, p1×p2×p3×…×pn +1, is not divisible by any of the primes on our list; the remainder when we divide it by one of those primes is 1. Hence, the finite list of primes is incomplete.

“A common misconception about this proof is that the number p1×p2×p3×…×pn +1 itself has to be prime. That is not necessarily the case. To see why, we can start thinking about what numbers we would get if we started with the first prime, 2, and used it to find new primes using the process from Euclid’s proof. The first one is easy: 2+1=3, and 3 is prime. To find the next number, we multiply 2×3 and add 1 to get 7, which is prime. To continue: 2×3×7+1=43, also prime. 2×3×7×43+1=1807, which is 13×139.

“The Euclid-Mullin sequence is the sequence that starts 2, 3, 7, 43, 13, and so on: the first term is 2, and each subsequent term is the smallest prime factor of 1 plus the product of all previous terms. It is sequence A000945 in the Online Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences.”

Here are some of the terms of the sequence (from https://oeis.org/A000945):
2, 3, 7, 43, 13, 53, 5, 6221671, 38709183810571, 139, 2801, 11, 17, 5471, 52662739, 23003, 30693651606209, 37, 1741, 1313797957, 887, 71, 7127, 109, 23, 97, 159227, 643679794963466223081509857, 103, 1079990819, 9539, 3143065813, 29, 3847, 89, 19, 577, 223, 139703, 457, 9649, 61, 4357…

It comes out that although the number 1807 is not directly in this sequence, it nevertheless is the product of the 4 previous primes in the sequence plus 1, since (2 x 3 x 7 x 43) + 1 = 1807, and then the first of 1807’s prime factors, 13, appears [instead of 1807 which is not prime] as the next term in this sequence, the 5th term, and the second of its prime factors, 139, appears in this sequence as the 10th term.

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While many are celebrating today as their religious holiday, it should be understood why it is not celebrated by the Jews. Additionally, the way it works out in this year’s calendar, today is the Tenth of Teves, the 10th day of the 10th month, which for observant Jews is a fast day, marking the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem, in the Hebrew year 3338, corresponding to 422 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar’s army surrounded the city, ultimately destroying the city and the First Temple and sending the Jews into Babylonian Exile for 70 years.

In order to limit the number of fast days in the year, today is also established to commemorate and fast for other events too. It also commemorates what happened on the 8th of Tevet, probably during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus (285-247 BCE), when 70 Jewish scholars were forced to translate the Torah into Greek. From the Jewish perspective this was views as a very negative thing, and the Talmud says that as a result “darkness descended to the world.” The Septuagint translation noticeably advanced the Hellenist agenda of corrupting Jewish life with Greek culture, and eventually, several centuries later, became the starting point for the “Old Testament” section of the Christian bible.

Today the Jewish world is also mourning the death of Ezra the Scribe on the 9th Tevet. Ezra was a Biblical leader at the time when the Jews to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile, and together with Nechemiah, he oversaw the building of the Second Temple. About Ezra’s greatness the Talmud states, “If the Torah had not been granted through Moses, it would have been granted to Israel through Ezra.”

May we merit to the building of the Third Temple soon in our days.

*   *   *

In continuation to my previous comments about Executive Order 13848, Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election, and about the Insurrection Act of 1807:

Regarding the 9/12/18 date of Executive Order 13848, it can be observed that the numbers in this expression of date sum to 9 + 12 + 18 = 39, and with a Kolel of 3 for the 3 numbers 39 + 3 = 42, and thus this date resonates with the 42 Letter Name.

Additionally, all of the numbers in this date, when written as 9/12/18, are multiples of 3, for 9 = 3 x 3, and 12 = 3 x 4, and 18 = 3 x 6. This preponderance of the number 3 seems to resonate with this year 5781, which is the 3333rd year since the Exodus and Matan Torah in Hebrew year 2448, with 5781 – 2448 = 3333, as has been noted many times.

