The Secret of the Vav in Hashem's Name

Almost 20 years ago I had the privilege to study in a small group with the Morah D’Asrah of St. Louis, MO, HaRav Shalom Rivkin Shlita. May he recover from his illness. We were learning from a series of lectures (Sichot) given in the year 1906 (5666) by the Rebbe Rashab, the 5th Lubavitcher Rebbe. These Sichot called the Samech Vav Sichot (named so for the year 5666, for Samech Vav is 66) are some of the greatest classics in Chassidic thought. At the time we were studying why our sages outlawed the blowing of the shofar on Rosh HaShana in years that it fell out on Shabbat. If hearing the shofar in other years was such an eternal life-saving necessity, how is it that in those unfortunate years where Rosh HaShana fell out Shabbat, we could dare not blow the shofar on the first day of Rosh HaShana. To hear the answer, you will have to study the Rebbe’s Sichot. Explaining the answer is a 100 page book in itself. One of the things that caught my ear while learning with Rabbi Rivkin was that these Sichot were given in that year, for the Rebbe Rashab said that based on the Zohar the year 5666 was the first year that Mashiach could come B’ito (in its time) whether we deserved it or not.[1] It is no accident in that same year the Rebbe Rashab instituted four cups of wine at the meal for Mashiach as part of the third meal for the afternoon of the last day of Pesach. Every other year in every other millennium prior to 2/3 of the way through the 6th millennium, if Mashiach came, it would be because we did something extraordinary to bring him. We are told by our sages, for example, that if Hizkiyahu the King of Yehudah had sung a great song of praise, a Shir, when Senchariv of Assyria came calling and his entire army was wiped out in a plague in one night, the First night of Pesach, Hizkiyahu would have been Mashiach. He failed to compose and sing his Shir, and even though Hizkiyahu was one of Yehudah’s greatest kings, about 230 years later his kingdom and the first Temple were in ruins. Each generation had its Achishena moment, an auspicious moment in that generation when under the correct spiritual conditions Mashiach would have come miraculously had we deserved it.

Century after century of intense persecution convinced G-d to lower the bar. Near the end all we had to do was get every Jew in the world to keep two Shabbatot in a row, and the Messianic era would commence. The Holocaust was the final straw. The b’ito date was set. Unless we did some sort of extraordinary teshuvah, Mashiach was coming in its time. And the date that many mekubalim in this generation thought was the Keitz (the first potential b’ito moment) was 100 years after the two thirds mark of the sixth millennium, 100 years of waiting for the birth of a new era. Just as Avraham Avinu (our Patriarch) needed to wait 100 years for the birth of his miracle baby, Yitzkhak, we would need to wait 100 years to witness our miraculous rebirth as the nation of priests that G-d meant us to be. The keitz, according to the mekubalim with whom I have spoken, is 5766.[2] Even though 5766 does not begin until this Fall, being faithful to the opinion that the Creation was in Nissan, 5766 began last month, and if this is the year of the beginning of the final redemption, that year began last month. This, by the way, has been confirmed by Rav Benaiyayu Shmueli of the Yeshivah of Mekubalim near Machane Yehudah.

It should be noted here that in the year prior to the Exodus the ten plagues began either in Av or Elul depending on one opinion or another which holds that the ten plagues took place over a period of eight months. Each plague took a month, but hail, locusts, and darkness all took place during the month of Adar according to the Ramban. Therefore according to the Ramban if the other plagues occurred one per month prior to Adar, the first plague occurred in Elul. Yet since redemption is declared in the heavenly court during Nissan, the fact that Israel would be redeemed the following Nissan (2448) was already decided in Nissan (2447) when our good buddy the Archangel Michael brought a brick up to heaven under which a Jew had been buried while his mother was enslaved in the process of building a city. Again notice Michael’s role in the process. In addition to all this, the word marror (bitter herb) has the gematraih (numerical value) 446 indicating that the last year of bitter bondage was really 2446 even though the redemption did not begin until the end of the summer in 2447. Our Pesach just passed should be compared to the one of the year 2447 by the explanation that follows:

All of this is based on the Holy Zohar on the Torah portion of Vayera from the book of Genesis. It is no accident that the Torah portion of Vayera starts off with the 99th year of Avraham’s life. It is Pesach. Three days prior he changed his destiny. He gave himself a Brit Milah, a circumcision. He is sitting in front of his tent during the heat of the day, preparing himself to welcome guests at a time when most men of lesser stature would be in bed recuperating from their surgery. Suddenly three angels show up in human form. The archangels Michael, Gavriel, and Raphael come to Avraham’s tent for an extraordinary visit. Raphael has come to heal Avraham’s wound. Gavriel is on his way to destroy the five cities of the Plain of Siddim. Raphael, additionally, will accompany Gavriel to rescue Lot from certain death in Sodom. Our advocate Michael has shown up for one purpose only: to inform Avraham of the miraculous birth of a son from his 90 year old wife at the same time next year. Gen. 18:10 שוב אשוב אליך כעת חיה והנה בן לשרה אשתך. “I will surely return to you at this time next year, there will be life. And behold your wife Sarah will have a son!” Sarah laughs at this unbelievable miracle that G-d is about to perform. She is chastised for her lack of faith, but how many of us are laughing at the prospect that Israel will be resuscitated to its youthful state of a nation intimately bound to its Creator by Pesach next year? This is precisely the point, for you see this was the Pesach of Besorot Tovot (Good Information or Tidings). We may or may not have had a visitation from Michael the Archangel, but this 99th Pesach after the year 5666 will go down in history as the year when four great Sephardic Rabbis came out and told us that the final redemption will be with us in full swing by this time next year.

It is worth noting that the name Bush appears twice backwards in “Shov Ashuv” or “I will surely return.” This, of course is a hidden reference to the fact that the son Bush will try to complete the work of his father, to make the entire world safe for Western prosperity. Yet, it is the second Bush, not the first who will send a coalition army to the northern mountains of Eretz Yisrael and into the heart of the city of Botzrah. This, by the way, is the reason that Yechezkel repeats himself in chapters 38 and 39. The second Gog fulfills the prophesy that the first Gog only partially fulfills.

(Because I am stressed for time until the completion of my final projects for my teaching certification, I have attached the answers to two letters on the above subject. I will add to this essay from time to time over the next month until my projects are done. After Shavuot I will be able to dedicate more time to dispensing information on this blog. I can tell you this, though, right now. This is not a summer for barbequing in the back yard when Jews are about to be ripped out of their homes and newly updated Qassam missiles are about to fly. This is not the summer to take that long awaited road trip to the Grand Canyon or to Niagra Falls. If you have the time and the vacation money, this is the summer to be here, when the greatest redemption in human history very possibly will commence.)

The first letter deals with the idea that 5766 is a keitz where Mashiach could come and, according to the four Sephardic Rabbis, is coming b’ito. The b’ito moment is a result of the divine power of the letter vav is G-d’s name. Vav has the value of six, and vav repeating is 666666…. According to the Zohar on page 119a of Vayera: The redemption of Israel will come about through the mystic force of the letter vav (in Hashem’s name), namely in the 6th millennium, and more precisely, after 6 seconds and half the time that remains. This is the Zohar’s way of saying the 666th year of the 6th millennium, 6 ½ months into the year. This of course is the first day of Pesach which is 6 ½ months after Rosh Hashana. 6 ½ days later is the seventh day of Pesach. This of course leads to the notion that Mashiach can potentially come b’ito starting on the afternoon of the seventh day of Pesach in the year 5666. From this the Rebbe Rashab introduced four cups of wine in the third meal of the last day of Pesach, starting in the year 5666. Another possible interpretation of this verse is that he could come b’ito in the year 5666, 2/3 of the way through the year, but the Rebbe Rashab’s interpretation stands as it is. Taking into account a repeat of the miracle in Parshat Vayera, we arrive at the keitz as calculated by the mekubalim of our generation as being Pesach 5766. At this point I will let my response to one of the letters that I have received take over, for it discusses what I believe to be the calculation for this keitz:

You have opened up a mouthful with this Zohar from VaYera. According to Kabbalah if the world was created with Chesed (lovingkindness), then Briat Haolam (Creation of the Universe) was on the 25th of Adar not on the 25th of Elul. Because Adam chose to eat of the fruit from the Eitz Hadaas (Knowledge of Good and Evil), he was judged on Rosh Hashana. Had he not eaten of this fruit, the moon would have remained full and it would have been Pesach because the world would have been in a state of "eternal Spring". The 7th day of Pesach would have been the day when he would have been brought to a new level of spiritual existence since he would have been created on Day 6 of Pesach. The important point is that we would be entering the year 5766 on Rosh Chodesh Nissan if Adam had not sinned. When the 60th year shall have passed over the threshold of the 6th millennium, the God of heaven will visit the daughter of Yakov with a preliminary remembrance. (This is the year 5060, 5160, 5260, 5360, 5460, 5560, 5660, 5760, 5860, or 5960.) The previous verse to this one tells us only after 2/3 of the way through the 6th millenium does Israel's redemption b'ito become possible. Since this is the year 5666, all other possible years prior to 5760 are not possible b'ito. The first year that this can possibly occur is 5760. Read above, In the year 5760 or at the end of the year 5760, the G-d of heaven will visit the daughter of Yakov with a preliminary remembrance. (This was the year of the Al Aksa intafada. It broke out at the end of the year 5760 when A. Sharon read from Sefer Yechezkel (Book of Ezekiel) on top of the Temple Mt. about the Third Temple.) In this year the world became a Mikva, for there are 5760 egg volumes of water in a 40 seah mikvah. Everything in the world was brought up one level of kedushah. In reference to my previous essay “Hold on to Your Seat”, it is no accident that the year 5760 was the year of Yom Kippur in the Yovel (Jubilee) cycle, for if the seven different cycles of trying to hound us through history corresponded to the seven Sabbatical cycles, the Year of Yom Kippur in the Jubilee cycle would have brought us in time to the Holy of Holies. This is easily derivable. We know that all shmittah (sabbatical) years, the seventh years in each cycle, are holy. The land lies fallow and ownerless, and at the end of every shmittah year all loans between Israelites are forgiven. Usually immediately following a shmittah year, the nation begins the cycle of counting the next seven years over again. The first year of the next cycle is an ordinary year where ownership of the fruits of the land is re-established with gifts set aside for the kohanim and tithing for the Leviim along with a second tithe which must be redeemed so that the proceeds can be spent in Yerushalayim on foods to be eaten there. At the end of seven such shmittah cycles the very next year begins as a repeat of the previous year where the land lies fallow and trees are not pruned and fruit on someone’s property can be picked by anyone. This, of course occurs as a result of a ruling by the Sanhedrin that that year, the 50th year, is a Jubilee. On Yom Kippur of that year the spiritual character of that year is differentiated from an ordinary Sabbatical year. A series of shofar blasts announces the freeing of all Hebrew slaves and the return of property to its original owner. Literally, liberty is decreed throughout the Land of Israel and to all the inhabitants thereof. Another holy year enters into the realm of the holy of holies. Since 5760 was the year of Yom Kippur of the Jubilee cycle, the holiness of the entire world was ratcheted up one notch.[3]

