In this lesson we continue exploring the interpretation of the vision Daniel saw in the first year of Belshazzar: the vision of the four beasts and the four kingdoms. Thus far we have seen the beasts emerging from the sea, the horns, and the vision of the thrones and the Ancient of Days. From here on, Daniel describes the river of fire (Nehar di-Nur) and the ministers standing before the throne, the downfall of the fourth beast, the arrival of "one like a son of man" (kevar enash) with the clouds of heaven, and the angel's interpretation of these matters - culminating in the calculations of the End hinted at in "a time, times, and half a time." We will follow the order of the verses according to the commentary of the Malbim.
The River of Fire: How Fire Emanates from the Throne
After describing the throne whose wheels were burning fire, the verse explains how that fire proceeds from the throne to the wheels:
נְהַר דִּי־נוּר נָגֵד וְנָפֵק מִן קֳדָמוֹהִי, אֶלֶף אַלְפִין יְשַׁמְּשׁוּנֵּהּ וְרִבּוֹ רִבְבָן קָדָמוֹהִי יְקוּמוּן, דִּינָא יְתִב וְסִפְרִין פְּתִיחוּ׃ - A river of fire flowed and issued forth from before Him; a thousand thousands ministered to Him, and myriad myriads stood before Him; judgment was set, and the books were opened.
A river of fire issues forth from before Him, and a thousand thousands minister to Him. Chazal ask: From where does this river of fire emerge? And they reply - from the sweat of the Chayyot (the holy living creatures). As we have already noted, all of these descriptions are allegorical: there are no literal beasts, no sweat, and no literal river of fire. Here too, one must strictly avoid forming physical mental images - imagining an animal, celestial wheels (ofanim), or Heaven forbid, a bicycle wheel. The sacred books explain that all of these terms are, as it were, anthropomorphisms of spiritual concepts, framed so that the human ear can grasp them; we have no genuine comprehension or perception of how the Chayyot appear, what their "sweat" is, or what this river of fire truly is. They are merely communicated to us in terms our minds can absorb. The meaning of "the sweat of the Chayyot" is that the Chayyot praise and glorify the Creator of the universe, and they experience an awesome dread and tremendous awe before Hashem, and from that immense fear there emerges, as it were, "sweat," which is the river of fire.
"A thousand thousands ministered to Him" - these are the Chayyot and the holy Seraphim who minister to the Throne, channeling divine influence down to the world of the celestial spheres; and this influence, as explained, takes the form of fire, destruction, and judgment upon the wicked. "And myriad myriads stood before Him" - these are those who stand before Him, the Seraphim and the supernal princes in the World of the Throne, who influence those former ones. Note the numerical contrast: the ministering ones number a thousand thousands (millions), yet those standing before Him are far more numerous - myriad myriads (tens of millions or countless myriads).
One must understand the concept of a revavah (myriad). A revavah is ten thousand, and "ribo ribvan" signifies tens upon tens of thousands. In truth, however, ribo and revavah in biblical usage do not denote an exact count, but rather an immense number, as in: "I made you a myriad like the growth of the field" - were they exactly ten thousand? Rather, it denotes a vast quantity. The largest specific number name in Lashon HaKodesh is one thousand (elef); the Torah contains no single number name higher than a thousand. A revavah is not a distinct numerical unit but an expression of vast multitude. At times, in the words of Chazal, it represents an exact count - such as the sixty myriads who left Egypt - but in Tanach usage it generally conveys great multitude rather than precision. Thus, the verse emphasizes that those standing were far greater than the thousands: myriad myriads.
And from there, "a river of fire flowed and issued forth" - from there it emerged. The myriad myriads correspond to the fire drawn from the World of the Throne, while the thousand thousands correspond to what descends from there downward. "Judgment was set, and the books were opened" - the court sat, Hashem sat upon His throne to judge the world, and the books were opened to examine their deeds. This is the judgment spoken of in the verse: "I will bring them down to the valley of Yehoshaphat and enter into judgment with them there," executed with fire and brimstone, with pestilence, blood, and torrential hailstones.
The Downfall of the Fourth Beast
חָזֵה הֲוֵית בֵּאדַיִן מִן קָל מִלַּיָּא רַבְרְבָתָא דִּי קַרְנָא מְמַלֱּלָה, חָזֵה הֲוֵית עַד דִּי קְטִילַת חֵיוְתָא וְהוּבַד גִּשְׁמַהּ וִיהִיבַת לִיקֵדַת אֶשָּׁא׃ - I watched then, because of the sound of the boastful words that the horn was speaking; I watched until the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned in fire.
