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Tonight is the eve of the twenty second of Shvat.[273] Twenty-two, üï, in Hebrew numerology, relates to the verse, "Through you (èü), Israel will be blessed." This verse indicates that "through you," blessing will be drawn down to each and every Jew, generating positive activities which, in turn, will lead to further activities of blessing in a pattern which will continue endlessly.

Ultimately, these activities will lead to the fulfillment of the prophecy "And G-d will wipe tears away from every face..." Tears, (äÆÄâ) in Hebrew, is numerically equivalent to 119. G-d's positive activity of wiping away tears represents an increase causing the sum to reach 120, the complete sum of human life. Therefore, when Moshe reached 120 years old, he stated "today my days and my years are completed."

The above relates to every Jew, for every Jew possesses a spark of Moshe within him. This spark of Moshe generates positive activity which, as explained above, initiates a pattern which continues to generate further positive activity forever.

The Hebrew word for "forever," olam also means "world," and also relates to the Hebrew word helam which means hiddenness. [Our world is characterized by hiddenness, the concealment of G-dliness, and this allows] for a soul, "an actual part of G-d," to be concealed, i.e., to depart from this world after its "days and years are completed," i.e., after they have been endowed with fullness and completion through good deeds. And in this context as well, the pattern mentioned above applies. Each good deed leads to more good deeds, in a never ending sequence.

The above also shares a connection to the Torah reading of the previous Shabbos which describes the giving of the Torah. Our Sages relate that after each of the Ten Commandments, "the souls of the Jews departed," a phenomenon parallel to death, and G-d revived them with the dew which He will use to resurrect the dead in the Era of the Redemption.

Similarly, in the present context, four years ago today, an "actual part of G-d," a Jewish soul ascended from this world. Each year, on the day of the yahrzeit, that soul ascends to a higher level, indeed, a level immeasurably higher than the peaks the soul had reached prevously. This is reflected in the recitation of kaddish on that day.[274]

May the soul reach the ultimate level of ascent, the level to be reached at the time of the Resurrection. And may this take place in the immediate future. For ours is the last generation of the exile and the first generation of the Redemption. And the potential for the Redemption is particularly emphasized this year, "a year imbued with wonders" and "a year of wonders in all things."

Bakol, the final word of the latter phsrase, relates to the threefold expression of blessing associated with our Patriarchs, bakol mikol kol. That expression, in turn, is numerically equivalent (192) to the Hebrew word kabetz, meaning "gather," and alluding to the ultimate ingathering of our exiles. Together with all the Jews of the present generation who will proceed to Eretz Yisrael amidst health and joy, they will be joined by "those who lie in the dust," the souls of the previous generations, who "will arise and sing."

In particular, this applies to a soul who has merited that many Jewish girls be named after her and educated in the spirit in which she lived which, in turn, came as a result of the education she was given by the Previous Rebbe.

This will be hastened by the distribution of money to be given -- with each person making an addition from their own funds -- to tzedakah. This will speed the coming of the Redemption when "the the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a dance for the righteous," a dance which will be joined by each member of the Jewish people, man, woman, and child. And they will point to G-d and say, "Behold this is the G-d in whom we put our trust."[275]

And this will take place in the immediate future. "With our youth and our elders... with our sons and our daughters," we will proceed to Eretz Yisrael "on the clouds of heaven." And "those that lie in the dust will arise and sing," with the men and women mentioned previously at our head.

   

Notes:

273. (Back to text) This year the twenty-second of the month falls on the day before Tuesday, the latter being connected with the repetition of the phrase, "And G-d saw that it was good."

274. (Back to text) The kaddish is recited each day for eleven months only in the year after the person's death. Its recitation again on the day of the yahrzeit, after not being recited on a daily basis, indicates a new ascent.

275. (Back to text) The Hebrew for "put our trust," kivinu, relates to the Hebrew word for line, kav. This implies that every Jew can draw down the G-dliness which he beholds in a direct line.