Further, the sum of these multiples of 3 hinted in the date 9/12/18, is 3 + 4 + 6 = 13 [which also ends in digit 3], and this alludes to Hashem Echod, gematria 13, etc., and when examining the product of these multiples of 3, we find that 3 x 4 x 6 = 72, thus resonating with the 72 Triplet Name. Also, when these 3 digits, 3 4 6, are understood as a single number, 346, they correspond to the gematria of the word רצון, Rotzon, Will, and also the gematria of the word שמו, Shmo, His Name, and also the gematria of the name of His servant משה, Moshe, 345, plus 1 for the Kolel hinting to Hashem Echod.

Further, Executive Order 13848 was signed into law by the 45th president, Donald J. Trump, and 45 = 3 x 3 x 5, thus also hinting to more resonances with the number 3, and as noted before about the Insurrection Act of 1807, it was signed into law by Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president, on 03/03/1807, during the term of the 9th Congress, thus also yeilding many more resonances with the number 3.

Additionally, understanding the date 03/03/1807 as hinting to the sum of 03 + 03 + 18 + 07 = 31, then it reveals a resonance with the gematria of the Name Kel, Aleph Lamed, 31, which is also the reflection of the previous sum of 13, and also when written in briefer form, 3/3/07, the sum of 3 + 3 + 7 = 13, again 13, and 3 x 3 x 7 = 63, generating another small gematria 6 + 3 = 9 = 3 x 3, more resonances with the number 3.

Further, the date 03/03/1807 may be understood to hint to the product of 03 x 03 x 18 x 07 = 1134, with small gematria of 1134 being again 9 = 3 x 3, and also very significantly 1134 = 27 x 42, with 27 corresponding to 3 x 3 x 3, and resonating with the 3 x 3 x 3 magic/miraculous cube whose sums of the numbers of each row, each column, each pillar and on each of the four main space diagonals are equal to the number 42, and with 27 being the reflection of the number 72, resonating with the 72 Triplet Name, and with 42 corresponding to the 42 Letter Name.

Since it is also true that 1134 = 1118 + 16, it may also be possible to say that the number 1134 resonates with a combination of 1118, the gematria of the Shma verse, 1118, with 16, corresponding to the 16 terms of praise that are recited after the morning Shma, “True, and certain, and established, and enduring, and fair, and faithful, and beloved, and cherished, and delightful, and pleasant, and awesome, and powerful, and correct, and accepted, and good, and beautiful, is this affirmation [the Shma] to us forever and ever.”

Especially in these trying times we should try to have greater concentration during our daily recitals of the Shma, and during all of our prayers, and then with Hashem’s Help our prayers will surely be answered.

*   *   *

In Ezra, hi, presently there is no time to write more, to thank you for the amazing new revelations. May Hashem’s bless you and keep you. May Hashem shine His face upon you and be gracious to you. May Hashem turn His face to you and grant you Sholom. Good Shabbos Parshas VaYechi, Chazak Chazak V’Nischazeik! Happy New Year 2021 to you and to all the readers, and of course also to President Trump!

Parshas VaYechi, at the end of Sefer Breishis, begins (Breishis 47:28) ו’יחי י’עקב ב’ארץ מ’צרים ש’בע…, V’ayechi Y’akov B’eretz M’itzrayim S’heva, “And Yakov lived in the land of Egypt seven[-teen years; and the days of Yakov, the years of his life, were one hundred and forty-seven years].” The initials of the first 5 words of the Parsha, include letters Mem, Shin, and Yud, the same letters as the 3 first letters of the word משי-ח, Moshiach, and the other 2 letters, Vov and Beis, sum to 6 + 2 = 8, i.e., hinting to the letter Ches, gematria 8, the 4th letter of Moshiach, and thus these initials sum to gematria 358, Moshiach.

Accordingly this is a very auspicious time, and may we merit to see the “Life of Moshach” now! Chazak! 

*   *   *

In continuation from my last comment, here and now it is appropriate to double down on wishing Hashem’s blessings to Ezra and all the readers, and including of course to President Trump and the patriotic freedom fighters, and to all the Maccabees and Chashmonaim of our time.