Daniel sees that the primary iniquity and judgment recorded in those opened books concerns the arrogant boastings spoken by that horn - "because of the sound of the boastful words that the horn was speaking." Consequently: "I watched until the beast was slain" - I saw that the fourth beast was killed, its body destroyed and surrendered to the burning fire.
וּשְׁאָר חֵיוָתָא הֶעְדִּיו שׇׁלְטָנְהוֹן, וְאַרְכָה בְחַיִּין יְהִיבַת לְהוֹן עַד זְמַן וְעִדָּן׃ - And as for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, yet a prolonging in life was given to them until a season and a time.
Regarding the rest of the kingdoms - "their dominion was taken away," their forceful rule was removed. "Dominion," explains the Malbim, denotes rule by force of arms, tyranny. Notice that we are already within this process: today there is almost no despotic rule in the world, aside from a few communist states with one dictator or another. A situation will emerge in which "their dominion was taken away" - there will be no tyrannical government, no government that kills, murders, and destroys with a heavy, cruel hand; such rule will no longer exist. And what will be instead? "And a prolongation of life was given to them until a season and a time" - they will remain alive to lead without tyrannical dominion, to lead gently and not through bloodshed, until the End of Days that Hashem has designated as the time of the Redemption. Notice that all of this is still prior to the arrival of the Redemption - and this is the reality we see with our own eyes, that for several centuries already there has been no tyrannical despotic rule among the civilized nations. And we are still in the darkness of exile.
"Like a Son of Man" with the Clouds of Heaven
חָזֵה הֲוֵית בְּחֶזְוֵי לֵילְיָא, וַאֲרוּ עִם עֲנָנֵי שְׁמַיָּא כְּבַר אֱנָשׁ אָתֵה הֲוָא, וְעַד עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּא מְטָה וּקְדָמוֹהִי הַקְרְבוּהִי׃ - "I saw in visions of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man was coming; and he came up to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before Him."
Daniel sees that with the clouds of heaven arrives one who looks like a man. Pay attention to the differences between what he saw previously and what he sees here. First, previously he saw beasts, whereas here, when speaking of the new kingdom, it is a "man" - the new kingdom will be a kingdom of man as opposed to a kingdom of a beast. Second, the beasts arose from the sea, and the sea symbolizes physical matter from the depths of the great abyss; whereas by contrast, the kingdom of man comes from the "clouds of heaven." The beasts came in a storm: the four winds of the heavens blowing, wars, goring horns, wings flying to rule over the entire world. But here the verse tells you that this will come about through a man, representing contemplation and understanding in the Torah of Hashem and the fulfillment of His mitzvos, in a peaceful, gentle manner rather than through war and battle.
And what are the clouds? If we take water, evaporate it, and make it more spiritual - it becomes clouds. Clouds are a physical reality transformed into a more spiritual one, something that wanders in the air and the wind. Clouds also symbolize divine bounty: when we ask for rain, we want clouds that will bestow that bounty upon us, and this is something elevated above coarse matter. Similarly, when Chazal wish to express spiritual bounty, they express it through dew - "your dew is like the dew of lights," the dew of resurrection - because it descends from above, a higher spiritual bounty flowing from the celestial realms.
The verse is telling you that this Mashiach, this person, will elevate himself above physical matter and material desires, and not only rise above them, but rule over materiality. This is the idea of "a pauper riding on a donkey" (*chamor*) - *chamor* represents matter (*chomer*), and he will have complete mastery over his material and physical nature.
"And he came up to the Ancient of Days" - I see that this man will attain profound closeness to Hashem, blessed is He; he will walk with God, like "and Chanoch walked with God," and he will be in great closeness to Hashem. And after he prepares himself from his own side - for as is known, Hashem gives wisdom to the wise, and as is known, "Open for Me an opening" and Hashem opens an opening as wide as the hall of the Beis HaMikdash - then comes "and they brought him near before Him": after he walks with Hashem and draws close to Him through his deeds and conduct, he will receive assistance from Above and be brought near to Him, as it is written: "I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My eyes."
