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text: Kol HaTor
  קול התור
  Kol HaTor : Chapter 3
  
  
  Kol HaTor
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Special help from Heaven is given when gathering in the exiles at the beginning of the Redemption. The task with all its major and minor details--# its designated deeds, designated times and designated emissaries’ -- are hinted at in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, as well as in the writings of our Sages, both openly and concealed, according to the holy and wonderful revelations of the Vilna Gaon. The Gaon was sent from Heaven to uncover the hints in the Torah, as the footsteps of the Mashiach approached in the process of the revealed end. No secret was hidden from him. The Gaon knew where the holy Torah hints at the name of every man of Israel, as well at his destined role in the salvation of Israel, in deed and in numerology, based on ‘the name causes,’ as revealed in gematria and acrostics. The Gaon, whose name equals 52 in gematria, saw 52 holy hints which revealed his own destiny.
  While we were standing in darkness on the threshold of the Redemption, at the first sounds of ‘the voice of the turtle-dove, ’ with neither priest nor prophet nor Urim v”Tumim to show us the essentials of the road, let alone its details, even minor ones--then God sent us the light of Mashiach ben Yosef, that is, Rabbi Eliyahu, the Vilna Gaon, to reveal hints in the Torah regarding the footsteps of the Mashiach, etc. From all 156 aspects of Mashiach ben Yosef, noted above in Chapter 2, Section 1, and from the verses containing the destiny of the Gaon during the footsteps of the Mashiach, as well as at their approach--from all these we can learn much about our function at the beginning of the Redemption. They are for us, “the last generation, ” like the Urim and Tumim and like the Shulchan Aruch, with regard to the End of Days with the help of God. This is what is meant by the verse: [Ps. 43:14] [generally interpreted: “in order that you relate to the last generation” fn.]. The word comes from the root of “counting.” Thus the verse means “in order that you count for the last generation, ” referring to gematria.
  In many of his compositions, the Gaon discusses at length that all the internal aspects of the holy Torah, the upper lights, the intentions of the written and oral Torah, all the worlds, and the upper and lower creations are concealed in hints in the Torah and in the writings of our Sages. There is nothing that is not alluded to in the Torah; there is nothing that is not alluded to in the Bible; there is nothing that is not alluded to in the Mishna. Likewise, there is nothing about the footsteps of the Mashiach that is not alluded to in the Gaon’s Megillat Storim. All the hints are found in numbers as revealed by the verse: in “Who brings out their hosts by number; He calls each of them by name” [Isa. 40:26]. This means that every single creation has its own basic number, and the destiny of each one, according to his particular name and basic number, is hinted at in the Torah, and revealed in deed and in numerology, i.e., in calculating the letters of the Torah according to gematria and notrikun. Note the verse: ! [Ps. 46:9] “go and visualize the acts of the Lord Who has allotted devastation to the land.” Do not read with a ‘patach under the shin’ [meaning “Who has allotted devastation”] , but with a ‘tsere’ under the ‘shin’ [meaning “Who has allotted names”][See Talmud Bavli, Brachot, 7b]. Condiments to wisdom, the names are vessels that receive the upper attributes from the world of emanation through the letters that constitute the name. The letters may have significance in their simple form, or in their filled-out form, or in the filled-out form of the filled-out letters ad infinitum. The general and particular roles of every creature and every person are hinted at in his name as well as in the Torah according to gematria. The Gaon, in his commentary on Safra D’Tzniuta, writes as follows: “the rule is that whatever was, is now and will be till the end--all are included in the Torah from the word “in the beginning” to “before the eyes of all Israel.” Not only the general principles, but even the details regarding every species, and details concerning each individual person are found in the Torah, as well as whatever happens to him from the day of his birth to the end of his days, and all his gilgulim including all major and minor details, and all the details regarding every species of domesticated and wild animal, as well as every living creature in the world and all grass and everything that grows and inanimate objects, all the details are recorded regarding their species and genders and what belongs to every species to the end, and what will happen to them and their root. Likewise, whatever is written about our forefathers and about Moshe and Israel--all occur in every generation because their sparks appear in every generation, as is known. In addition, all their deeds from Adam until the end of the Torah occur in every generation, as is known to those who understand. This is also true of every individual as the Gaon began to explain through hints in the Midrash HaNe’elam. All of this is included in the Torah in parshat “Breshit” until parshat “Noah” as is written here with the help of God, ” etc.