Recent comments explained that in the very beginning of Parshas VaYeitzi and Parshas Mikeitz, in the initials of their very first words there are obvious hints to the coming of Moshiach. Then last Friday it was explained that at the very beginning of last week’s Torah reading, Parshas VaYechi, at the end of Sefer Breishis, again the initials of the first words also obviously hint to Moshiach. To briefly review these hints:

VaYeitzei: The initials of the first 6 words of the first verse of Parshas VaYeitzei (Genesis 28:10), ו’יצא י’עקב מ’באר ש’בע ו’ילך ח’רנה, Vayeitzei Yakov Mibair Sheva Vayeilech Chrono, letters Vov Yud Mem Shin Vov Ches, when slightly rearranged, spell the word ומשיחו, U’Meshicho, “And His Moshiach.”

Mikeitz: The initials of the first 6 words of Parshas Mikeitz (Genesis 41:1),ו’יהי מ’קץ ש’נתים י’מים ו’פרעה ח’לם, Vayehi Mikeitz Shnosayim Yomim U’pharaoh Choleim, letters Vov Mem Shin Yud Vov Ches, with only the last two letters having to be rearranged, also spell the word ומשיחו, U’Meshicho, “And His Moshiach.”

VaYechi: The initials of the first 5 words of Parshas VaYechi (Genesis 47:28), ו’יחי י’עקב ב’ארץ מ’צרים ש’בע, Vayechi Yakov Beretz Mitzrayim Sheva, letters Vov Yud Beis Mem Shin, again include letters Mem, Shin, and Yud, the same as the 3 first letters of the word משי-ח, Moshiach, and the other 2 letters Vov and Beis are gematria 6 + 2 = 8, hinting to the letter Ches, gematria 8, the 4th letter of Moshiach, and these 5 letters have a total gematria of 358 the same as משיח, Moshiach.

Parshas Shmos, this week’s Parsha, also has a similar hint at the very beginning: The initials of the first 6 words of Parshas Shmos (Exodus 1:1) are ו’אלה ש’מות ב’ני י’שראל ה’באים מ’צרימה, V’eileh Shmos Bnei Yisroel Haboim Mitzraimoh, letters Vov Shin Beis Yud Heh Mem. Again these include the letters Mem Shin and Yud of Moshiach, and the Vov and Beis, as in the previous hint for Parshas VaYechi, are gematria 8, corresponding to the Ches of Moshiach. The initial Heh that is found in these words, at the beginning of Parshas Shmos but not in the previous hints from the beginning of the other Parshios, hints to the first letter, the definitive article initial letter Heh, of ה’משיח, HaMoshiach, “The Moshiach.”

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Many other Parshios of the Torah also have hints to Moshiach in their very first words and verses, but not quite in the manner of the above explained hints. B’Ezras Hashem those other hints will be discussed in future comments, however for now let’s focus on these hints from the beginning of these four Parshios, VaYeitzi, Mikeitz, VaYechi, and Shmos:

The beginning of Parshas VaYeitzei discusses Yakov, the last of the Patriarchs, going into exile out of the Promised Land, and with him the destiny of all the generations after him. Therefore right from the start there is a need for a clear allusion to the promise of Moshaich, the leader who will take us out of exile, to know that this will pass and Yakov and those who follow him will return to the Land.

Similarly for Parshas MiKeitz, which starts with Yosef the son of Yakov seemingly languishing and being forgotten in an Egyptian prison, a deep exile within a deep exile, so there is a special need for another revelation of a clear allusion to the promise of Moshiach and redeption.

Similarly for Parshas VaYechi, it is the account of when Yakov and his family descend to and have to live in Egyptian exile, so there is again a need for another clear allusion to Moshiach, as if to say, do not despair, redemption and salvation will surely come.

