Independence Day — The Kabbalistic Secret — 5 Iyar 1948 — Abraham, Joseph, and the Third Temple

1 The Name of Iyar — The Acronym and the Secret of the Two Yuds

Question What is hidden in the name of the month of Iyar? And why do some siddurim write two Yuds instead of G-d’s Name?

The name of the month of Iyar is an acronym for: Ani Hashem Rofekha — “I am G-d, your Healer” (Exodus 15:26). But look carefully: how does Aleph-Yud-Yud-Resh come from “Ani Hashem Rofekha”? The Aleph = “Ani,” the Resh = “Rofekha” — so what are the two Yuds?

Insight Two Yuds = G-d’s Name in shorthand. In many siddurim, Yud-Yud replaces the full Name. Why? Because two Yuds represent two Names together: Havaya (the Name of Mercy) + Adnut (the Name of Sovereignty) — as they are interwoven with each other.

Deeper Dive 🔷 The Friday night piyut before Hamotzi: “Tre’yodin Naktein” — two Yuds. We gaze at the two chalot and imagine two Yuds before our eyes: Havaya + Adnut together. So when we say the month of Iyar: Aleph = “Ani,” two Yuds = G-d’s Name, Resh = “Rofekha.” The month of healing.

2 2-Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel — The Four Pillars of Iyar, and Rachel's Self-Nullification

Question What is the connection between the Patriarchs in the Supernal Chariot and the month of Iyar? And why Rachel — not Leah?

Another secret of the month of Iyar: it contains the four pillars of the Supernal Chariot (Merkavah). Those four pillars are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob — and from the Matriarchs, Rachel. Not Leah.

Aleph = Abraham — Yud = Isaac — Yud = Jacob — Resh = Rachel

Secret ⭐ The four letters of Iyar = the four pillars of the Merkavah. This is not arbitrary — every month carries its spiritual roots from the very beginning of Creation. To understand Independence Day, we must first understand Iyar.

Question Why specifically Rachel — and not Leah — in the Chariot? And what does this have to do with the month of Iyar?

Rachel knew that Jacob loved her. Jacob wanted to marry her first. But Rachel said: I am willing to give up my place. Leah needs to marry first — no problem. She yielded. She wanted nothing for herself.

Insight This is the quality of the month of Iyar: Nissan — we left Egypt. Sivan — we received the Torah. And Iyar? Nothing special. It is only a “transit” month — a passage from one side to the other. Nothing. And this very fact is its greatness.

Secret ⭐ The one who takes nothing for himself — the Shechinah rests precisely there. As the Psalm says: “The humble shall inherit the earth” (Psalms 37:11). The word is anavim with a Vav — the truly humble one inherits the Land. This is the secret of Iyar. The secret of Rachel. The secret of Yom HaAtzmaut.

3 The Neck Between Head and Body — The Role of Iyar and the Temple

Question If Nissan = freedom of the body and Sivan = freedom of the mind, what connects them? And what does this have to do with the Holy Temple?

The neck — the tzavar — seems less important than the head or the body. It’s “just a passage,” right? But it makes the connection. And the neck has two channels: one for food (the body) and one for breathing (the brain).

Insight Nissan = the Exodus = freedom of the body
Sivan = the Giving of the Torah = freedom of the mind
Iyar = the neck — the connector. Not “nothing” — but the one that joins.

Deeper Dive 🔷 King Solomon in the Song of Songs: “Your neck is like the Tower of David” — and what is the Temple? “Built for talpiyot” — the hill (tel) toward which all mouths (piyot) pray. Har HaMoriya. The Temple = the neck of Creation: we offer a sacrifice (body), the sacrifice becomes smoke and rises to the heavens (spirit). Body + soul + connection = Temple = Iyar.

4 From Rachel Came Joseph and Benjamin — Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David

Question Why was the Temple built in Benjamin’s territory? And what is Joseph’s role in the Redemption?

Because of Rachel’s self-nullification — wanting nothing for herself — Joseph and Benjamin came from her. And Benjamin merited that in his territory were built the First and Second Temples.

Insight Joseph = the Preparer. He always makes things ready. Who went down to Egypt first? Joseph — to prepare the ground for the Jewish people. The same applies today: Mashiach ben Yosef is the preparation for Mashiach ben David.

Deeper Dive 🔷 A pattern that repeats throughout history:
→ Joseph → then Judah
→ King Saul (from Benjamin = from Rachel) → King David
→ Mashiach ben Yosef → Mashiach ben David

Everything that has happened since 1948 — the founding of the State, all the wars, all the leaders — this is all Mashiach ben Yosef. The preparation. The platform. So that Mashiach ben David will come and build the Third Temple, with G-d’s help.

5 The Year 1948 — Abraham Our Father and the State of Israel

Question Was it a coincidence that the State of Israel was established in 1948? What do the numbers say when we count from Creation?

The nations count from their “year zero.” But we count from the Creation of the world. And what happened in the year 1948 from Creation?

In the year 1948 from Creation — Abraham our Father was born.