  The Gaon was sent from Heaven to reveal the hints in the Torah at the approach of the footsteps of the Mashiach, that is, the “designated deeds, designated times, and designated emissaries” till the final end. According to the Gaon, these are hinted at in gematria. We see that almost all the new interpretations and revelations of the Gaon in his writings on Kabbalah, that amount to thousands, are based on wonderful hints that he uncovered through his holy spirit. Heaven granted him all this so that he would reveal what will occur during the period of the footsteps of the Mashiach, if it comes at its designated time, for all of this applies when Israel does not merit the period occurring ahead of time.
  Every person in Israel must do his utmost to reach the level of the supreme numbers concealed within his name which can be computed in gematria. These are hinted at in the Torah in connection with the specific mission of the individual, each person by his flag, with the signs of his forefathers. It says regarding this: “may the might of my Lord be magnified” [Num. 14:17], etc. As the Gaon explained (see the Tikunei Zohar Chadash [Tikun 74a]), this verse refers to the “deed and gematria” mentioned in Lamentations (Ch. 9:10). Each person must achieve what is concealed in the gematria of his name. Otherwise, he may have to undergo a new gilgul to repair what he did not complete in this gilgul, for whoever does not know the gematria concealed in his name, will go down to the Sheol. The Gaon says, in his commentary on Tikunei Zohar Chadash, that a person should achieve whatever is indicated by his gematria, with the might of his hand. As it says: “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” [Koh. 9:10] for there is neither deed nor gematria [calculation] in the Sheol “grave, ” which means that in the grave you will be unable to achieve the “deed and gematria.” Knowing this, everyone will realize how he must fulfill his unique mission in this world. As the footsteps of the Mashiach approach, more and more gematria hints appear that contain secrets of general and private designated deeds. Indeed, “every valley will be raised, ” etc. And the gematria are condiments to wisdom as noted in the holy Zohar (Tikun 70), where the Gaon explained that according to our Sages, this refers to the wisdom of scribes, etc. 
  Numerology and deeds connected with gematria are “condiments” to wisdom. In the word, which refers to the vessels, the letters [in gematria, 280] appear twice, thus alluding to the twice 280 Dinim [the opposite of Chesed]. The characteristic of gematria is that every attribute of the upper lights is clothed in a particular number. The number is found in the letters combined to form the words that describe that particular attribute, and its purpose in the world of making, the lower world; and the attribute is included in verses of the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. Every mission as well as the name of the emissary in every generation are clothed and held together by the gematria of the verses concerning the mission; likewise regarding the name of the emissary, in accord with the root of his soul and the merit of the fathers that is designated for each individual. This is what is meant by the verse “Who brings out their hosts by number” [Isa. 40:26], i.e., each legion has its special number. [Isa. 40:26] “He calls each of them by name [by all that is included in the name of the creature].” Happy is the man who achieves, and reaches [that goal] by the might of his hand and his good deeds. The purpose of “deed and numerology, ” as explained by the Gaon, is so that a person will not fall into Sheol, i.e., another gilgul, God forbid. Happy is he who achieves by the might of his deeds the level of his mission that is hidden in the gematria of his name.
  All this will be revealed to him in the World of Truth, but it is preferable for one to achieve this knowledge in his lifetime, so that he will be stronger in his special mission in this world, because one who is commanded and fulfills the commandment stands high. A word to the wise is sufficient.
  The ways to achieve such knowledge, is first of all, by the deeds themselves, etc., and/or like the lot of the Gaon, when revealed in . deed and gematria, or in the “silver goblet” [Gen. 44:2]. This is what is meant by the verse: [Isa. 56:5] “I will give them a hand and a name in my house and within my walls.” This refers to deed and gematria, as explained above. “A hand” refers to the “might of Your [God’s] hand”; “a name” refers to the gematria of the name of anyone who occupies himself with building Jerusalem. Thus all the main intentions with regard to building Jerusalem are concealed in gematria according to our Sages. See their comments (Baba Batra 75b) on the verse! “Jerusalem will be settled without walls” [Zach. 2:8], and on the matter of , etc. All these are hinted at in gematria, as the Rashbam explains there [in the future, God will add gardens to Jerusalem, numbering a thousand times the numerical value of 169] [Baba Batra 75b]. My heart tells me clearly that had I been born only to understand what the Gemara means here, it was worthwhile for us, as I will explain, God willing, in Chapter 7.