וְלֵהּ יְהִב שׇׁלְטָן וִיקָר וּמַלְכוּ, וְכֹל עַמְמַיָּא אֻמַּיָּא וְלִשָּׁנַיָּא לֵהּ יִפְלְחוּן, שׇׁלְטָנֵהּ שׇׁלְטָן עָלַם דִּי לָא יֶעְדֵּה וּמַלְכוּתֵהּ דִּי לָא תִתְחַבַּל׃ - "And to him was given dominion, honor, and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall not be destroyed."
Throughout all the exiles we experienced, we saw that the Jewish people lost their courage and there was faintness in their hearts; instead of this, they will now be granted dominion. In their exile they were degraded beneath the nations; instead of this, they will have "honor" (*yekar*). We had no kings or ministers among the nations; instead of this, they will receive kingship. Generally, dominion does not endure for long, especially tyrannical, absolute rule; but here: "his dominion is an everlasting dominion which shall not pass away" - an eternal dominion that will never be removed. Furthermore, sometimes a leader corrupts his ways and is no longer worthy of kingship, just as Hashem told David that if his descendants do not follow the way of Hashem, He would remove them from kingship - not Shlomo, but those who came after him. Yet here the verse tells you: "and his kingship is one that shall not be destroyed" - there will never be a situation where the king deviates from the path, causing a deficiency in his reign. And why? Because Hashem will remove the spirit of impurity from the earth, impart understanding to those who err, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as water covers the sea. There will no longer be sin or the removal of kingship; this will be an everlasting kingdom.
Daniel's Dismay and His Question to the Angel
אֶתְכְּרִיַּת רוּחִי אֲנָה דָנִיֵּאל בְּגוֹא נִדְנֶה, וְחֶזְוֵי רֵאשִׁי יְבַהֲלֻנַּנִי׃ - "My spirit was grieved within its sheath, I Daniel, and the visions of my head terrified me."
After Daniel saw all this, he says: my spirit was cut off within its sheath - within the body. The body is like a sheath for the soul: the spirit is the sword, and the body is the scabbard. That is to say, I felt as though my spirit were severed from within my body - it had not yet left, but it was, as it were, uprooted from its place, like the expression of a sword rattling loose within its scabbard. He meant: I was seized by immense terror, to the point that my spirit almost departed from me. "And the visions of my head terrified me" - the visions in my mind filled me with dread.
קִרְבֵת עַל חַד מִן קָאֲמַיָּא וְיַצִּיבָא אֶבְעֵא מִנֵּהּ עַל כׇּל דְּנָה, וַאֲמַר לִי וּפְשַׁר מִלַּיָּא יְהוֹדְעִנַּנִי׃ - I approached one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made known to me the interpretation of the things.
I drew close to one of the angels standing there above to serve the Ancient of Days - that is, Hashem, blessed be He - and I asked him to tell me the truth regarding all this; and he spoke to me and made known to me the meaning of the matter.
"Four Kings Shall Arise" - Will They Arise or Depart?
אִלֵּין חֵיוָתָא רַבְרְבָתָא דִּי אִנִּין אַרְבַּע, אַרְבְּעָה מַלְכִין יְקוּמוּן מִן אַרְעָא׃ - These great beasts, which are four, are four kings who will arise from the earth.
The angel explains to him: these great beasts, which are four, symbolize four kings. And he was exacting in his phrasing: "they shall arise from [min] the earth" - the verb of rising when paired with "from" denotes removal, in contrast to rising "to," which signifies standing firm. When one says, "I removed him from there," the intent is that I drove him away, distancing him; he was sitting on the chair and they made him get up from there. But "I called him up to the bimah" means I honored him to stand and pray. The difference lies between "to" and "from." Thus he tells him: these four kings whom you see standing - know that they will be removed from the earth; the four kingdoms are destined to be brought to an end.
וִיקַבְּלוּן מַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין, וְיַחְסְנוּן מַלְכוּתָא עַד עָלְמָא וְעַד עָלַם עָלְמַיָּא׃ - And the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.
The primary purpose of the vision was not merely to show the four kingdoms, for the four kingdoms are of interest to us only from a historical perspective, and they certainly did not matter to Daniel for their own sake. Which kingdom will rule, how it will reign, and what will become of it is not the main point. What matters to us is the ultimate outcome: who will rule in the end, and what will be the fate of the Jewish people. Therefore the emphasis is: the four kingdoms "shall arise [and depart] from the earth," they will be nullified, and afterwards "the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom" - the kingdom will be given to the exalted holy ones, who are the Jewish people. "And possess the kingdom" - they will inherit the kingdom "forever, even forever and ever," for all eternity. And what is "forever and ever" (alam almayya)? The Malbim explains: this refers to the eternal realm that will follow this world, for Scripture is already referring here to the dimension of the World to Come.
