The Daily Strengthening - "If Reuven had carried Yosef on his shoulders, Mashiach would have arrived immediately"

Wednesday, 14th of Iyar, 5784

"Come to Pharaoh" (Exodus 10:1), and then Pharaoh says, "Who and who are the ones going?" (ibid 10:8)

What is "Who and who are the ones going"?

'Mi' (Who) is 50 in Gematria (numerical value), 'u'mi' (and who) is 56, together they are 106. With 'holchim' (going), it comes to 216—the Gematria of Yehoshua (Joshua).

Yehoshua: Shin is 300, Ayin is 70, another Yud is 10, that's 380; Hey and Vav is 391... exactly 216 (The Rav explains further).

So how does "Who and who are the ones going" equal the Gematria of Yehoshua?

One must study the Baal HaTurim (Rabbi Jacob ben Asher) who explains this, and take tests on his commentary. There are such original insights there that do not exist anywhere else in the world.

The Baal HaTurim says that Pharaoh already saw; he said, "Evil is before your faces" (Exodus 10:10), meaning none of you will enter the Land. Moshe, your work is a waste of time; I am telling you that no one will enter the Land—only two will enter.

Pharaoh tells Moshe exactly what will happen; he was the greatest of the astrologers (itzatganinim), the greatest sorcerer in the world. Pharaoh knew everything that would happen 40 years later; he knew that no one would enter the Land. I tell you, all your work is in vain.

Because they had to wait another 50 years until 260—which is 10 times the name Havayah (the four-letter name of Hashem, which equals 26). Moshe 'Sar' (turned - Gematria 260) to see (Exodus 3:4).

Moshe said, Master of the World, how is the Geulah (Redemption) 'Sar' (260) to see? 'Sar' is 260. "And G-d said to Moshe, I Will Be What I Will Be (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh)" (Exodus 3:14) — already 10 times the name 'Ehyeh' is completed, 210 (ten times Ehyeh), they rectified the name Ehyeh.

Every tribe had to rectify the name (his own private 'Ehyeh'), because there were 10 tribes—the ten who were involved in the sale of Yosef. Yosef and Binyamin were not in the count of the tribes involved in the sale.

Yosef, after all, did not sell; he was only sold. He was not a partner in the sale, so there were only 10 brothers.

Reuven, although he was also not present at the time of the sale, was supposed to have guarded Yosef. Therefore, he is also considered among the 10 in the sale. Reuven, why are you leaving? If you leave, they will sell Yosef. Sit by the pit, and at night when they won't see, take Yosef back to Father.

Reuven should have carried Yosef on his shoulders; then the Mashiach would have come immediately.

The Rambam (Maimonides) says that when the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) is built, the Great Sanhedrin (High Court) will sit in the Lishkas HaGazis (Chamber of Hewn Stone), so we believe it will be built at any moment. The 1st of Shevat is the moment the Beis HaMikdash should be built, on the day Moshe explained the Torah. Within 40 days until the 7th of Adar, Moshe revealed the entire Torah to them; everything they had learned in 40 years, he repeated for them in 30 days — The Tzaddik can teach everything he taught over the course of 40 years, he teaches it now in 30 days.

From the 1st until the 7th, Moshe pleaded — "And I pleaded (Va'eschanan)" (Deuteronomy 3:23), 515 prayers. The Toldos Rabbi Akiva explains what "Va'eschanan" is: 6,000, Tzaddik Vav Vav. How did he arrive at this date? What's this about? What?

It is brought in the Rebbe of Ozhurov (Rabbi Moshe Yechiel HaLevi Epstein (1889-1971), the Admor of Ozhurov-Chenchin, member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and winner of the Israel Prize for Torah Literature in 1968); he explains it, and no one else knows how to explain it. There are those who try to explain, but no one really knows; therefore, a person must go over all the books. Every book explains something else, a different Midrash.

So here (in the Ozhurov Rebbe's work) in letter B, it is written that in the year 6093... what does this date have to do with anything? How do we reach 6093 years?

So he explains: How much is "Va'eschanan"? 515. Everyone knows this is the Gematria of 'Shirah' (song). This means that one must say song — if you want the prayer to be accepted, say song before the prayer. Sing 'Odeh L'Kel', sing 'Kah Ribon', sing 'Yedid Nefesh'.

Without song, the prayer is not accepted.

The Baal HaTurim says on the spot, "Etchanan" (I will plead), that only through song, by him singing, through song will the prayers be accepted. But Hashem said to Moshe, you cannot continue to pray... so how much is Va'eschanan? Va'eschanan comes out to exactly 6093. Why? Because Va'eschanan was in the year 2488.

They left Egypt in 2448; after 40 years they reached the border of the plains of Moab, and then was the time of Va'eschanan. If they were to travel from 2488 until 6093, that is exactly 3605 (6093 - 2488 = 3605).

3605 is divisible by 515 (Va'eschanan). If you multiply 515 by 7, it equals 3605, since every prayer that Moshe prayed was for 7 years. Every prayer that Moshe Rabbeinu prayed—look, now there is already what's happening in Gaza... he prayed for another 289 years.