The situation at the beginning of Parshas Shomos is even worse, with Yakov and the Tribes and all their generations dying out in Egypt, and the Bnei Yisroel becoming entrenched in the exile and bitterly enslaved. Here certainly there is a need for another clear revelation of an allusion to Moshiach, and again upon due consideration the hint to and the sign for Moshiach clearly appears.

Additionally, since this is where the exile gets very serious, there is a need for not just a hint to Moshiach, but more, for a hint to HaMoshiach, with the definitive article. Indeed here in Parshas Shmos we start immediately reading about the birth of Moshe Rabbeinu, who led Bnei Yisroel out of exile to receive the Torah on Mt. Sinai, and lesson for us is palpable, since the “first redeemer,” Moshe, is the prototype for the “last redeemer,” HaMoshiach.

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The Torah reading corresponding to today specifically, Wednesday, Teves 22, 5781, or January 6, 2021, starts with the verse (Exodus 3:1), “And Moses was shepherding the sheep…,” which is an allusion to the way that Moshiach will lead his flock in this generation. Today’s reading includes the beginning of the account of Hashem’s revelation to Moshe Rabbeinu at the Burning Bush, and continues through the famous verses (Exodus 3:14 and 3:15), “And G-d said to Moshe ‘I Shall Be As I Shall Be,’ and He said, ‘So shall you say to the Children of Israel, ‘I Shall Be has sent me to you.’’ And G-d further said to Moshe, ‘So shall you say to the Children of Israel, ‘Hashem the G-d of your forefathers, the G-d of Avrohom, the G-d of Yitzchok, and the G-d of Yakov, has sent me to you; this is My Name forever, and this is My remembrance from generation to generation.’’”

Today we witnessed the great leader of our time, President Trump, lead his flock to demand justice and the following of the Constitution of the United States of America, which was founded upon principles originally set forth in the Torah, including the notion that we are “One Nation Under G-d.”

Let’s study the Torah portion and pray to Hashem, and may we merit to witness many more great revelations and even to the revelation of Moshiach now!

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As we continue reading in Parshas Shmos, we see that even after the great revelation at the Burning Bush, it was anything but easy for Moshe Rabbeinu and the Children of Israel in Egypt. At first the Pharaoh ignored Moshe’s demand to let them go, and even made it harder for them to do their slave labor. Some of the people turned on Moshe, and even he himself questioned Hashem, saying (Exodus 5:22-23), “My L-rd, why have You done evil to this people, why have You sent me? From the time I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name he did evil to this people, but You did not rescue Your people.” It was a big test, but in the end the great success promised by Hashem came to fruition.

Similarly regarding the Maccabees and the Chasmonoim. Yes, they won some battles, but then they lost some battles, and even some of their great leaders perished in the war, before they ultimately prevailed and peace ensued. It was never easy, that is for sure.

Yesterday’s events did not turn out the way many millions of Americans and fine people throughout the world were hoping, however the corruption that we are dealing with is even more unmasked than ever before.

The reckoning will come when so ordained by Hashem, and meanwhile we have to keep a positive attitude and pray even more fervently for the promised redemption.

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1. After Moshe Rabbeinu’s complaint to Hashem at the end of Parshas Shmos there remains one more verse in the Parsha (Exodus 6:1), with Hashem’s response to Moshe, “And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Now you will see what I shall do to Pharaoh, for through a Strong Hand he will send them out, and through a Strong Hand he will chase them out from his land.’”

It is possible to say that the verse number 6:1 hints to the corresponding 6 mundane week days and the 1 special day of Shabbos, and this seems to teach how important keeping Shabbos is for meriting to see Hashem’s answer to the exile, with the revelation of His Strong Hand and its powerful affects in the world.

The verse contains 17 words and 65 letters which immediately bring to mind allusions to the word Tov, Good, gematria 17, and the Name A-D-N-I, gematria 65, and indeed the message of the verse resonates with the message of Hashem being the “Good G-d.”