This is also the language of the Ibn Ezra on this verse: "In the end, the kingdom belongs to the holy ones of the Most High, and they shall inherit the kingdom forever and ever." Afterwards, the vision returns to mention the details of the fourth beast - and this is the subject of the next verse.
Daniel's Inquiry Concerning the Fourth Beast and the Horn
אֱדַיִן צְבִית לְיַצָּבָא עַל חֵיוְתָא רְבִיעָיְתָא דִּי הֲוָת שָׁנְיָה מִן כׇּלְּהֵין, דְּחִילָה יַתִּירָה שִׁנַּהּ דִּי פַרְזֶל וְטִפְרַהּ דִּי נְחָשׁ, אָכְלָה מַדְּקָה וּשְׁאָרָא בְּרַגְלַהּ רָפְסָה׃ - Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all of them, exceedingly dreadful, whose teeth were of iron and its claws of copper, which devoured, crushed, and stamped the residue with its feet.
I desired to ascertain the truth and the meaning of the fourth beast, which was distinct from all the others and exceedingly terrifying: its teeth were of iron and its claws of copper - and the claws of copper were not mentioned earlier, but only now.
וְעַל קַרְנַיָּא עֲשַׂר דִּי בְרֵאשַׁהּ וְאׇחֳרִי דִּי סִלְקַת וּנְפַלָה מִן קֳדָמַהּ תְּלָת, וְקַרְנָא דִכֵּן וְעַיְנִין לַהּ וּפֻם מְמַלִּל רַבְרְבָן וְחֶזְוַהּ רַב מִן חַבְרָתַהּ׃ - And concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn that came up, before which three fell, even that horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was greater than its fellows.
The ten horns that emerged from the fourth beast, and the little horn that arose and pushed out three horns and caused them to fall, and that horn having eyes and a mouth speaking haughty things, with the beast's appearance greater and more formidable than its fellows. Daniel asked the angel to explain all this to him, for the angel had not explained the meaning of the beasts themselves, as we have explained - because why should Daniel care about the beasts, which are merely history? He wanted to know what would happen at the end.
חָזֵה הֲוֵית וְקַרְנָא דִכֵּן עָבְדָה קְרָב עִם קַדִּישִׁין וְיָכְלָה לְהֹן׃ - I was looking, and that horn made war with the holy ones and prevailed against them.
I saw that this horn waged war against the holy nation of Israel and prevailed against them - it defeated them. And this was his question: What does this signify, which kingdom is this referring to, which kingdom will overpower and defeat us, and until when?
Be'itah or Achishena: Two Paths to the Redemption
עַד דִּי אֲתָה עַתִּיק יוֹמַיָּא וְדִינָא יְהִב לְקַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין, וְזִמְנָא מְטָה וּמַלְכוּתָא הֶחֱסִנוּ קַדִּישִׁין׃ - Until the Ancient of Days arrived and judgment was given for the high holy ones, and the time arrived, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.
Until when will that small horn overpower us? Until the Ancient of Days comes, Who is the Holy One, blessed be He; "and judgment was given for the high holy ones" - He will execute judgment on behalf of the Jewish people, meaning He will judge those who afflicted us; "and the time arrived" - the appointed time will come; "and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom" - and the people of Israel, who are the holy ones, will inherit the kingdom.
The Malbim explains that the Redemption is dependent either upon a set time or upon a time of divine favor even before that time - which corresponds to the aspect of "be'itah" (in its due time), or "achishena" (I will hasten it), ahead of time. Regarding the time of divine favor, if the Jewish people are deserving, the verse says "for the high holy ones" [kadishei elyonin]: the Jewish people will possess an exalted sanctity and will thus be worthy of Hashem drawing close to them. About this it is said, "the Ancient of Days arrived" - the Holy One, blessed be He, will come, and the Redemption will be brought about by Hashem as a matter of strict justice. In other words, we deserve it: we are "high holy ones" who do Hashem's will, and therefore Hashem will execute judgment and grant us the kingdom. In contrast, there is another possibility, presented in the continuation of the verse: "and the time arrived" - that we might not merit it, and we will be redeemed solely because the appointed time has arrived; "and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom" - they will then take the kingdom because it is their inheritance, but we will not attain that lofty level where the Ancient of Days executes judgment directly. Rather, we will merely inherit the kingdom while on the level of "holy ones" [kadishin], and not "high holy ones." Initially it said "high holy ones," signifying a higher spiritual stature; but if not, it will be in the manner of "be'itah," and the kingdom will be inherited simply by "the holy ones" and not "high holy ones."
