DAYS WITHOUT GEULA, INCOMPLETE DAYS

Yaakov shared this sentiment with Pharaoh when they first met. He expressed his dissatisfaction with his life in order that Pharaoh would not err to think that Yaakov and his children would suffice with settling “in the land of Egypt, in the finest region of the country,” and be content with living off “the fat of the land,” which Pharaoh had given them; redemption is what was important to Yaakov. * From Chapter Six of Rabbi Shloma Majeski’s Likkutei Mekoros (Underlined text is the compiler’s emphasis.)

Translated by Boruch Merkur

11. […] When Yosef was born, Yaakov was ready to return from the house of Lavan to the land where his father, Yitzchok, lived, wishing to settle there in peace. However, the entire time the redemption was not manifest in the physical world (illustrated by the fact that “the tragedy of Yosef was thrust upon him”), the days of Yaakov’s life were considered “few,” incomplete, for his life was missing the main thing (redemption).*

In fact, Yaakov shared this sentiment with Pharaoh when they first met. He expressed his dissatisfaction with his life in order that Pharaoh would not err to think that Yaakov and his children would suffice with settling “in the land of Egypt, in the finest region of the country,” and be content with living off “the fat of the land,” which Pharaoh had given them; redemption is what was important to Yaakov. Indeed, Yaakov’s settling in Egypt for the duration he was there was only for the sake of the complete redemption. That is, the refinement of Egypt (when “Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt for seventeen years”) causes the redemption (“I shall take you up, verily take you up”) to be more intense, more lofty, achieving its quintessence. Then, it shall be that “Yaakov lived” not just 147 years, and not just 180 years [the lifespan of Yitzchok], but forever.

12. In terms of putting the above message into practice:

Since this generation is the final generation of exile, the end of the exile, and the first generation of redemption, it is presently an auspicious time for the redemption. […]

Therefore one must add daily (as stated about the days of Chanuka: “From here and on one adds progressively”) in those things that bring about the redemption in actuality and overtly.

Among those things are:

Strengthening in the faith and yearning for the advent of Moshiach, to the point that one perceives that the whole time Moshiach Tzidkeinu has not yet arrived in actuality and overtly, one’s days are lacking, as in the words of Yaakov, that even one hundred and thirty years are but a “few,” for the redemption had not yet arrived (as above in Section 11).

And the main thing is to add in the study and the dissemination of the inner dimension of the Torah (as well as Torah in general, the quality of Yaakov**), the “oil” of the Torah (i.e., the secrets of the secrets of the Torah), in a manner that illuminates “the entrance of the doorway, on the outside, “spreading the wellsprings outward,” “until the Tarmodians cease walking about in the streets.”

(From the address of Shabbos Parshas Mikeitz, the sixth day of Chanuka, the first day of Rosh Chodesh Teives; Seifer HaSichos 5752, pg. 206-207)

NOTES:

*Footnote 137: Although Yaakov himself was ready for the redemption, the concept of “ba ba’yamim – becoming old in days/years” is connected with the avoda of completely refining and purifying the world, which is affected by the dimension of time, “days.”

**For the Jewish people are named specifically after Yaakov [i.e., Yisroel] (and not after Avrohom or Yitzchok).