2. This verse (Exodus 6:1) is the 124th verse of the Book of Shmos, and 124 = 4 x 31, and thus represents a 4-fold resonance with the Name Kel, gematria 31. The Name Kel implies Might and Power, and in reference to G-d it means Almighty and All-Powerful, corresponding to the “Strong Hand” mentioned twice in the verse in reference to the Hand of the Almighty Kel Hashem.

Interestingly the word יד, Yod, Hand, is gematria 10 + 4 = 14, and the word חזקה, Chazokah, Strong, is gematria 8 + 7 + 100 + 5 = 120, for a total of 14 + 120 = 134 = 2 x 67, with 67 hinting to the Sefirah of בינה, Binah, Understanding, gematria 67 (the 19th prime), and indeed these two times “Strong Hand” in the verse represent a double infusion of the Strength of Understanding.

It is also possible to join the letter Dalet at the end of the word YoD, with the next word Chazokah, for a gematria of 4 + 120 = 124, corresponding to the verse being the 124th verse of the Parsha and of the Sefer Shmos, again 4 x 31-Kel, and with the letter Yud of the word Yod, Hand, symbolizing the letter Yud of the Name Y-H-V-H, hinting to the Name Hashem which is about to be revealed (see the continuation to this verse at the beginning of the next Parsha, Parshas VoEira).

Interestingly too, 2 x 124 = 248, which as explained is the gematria of the name Avrohom, and corresponds to the 248 positive Mitzvos, and so on, and as explained recently 248 = 8 x 31, and 8-fold resonance with the Name Kel.

3. Counting the 1534 verses of the Book of Breishis, this verse is the 1534 + 124 = 1658th verse from the beginning of the Torah. Interestingly 1658 = 2 x 829, with 829 being the 145th prime, and 829 is also the sum of 3 consecutive triangular numbers, 829 = 253 + 276 + 300 = T22 + T23 + T24, and thus 1658 has a double resonance with these powerful triangular numbers.

Also 1658 can be written as a sum of two positive squares in only one way, 1658 = 1369 + 289 = 17^2 + 37^2 , with 17 and 37 being the 7th and 12th primes (with 7 corresponding to the day of Shabbos and with 12 corresponding to the 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night and to the 12 months of the year, etc.), and with numbers 17 and 37 having great significance as explained many times.

4. Previously we explained that Moshiach is hinted in the beginnings of many Parshios of the Torah, and this also holds true for the endings of many Parshios, and this verse (Exodus 6:1) also contains clear hints to Moshiach.

For example, the word ישלחם, Yeshalcheim, “he will send them,” the 13th Hebrew word in the verse, consists of letters Yud Shin Lamed Ches Mem, that when rearranged spell the word למשיח, L’Moshiach,” “toward Moshiach.”

Similarly the word יגרשם, Yegorsheim, “he will chase them out,” the 16th Hebrew word in the verse, consists of the letters Mem Shin and Yud that are the first 3 letters of משי-ח, Moshiach, and the remaining letters Gimel Reish are gematria 203, with 203 being the sum of 7 consecutive squares, 203 = 4 + 9 + 16 + 25 + 36 + 49 + 64 = 2^2 + 3^2 + 4^2 + 5^2 + 6^2 + 7^2 + 8^2, with the last of this series being the square of 8, hinting to letter Ches, gematria 8, the last letter of the word Moshiach. (Also the letters Gimel Reish spell the word גר, Ger, meaning “convert,” and a righteous convert has a Bris of Circumcision, connected to the concept of the number 8, corresponding to the letter Ches, the last letter of Moshiach.)

Also the last five words of the verse may be said to allude to Hashem’s Moshaich: י-ש’לחם ו’ביד ח’זקה י’גרשם מ’ארצו, YeSh’alcheim U’byod Ch’zoka Y’gorsheim M’eiartzo, “…he will send them and with a Strong Hand he will chase them from his land.” The letter Yud at the beginning of these 5 words hints to the letter Yud of Y-H-V-H, Hashem, and then starting with the letter Shin immediately adjacent to this Yud of Hashem, together with the initial letters Vov Ches Yud and Mem of the last 4 words, when rearranged are seen to be the letters Vov Mem Shin Yud Ches that spell ומשיח, U’Moshiach, “and Moshiach,” or משיחו, Meshicho, “His Moshiach.”