  Whoever sees hints in verses of the Bible and of our Sages, regarding his own name and mission, is obligated to fortify himself with them with all his strength and desire, for this is the reason he was created, and this is why his soul came to this world, the world of making.
  The Vilna Gaon was sent from Heaven to reveal hints of the Torah regarding the footsteps of the Mashiach on the level that his forebears did not receive permission. Even the Holy Ari did not have such permission, because he lived hundreds of years before the beginning of “the time to grant it grace” [Ps. 102:14] and “the songbird’s time” [Song of Songs 2:12]. The Gaon has written much about the paths of the beginning of the Redemption during the footsteps of the Mashiach and has given us many directives to begin the awakening from below. He did this In his holy compositions on “the hidden teachings, ” also with profound hints, but only in the manner of [Gen. 41:45] “disclosing the hidden, ” i.e., revealing what is concealed. To many of his students--in whom he saw clear signs of worthiness, and who had a keen desire to immigrate to Israel--he revealed the main hints regarding “designated deeds, times, and emissaries” on the paths of the beginning. The Gaon did this especially to anyone he considered as having reached the high level of 999 in Yesod, which is the highest level in the line of Mashiach ben Yosef (and who was hewn from the same rock [of the same root] as the Gaon). To him, the Gaon revealed the secret of the 999 footsteps of the Mashiach, and the secret of “Kol HaTor” until the final end, as well as what each individual must do to fulfill what is hinted at, for that is why he was created.
  The footsteps of the Mashiach, all the paths of the awakening from below, and all their major and minor details are hinted at in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, as well as in the works of our Sages in what is revealed and in what is concealed. According to the Gaon, all the designated deeds, times and emissaries of the footsteps of the Mashiach are hinted at in the Torah, etc.
  There is nothing that is not hinted at in the Torah, according to our Sages (Chulin 139b), even Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace. This means that even Moshe Rabbeinu, whose name appears in the Torah specifically many times, nevertheless had to have his name hinted at in a concealed manner, just like every person of Israel appears in a concealed manner, and according to the gematria of his name. The name Moshe is hidden in the verse: [Gen. 6:3] “since he is human.” According to Rashi there, the word equals [345] in gematria. The Gaon added a wonderful hint: in gematria, equals [859] because Moshe Rabbeinu is weighted against 600 thousand.
  The paths of the firmament were revealed to the Gaon. No secret was hidden from him. He saw everything from the upper lights in clear technicolor. He saw the creation of the world, and the chariot in the paths of the firmament in all their details as revealed in [ equals 391] “the voice of salvation” in which are hidden the names [ equals 391], [391], and ! [ ! equal 391]. The Gaon knew the teachings of Mashiach Tzidkenu which are the teachings concerning Eretz Israel, hinted to him from our forefather Jacob and from the verse, ! [Gen. 2:12] “the gold of that land is good” because all of Eretz Israel was enfolded in it, and it contained the teachings of the Redemption from below and from above. The three fundamental levels of , i.e., , , and , were transmitted to the Gaon from the upper lights through the holy spirits of the Holy Ari, may he rest in peace, and his student, Rabbi Haim Vital. These were revealed to the Gaon in the year 5, 500 during the first hour of the moring on the sixth day [Friday] in the 6th Millennium, when the spirit of God, the spirit of Mashiach, began to beat within his holy spirit (the Gaon was then 20 years old).
  During the period of the footsteps of the Mashiach, the Sitra Achra becomes stronger in all areas, especially against the internal nature of the Torah and against the revelation of the secrets of gematria computations that concern the footsteps of the Mashiach. This is what the Gaon explained was meant by our Sages in their statement that the wisdom of scribes will turn putrid. This is what is meant by “they taunted the footsteps of Your Mashiach” [Ps. 89:52]. Nevertheless, when the final end comes, the final days, the prophecy “every valley will be raised” will be fulfilled, and this refers to gematria, etc., as it says in the holy Zohar. As explained by the Gaon there (Tikunei Zohar, p. 139), the wisdom of scribes will turn putrid, and he (Mashiach ben Yosef ) will be debased because of our transgressions (Isa. 53:5).