Using this logic, the area where the Heichal (the Temple’s main building which housed the Menorah, the Showbread table, and the Golden Altar) existed now exists the spiritual state of the Holy of Holies. If you want to ask what happens to the Holy of Holies, I was told it will have the essence of heaven itself contained within it when the divine presence descends, however this is to be understood.[4] The Ezrat Kohanim (Courtyard for the Kohanim) now has the status of the Heichal. Ezrat Yisrael (Courtyard for Israelite men) now has the status of the Ezrat Kohanim. Ezrat HaNashim (Courtyard for the women) has the kedusha status of Ezrat Yisrael. The Chil which is the retaining area around the first two Temples where the ashes of the red heifer were required for purification before entering will have the status of the Ezrat HaNashim. The entire Temple Mount will have the status of the Chil. This is the reason why the vision by Yechezkel of the Third Temple is a square and not a rectangle for the shape of the outer courtyard. The Temple will cover the entire Temple Mount, not just the middle east-west rectangle that the first two temples covered. This is also why Ariel Sharon has gone nuts ever since.[5] He ascended to a place where he should not have been in a state of tumah. His kenaius (zealotry) was considered tameh. At this time in history, one should be a qualified kanai to ascend and liberate the Temple Mt. in a proper state of purity. Our Arab half-brothers were given a sense of this spreading out of sanctity, for it was at the end of that year that they declared the Al Aksa Intafada. The Al Aksa mosque is on the Temple Mount but not on a portion of the Mount that would have been in the way of the Temple courtyards during the first two Temple periods. But in the year 5760 the Creator started preparing the world for the Third Temple, and the Al Aksa mosque is in the way. Continuing from above, Yerushalayim now has the status of the Temple Mt. Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) has the kedusha status of Yerushalayim, and the Kadur HaAretz (the ball of the earth) has the status of Eretz Yisrael. This is why the world is now ripe for judgment. 9/11 occurred within the year.

Following this above verse in the Zohar, it says: Another 6 1/2 years will then elapse, and there will be a full remembrance of her. This takes us to Pesach next year, 6 1/2 years after the onset of the Al Aksa intafada. Pesach next year is in the year 5766 exactly 100 years after Mashiach can start to come b'ito. Why does G-d wait 100 years, because the Final Redemption must re-enact and repair the blemishes that occurred in the 100th year of Avraham Avinu's life, from the news of Yitzchak's birth when he was 99 until Yitzchak was born when he was 100. For those who have read my blog, “Hold on to Your Seat”, you probably know that the year 5765 corresponds with the First Day of Sukkot while the year 5766 corresponds with the second day of Sukkot. There is a holy custom called ushpizin where we invite into our sukkah each night the Shepherd of Israel that corresponds with of the spiritual dimensions called sefirot which are purified in the collective nefesh (soul) of Israel on that night. On the first night Avraham is invited in for he represents Chesed (lovingkindness) which is fully exposed in all of its purity on the first day of Sukkot. On the second night we invite Yitzkhak into our sukkah, for he represents Din or Gevurah (law or might). On the second day it is that attribute of Israel which is exposed in all its purity. Of course, these attributes have been purified during Israel’s long exile, and we live in pain without the reward of this purification until we reach Sukkot where we can dwell in security in G-d’s shadow under his infinite chesed and infinite din. Therefore, is it only an accident that this Pesach corresponds with the good tidings given to Avraham by Hashem’s emissaries, and next Pesach with Yitzkhak’s birth?