This aligns with what Chazal say: if they do not merit, it will be in the manner of "a pauper riding on a donkey"; if they merit, "behold, with the clouds of heaven." If they merit, there will be a spiritual order characterized by the clouds of heaven; and if they do not merit, there will be a physical, natural order characterized by a pauper riding on a donkey.
The Angel's Interpretation: The Fourth Kingdom and the Final Horn
כֵּן אֲמַר, חֵיוְתָא רְבִיעָיְתָא מַלְכוּ רְבִיעָאָה תֶּהֱוֵא בְאַרְעָא דִּי תִשְׁנֵא מִן כׇּל מַלְכְוָתָא, וְתֵאכֻל כׇּל אַרְעָא וּתְדוּשִׁנַּהּ וְתַדְּקִנַּהּ׃ - Thus he said: The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on earth, which will be diverse from all kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth, and will tread it down and crush it.
Up to this point was Daniel's inquiry, seeking the meaning of the matter, and from here begins the angel's answer: The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom that will arise on the earth, which will differ from all the other kingdoms, and will consume the entire earth; "and will tread it down and crush it" - it will thresh it and grind it to dust, trampling the remainder underfoot so that nothing is left.
וְקַרְנַיָּא עֲשַׂר מִנַּהּ מַלְכוּתָא עַשְׂרָה מַלְכִין יְקֻמוּן, וְאׇחֳרָן יְקוּם אַחֲרֵיהֹן וְהוּא יִשְׁנֵא מִן קַדְמָיֵא וּתְלָתָה מַלְכִין יְהַשְׁפִּל׃ - And the ten horns from this kingdom: ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them; he will differ from the earlier ones, and he will humble three kings.
The ten horns indicate that ten kings will arise from that kingdom, and afterward another horn will arise after them; it will be different from the previous ones and will bring down three kings. This horn is the "little horn" (keren ze'ira) that will arise after the Roman Empire is established - for the Roman Empire is the primary essence of the beast, and the ten horns are the expansions and offshoots of that empire when it divides into ten kingdoms. And why does the verse state "and he shall be different from the first" - different from all the kingdoms that preceded it? Because all the kingdoms that came before it were idolaters, whereas this horn is not idolatrous. For all Christian nations are considered to worship idols through association (shituf), but the little horn does not engage in idolatry - and this represents the kingdom of Ishmael, as we have explained.
"And he shall bring down three kings" - the verse does not specify who they are, but looking at contemporary reality, it seems plausible to suggest that this humiliation primarily targets America and Britain. We have witnessed the terror attacks wrought by the kingdom of Ishmael, and the impact Ishmael has wielded over the nations and the descendants of Edom. The most precise description of what America experienced during the fall of the Twin Towers is humiliation. And why did America go to war so fiercely, beyond the issue of oil? Because it suffered a tremendous humiliation and a profound insult: the towers were meant to represent their power and resilience, and suddenly they were brought down to the dust. And who accomplished this? An illiterate man dwelling in a cave brought the American superpower to its knees. That is an enormous humiliation. And Scripture tells us: this horn will bring down kings.
"And he shall speak words against the Most High" - Altering Times and Religion
וּמִלִּין לְצַד עִלָּאָה יְמַלִּל וּלְקַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין יְבַלֵּא, וְיִסְבַּר לְהַשְׁנָיָה זִמְנִין וְדָת, וְיִתְיַהֲבוּן בִּידֵהּ עַד עִדָּן וְעִדָּנִין וּפְלַג עִדָּן׃ - "And he shall speak words against the Most High, and he shall wear down the holy ones of the Supreme Being, and he will think to change times and law; and they will be handed over into his hand until a time, times, and half a time."
