Pemikiran Yahudi Yesaya 54:7: Kol HaTor

According to the Vilna Gaon, if Israel does not have the merit, then the beginning of the Redemption will occur with an awakening from below, as occurred during the time of Cyrus, during the Second Temple, as an act from the left side, that is, from the quality of Din. That is what is meant by “his left hand is under my head,” which refers to Mashiach ben Yosef. This will occur with the permission of the kings of the nations. Later on, the complete Redemption will come from the right side, that is, with the quality of Lovingkindness, and by the line of Mercy according to what is written, [Isa. 54:7] “and with abundant mercy, I will gather you.” According to the Gaon, the ingathering of exiles at the beginning of the Redemption will proceed by means of deliverance and ransom, as is written, “then the ransomed of the Lord will return, and come to Zion with glad song” [Isa. 35:10]. All this will be accomplished by Mashiach ben Yosef: The deliverance will be from enslavement of the body and enslavement of the soul. The word has two meanings: it refers to the fact that they will return to Zion as is written: “they will come to Zion.” It also refers to the fact that they will repent [ comes from the same root as repentance] as revealed by the words, “they will achieve joy and gladness.”

“[You shall have] a perfect and just weight” (Deut. 25:15) -- According to the Gaon, these words indicated that his first mission was being the light of Mashiach ben Yosef. Following the command to use a perfect and just weight, we read about wiping out Amalek, and immediately afterwards, we find: “when you come to the Land” [Deut. 26:1], which is similar to the verse “when you come to the Land and plant” [Lev. 19:23], etc. All these are thus related and of equal importance. From this the Gaon learned about his great mission regarding the revealed end. The Gaon wrote that “a perfect weight” is a characteristic of Din from the left side. Only when on his way to the Land of Israel, did the Gaon realize that he had reached the level of “faithful shepherd” [appellation of Moshe Rabbeinu] in the verse: [Isa. 54:7] “with abundant mercy I will gather you.” [Those words, in gematria, equal the Gaon’s name: ! .] Therefore, the Gaon felt that he did not have the permission of Heaven to enter Eretz Israel. He then directed his students to act like the aspect of Joshua: that is, to begin fulfilling the obligation of ingathering exiles.