By the way, some mekubalim say that the entire Parsha of Vayera needs rectification! Notice the Parsha in which this Zohar is located! Also notice that this Pesach is 99 years after the year 5666 when Mashiach can start to come B'ito, not just achishena. The Zohar continues: Then another six years, making together 72 1/2 years. (This is because once Mashiach comes, there will be 6 more years of completing the work of creation until the Third Temple is rebuilt. If he comes this coming year in 5766, then he finishes building the Temple in the year 5772. Well the next verses in the Zohar comfims our suspicions about when Mashiach comes. In the year 66 (5766) Mashiach will appear in the land of the Galil (near Tzfat according to other sources). This verse also indicates that he can come any time during the year from Pesach 5765, which is 5766 if Rosh Chodesh Nissan were Rosh Hashana, until Pesach 5766 or maybe even until Rosh Hashana 5767. The Zohar is unclear about whether he becomes the anointed king in that year. It could be that it is Mashiach ben Yosef who becomes king this year while Mashiach ben David makes his appearance in the Galilee. A star in the east will swallow 7 stars in the north, (war between Persia and Edom or between North Korea and Edom? Edom prides itself as being a malchut (kingdom) of 7 industrial powers.) and a flame of black fire will hang in the Heaven for sixty days, and there shall be wars toward the north in which 2 kings shall perish. Which 2 out of 7 princes of Edom will perish is only a guess. For this we will need to wait until this battle happens. Then all the nations shall combine together against the daughter of Yakov in order to drive her from the world. I have a hunch that this is the battle described in Zechariah 12-14. I believe, according to the Gaon of Vilna, this year will be a Sabbatical year. In our present seven year Sukkot cycle that Sabbatical year is 5768. I am not sure when the battle in Yechezkel 38 and 39 takes place, potentially in the same year. It is of that time that it is written: "And it is a time of Trouble for Yakov, but out of it he shall be saved." (Jer. 30:7) At that time all the souls in the Guph will have been used up, and will need to be recreated. This may be a reference to souls looking for a rebirth. Perhaps this is the beginning of the Resurrection of the Dead. As a mnemonic of this we may use the verse: All the souls of the house of Yakov that came into Mitzraim... all the souls were 66. (Gen 46:26) This of course corresponds with the year 5766. The very next verse is: In the year 73 all the kings in the world will assemble in the great city of Rome, and the Holy One will shower on them fire and hail and meteoric stones until they are all destroyed, with the exception of those who will not yet have arrived there. The Zohar then continues with the unification of the final hey with the vav in Hashem’s name.

As far as the rectification of problems that arise in Parshat Vayera, I will write you about that, too, when I find time. 4 quick problems to dwell on:

1. Sarah laughs at the thought that she could bear a child at age 89 and give birth at age 90.

2. Lot flees to Tzoar, has incest with his daughters, the mothers of Moab and Ammon. Mashiach comes from this ignominious union. Tzoar remains undestroyed and source of contention even in our time. It was the last place that Moshe Rabeinu saw at the end of his life, for it was from Tzoar that Mashiach arises. See video with Chacham Avraham Chai from “Hold on to Your Seat” where he continuously refers to the "tza'ar" of Israel from which we will be redeemed.

3. Yishmael does teshuva for Avodah Zarah (idolatry) yet remains violently murderous. Still he is blessed to rule over Yerushalayim in Olam Hazeh (this age).

4. Avraham sells Avimelech Gaza for three generations of peace and quiet.

Of the four previous problems needing rectification, three of them came about because of events in the 100th year of Avraham’s life. These three will need a rectification this year.

1. It is time to stop laughing at all of the besoros tovot. Perhaps there is something to it.
   
2. Mashiach should arise out of Tzoar, a word that can be best described as the final birthing contraction.
   
3. In reality Avraham sold Gaza a few years after Yitzchak’s birth. Yet, the root of the sale is the friendship that developed between Avimelech and Avraham when Avraham was in the Gerar/Gaza area in the summer of his 100th year. The story goes that Avraham went down there telling those who asked that Sarah was his sister. Avimelech, thinking that Sarah was unmarried immediately falls in love with her youthful beauty and takes her into his harem to prepare to wed her. Unlike Paroh in Egypt who was an uncultured fellow with regards to his desire for women, Avimelech was a man of some merit. Therefore, Hashem warns him in a dream to keep his hands off her lest he die. Avimelech is a bit upset with Avraham for lying to him by not telling him about her true status as his wife. When he asks Avraham to explain himself, our holy Patriarch says “There is no fear of G-d in this place, and (I thought to myself that) they will slay me because of my wife.” In the meantime, all of the “orifices” in the household of Avimelech had been miraculously stopped up. Noone could give birth or even go to the bathroom. Avimelech at this point gives Avraham flocks and cattle and servants and returns Sarah to Avraham untouched. He then gives Sarah 1000 pieces of silver so that people would not say that he had molested her and returned her to Avraham already abused. Avraham then prays for the household of Avimelech to be healed from their stopped up orifices, and they are healed.
   
