In The Honor of Lag B'Omer and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

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In The Honor of Lag B'Omer and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
By Moshe Lerman

In terms of the secrets of Torah, we live in the period of the Partzuf "Malchut", which represents all human souls on one side, and is the gate of Divine influence on the physical world, on the other. In the course of history, Partzufim of higher elevation than Malchut exert their influence to make Malchut grow to completeness, so that mankind may perfect and elevate the world.

The period of Malchut is limited. It lasts 6,000 years, and these are the years that are counted by the Jewish counting of the years. Hence the Jewish year count starts with the appearance of human souls, and not with the creation of the physical world, as is often thought. In fact, before the emergence of mankind there were six periods of 7,000 years, corresponding to the six Sephirot that precede Malchut in the system of Kabbala: Chesed, Gevura, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, and Yesod. The six periods total 42,000 years, which are called the years of Atik Yamim, the carrier of the 42-letter name of HaShem. The years of Atik Yamim are not physical years. Each year at this level corresponds to 3*100*1000 physical years. That makes 12.6 billion years, the age of the oldest stars. The six days of creation of the Torah correspond to these six Sephirot. Hence, the "Let there be light" of the first day corresponds to the creation of the first stars. Likewise, the creation of the Sun on the fourth day, corresponds to the creation of the Sun in the 2.1 billion years of the fourth Sephira, Netzach. The fifth Sephira, Hod, corresponds to the biological evolution towards the type of cells we are made off, eukaryotes. The sixth Sephira, Yesod, corresponds to the evolution from single cells to man. The number 42 is not only 6 times 7. It is also 40 plus 2, where the 2 corresponds to the 600 million years of the evolution of animal life.

Before the period of Atik Yamim was the rule the Partzuf Yesod Adam Kadmon, corresponding to the 4-letter name of HaShem. This Partzuf is the most elevated spiritual concept we may conceive of. The above formula also applies to the translation of the rule of Yesod Adam Kadmon to physical years. Hence, here are another 4,000*3*100*1000 physical years, 1.2 billion. The years of Yesod Adam Kadmon saw the creation of time and space, the creation of the laws of Nature, a fast expansion of the Universe, and the breaking of the homogeneity of the spatial distribution of matter and energy, setting the stage for the stellar evolution.

Adding the years of Yesod Adam Kadmon to the years of Atik Yamim, we get 13.8 billion physical years. The latest scientific measurements for the age of the Universe give a value of 13.73 ± 0.12 years.

If the 42,000 years of the six Sephirot that preceded Malchut do not correspond to physical years, why would the subsequent period of 6,000 years of Malchut correspond to physical years? They do not. In order to explain how it really is, let me review the key years of the history of Malchut (Note the symmetry involving the number 480):

Year 1: Creation of Adam HaRishon
Year 2449: Yetziat Mitzrayim
Year 2929 (2449+480): Bayit Rishon
Year 3339: Churban Bayit Rishon
Year 3409 (2929+480): Bayit Sheni
Year 3829: Churban Bayit Sheni

Mankind exists already for a very long time, much longer than 6,000 years. To derive the physical years of the events of Malchut, we scale Malchut's years with similar yet smaller factors as above. Homo Sapiens arose not 2448 years but 2448*3*10 (73,440) years before Yetziat Mitzrayim. The 73,440 years hint at HaShem's name of 72, which corresponds to the Partuf Arich Anpin or Keter, who ruled for 72,000 years. The remaining 1440 years were under the Partzufim Chochma, Bina and Da'at. (I will elaborate Bli Neder in later posts.)

As I explained before, the 480 Malchut years of Bayit Rishon until Bayit Sheni must be multiplied with a factor 10/3, so that they come out to be 1600 physical years. From Yetziat Mitzrayim until Bayit Rishon, and after Churban Bayit Sheni until the end of days, there is no scaling: physical years equal years of Malchut. The scaling of the period of Bayit Rishon until Bayit Sheni pushes back the date of Yetziat Mitzrayim to the year 1329.

Now, notice a remarkable numerical coincidence. If we add the 2300 years of Daniels prophecy (8:14) to the year of Churban Bayit Sheni, we get 6129, which year is exactly 10*480 years after Yetziat Mitzrayim in 1329 - another instance of scaling of 480 years.

I invented the proposal described here to harmonize historical and scientific findings with principles of Torah. As such it has merits, but its solution is not unique. But after discovering the number 6129, a whole new dimension opened up, which gives the proposal a strong flavor of unique truth.

There is much more to the above proposal than meets the unaided eye, and more than I can expound now. I have an astounding Perush of Zohar Shemot 10 and Midrash Ne'elam Toldot regarding the dates of Techiat HaMetim, which confirms that the year 6129 will see the revival of the dead. [For completeness, Techiat HaMetim of the Tzadikim will take before this time, and the 6129 corresponds to the opinion of rabbi Yehuda in Midrash Ne'elam. Going with rabbi Yitzchak, it would be 6133.]

In upcoming posts, Bli Neder and B'Ezrat HaShem, I will try to explain the Perush. Step by step, slowly, because it is a lot of material, and because I must be careful. The Perush has strong implications regarding the timing of Biat HaMoshiach.

Let me conclude with some insights gleaned from the Perush: The six Sephirot before Malchut were elevated very much above the lower worlds. Hence the big scaling factor, 3*100*1000. With the advent of man, they formed together the Partzuf Zeir Anpin, which came down to the lower worlds together with Malchut.

Malchut came down gradually, and with ups and downs. This is the background of the various scaling factors. If the scaling factor is 1, Malchut is at the final destination, close to the lower worlds. If the scaling factor is higher, Malchut is elevated above the lower worlds. Until Yetziat Mitzrayim, Malchut was still quite removed from the lower worlds. Hence the scaling factor 10*3. After having come down all the way at Yetziat Mitzryaim, Malchut rose towards Zeir Anpin at Bayit Rishon, but lacking completeness, Malchut could not elevate the lower worlds, and became elevated from them. Hence the factor 10/3. At Bayit Sheni, Malchut made the final descent in order to go up forever at the time of Moshiach, together with the lower worlds.

Although the Partzufim Yesod Adam Kadmon and Atik Yamim withdrew when Malchut came down, and exerted only very little influence on the lower Partzufim in a direct way, this will change from the time of Moshiach onwards. From this we may understand the awesome nature of what is to come.