He will utter blasphemies against Hashem, blessed be He, and the "holy ones of the Supreme Being" whom he persecutes are the servants of Hashem, the Jewish people - restricting their steps and afflicting them. The Malbim explains that during this era of Ishmaelite dominance, they severely restricted the steps of the Jews under their control. The Yemenite Jews, for example, endured harsh persecutions in Yemen, where many were forcibly removed from their religion: orphans were taken at a tender age, married to Ishmaelites, and compelled to abandon Judaism. The Ishmaelites placed no value on the Jewish faith, regarding Jews as low and despised, and this was the reality throughout the Ishmaelite lands. This is the meaning of "and he shall wear down the holy ones of the Supreme Being" - from the word for worn out (baluy), as he will cause immense distress to the Jewish people, who are the holy ones of the Most High.
"And he will think to change times and law" - he altered religious laws and also "times," meaning appointed festivals. For Muhammad introduced a calendar based solely on the moon, and the religion of Ishmael follows only the lunar cycle, thereby altering appointed seasons and times. Consequently, their Ramadan wanders throughout the calendar year: sometimes falling in summer, sometimes in winter, since they calculate purely by the lunar cycle. A lunar year is eleven days shorter than a solar year (354 days compared to 365), shifting back eleven days each year. Thus, he changed the calendar times as well. Regarding this it is stated: "and they will be handed over into his hand until a time, times, and half a time."
The Ibn Ezra writes similarly: "The little horn will wage war against Israel and prevail over them, and the angel explained to him that this final king of the Ishmaelite kingdom will cause great evil to Israel, which is the meaning of 'and he shall wear down the holy ones of the Supreme Being.' 'And he will think' - for he will seek to change Israel's festivals and their Torah, and Israel will be in distress until a time, times, and half a time." The Ibn Ezra wrote these words nearly nine hundred years ago: the king of Ishmael will cause immense suffering to Israel that will endure until a time, times, and half a time.
A Time, Times, and Half a Time: Calculations of the End of Days
Let us first translate the words to understand when the redemption will occur: idan - a time; idanin - times; pelag idan - half a time. So when will the redemption arrive? A time, times, and half a time. This, of course, requires explanation.
Rashi cites in the name of Rav Saadiah Gaon that this refers to 1,335 years, as stated at the end of the book: "Fortunate is he who waits," where it also mentions "until a time, two times, and half a time." We must clarify what "a time" is, what "two times" are, what "half a time" is, and from when this period is counted. In the name of Rav Saadiah Gaon, he explains that "a time" is 480 years, since 480 years elapsed from the Exodus from Egypt until the First Temple was built (and 440 years from the entry into the Land), while the First Temple stood for 410 years. The sum of these two times - 480 plus 410 - is 890. Adding half a time, half of 890, which is 445, brings us to 1,335. And from when does the count begin? From the time the continuous daily offering (Tamid) was removed and the abominable desolation was placed, as seen in explicit verses later in the book - that is, from the Second Temple era - until the daily offering is restored to its place. Rashi notes that the Tamid offering was abolished six years prior to the destruction of the Second Temple. According to this calculation, we arrive at the year 5168 (1408 CE), and we are now more than six hundred years past it. This is why our Sages remarked that all calculated ends (kitzin) have already passed and we have not yet been redeemed. According to Rav Saadiah Gaon, this date has already come and gone, though it was inherently designated as an opportune time for redemption.
What does this mean? It means that there was an auspicious time for redemption, but the Jewish people did not capitalize on it. Sacred texts explain that whenever an auspicious time for redemption passes without being seized, severe afflictions follow. A well-known example is the year 5408 (1648 CE, Tav-Chet): the Zohar states that the year Tav-Chet of the sixth millennium is a time of redemption. This was even hinted at in Megillat Esther - for the enlarged letters in the Megillah are the tav of "Chur karpas u'tchelet" and the chet of "Va-tichtov Esther," one near the beginning and one near the end, spelling Tav-Chet (408). Since Megillat Esther recounts the final redemption in biblical times, it hints at the next redemption in 5408. Yet what actually occurred in that year? The tragic massacres of 5408 and 5409 (Tach ve-Tat), the Khmelnytsky uprisings, where so much Jewish blood was spilled in horrific pogroms. In other words, a designated date for redemption is an opportune window: with even modest spiritual effort we could be redeemed, but if we fail to act, Heaven forbid, that potential turns into a stumbling block, as one is held accountable for failing to seize the opportunity. May Hashem protect us.