Secret ⭐ 1948 from Creation = the birth of Abraham. 1948 of the common era = the establishment of the State of Israel. This is not coincidence — it is a root. Just as Abraham is the beginning of the Redemption and the father of the nation, so the founding of the State is the beginning of the final Redemption. Everything is connected at its upper roots.

6 Yesod in Tiferet — The Omer Counting on Yom HaAtzmaut

Question On Yom HaAtzmaut we always count day 20 of the Omer — two weeks and six days. What does Kabbalah reveal about this counting?

In the Omer counting, each week corresponds to a sefirah: week 1 = Chesed, week 2 = Gevurah, week 3 = Tiferet. And each day within the week: day 1 = Chesed, day 6 = Yesod.

Insight Day 20 = week 3 + day 6 = Yesod in Tiferet

Who is Yesod? Joseph the Tzaddik.
Who is Tiferet? Jacob our Father = the Third Temple.

Deeper Dive 🔷 The seven lower sefirot: Chesed=Abraham, Gevurah=Isaac, Tiferet=Jacob, Netzach=Moses, Hod=Aaron, Yesod=Joseph, Malkhut=David.

Why is Tiferet = the Third Temple?
→ First Temple = Abraham. Destroyed because he had Ishmael → Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon descended from Ishmael’s root.
→ Second Temple = Isaac. Destroyed because he had Esav → Edom = Rome.
→ Third Temple = Jacob. Will never be destroyed — because Jacob brought 12 pure children, with no “waste” at all.

Secret ⭐ On Yom HaAtzmaut, Yesod (Joseph = Mashiach ben Yosef) enters Tiferet (Jacob = Third Temple). The counting itself tells us: this is the preparation for the building of the Temple. Yom HaAtzmaut is Yesod in Tiferet.

7 “Yismahu” — The Word That Falls on Yom HaAtzmaut

Question In the Omer counting, each day corresponds to a word in a Psalm. What is the word for day 20 — and what does it tell us?

The Psalm “LaMenatzei’ach BiNginot Mizmor Shir” (Psalms 67) has 49 words — one for each day of the Omer. Each day belongs to one word of the Psalm.

Day 20 of the Omer = Yom HaAtzmaut = the word: “Yismahu” — They shall rejoicePsalms 67:5

Secret ⭐ “Yismahu” — they shall rejoice, be filled with joy. This is the word that falls on the night of Yom HaAtzmaut — fixed there since Creation. A sign that we must rejoice, because now the Redemption is beginning to emerge. The Creator decreed from the beginning: this is a day of joy.

8 9-Pesach Sheni and the 20th of Iyar — The Secret of the Second Chance

Question For every other holiday, there is no second chance. Miss the shofar on Rosh Hashana — that’s it. So why does Passover alone have a Pesach Sheni?

When they came before Moses and said “we were impure, we could not bring the Passover offering” — G-d answered: Pesach Sheni, on the 14th of Iyar. But where does this concept come from? There is nothing like it for any other holiday.

Deeper Dive 🔷 The holy Zohar asks this very question — and answers: at the Exodus from Egypt, the Jewish people received a great light of Redemption — a powerful spiritual influence — that remains with them for 30 days. Therefore, someone who missed the Passover offering still has an opportunity until the 14th of Iyar (Pesach Sheni), plus 7 more days. After that — it closes.

Insight The light of the Exodus is like a rocket engine: 30 days of immense redemptive light that powers the entire year. And why does this recur every year? Because Passover is only the beginning of the Redemption — not its end.

Secret ⭐ “In Nissan they were redeemed, in Nissan they will be redeemed in the future.” The Redemption of Passover is “present progressive” — always ongoing. Every year, from the 15th of Nissan to the 20th of Iyar, we have 37 days of redemptive power. This is why all the great miracles of Israel — Yom HaAtzmaut, Yom Yerushalayim — fell precisely in the month of Iyar: they are still within the immense light of Passover.

Question Why did the Jewish people leave Mount Sinai specifically on the 20th of Iyar? And what is the final message for us today?

In Parashat Beha’alotcha it is written: “In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted” — and the Jewish people traveled. Why not earlier?

Insight Because from the 15th of Nissan (the Seder night) to the 14th of Iyar = 30 days of Passover light. From the 14th of Iyar (Pesach Sheni) + 7 more days = the 20th of Iyar. Exactly then, the spiritual influence of the holiness of Nissan was complete — and only then could they begin the journey to the Land of Israel.

Deeper Dive 🔷 Everything fits together: 30 days of Nissan + 7 days of Pesach Sheni = 37 days. The 20th of Iyar = the completion of Passover’s “rocket engine.” And what happens next? The journey to the Land begins.

Secret ⭐ The final message: How did we merit all this? Through humility — “The humble shall inherit the earth” (Psalms 37:11). Anavim with a Vav. The one who possesses true humility — who knows that everything comes from the Holy One, Blessed be He — inherits the Land. If we continue on this path, as we began in 1948, as we merited on Yom Yerushalayim — so too we will merit the complete Redemption, and the building of the Third Temple, with G-d’s help, speedily in our days, Amen.

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