  With regard to every man of Israel who was destined by Heaven to save Israel and gather in the exiles, Rabbi Eliyahu, the Vilna Gaon, knew well where his name was hinted at in the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings, each man according to his flag and the signs of his forefathers. All the Gaon’s knowledge which came to him through his holy spirit, are based on holy hints in the Bible and in the works of our Sages, in both what is revealed and what is concealed. Regarding himself, the Gaon said that his name is hinted at in the words: “‘a perfect and just stone [weight]” (this is at the end of parshat “Ki Tetzeh”). The words are a shortened form of (the name of the Gaon’s father was ! ). The following verse speaks of destroying Amalek, and is immediately followed by the verse:“when you come to the land, ” which refers to the ingathering of the exiles. This verse is comparable to “when you come to the land, you will plant, ” which means you must fulfill the commandments that depend on living in Eretz Israel. For the ingathering of the exiles depends on the blessings following the fulfillment of both verses according to our Sages in the Talmud (Megillah 17b; and Sanhedrin 98a) regarding the revealed end, and this was the Gaon’s great aspiration. Even in the haftarah [portion from the Prophets or Writings which is read weekly following the reading of the parshah]of parshat “Ki Tetzeh, ” the Gaon found his own name and his designation in the verse: “with abundant mercy I will gather you” which equals ! [606]. He also found that the verse “His tabernacle is in Shalem, and his dwelling in Zion” equals his own name plus his father’s and grandfather’s names ! [1200] {the word as written out in full in the text, and so counted accordingly). This means that Jacob is not whole except in Eretz Israel. As the verse states: [ Gen. 33:18] Jacob came to Shalem [double entendre: name of place, and meaning of wholeness]. Shalem is another name for Succota. The Vilna Gaon deemed his great mission to be connected with 999 in the light of Mashiach ben Yosef, as revealed by 999 in Yesod, that is 999 which is the highest number connected with Mashiach ben Yosef. For the Gaon considered that number hinted at in his name (that is, in his personal name as well as those of his forebears to four generations including his great-grandfather, R’ Elya the Hasid [' ' '] which altogether equal 999 in gematria). Other hints regarding his mission appear in the verses: [606, like ! ] ‘a time to gather, ’ and according to our Sages [606] ‘we raise to a holy level, ’ as well as in the verse: [479, like ] [Ps. 102:15] ‘they have favored her dirt.’ Many other hints were found by the Gaon in the Bible regarding his holy mission at the time of the beginning of the Redemption. The number of holy hints add up to [52]. Evey hint was great and holy in his eyes like the Urim v’Tumim.As our Sages said “the name causes, ” meaning that one’s mission from Heaven is revealed by his name.
  As is known, the Gaon saw his great mission in the verse: “the voice of the turtle-dove.” It appears in the verse: “the songbird’s time has arrived; the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land.” The ‘voice’ of the turtle-dove refers to Joshua. The ‘turtle-dove’ is Moshe Rabbeinu (as mentioned above in Chapter 2, 14, the aspect of ‘the voice of the turtle-dove’.At first the Gaon considered himself from the aspect of Joshua, as is hinted at in the Torah on the verse “a perfect weight” (end of parshat “Ki Tetzeh”), referring to . Following this verse is the section on destroying Amalek, which is the mission of Joshua, that is, from the left side. Thus this is the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef (see commentary of the Gaon on Tikunei Hazohar, p.27 on the verse, [Song 2:6] “his left hand under my head.” The Gaon also writes that the perfect weight is from the left side (that is, from the quality of Din). Immediately after the verses on Amalek, the Torah speaks of coming to the land of Israel. Since the Gaon then considered himself to be from the side of Joshua, that is from the aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef, he traveled to the Holy Land. However, on the way, he rose to the level of the sefira Tiferet, the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace. Then the Gaon saw his name hinted at in a verse that refers to Moshe Rabbeinu, may be rest in peace: [Isa. 54:7][606]	“‘with abundant mercy I will gather you” and realized that the gematria of the verse equals that of his name [ ! equals 606] (see section 7 of this chapter). Likewise : in gematria equals 606. Therefore, the Gaon thought that he did not have permission to enter Eretz Israel; he could only transmit to his students, as Moshe did to Joshua, that they, from the aspect of Joshua, should begin gathering in the exiles. This is “the Lord’s war against Amalek from generation to generation” [Ex. 17:16]. The Gaon gave one of his students the wonderful hint that the verse: hints at his name to three generations, and likewise the words offer a hint. 
