Category Archives: Holidays

Iran in Prophecy

As we witness incredible events in the Middle East, it is worth reviewing and summarizing ancient prophecies that speak of Iran at the End of Days. First is Ezekiel’s prophecy of Gog u’Magog (Ch. 38-39), where he lists Persia (Paras) as the first ally of Gog in the final apocalyptic war against Israel. The Persian regime goes on to be described as the main adversary in many rabbinic prophecies. Nearly two millennia ago, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught that “If you see a Persian horse tied up to the graves of the land of Israel, expect the footsteps of Mashiach.” (Shir haShirim Rabbah 8:9) In other words, when Persian military might is causing deaths in Israel, God forbid, the Final Redemption is near. Tragically, one woman was killed today in Tel-Aviv from an Iranian missile. Let us pray it is the last grave in Israel caused by a “Persian horse”.

In the 7th century Sefer Zerubavel (explored fully and in depth in the recent class on ‘Trump, Iran and the Year of the Horse, Part 2’), Persia again plays a big role. We are told that the king of Persia, referred to as “Seroy”, will launch attacks against Israel: “Seroy the king of Persia will attack Nehemiah ben Hushiel and Israel, and there will be great suffering in Israel.” Here, Nehemiah ben Hushiel is the title given to Mashiach ben Yosef. The suffering won’t last long, though, and Hashem “will place a spirit of confusion upon [the Persian army], and they will kill one another, each (slaying) his companion or his countryman. The wicked one [Seroy] will die.” The Persian king will die early on in the war, perhaps at the very beginning. This is important to keep in mind as we now have reports confirming the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khameini. Meanwhile, Iran’s remaining leadership is in disarray, and some of them are calling for mercy and “de-escalation”. (Incredibly, Sefer Zerubavel begins by stating that the prophecy was relayed on the 11th of Adar—precisely the date on which Khameini was eliminated!)

A 1987 gold-plated medal minted by Saddam Hussein, depicting his own face alongside Nebuchadnezzar’s.

The death of Khameini is significant, especially on Shabbat Zachor (when we read about Amalek), and on the cusp of Purim, which commemorates the death of another genocidal Persian figure, the Amalekite Haman. The alliteration of Haman and Khameini is unmissable. Moreover, the Zohar (II, 58b) prophecies that at the End of Days, God will bring back all the old oppressors of Israel and punish them one last time: “The Holy One, blessed be He, shall resurrect those kings that distressed Israel and Jerusalem, such as ‘Adrianus’ [Vespasian] and ‘Lupinus’ [Titus], Nebuchadnezzar and Sancheriv, and all the other kings of the world that took part in the destruction of His House…” In the past, I’ve noted how Saddam Hussein believed himself to be the reincarnation of Nebuchadnezzar. He spoke about it openly, built his palace over the archaeological remains of Nebuchadnezzar’s palace, and minted coins superimposing his face over Nebuchadnezzar’s, among other things. Saddam was president of Iraq, which is modern-day Babylon. It is quite possible that Iran’s Khameini is the modern-day version of ancient Iran’s Haman.

Another well-known prophecy about Persia in the End of Days is in the Talmud (Yoma 10a). Here, the Sages debate whether Rome will ultimately fall to Persia, or will Persia ultimately fall to Rome? Now, it is important to remember that in the time when the Talmud was written, the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire were locked in a centuries-long war. In fact, the Roman-Persian War is one of history’s longest, officially dated from 54 BCE to 628 CE, a whopping 681 years! The peshat here in the Talmud is that the Sages were debating how that Roman-Persian war they were mired in at the time would end. Some thought Rome would win and some thought Persia would win. The debate concludes with Rav Yehuda citing a teaching from Rav (in Sanhedrin 98b) that “The son of David will come only when the wicked kingdom of Rome spreads its dominance throughout the world for nine months.” This implies that Rome would ultimately win over Persia. Right now, we are certainly seeing the modern-day “Roman Empire” displaying its dominance over the whole world, Persia included.

Sasanian and Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empires in 600 CE, before the rise of Islam

Finally, no discussion of Iran in prophecy would be complete without the well-known Midrash in Yalkut Shimoni II, 499 (worth reading the whole passage!) Amidst a long discussion of the Light of Creation and the Light of Mashiach, we are told that “In the year that King Mashiach will be revealed, all the kings of the nations of the world will taunt each other. The king of Persia will taunt the king of Arabia. And the king of Arabia will go to Aram to get advice from them…” Standard versions of the text today typically say “Aram” (ארם) here, but it is far more likely that original manuscripts said “Edom” (אדם), which makes a lot more sense both then and now. It is interesting to note that Iran responded today by attacking neighbouring Arab countries as well, and one of the first victims (outside Iran) was a citizen in the United Arab Emirates. Also revealed in the news now is that Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was encouraging Trump to launch the attack on Iran despite presenting himself publicly as being opposed to it.

