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Chapter 3: A Yovel of Yovels

By the commandment of Counting the Omer, we see two seemingly contradicting commands:
  • We are commanded to count 7 complete weeks. (VaYikra 23:15)
  • We are commanded to count 50 days. (VaYikra 23:16)
For halachah, we count 49 days, and Shavuot is celebrated on the 50th day, without any counting.  There is an idea of 49 days of our efforts from below, and then Hashem completes the 50 days for us from above.

If we consider from the time of Ezra that there are to be 49 Yovel Cycles of our own efforts, we stand today 7 years ahead of the beginning of the 49th cycle.  The 49th cycle is destined to be the completion of the efforts of the nation of Israel.

If we look at the original count as being 50 year cycles, and that our goal, even then, was to arrive at a Yovel of Yovel years, then we see an act of kindness from Hashem: Switching to 49 year cycles shortens the time of Galut by decades.  In our case, we are set to arrive at the 48th Yovel a total of 39 years earlier than we would in a 50 year cycle count.  That is because the first 9 Yovel years are identical in the 2 sets, so 48 - 9 = 39 years.  Hashem has mercy on us, and the end comes towards us (Tehillim 102:14 per Kol HaTor chapter 4)

Looking at the Yovel cycles as parallel to the Omer period, we also find parallels.  To name a few:
  • 3416-3765 is the period corresponding to the Yovel “week” of Chesed, in which the Beit HaMikdash stood.  The Chesed she’be’Chesed (the 1st “day”), 3416-3455, included the founding of the Great Assembly (HaKnesset HaGedolah), the last remnants of prophecy until the days of Moshiach.
  • 3816-3865 is the period corresponding to Gevurah she’bi’Gevurah (the 8th Yovel cycle), in which the 2nd Beit HaMikdash was destroyed.  The 8th day of the Omer is the day after Isru Chag, full mourning customs begin at this point.
  • 4992-5041 is the period corresponding to Hod she’be’Hod, which is Lag BaOmer, in which we celebrate the revelation of the Zohar.  This Yovel cycle brought the publication of the Zohar.
  • 5139-5482 is the period corresponding to the Yovel "week" of Yesod.  Revelations of the secrets of Torah are rooted in Yesod.  The Arizal lived during this period.
  • 5482-present is the period corresponding to the Yovel “week” of Malchut.  The Geulah is rooted in the sefirah of Yesod, per Kabbalah.  The 48th Yovel cycle is Yesod she'be'Malchut, mentioned in the next chapter.  Malchut she'be'Malchut will see the return of the Malchut to Am Yisrael with the eternal end of exile.