A person's purpose is hinted at in their name • A person comes into the world to eradicate Amalek • Everyone has a purpose; a person must know what their purpose is • A person must wait for the Tzaddik • One does not go to war without a sacrifice • The Tzaddik sees how many children you will have and what kind of children you will have

Friday, 11th of Tishrei 5786 - The Daily Strengthening from the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days)

These are his holy words:

If David had taken Merav, then Mashiach ben David would have been born

Merav bas Shaul (spelled with a Yud in Merav) equals exactly 991. The two Mashiachs (adding an Aleph [+1] for the two Mashiachs) = 991. Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David equal 991. Mashiach ben David with an Aleph (Mashiacha) and Mashiach ben Yosef is 991.

Merav was supposed to give birth to both Mashiachs, because the entire reason Shaul (King Saul) came into the world was to eradicate Agag—In a person's name, in the numerical value (gematria) of their name, everything they are meant to be is hinted at. One who knows how to calculate gematria knows this, because everything is hinted at in his name, and in the name of Shaul, Agag is hinted at. "His king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted" (Numbers 24:7)—where Balaam sees what will happen until the end of generations. Balaam had such an eye; he saw until the end of generations. Balaam was "the man with the open eye" (Numbers 24:3); the Targum (Aramaic translation) says "who sees well," meaning he saw until the end of generations.

A person needs to have such an eye that he can see until the end of generations, until the end of days.

For what was Balak terrified of? The entire reason Shaul came into the world was to eradicate Agag, because "Agag" is the gematria of "Shaul." Aleph is 1, Gimel is 3, another Gimel is 3—together they equal 7. "Shaul" equals 337. In Shuvu Banim, this works out easily: "Agag" is 7, "Melech" (king) is 90, together 97; "Amalek" is 240, together 337—Everyone's specific purpose is hinted at exactly in their name. Therefore, Hashem said to Shaul: For this, I do not forgive you. Hashem forgave David, because his [sin] was not regarding the core point of the kingship.

A person comes into the world to eradicate Amalek, "You shall blot out the memory of Amalek" (Deuteronomy 25:19). Shaul's entire purpose was Agag, and if he had eliminated Agag, Haman would not have existed, and the Holy Temple would not have been destroyed. Because on that night [that Shaul spared Agag], one opinion says it was his maidservant, another says it was his wife [who conceived the lineage of Haman]. It doesn't matter; whether the father of Haman came from the maidservant or Haman himself came from the wife—everyone has a purpose, and a person needs to know what his purpose is.

So Hashem said to Shaul: For this, I do not forgive you; I wanted to give you eternal kingship. Because at the beginning, Shaul did not wait for Shmuel (Samuel the Prophet)—a person must wait for the Tzaddik. The Tzaddik will come tomorrow, or the day after. Shmuel could come tomorrow; why are you not waiting for him? It's like what happened with Moshe (Moses) at the Golden Calf—if Moshe doesn't come, who knows when he will come? For the Tzaddik is never late; if he is late, it is a sign that he will not come at all—that is why they made the Calf.

It was already five to 12:00. Shmuel told Shaul, "I am arriving at 12:00 noon." It was already a minute to 12:00—where is he? Shaul said, "Come on, quickly offer the burnt offering." One does not go to war without a sacrifice; one must offer a sacrifice. We pray and bring an Olah (burnt offering), bring a Chatas (sin offering), and an Asham (guilt offering).

Therefore, we said that Merav bas Shaul is the gematria of Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David, and Shaul is the gematria of Agag Melech Amalek. David asks, "And the measure of my days, what is it?" (Psalms 39:5). What is this "measure"? Who is my kelipah (spiritual shell/impurity)?

For when Eliezer came to take Rivka (Rebecca), he saw Esau—the Tzaddik sees how many children you will have, and what kind of children you will have; the Tzaddik sees everything. Before the Chuppah (wedding canopy), all the souls that need to be brought down hover over the groom and the bride. All the souls that he needs to bring—ten children, twenty children—everything hovers over his head. If he is worthy, then the Tzaddik sees these souls.