From the smallest packages come the greatest gifts.
In this week’s portion, pasha Vayigash, amidst the listing of the 70 Israelites who entered Egypt to begin the exile there, we find a 3 word verse, the Torah’s shortest verse, Genesis 46:23, “And the sons of Dan were Chushim” (VBNI DN ChShYM וּבְנֵי-דָן חֻשִׁים).
As stated in “A Treasury of Chasidic Tales” about Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Radoshitzhe “Sabba Kadisha” (“Holy Grandfather”) of Radoshitz, a disciple of the Seer of Lublin, it’s explained that “Paradoxically, the verse in question employs the plural form – ‘The sons of Dan were’ – even though Dan had only one son, Chushim. The Talmud explains that this plural form is a hint at Dan’s later posterity, for through the offspring of Chushim, Dan became the progenitor of a large tribe.
But a glance into the sod (secrets) of this verse reveal that Hushim (ChShYM חֻשִׁים) is a permuted version of MSHYCh, Mashiach. And V’Benay (VBNY) has the numerical value of chaim, life, and Dan (DN דָן) has the numerical value of 54 and the sofit numerical value of 704.
Using the sofit value the first 2 words with the kolel (6 letters) add up to 778, as in the year 5778, the year prophesied by chazal for the arrival of Moshiach and the end of the final exile, the geula. And the sofit value of Dan, 704 is that of the 4th line of the Shem Mem-Bet (42-Letter Name), where the brit (covenant) of Mashiach is concealed.
Moreover, it is from the dalet and nun (DN) that Abraham tells us in the Sefer Yetzirah that Mashiach will come, and since 54 x 107 = 5778 and since all the positive integers through 107 = 5778, in the 10 letters of it’s shortest verse, the Torah has spelled out when Mashiach lives, which is further emphasized because the first letters of the 3 words add up to 18, the numerical value of Chai (lives).
And indeed even the structure of 3 words and 10 letters, hints at the 3 column, 10 sefirot (dimension) structure of the tree-of-life which will once again be revealed in the time of Moshiach. And while the last letters of the 3 words of the verse sum to 100, as in keter, and the 100 sub-sefirot of the tree-of-life, the letter pattern in the 3 words is 4-2-4, as in the numerical value of Mashiach Ben David, 424.
The lesson from the Torah is to never overlook the little things.
Rebbe Yissachar Dov of Radoshitzhe used this verse to bestow the blessing of many descendants on someone. We can use it to find those little sparks of goodness, holiness, around us, and scattered throughout the 70 nations, to help bring about the messiah (tree-of-life) consciousness within us, and the final redemption to the whole world.
B”H, it will happen soon.