The prophecy continues to say that in the midst of this war “the king of Persia returns and destroys the entire world…” A desperate Persian regime will, it seems, unleash something terrible upon the world. Not to worry, though, because Hashem says “My children, do not be afraid! All that I have done, I have only done for your sake. Why are you afraid? Do not be afraid, the time of your redemption has arrived!” Shortly after, Mashiach is revealed (referred to here in the Midrash as “Ephraim”) to bring an end to the war and peace and prosperity to Israel: “At that time, the Holy One, blessed be He, will raise up Mashiach to the highest Heavens, and spread upon him some of His glory, before the nations of the world and before the wicked Persians. They tell him: ‘Ephraim, our righteous Mashiach, judge them and do as you wish with them…’”

Here, the Midrash describes that Persian forces are not alone in the area, but that “Not one or two kingdoms come upon him, but one hundred and forty kingdoms surround him.” As I first suggested a couple of years ago in this shiur on Mashiach ben Yosef, this may be referring to the United Nations peacekeeping forces which officially have troops from about 140 nations. In addition, Trump’s “International Stabilization Force” in Gaza (with its headquarters in Kiryat Gat, Israel) will soon bring in troops from all over the world, including 8000 already committed by Indonesia (the world’s largest Muslim country, no less). Just this past week, I spoke to a friend in Indonesia who told me his taxi driver’s soldier son is already on the way to Gaza!

The Midrash does not provide an exact timeline, but does mention one clue: “Our Rabbis taught: The Patriarchs are destined to stand in Nisan and say: ‘Ephraim, our righteous Mashiach, even though we are your forefathers, you are better than us because you suffered the sins of our children and harsh and evil things have befallen you which have not befallen the former ones or the latter ones…’” The Patriarchs are worried that Mashiach will not want to save his people because of all the torment they caused him, but he reassures the Patriarchs that “All that I have done I have only done for you and for your children to enjoy this goodness that the Holy One, blessed be He, has bestowed upon Israel.” The Patriarchs reply: “Ephraim, our righteous Mashiach, rest your mind for you have rested the mind of your Maker and our minds.” Hopefully, the Nisan referenced to here is the forthcoming Nisan next month.

‘Zerubbabel shows Cyrus the Great a plan of the rebuilt Jerusalem’ by Jacob van Loo (1614-1670)

Finally, it is worth remembering that it was the Persian emperor Cyrus who liberated the Jews some 2500 years ago and allowed them to rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. We read in Isaiah 45:1 that Cyrus is surprisingly referred to as God’s meshicho, “anointed one”. Our Sages (Megillah 12a) discuss this puzzle and conclude that, of course, he was not the Messiah. So what might we learn from it instead? Perhaps it is a prophetic allusion for the present day: that Mashiach has a Persian connection, that we should expect Iran to once again play a big role, and that they will once again pave the way for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, speedily and in our days.

Wishing Everyone a Happy & Meaningful Purim!

Purim Learning Resources:
Secrets of Purim (Video)
Who is Ahashverosh?
Queen Esther’s Kabbalah (Video) 
The Secret, Secret Story of Stalin’s Purim Death
A Mystical Peek Into Megillat Esther

The Spiritual Significance of Fruits

This Sunday evening brings Tu b’Shevat, the “New Year for Trees” and the start of a new agricultural and fruit-tithing season. Fruits play a huge role in Judaism, starting right at the beginning of the Torah with a special double-blessing on Day Three of Creation when fruit-bearing trees emerged. Then comes the Forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, setting in motion all of history as we know it. The importance of fruits carries over into the Talmud, where the Sages teach that a Torah scholar should not live in a place that does not have a wide variety of fruits! The passage (Sanhedrin 17b) begins like this:

וְתַנְיָא: כׇּל עִיר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ עֲשָׂרָה דְּבָרִים הַלָּלוּ אֵין תַּלְמִיד חָכָם רַשַּׁאי לָדוּר בְּתוֹכָהּ: בֵּית דִּין מַכִּין וְעוֹנְשִׁין, וְקוּפָּה שֶׁל צְדָקָה נִגְבֵּית בִּשְׁנַיִם וּמִתְחַלֶּקֶת בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה, וּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת, וּבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ, וּבֵית הַכִּסֵּא, רוֹפֵא, וְאוּמָּן, וְלַבְלָר, וְטַבָּח, וּמְלַמֵּד תִּינוֹקוֹת. מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אָמְרוּ: אַף מִינֵי פֵירָא, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמִּינֵי פֵירָא מְאִירִין אֶת הָעֵינַיִם

And it is taught: A Torah scholar is not permitted to reside in any city that does not have these ten things: A court that has the authority to flog and punish transgressors; and a charity fund for which monies are collected by two people and distributed by three. And a synagogue; and a bathhouse; and a public restroom; a doctor; and a craftsman; and a scribe; and a ritual slaughterer; and a teacher of young children. They said in the name of Rabbi Akiva: The city must also have varieties of fruit, because fruits illuminate the eyes.

