Vilna Gaon and Mashiah Ben Yosef/ Ben Dawidh

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

something interesting I came across (and I'm usually not into these types of things) but, interesting to note that according to the GRA the job of Moshiah Ben Yosef is until the year 1990, that is the same year that HaRav Kahane ZTL HYD was murdered.


[34] Traditionally, the universe in its present form is to exist for 6000 years followed by a 7th millennium (Rosh HaShanah 31a; Sanhedrin 97a; Avodah Zarah 9a; GRA's commentary to Sifra DeTzeniuta 5, p. 66 (33b)). This macro-time scale parallels, in exact ratio, the micro-time scale of the week of Genesis, i.e., six days followed by the Sabbath, as per the verse, "A thousand years in Your sight are like a day gone by..." (Psalm 90:4). Thus by dividing every 1000 year period (1 "day") into 24 parts we can calculate that every 42 years and 8 months equals 1 "hour" on the cosmic clock. Similarly, every 250 years is 6 "hours" and every 500 years is 12 "hours. According to this principle, and taking into account that a day in Genesis always begins at the onset of night, the year 5000 (1240 C.E.) was "nightfall" or the beginning of the 6th Day of creation. The year 5500 (1740) heralded the "dawn" or "sunrise," and the year, 5750 (1990), corresponds to "high-noon." The year 5750 thus brings us 750 years or 3/4 into the 6th millennial day with a remaining 250 years or 1/4 until its completion. According to the GRA the first 250 year period from 5500 to 5750 is the messianic age of Mashiach ben Yoseph; the second and final period from 5750 to 6000 is the messianic age of Maschiach ben David. The demarcation between these two eras is, however, not absolute, and there is a definite period of overlap during which the two processes operate simultaneously. See the GRA's commentary to Sifra DeTzeniuta 1, p. 20 (10b); R. Shlomo Eliyashiv, Leshem Sh'vo VeAchlamah, Sefer Hakdamot VeShearim, p. 172; R. Rafael Shochat, Torat HaGeulah B'Mishnat Rabbeinu HaGadol HaGRA MiVilna (unpublished manuscript; note of Leshem at end).