Secret Date of the End

In the sefer (book) Sifra Detzeniuta written by the Gaon of Vilna, zs'l, chapter 5 reveals the secret date of the end of the galut (exile). The GR"A administered an oath in the name of the Go.d of Israel that those that are able to decipher the secret date of the Redemption may not reveal it to anyone.

Why did the Gaon of Vilna merit to know the date of the redemption? The Rav of the Israel's Orthodox, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zs'l, explained, "Any other person that wants to know the date of the end - it is very doubtful that he'll be worthy that Shamayim will reveal it to him but not others. The G"RA learned the entire Torah for the sake of heaven, and when he reached the secrets told in sefer (prophet) Daniel (zs'l) about the end of days, he wanted to know the authentic explanations. Because he learned the entire Torah for the sake of heaven, Shamayim did not withhold from him to completely understand the secrets written in Sefer Daniel. The basic rule is that whomever toils in the Torah properly and learns it for the sake of heaven, Shamayim does not withhold from this person the complete understanding of the Torah."

The Vilna Gaon sealed his words and although he administered an oath that the end should not be revealed, in the Volozhin Yeshiva, at the time of Rabbi Chaim Volozhin, zs'l, author of "Nefesh HaChaim" (a student of the GR"A), there was one person who was able to decipher the secret date according to the GR'A. When Reb Chaim Volozhin saw that the world is exuberant after this person to reveal this secret, he announced that this person can reveal the GR"A's secrets and there is no longer any obstacle not to reveal it. When this person stood to explain the GR'A's secrets of the end, his face became bent (warped).

The Gaon Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, Head of Rabbinical Court ראב"ד, heard from his teacher and Rav, Rabbi Moshe Shneider, zs'l, at the time of communist Russian, when wicked Czar Nicholas of Russia tore Jewish children out of their parent's arms and drafted them into the army, everyone in Russia agreed that the time is very close to Moshiach's arrival. There was one old Mekubal, a very holy man, that said, "The GR'A hinted in Sifra Detzeniuta the date that Moshiach will arrive but he administered an oath that if anyone deciphers the date, they should not reveal it. We are all imagining that Moshiach is about to appear, but according to the calculation of the GR"A, there is still plenty more time. I am afraid that now that everyone is expecting Moshiach and Moshiach will not show up, there will be great disappointments and it might, c'v, cause Jews to leave the faith. In this special situation, especially that the GR"A said that it's a Mitzvah to reveal in such situations, I'll reveal to you the date..." - that second, the old Mekubal fainted and suffer suffered a heart attack. He died infront of all the assembled Jews, zs'l.

In the sefer written about the Tzaddik Rabbi Yosef Zundel Salant, zs'l, it is said that he knew the end date that the GR'A referred to and when Jews persistently pleaded that he should reveal it, he said, "Once when I was by the Gaon Rabbi Avraham son of the GR"A, zs'l, we spoke much regarding the secret that the GR"A wrote in Sifra Detzeniuta. That same night I saw in my dream an old man with a face that held a grudge. The following morning I investigated what the GR"A looked like, and from the description I heard, it was the same old man I saw in my dream. From this I understood that I'm not worthy to study this matter."

The Gaon HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky, zs'l, author of "Chazon Yechezkel" said that when he spoke with his Rav Gaon Chaim HaLevy of Brisk, zs'l, concerning the end according to the GR"A, a student came to the Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin and told him that he toiled and found the end date that is hinted by the GR"A, but because the GR"A warned not to reveal the date, he cannot reveal it." The Gaon Harav Yechezkel Abramsky said afterwards that this student did not decipher the real end date. On this, the Rav Gaon Chaim HaLevy of Brisk said, "From this words of the Gaon Harav Yechezkel Abramsky, I learned that he himself knows the authentic end date according to the GR'A."

The Gaon HaRav Yechezkel Abramsky told that after his conversation with his Rav, Gaon Chaim HaLevy of Brisk, he asked, "How do we know that the GR"A really knew the end date? Rabbi Akiva, zs'l, also erred when he thought that Bar Kochva was the Moshiach. Is it not possible that the GR"A also erred?". The Gaon Chaim HaLevy of Brisk answered him, "The mistake of Rabbi Akiva was thinking that Bar Kochva is the Moshiach. The end date of the GR"A is not about who is the Moshiach but it's a calculation when the Moshiach is forced to arrive and in this calculations, an error is not a possibility".

Translated from Ma'amar of HaRav Yosef Chaim Lazerson, קובץ ישורון from תשרי תשנ"ט.