It’s easy to see how the ten requirements neatly parallel the Ten Sefirot: a charity fund is Chessed, while a beit din is Gevurah (or Din). A doctor (rof’e) is tied directly to Tiferet, the root of balance and healing. A beit knesset is a place to connect and communicate with the Eternal One, Netzach. The bathhouse is tied to the Sefirah of Hod (as explained in detail in the recent class on health). Today’s equivalent of the Roman bathhouses they used to have in Talmudic times is probably something like a country club or fitness room (with amenities like pool, sauna, and hot tub). A restroom corresponds to Yesod for obvious reasons. Thankfully, we live in an age where there are restrooms everywhere, including in our own homes. A craftsman who can construct things ties to the “kingdom” of Malkhut. (In fact, numerically, the value of “craftsmanship”, אמנות, is 497, one more than Malkhut, מלכות, which is 496.) Rashi says that “craftsman” here is referring to a bloodletter (also discussed in the same class on health linked to above). Kabbalistically, blood parallels the lowest level of soul, the nefesh, which parallels Malkhut.

The remaining three correspond to the upper three Sefirot, the Mochin. The shochet to Binah (since he must be both God-fearing and Torah-learned, but also knowledgeable in the biology and physiology of the animals), the teacher to Chokhmah (as his job is to spread wisdom and educate others), and the scribe to Keter (for reproducing the Word and Will of God). Then Rabbi Akiva adds an eleventh requirement, which is appropriate since there is a hidden “eleventh” Sefirah, too, the opposite face of Keter, called Da’at. The requirement corresponding to Da’at is having fruits, fittingly reminding us of the Etz haDa’at, the Forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The big question is: why are fruits so important that they are a fundamental requirement for a Torah scholar?

The simple answer that Rabbi Akiva gives is that fruits are good for the eyes. Indeed, fruits are very nutritious and have things like vitamin A (retinol) which is helpful for vision, as well as different pigments that help with eye health. Today we know that carotenoids (which give fruits and vegetables their yellow and orange colours) protect the eye’s retina, while anthocyanins (which make fruits and flowers blue or purple) have been shown to boost rhodopsin proteins which allow one to see. Evidence suggests that both lycopene (the red pigment) and vitamin C reduce cataracts, the leading cause of blindness. So, modern science confirms Rabbi Akiva’s teaching. And it’s all the more important for Torah scholars to have good vision since they spend so many hours a day pouring over books and fine print.

Fruits are also important for Jewish practice, and are intricately tied to the Jewish calendar. We need various fruit and tree varieties for Rosh Hashanah simanim, and for the four species of Sukkot; to fulfil mitzvot like orlah and bikkurim, to recite a bor’e pri ha’etz blessing, to make charoset for Pesach, and to conduct a proper Tu b’Shvat seder. So, of course, having access to fruit is absolutely vital for a Torah scholar. That said, how can we understand Rabbi Akiva’s teaching on a deeper level?

Rabbi Akiva says that fruits are meirin et ha’eynaim, “illuminate the eyes”. This is a clear allusion to the Garden of Eden, where the Serpent told Eve that if she eats of the Fruit, “your eyes will be open and you will become like Elohim” (Genesis 3:5). The next verse says that Eve now saw that the Fruit was good to eat and “desirable for the eyes”. And the following verse says that once Adam and Eve consumed the Fruit, “the eyes of both of them were opened”. There is a constant repetition of “opening eyes” in relation to the Fruit, taking us right back to Rabbi Akiva’s teaching of fruits being good for opening one’s eyes. Because, ultimately, what is the purpose of the Torah scholar? The goal is cosmic tikkun, rectification, restoring the world to its primordial holy state, as it was in the Garden of Eden. That means reversing the “primordial sin” of the Forbidden Fruit—and the curses that came about as a result—and recreating a reality where Hashem is openly revealed.

So a Torah scholar needs ten things to facilitate this work and to accomplish that ultimate goal. What follows is “illuminating” one’s eyes as it was originally for Adam and Eve, where they could see Hashem openly revealed and communicate with Him directly. Recall that Rabbi Akiva’s primary disciple, Rabbi Meir, taught that Adam and Eve were originally clothed with “garments of light” (כׇּתְנוֹת אוֹר), and only after did that get replaced with “garments of skin” (כׇּתְנוֹת עוֹר), or “garments of leather” (3:21). Rabbi Akiva specifically uses the expression meirin et ha’eynaim, reminding us of Rabbi Meir’s teaching about being able to see the divine light openly revealed. This is the world we are working towards—and something deeper to meditate on as we consume our illuminating Tu b’Shevat fruits.

Chag Sameach!  

Chanukah & the Final Redemption

What is the true meaning of Chanukah? Did the Jews really defeat the Greeks, and what did the ancient Jewish Sages actually think of Greek philosophy and the Greek language? What does it have to do with bringing about the Final Redemption and the Messianic Age? And how is it all concealed in the Torah portion of Miketz. Find out in this class as we take a deep dive into the Messianic process and reveal the surprising truth about the relationship between Judaism and Hellenism.