Rabbi Yekutiel Fish, an expert in Kabbalah, brought in the New Year by explaining how this year, 5782, is notably auspicious for the revelation of the Messiah. In his Hebrew-language blog, Sod HaChashmal, Rabbi Fish quoted the Zohar Chadash, a collection of manuscripts that were found containing material pertaining to the Zohar but not included in printed editions of the work. According to the Zohar Chadash, the final redemption will come as a result of the 72 letter name of God described in the Zohar. This name of God is hinted at in a verse in the Book of Isaiah:

Hark! Your watchmen raise their voices, As one they shout for joy; For every eye shall behold Hashem‘s return to Tzion. Isaiah 52:8

According to the Zohar, the 72 letter name of God is hinted at in the phrase “Every eye shall behold” which, in Hebrew is “עַיִן בְּעַיִן”. The gematria of the first letters of each word (ayin and bet) equals 72. This redemption, coming in the merit of God’s name, is the aspect of chesed (loving kindness). In Jewish eschatology, the Messiah must come by the end of the seventh millennium but just as Jews can choose to bring in the Sabbath (the seventh day) early, Jews can choose to bring in the Messiah earlier than the end of the seventh millennium by virtue of performing mitzvoth (commandments). The Zohar notes that in addition, the final redemption can come even earlier by virtue of God’s kindness, i.e. the 72 letter name.

The rabbi noted that the gematria of the word עין (ayin, eye) is 780, corresponding to the year 5780. But the next word, בעין (b’ayin, in the eye) is 782, i.e. the new year of 5782. (Note: the final nun is equal to 700). 

Rabbi Fish quoted Rabbi Yisrael Nissan Rosenbaum of Kiryat Gat, the spiritual leader of the  Kretchnif Hassidim, who predicted a pandemic two years before the COVID pandemic. Rabbi Rosenbaum explained that such a disease must come in order to atone for our sins for the final redemption to come, effectively acting in the place of the pre-Messiah War of Gog and Magog. 

In 2018, the Kretchnif Rebbe wrote that Hashem could bring down a virus and that the entire world would be an aspect of “we were like dreaming” (Tehilim 126).

“This is the meaning of ‘Pharaoh dreamt,’ that Hashem will bring to the world something that is like a dream, that [appears] to not exist, and which can’t be seen.  For example, Hashem can bring down a tiny virus and spread it throughout the world, and this will disrupt and turn the entire world upside down, through a ‘dream,’ in spite of all the technologies in our times, and all the nations of the world will be an aspect of ‘we were like dreaming’ and nothing will help them.”

“This is what will happen in the End of Days–not through war, not through force or brainpower, not through the Iranians, and not through the Syrians,” Rabbi Rosenbaum wrote. “Rather, Hashem alone will fight the War of Gog and Magog.”

Rabbi Rosenbaum predicted that the pandemic would last for two years, beginning on Sukkoth of 5780 and ending after Sukkoth 5782.  

“By Hanukkah, the pandemic will be over,” Rabbi Fish said. “This will end the two years of ‘birthing’ of the Messiah.”

The pandemic, Rabbi Fish noted, came out of China which, by virtue of the pandemic, is now a great power in the world, toppling all the other capitals of the world.

“Though there were no weapons, the pandemic rearranged the power structure of the world, bringing down governments just as a war does,” Rabbi Fish said.