To Ezra and the readers, and to President Trump and his supporters, and to all good people throughout the world, stay strong and resolute, and surely Hashem will bless us and protect us and shine His Face upon us. The first words of this verse are “Now you will see…,” and may we indeed merit to see Hashem’s Help and salvation, through His righteous Moshiach, immediately Now! 

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1. As explained before, there are clear hints to Moshiach in the first and last verses of several Parshios of the Torah. In the current Torah reading cycle, recently we read Parshas Shmos, and hints to Moshiach were explained in the first and in the last verses of that Parsha (Exodus 1:1 and 6:1).

In this post Ezra discusses the Torah readings for Chanukah, the end of Parshas Bamidbar and the beginning of Parshas B’haaloscho (Numbers 7:1-89, and 8:1-4), and interestingly verse at the end of Parshas Noso, verse 7:89, also has clear hints to Moshiach, both at the beginning and ending of the verse:

ובבא משה אל אהל מועד לדבר אתו וישמע את הקול מדבר אליו מעל הכפרת אשר על ארן העדת מבין שני הכרבים וידבר אליו, “And when Moshe came to the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, then he would hear the Voice speak to him from atop the Cover of the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two Cherubim, and He spoke to him.”

The theme of this verse is direct communication with Hashem, and in a manner exemplified by Moshe Rabbeinu in the Mishkan, similarly Hashem will communicate with Moshiach in the rebuilt Beis HaMikdosh.

At the beginning of the verse, the first words are ובבא משה, U’b’vo Moshe, “And when Moshe came,” which also hint to the coming of Moshiach as exemplified by Moshe Rabbeinu, and in gematria they are 11 + 345 = 356, and with a Kolel of 2 for the 2 words the gematria is 356 + 2 = 358, the same as the gematria of משיח, Moshiach. Alternatively, in addition to the gematria of these 2 words, 356, we can add the gematria of the initials of the next two words, א'ל א'הל, E’l O’hel, which are Aleph and Aleph, 1 + 1 = 2, and again 356 + 2 = Moshiach, 358.

At the end of the verse, the initials of the very last 7 consecutive words are א'רן ה'עדת מ'בין ש'ני ה'כרבים ו'ידבר א'ליו, A’ron H’oeidus M’ibein Sh’nei H’akruvim V’ayedaber E’ilov, letter Aleph Heh Mem Shin Heh Vov Aleh, are gematria 1 + 5 + 40 + 300 + 5 + 6 + 1 = 358, Moshiach.

In the beginning of Parshas B’Ha’alosch, after the introductory verse 8:1, “And Hashem spoke with Moshe saying,” then comes verse 8:1, “Speak to Aharon and say to him, When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps cast light.” The initials of the words מ'ול פ'ני ה'מנורה י'אירו ש'בעת, M’ul P’nei H’amenorah Y’oiru Sh’ivas, consist of the letters Heh Mem Shin Yud המשי, and merely by substituting for the letter Peh, gematria 80, its small gematria equivalent, Ches, gematria 8, we have the final letter Ches to complete the hint to המשיח, HaMoshiach, “The Messiah.”

2. Regarding Parshas VoEira, it also stresses the theme of Moshiach, i.e., revealing the Name of Hashem, and the meting out of punishment to the enemies of Hashem and his people Israel.

While the first word of Parshas Shmos, ואלה, V’Eileh, “And these are,” is gematria 42, corresponding to the 42 Letter Name, the initials of the first 9 words of Parshas VoEira, ו'ידבר א'לקים א'ל מ'שה ו'יאמר א'ליו א'ני י'-קוק ו'ארא, V’ayedaber E’lokim E’l M’oshe V’ayomer A’ilov A’ni Y’-H-V-H V’oeirah,” are gematria 6 + 1 + 1 + 40 + 6 + 1 + 1 + 10 + 6 = 72, corresponding to the 72 Triplet Name.