   It is a curious thing, but this entire incident took place in the course of one day approximately nine months before Yitzkhak is born on Pesach the following year. The timing is so coincidental that until Yitzkhak started to grow and his appearance was identical to Avraham’s, rumors still persisted that he was Avimelech’s son. The ninth month prior to Pesach the following year was between the 15th of Tamuz and the 15th of Av. It kind of makes you wonder what Sharon and company have waiting for them when they try to remove Jews from their homes around that time. Of course, he could delay the evacuation again, but if he does not…We shall see. If Rav Mordechai Eliyahu and Rav Ovadia Yosef are correct, expect something wonderful.
   
   Of course, the Targum Yonatan on the last places that Moshe Rabbeinu sees before he dies in Deuteronomy has a different take on the situation. After Moshe sees the Yam Acharon (the last sea) which Rashi says to read Yom Acharon (the End of Days), Moshe focuses on the following. “(Hashem showed him) the Negev and the Kikar (plain) of the Valley of Yericho, the city of date palms as far as Tzoar.” Rashi interprets the Negev to be Chevron, for Moshe was looking toward the Negev, and the first stop coming up from the Negev is Chevron. This is a reference that in the final generation, Israel will do repentance for the Sin of the Spies. The Kikar is the place where Rashi explained is where King Solomon forged the implements for the First Temple. The Jericho Plain is also the first place given to the Palestinian Authority unilaterally about two months ago on the Jahrzeit (anniversary of death) of Moshe Rabeinu. Tzoar, I have already explained. What is left is a curiosity which I used to think described Yericho until someone else[6] made me aware of a Targum Yonatan on “the city of date palms”. Apparently, this city is a different place altogether. The Targum says as follows: “The king of the South (Ishmael) will link up with the king of the North (Gog of Edom) to terrorize the residents of the land. The Ammonites and the Moabites (the so-called Palestinians), the residents of the “Maishraw” that are causing distress to the masses to Yisrael and the exiles of the students of Eliyahu that are exiled from the Yericho Valley and the exiles of the students of Elisha that are exiled from “Kirvat Dekalya”[7] by 200,000 men of their own brothers, the bnai’ Yisrael. And after the anguish of all the generations and the suffering and after Armolgos the wicked (Peres has the same gematriah) and a succession of battles with Gog at a time of tremendous “Tza’ar”, Michael the archangel will arise with bared arm to dissemble (the opposition). Let us hope and pray that the Likud referendum last Iyar has nullified the harshness of this decree. According to Rav Eliyahu, seemingly it has.
   

The only item in the list of four whose rectification will come after this year according to Vayera is the expulsion of Ishmael for his ruthless violent behavior. Mashiach ben David will need to handle that one once he is firmly in control. Let us all pray that he establishes his Kingdom of G-d sooner as opposed to later.

The second letter response is about a question about the four states of matter as they correspond to the four species of the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) and the four letters of Hashem’s name. I then discuss the recently concluded Pesach Seder and how the final redemption begins with the Vav in Hashem’s name being attached to the Yud and the Hey that were the source of the redemption from Egypt. Of course the four cups of wine correspond to the four letters of His Name:

The correspondence of the physical states of matter (earth, air, fire, and water) or (solids, gases, plasma, and liquids) to the 4 species that are taken on the Feast of Tabernacles comes from a variety of written torahs and medrashim (talmudic stories and metaphors with deep meaning). The correspondence of the etrog (citron) with earth comes from the medrash that only with regards to the etrog could the earth fulfill G-d's command to bear fruit trees where the bark tasted like its fruit. Therefore the etrog (citron) represents the potential rectification of the dust of the earth's failure to fulfill G-d's command on the third day of creation. The lulav (date palm) is compared to the 70 zekanim (elders) when Israel encamped in Elim on the way to Har Sinai. The fact that through the time of the Tannaim (about 330 bce.- 190 ce.) a Talmud Chacham (Torah scholar) such as the Targum Yonatan (Yonatan ben Uziel) could burn birds that were flying over his heads while he was learning, is a proof that the lulav corresponds with fire. The correspondence of the aravos (willow branches) with mayim (water) is mentioned specifically in the pasukim (verses) of the 4 species in Leviticus. Finally, the correspondence of the Hadasim (myrtle branches) with air is obvious, for it is known for its sweet smell although it has no fruit. Like air it can smell good but you cannot eat it.

As far as the correspondence of the four species with the four letters in G-d's name, my source is the Vilna Gaon who said that the Yud and the first Hey correspond with Bereishit (Genesis) and Shmot (Exodus) while the Vav and the 2nd Hey in His name corresponds with BaMidbar (Numbers) and D'varim (Deuteronomy) respectively. In the old Aish HaTorah Arachim sefer published by Aish Hatorah through the auspices of the Rothman Foundation, there is a detailed discussion of the deep structures of the torah on how these four books correspond with each of the four species respectively (pp. 100-102 in this sefer). It is an amazing and convincing proof that the Aravah (willow branch) corresponds with Bereishit (Genesis) and the Yud in His name. The lulav corresponds with Shemot and the first Hey in Hashem's name. The Hadas corresponds with Bamidbar and the Vav in Hashem's name. And the Etrog corresponds with Devarim and the final Hey in His name.

Quickly one example. for the aravah, After the name Elokim is mentioned 13 times in Bereishit (Genesis), we count 10 ayins, for the yud is ten. Starting with the 11th ayin, the word aravah is spelled out with a 49 letter skip distance.

Secondly, in Shemot after any reference to Bnai Yisrael (Children of Yisrael) is mentioned 13 times, we count five lameds, for the hey is five. Starting with the next lamed the word lulav is spelled out again with a 49 letter skip distance.

The same thing goes for the hadas after the word Ohel is mentioned 13 times in BaMidbar, and for the etrog after the words Hashem Elokim, Hashem Elokaneu, or Elokim is mentioned 13 times in Devarim. It is amazing to see this for oneself.

The answer to why the 2nd and 4th letter in Hashem's name are both Heys is an answer to one of the most profound mysteries of creation and to one of the striking similarities of the final stages of the geulah (redemption) from Egypt and the geulah from our present exile. Both involve the splitting of something on a grand scale. The redemption from Egypt ends with the splitting of the Sea. The Redemption from our present exile will end with the splitting of the Mt. of Olives as described in Zechariah 14. Both involve a five times multiplier effect in the final stages of the redemptive process. The plagues in Egypt were the finger of G-d. The splitting of the Sea came as a result of His Hand (five anthropromorphic "fingers" on His Hand). As the Haggadah says if there were 10 plagues in Egypt, there were 50 plagues at the sea...According to one opinion there were 40 plagues in Egypt so that there were really 200 plagues at the Sea, etc.

The first redemption ends with the revelation in history of the Yud and the first Hey in His Name which is why the first half of the Pesach seder includes the first two cups of wine corresponding with this Yud and first Hey respectively in Hashem's name. The story of the Exodus is told over the smaller piece of matzah, for this redemption is less spectacular than the final one. The Yud and the first Hey add up to 15 corresponding with the 15 Shir HaMaalot (Songs of Ascent in the Book of Psalms) and the 15 steps in Dayenu.

