The Daily Chizzuk of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a – “If Reuven had lifted Yosef onto his shoulders, the Messiah would have arrived immediately”
Thursday, 13 Adar I, 5784
“Come to Pharaoh” (Shemot 10:1), and then Pharaoh says, “Who and who are going?” (ibid 10:8).
What is “Who and who are going”?
“Who (Mi)” is 50 in numerical value. “and who (VaMi)” is 56, together 106. With “going (Holchim) it comes out 216 – the numerical value of “Yehoshua.”
Yehoshua – the “shin” is 300; “ayn” is 70; add the “yud,” this is 380; “heh, vav,” this is 391 – exactly 216 [the Rav explains in another place].
So how does “Who and who are going” come out as the numerical value of “Yehoshua”?
You need to learn the Baal HaTurim who explains this; make out examinations on [the commentary of the Baal HaTurim]. There are such novel insights there that do not exist in the world.
The Baal HaTurim says that Pharaoh already saw; he said, “’Evil is opposite your faces’ (Shemot 10:10) – none of you will enter the Land. Moshe, it’s a waste of your efforts. I’m telling you that none of you will enter the Land. Only two will enter.”
Pharaoh says to Moshe exactly what will be. He was the greatest of astrologers, the greatest sorcerer in the world. Pharaoh knew everything that would be for another forty years. He knew that no one would enter the Land. “I’m telling you it’s a waste of all your efforts.”
Because they were supposed to wait another fifty years, until 260 [years in Egypt] – which is 10 Havayot. Moshe “turned aside (Sar=260) to see” (Shemot 3:4).
Moshe said: “Master of the World, how is the redemption “turned aside (Sar)” to see? Sar is 260.” “And God said to Moshe, ‘I will be What I will be (Ekyeh Asher Ekyeh)’” (Shemot 3:14) – already ten “Ekyeh” have been completed, 210 [Ten times Ekyeh (21)]. The Name “Ekyeh” has been rectified.
Every tribe had needed to rectify the Name [its own individual “Ekyeh”], because there were ten tribes, the ten which were involved in the sale of Yosef. Yosef and Binyamin were not counted among the tribes in the sale.
Yosef did not sell; he was only sold. He didn’t participate in the sale, so there were only ten brothers.
Reuven wasn’t really there at the time of the sale, but he had needed to protect Yosef. Therefore, he is also counted in the ten that were in the sale. Reuven, why are you leaving? [If] you leave, then they will sell Yosef. Sit over the pit, and at night, so that they won’t see, take Yosef to Abba.
Reuven had needed to lift Yosef up on his shoulders; the Messiah would have come immediately.
The Rambam says that when the Temple was built, the Great Sanhedrin would sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. So we believe that it will be built at any moment. 1 Shevat is the moment that the Temple needs to be built, on the day that Moshe explained the Torah. Within forty days until 7 Adar, Moshe revealed to them the entire Torah; all that they learned in forty years, he reviewed everything in thirty days. The Tzaddik can teach everything that he taught in forty years…now in [just] thirty days.
From 1 until 7 [Adar], Moshe pleaded – “VaEtchanan” (Devarim 3:23) – 515 prayers. The “Toldot Rabbi Akiva” explains what is “VeEtchanan” – six-thousand, tzaddik (90), vav (6). How did he arrive at this date? What do you mean?
It is brought in the Rebbe of Ozharov [Rabbi Moshe Yechiel HaLevi Epstein (1889-1971)], he explains; no one else knows how to explain this. There are those who try to explain, but none of them knows. Therefore, a person needs to complete all the books. Every book explains something else, another Midrash.
So here [in the Rebbe of Ozharov] in Ot Bet, it is written that in the year 6093 – what is the relevance of that year? How do we reach 6093 years?
So he explains: How much is “VaEtchanan”? 515. This everyone knows – the numerical value of “Shirah (song).” This says that you need to sing song – if you want the prayer to be accepted, sing before the prayer. Sing “Odeh La’Kel,” sing “Kah Ribon,” sing “Yedid Nefesh.”
Without song, the prayer is not accepted.
The Baal HaTurim says in this place, “VaEtchanan,” that only through song, through him singing, through song, the prayers are accepted. But Hashem says to Moshe, “You cannot continue to pray…” So how much is “VaEtchanan”? “VaEtchanan” comes out exactly 6093. Why? Because “VaEtchanan” happened in 2488.
In [2]488, they left Egypt. After forty years, they reached the border of the plains of Moav. Then “VaEtchanan” took place. So if they were travelling from [2]488 until 6093, this is exactly 3605 [6093-2488=3605].
3605 can be divided by 515 [VaEtchanan]. If you make 515 times 7, it comes out 3605, since every prayer that Moshe prayed was for 7 years. Every prayer that Moshe Rabbeinu prayed – behold, now there already is in Gaza…, he prayed about another 289 years.