There is also a hint to Moshiach in the first verse of Parshas VoEira, Shmos 6:2, in that the three consecutive words ויאמר אליו אני, VaYomer Eilov Ani, “and He said to him I am...,” are gemaria 257 + 47 + 61 = 365, the same as משיחו, Meshicho, “His Moshiach,” 364, plus 1 for the Kolel, Hashem is One, which is also the next and last word of the verse, “[and He said to him I am] Hashem,” and 364 + 1 = 365, which is a thought we can keep in mind all 365 days of the solar year.

The last verse of the Parshas VoEira, Shmos 9:35, also has hints to Moshiach, since the initials of its first 7 words, ו'יחזק ל'ב פ'רעה ו'לא ש'לח א'ת ב'ני, are gematria 6 + 30 + 80 + 6 + 300 + 1 + 2 = 425, corresponding to the gematria of Moshiach Ben Dovid, 424, plus 1 for the Kolel, One is Hashem, 425.

At the end of this last verse of Parshas VoEira, the very last two words are B’Yad Moshe, “by the hand of Moshe,” and the last 5 letters, יד משה, Yad Moshe, “the hand of Moshe,” are gematria 345 + 14 = 359, hinting to Moshiach, 358, plus 1 for the Kolel, including 1 for Hashem is One.

3. Similarly for Parshas Bo which we read this past Shabbos. It starts, verse 10:1, ב'א א'ל פרעה, Bo El Pharaoh, “[And Hashem said to Moshe] Come to Pharaoh [for I have made his heart and the heart of all his servants stubborn, so that I can put these signs in his midst].” The gematria of the word Pharaoh is 355, and together with the initials of the two first words, Beis and Aleph, 355 + 2 + 1 = 358, hints to Moshiach, gematria 358. Alternatively, Pharaoh, 355, plus 3 for the 3 final Plagues discussed in Parshas VoEira, hints to Moshiach, 358.

The last verse of Parshas Bo, verse 13:16, pertains to the great Mitzvah of Tefillin, through which every Jew becomes like a Kohen Godol, wearing the Name of Hashem close to his heart and upon his head.

This important verse ends with the words Hotzianu Hashem MiMitzrayim, “[And it shall be a sign upon your arm, and an ornament between your eyes, for with a strong hand] Hashem took us out from Egypt.” The last word ממצרים, MiMitzrayim, “from Egypt,” is gematria 420 = 10 x 42, hinting to a 10-fold completeness of the 42 Letter Name (perhaps 10 times corresponding to the 10 Plagues). Additionally, together with the adjacent last letter Heh, 5, of the Name Hashem, the gematria is 425, the same as the gematria of Moshiach Ben Dovid, 424, plus 1 for the Kolel, Hashem is One.

The initials of the words of this last verse may also be understood as hinting to Names of Hashem. The initials of the verse’s first 9 words ו'היה ל'אות ע'ל י'דכה ו'לטוטפת ב'ין ע'יניך כ'י ב'חזק, Vov Lamed Ayin Yud Vov Bais Ayin Chuf Bais, sum to 6 + 30 + 70 + 10 + 6 + 2 + 70 + 20 + 2 = 216, which hints to the 72 Triplet Name with 216 letters, and these these initials include the letter Ayin, 70, two times, and the letter Beis, 2, two times, and the remaining initials also sum to 72.

The remaining 4 words of the verse have initials Yud Heh Yud Mem, י'ד ה'וציאנו י'-קוק מ'מצרים, that in gematria sum to 10 + 5 + 10 + 40 = 65, corresponding to the gematria of the Name A-D-N-Y, 65, which is also the pronunciation of the Name Hashem, the second to the last word of this verse, and the only Divine Name openly included in the verse.