  The Gaon was born in 5480 in the 6th Millennium. He considered this hinted at in the verse: “and Miriam took [gematria: 5480--the is considered 5000] ‘the drum’ in her hand” [Ex. 16:20] against the “Sitra Achra.” The mission of the Gaon is hinted at in the Torah in the words “a perfect weight” in parshat “Ki Tetseh”, which means the 6th hundred of the 6th Millennium. The Gaon became the light of the Mashiach when he was 20 years old in the year 5500, the first hour of the dawn in the 6th Millennium. Then the last generation began. Afterwards, he merited a revelation from our forefather Jacob, and profound secrets were revealed to him regarding all the footsteps of the Mashiach from the beginning of the Redemption up till and including the wondrous end at the end of days.
  The Gaon saw in his holy spirit that he had risen to the level 999 in Yesod and that its abundance, the abundance of good is divided into two hosts equally. There are 499 1/2 on the right, and 499 1/2 on the left. Together they add up to 1000 minus one, which is the channel of good, the highest force for war against the Sitra Achra. The Gaon wrote about this and the great hints regarding his name, when he discussed the Hebrew alphabet (Likutei Hagr”a), as noted above in Section 7.
  Nothing exists that is not hinted at in the Torah and in the Mishna. Every spiritual or material creation as well as his mission, whether holy or impure is found there. This is what is meant by our Sages (Chulin 139b) that Moshe Rabbeinu, the holiest of the created beings, was hinted at in the Torah; in contrast, Haman, the most impure being is also hinted at. Similarly, all the major and minor details of every creation, and concerning every person according to the signs of his forefathers as well as according to his accepted name, appear among the numerous hints in the Bible and in the works of our Sages.
  It is an important principle regarding hints in notrikun and in gematria that the one hinted at must appear in a word or particular verse in the Bible or in our Sages’ writings exactly as his name is written. Any hint that depends on a verse with a composite of words whose form is not exactly like what appears in the Bible or in our Sages’ words, is valueless as a holy hint. This principle applies to the basis of hints by the recorder and maintainer, in the Bible or in our Sages’ words: each item must appear in its exact language and exactly how it is written. However, whatever concerns the one hinted at, i.e., whether matter or person, can also appear according to the name accepted by the community--whether a matter of holiness or an everyday matter is involved, for the voice of the multitude is like the voice of the Almighty.
  Every man of Israel has a root above with his name according to the root of his soul and the merit of his forefathers. As is known, the name given a child at his birth is not given by chance; rather, the name is placed in the mouth of his father by Heaven according to the root of his soul. No one has less than seven numbers, all of them hinted at in the Bible or in the Talmud, sometimes in both as revealed in the deed and in gematria. This is explained by the Gaon in Tikunei Zohar Chadash. The seven numbers, revealed in the verse “each stone has seven eyes [apertures], ” come to a man on his flag in signs of his father’s house (for example: Yosef ben Jacob, Yosef ben Rachel, Yosef ben Yaacov and Rachel, Yosef ben Jacob ben Isaac, Yosef ben Jacob ben Isaac, ben Abraham, Yosef’ ... in combination with the name of his family, or Yosef’ ... in combination with the name of his work, or as called by the people). All these belong to the one hinted at, that is recorded with the numerical value on the part of the one who hints and records everyone found in the Bible and in the Talmud, as mentioned above.
  The source of the sources for the basic numbers is the first 10 creations, the ten sefirot, each of which was founded on a basic independent number. Therefore, each is called a sephira as revealed in the word . They are the first mentioned by the verse [Isa. 40:26] “Who brings out their hosts by number, ” as is known. This is true of every matter concerned with combining letters with which the Heaven and Earth were created.
  The Gaon was known to be precise regarding everyone’s name, as mentioned in the Talmud in connection with Reb Meir (Yoma 83b) regarding an innkeeper named , whose name is reminiscent of the verse:,	etc. [Deut. 32:20] “for they are a deceitful generation, ” etc. It seems that Reb Meir felt that a layer of Amalek had been attached to the particular man, since in gematria Amalek equals [240], because Amalek works through deceit, as is known. This is what I [the writer of Kol HaTor] witnessed: Once, the Gaon realized that a strange depression had taken hold of one of his students. He asked him what his family name was, and was told that it was Mallin. Then the Gaon requested that he immediately change his name since in gematria it equaled [131] Samael. At times a great righteous person who carries out many deeds has within his name one of the numbers similar to the number of the impure forces from the aspect of “God made one in contrast to the other.” Our Sages explained that this was done so that the force of holiness would overpower the contrasting force of impurity, just like the number of counters the number of Samael and his partner, Lilith [ and [611], or like counters [376]. There are other such examples, as is known. 