The second half of the Seder speaks of the final redemption starting with the afikomen (tsafun). The third cup of wine follows, for as the Vav in Hashem's name becomes manifest in Creation, Mashiach ben Yosef appears on the scene in a Purimdik, hidden way. The Vav in Hashem's name always corresponds with the Purim mask He wears in the month of Adar as he "plays with the Leviathan". It is no accident that Adar is the 6th month of the year starting with Rosh Hashana for during Adar His presence is Hidden behind the veil of the six spatial dimensions of creation (N,S,E,W, up, and down). The Vav also corresponds with the 6th sefirah of yesod, the last of the hidden sefirot. Kabbalistically, according to the Arizal yesod is perfected in the world by Mashiach ben Yosef who anhililates Amalek on Purim so that we can celebrate his victory on Shushan Purim, the 15th of Adar. Notice today we celebrate Shushan Purim in those cities that were walled during the conquest of Yehoshua bin Nun from the tribe of Ephraim, Yosef's greater son. Also Yehoshua can reach his potential only after Moshe Rabbeinu adds a Yud to the beginning of Hoshea's name, making the first three letters in his name Yud then Hey then Vav. Finally the root of the word Shushan is Shesh (six) a reference to the Purim miracle's hidden face of G-d.

After the third cup of wine the redemptive process becomes revealed instead of hidden. Eliyahu hanavi announces to the World who Mashiach is. At this point we point to the cup of Eliyahu at the Seder, speak out the door for G-d to "pour out His wrath on the gentile nations who do not wish to truly know Him", and then we complete Hallel, singing about the revealed aspects of the final redemption ending with the fourth cup of wine which represents Mashiach ben David, the sefirah (the spiritual dimension) of perfected Malchut (kingship), and the greatest of the sweet judgments on Mankind, the Splitting of the Mt. of Olives, (this is the final hey in His name) which ushers in the age of G-d judging the world for how it behaves lishma (for its own sake) as opposed to how it behaves in order to make money. Since David is from Yehudah, we see in Yehudah's name a Yud, Hey, and then a Vav which represents the Aravah, Lulav, and the Hadas respectively. The Dalet then corresponds to the four species which are being brought together by combining the Lulav bundle with the Etrog which is of course the final Hey in His name and in YeHUdaH's name. This then fulfills the prophecy about Yehudah that through Yehudah, G-d's name will become complete. On that Day Hashem will be One and His Name will be One.

Finally in closing I again encourage all Jews who are taking vacations this summer anyway to come here instead to participate in the process of redemption. I am sure there will be much you can do within your own hishtadlut (efforts) to stop this most insane policy of unilateral suicide. As this dogface generation would say in the late 60s when they got started, “Be here or be square!”
!אז ימלא שחוק פינו ולשננו רינה

Then our mouths will be filled with laughter and our tongues with glad song!

[1] Confirmed in discussions with Rav Pinchus Winston
[2] Also confirmed by P. Winston to be a bonafide potential keitz
[3] Pisikta Rabotai, Perek Aleph, also Yalkut Shimoni on Yeshayahu 66:23 remez 503
[4] From another discussion with Rav P. Winston
[5] To be discussed in a separate blog. I need a source about the nun mehapechet (inverted final nun) in Sharon’s name in order to write with authority about this. The nun represents the 50th level of purity or impurity. He has the potential to go both ways. His name means Minster of the 50th. The nun is also a species of fish found in the Kinnereth . There is a gemarrah in Baba Basrah 73b about a fish turning over and almost drowning the settlers who boarded it, thinking that the back of the fish was an island, and settled upon its back. All of a sudden the fish turns over almost drowning the settlers. If Moshiach were not nearby, the nation would surely perish. We will soon see if this fish is the nun in Ariel Sharon’s name. It is truly amazing that the man most credited with building up Judea, Samaria, and Gaza is quickly becoming synonymous with the bulldozer that will attempt to destroy what he has built.
[6] Thank you Dr. Yacov Tabak of Yerushalayim who heard this in turn from Shabtai Shilo of Yerushalayim about 12 years ago.
[7] Neve’ Dekalim is the largest city in Gush Katif in Gaza.