4. All together the initials of the verse sum to 216 + 65 = 281, with 281 being the 60th prime, a number with many aspects of completeness. Additionally, the number 281 may be expressed as the sum of positive squares in only one way, i.e., 281 = 256 + 25 = 16^2 + 5^2. Also it can be written as a sum of three positive cubes, i.e., 281 = 1 + 64 + 216 = 1^3 + 4^3 + 6^3.  These sums of squares and cubes may be said to hint to the square and cubic shapes of the Tefillin boxes that are bound on the arm across from the heart and on the head...

Interestingly 281 is the gematria of the word פאר, P’eir, meaning “glory” and “adorn” or “adornment,” and P’eir is also the root of the word ת-פאר-ת, Ti-pher-es, “Glory” or “Beauty,” which is the name of the central Sefirah that ties all of the Sefiros together. This is especially appropriate with regard to Tefillin, the main topic of this verse, since “P’eir,” “glory,” also means a glorifying headdress and is used in association with Tefillin. Indeed this root P'eir and the word Tiferes may refer to all the priestly garments, which the Torah says, for example in Shmos 28:2, are made לכבוד ולת-פאר-ת, L’Kovod U’l’Tiferes,” “for honor and for glory.” By the way, it is interesting that the word U’l’Tiferes is gematria 1117, and with 1 more for the Kolel, Hashem is One, it is 1118, the same as the gematria of the complete Shma verse.

Also the word רפא, Rapei, “heal,” is gematria 281, and wearing Tefillin certainly also produces great spiritual healings, and even has beneficial physical effects on the body.

Also the word אפר, Eifer, “ashes,” is gematria 281, hinting to the humility of Avrohom who said “I am dust and ashes,” and also recalling the self-sacrifice of Yitzchok, whose spiritual “ashes” (from being offered up to Hashem on the altar) are forever remembered by Hashem for our merit. Similarly, there are explanations of the name אפר-ים, Ephra-yim, that this son of Yoseph and grandson of Yakov was named after the forefathers Avrohom and Yitzchok due to their representation in the word Eifer, “ashes” (with the letters Yum Mem at the end indicating the plural form, for both Avrohom and Yitzchok).

Alternatively,  and in more simplicity,  the root of the name Ephrayim is the word פר, Por, meaning “fruitful,” as in פרו ורבו, Poru U’revu, “be fruitful and multiply,” and the letter Aleph at the beginning of the name stands for the initial Aleph of the Name Elokim, as stated in the verse Breishis 41:52, “and the name of the second one he called Ephrayim, because E'lokim has made me fruitful [הפרני א'לקים, Hifrani E’lokim] in the land of my affliction.”

Based on this we can also understand the number 281 as being 280 + 1, with 280, aside from being the gematria of the word Por, “fruitful,” is also 10 x 28, כח, Koach, Strength, hinting to the completeness of the 10 Plagues by Hashem’s Strong Hand, and with the 1 corresponding to the 1 for the Kolel, Hashem Elokim is One.

5. Interestingly the reverse of 281 is 182, which as discussed many times is the gematria of the name Yakov, and 182 = 7 x 26, a 7-fold resonance with the Name Hashem. Understood this way we can also say that 281 = 21 + 260, with 21 being the gemattria of the Name Ekyeh, “I AM,” and 260 being a 10-fold resonance with the Name Hashem gematria 26. 

Together the number 281 and its reverse 182 sum to 281 + 182 = 463, and 463 is the 90th prime. In reverse 463 is 364, which is the gematria of המשיח, HaMoshiach, 363, plus 1 for the Kolel, or alternatively the gematria of משיחו, Meshicho, “His Moshiach,” 364. [Together 463 + 364 = 827, the 144th prime....]

May it so be for us, as hinted here, that in the end the Moshiach, His Moshiach, will come, and the Name of Hashem will be fully revealed!

[As for how all of this relates to our present times, in the aftermath of the disputed elections and the transition of power, it remains to be seen. These are very difficult times indeed, but one thing we can be sure of, “the best is yet to come.” Let’s hope and pray that it will be soon.]

לע"נ אסתר בת מנחם - תהא נשמתה צרורה בצור החיים

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Continuation: 5781 - Part 3