Past, Present, & Future

According to Kabbala and Chasiddus, the Torah has 600,000 letters corresponding to the 600,000 Jews who received the Torah at Mount Sinai. In fact there are only 304,805 letters to be precise in the Torah, but if you count the gaps between the words and the crowns (tagin) on top of the letters it comes to 600,000.

Our Sages teach us that the Pesukim (verses) in the Torah teach us about the corresponding year in Jewish history and future. The total number of Pesukim in all the Torah (5 books) are 5845.

The Hebrew year '5698' תרצ"ח written out spells the word, 'tirtzach' which means, 'you will murder.' For those who do not recognize the year 5698, it corresponded to 1938--the year of the infamous 'Kristallnacht Pogrom' in Germany, and the official beginning of the 'Final Solution'.

The year 5698 (1938) - תרצ"ח is the 5698th Passuk in the Torah. (Deut 29,26) "Hashem was angered and brought upon you all the curses that are written here". The portion read during the Holocaust is Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8, corresponding to the 7 years of WWII. This portion includes curses for straying from the Torah, describing in explicit detail what can be construed as a Holocaust. The connection to the above verse is self-evident.

(Sandhedrin סנהדרין צ"ז)
First year: והמטרתי על עיר אחת ועל עיר אחת לא אמטיר
I sent rain on one town and kept it back from another: one part was rained on, and the part where there was no rain became a waste.

Corresponding to the year 5762/2002 (Ha'azinu (Hebrew for "listen") Chapter 32;10)
יִמְצָאֵהוּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִדְבָּר, וּבְתֹהוּ יְלֵל יְשִׁמֹן; יְסֹבְבֶנְהוּ, יְבוֹנְנֵהוּ יִצְּרֶנְהוּ, כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינוֹ.
He found him in a desert land, and in the waste, a howling wilderness; He compassed him about, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.

2nd year: חיצי רעב משתלחים arrows of hunger sent

Corresponding to the year 5763/2003 (Ha'azinu Chapter 32;11)
כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ, עַל-גּוֹזָלָיו יְרַחֵף; יִפְרֹשׂ כְּנָפָיו יִקָּחֵהוּ, יִשָּׂאֵהוּ עַל-אֶבְרָתוֹ
As an eagle that stirreth up her nest, hovereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her pinions

3rd year: רעב גדול, ומתים אנשים ונשים וטף, חסידים ואנשי מעשה, ותורה משתכחת מלומדיה.
Hunger and many die including children and women and chassidim. Torah will be forgotten from the learned.

Corresponding to the year 5764/2004 (Ha'azinu; Chapter 32;12)
יְהוָה, בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ; וְאֵין עִמּוֹ, אֵל נֵכָר
The LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with Him.

4th year: שובע, ואינו שובע partial plentiful

Corresponding to the year 5765/2005 (Ha'azinu Chapter 32;13)
יַרְכִּבֵהוּ עַל-במותי (בָּמֳתֵי) אָרֶץ, וַיֹּאכַל תְּנוּבֹת שָׂדָי; וַיֵּנִקֵהוּ דְבַשׁ מִסֶּלַע, וְשֶׁמֶן מֵחַלְמִישׁ צוּר
He made him ride on the high places of the earth, and he did eat the fruitage of the field; and He made him to suck honey out of the crag, and oil out of the flinty rock;

5th year: שובע גדול, ואוכלין ושותין ושמחין, ותורה חוזרת ללומדיה.
Plenty plentiful, eating and drinking with happiness and Torah is returned to its learners.

Corresponding to the year 5766/2006 (Ha'azinu Chapter 32;14)
חֶמְאַת בָּקָר וַחֲלֵב צֹאן, עִם-חֵלֶב כָּרִים וְאֵילִים בְּנֵי-בָשָׁן וְעַתּוּדִים, עִם-חֵלֶב, כִּלְיוֹת חִטָּה;וְדַם-עֵנָב, תִּשְׁתֶּה-חָמֶר.
Curd of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and he-goats, with the kidney-fat of wheat; and of the blood of the grape thou drankest foaming wine.

6th year: קולות Voices (threats)

Corresponding to the year 5767/2007 (Ha'azinu Chapter 32;15)
וַיִּשְׁמַן יְשֻׁרוּן וַיִּבְעָט, שָׁמַנְתָּ עָבִיתָ כָּשִׂיתָ; וַיִּטֹּשׁ אֱלוֹהַּ עָשָׂהוּ, וַיְנַבֵּל צוּר יְשֻׁעָתוֹ
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked--thou didst wax fat, thou didst grow thick, thou didst become gross--and he forsook God who made him, and contemned the Rock of his salvation.

7th year: מלחמות Wars

Corresponding to the year 5768/2008 (Ha'azinu Chapter 32;16)
יַקְנִאֻהוּ, בְּזָרִים; בְּתוֹעֵבֹת, יַכְעִיסֻהוּ
They roused Him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations did they provoke Him.

Moshe Rabenu proclaims that HaShem is perfect in deed, just, faithful, true, and upright. HaShem’s children are unworthy, a crooked generation that played God false, ill requiting the Creator. Moshe Rabenu exhorts Am Israel to remember that in ages past, HKB'H assigned the nations their homes and their due, but chose Bnei Israel as HaSghem’s chosen people. HaShem found the Israelites in the desert, watched over them, guarded them, like an eagle who rouses his nestlings, gliding down to his young, HaShem spread His wings and took Israel, HKB'H alone guided Israel. HaShem set Am Israel atop the highlands to feast on the yield of the earth and fed them honey, oil, curds, milk, lamb, wheat, and wine. Am Israel grew fat and kicked and forsook HKB'H, incensed with alien things, and sacrificed to demons and no-gods.

End of 7th year, Ben David arrives במוצאי שביעית בן דוד בא.

'Turn over in it [Torah], turn over in it, for everything is in it [Torah] ...' (Pirkei Avot 5:26)