Thus far according to Rav Saadiah Gaon. Now let us examine the explanation of the Malbim. The Malbim explains that "half a time" means half the total duration of "a time and times," just as Rav Saadiah Gaon understood. If we calculate "a time" as 400 years, then three times - since "a time" is one and "times" is two - equal 1,200 years, and half a time is another 600, totaling 1,800 years. Based on this, the Malbim notes, the redemption would have arrived in the year 5628 (1868 CE), marking 1,800 years since the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash by the Romans. However, the Malbim points out that this date does not align with the other calculations found later in the book. Therefore, he explains that "a time" should be reckoned as 410 years, corresponding to the lifespan of the First Temple: three times equal 1,230 years (410 multiplied by 3), and half a time is 615 years, totaling 1,845 years. This calculation leads to the year 5673 (1913 CE). The Malbim explains that this date harmonizes well with the other prophetic timelines in Daniel. Hence, there are two stages in this calculation: 5628 and 5673. The Malbim explains that the initial shifts and awakenings would begin in 5628 (1868), with the culmination unfolding by 5673 (1913).
"The harvest has passed, the summer has ended, and we have not been saved." All calculated end-times have passed - all the dates calculated by the reckoners of ends, and the time of redemption has still not arrived. This teaches us why Chazal said, "May the spirit of those who calculate the end-times be blasted": because when the calculated time arrives and people say, "Behold, it has come," and then it passes and nothing happens, doubt, Heaven forbid, can enter the hearts of faint-spirited people, making them think that perhaps it will never come. Therefore, one must not calculate the end, so as not to lead to despair. A prime example: 5673 (תרע"ג) was the year 1913, and World War I took place between 1914 and 1917. Thus, immediately after they were worthy of redemption but were not redeemed, a war broke out in which the Jewish people suffered greatly. It was not like World War II, but they certainly suffered in the First World War. This teaches us that when a time ripe for redemption arrives and the Jewish people are not redeemed, troubles, Heaven forbid, follow thereafter.
The Judgment, and the Eternal Kingdom of the Jewish People
וְדִינָא יִתִּב וְשׇׁלְטָנֵהּ יְהַעְדּוֹן לְהַשְׁמָדָה וּלְהוֹבָדָה עַד סוֹפָא׃ - "And the court will sit in judgment, and they will take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it until the end."
And following this, "the court will sit in judgment" - on the great day of judgment, Hashem will sit upon His throne, as we saw earlier, "until thrones were set in place," and the thrones of the heavenly princes and the kingdoms of the world will be removed, and their dominion will be taken away, "to consume and destroy it until the end" - to destroy and eradicate the nations to their very end.
וּמַלְכוּתָא וְשׇׁלְטָנָא וּרְבוּתָא דִּי מַלְכְוָת תְּחוֹת כׇּל שְׁמַיָּא יְהִיבַת לְעַם קַדִּישֵׁי עֶלְיוֹנִין, מַלְכוּתֵהּ מַלְכוּת עָלַם וְכֹל שׇׁלְטָנַיָּא לֵהּ יִפְלְחוּן וְיִשְׁתַּמְּעוּן׃ - "And the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under all the heavens will be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High; its kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey it."
The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of all the kingdoms beneath the heavens will be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High, the Jewish people. This kingdom will not be one that can ever be removed; rather, "its kingdom is an everlasting kingdom," and all rulers and nations will serve the Jewish people and obey them - and "will obey" here means that they will listen to their commands to carry them out.
"And I Kept the Matter in My Heart"
עַד כָּה סוֹפָא דִי מִלְּתָא, אֲנָה דָנִיֵּאל שַׂגִּיא רַעְיוֹנַי יְבַהֲלֻנַּנִי וְזִיוַי יִשְׁתַּנּוֹן עֲלַי וּמִלְּתָא בְּלִבִּי נִטְרֵת׃ - "Until here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts alarmed me greatly, and my countenance changed upon me; and I kept the matter in my heart."
The Malbim explains that "Until here is the end of the matter" are the words of the angel: this kingdom will endure until the end of all things, the ultimate purpose of the world, the end of time. From here, Daniel continues and says: As for me, Daniel, following this vision and the angel who spoke with me and explained everything that is destined to occur, my thoughts alarmed me greatly, and the countenance of my face changed upon me. "And I kept the matter in my heart" - I kept the matter in my heart and did not wish to reveal it to anyone. And why? Because the redemption is far off, very far off, thousands of years until it arrives. Daniel said: If I make this known, I will break every believing, hopeful heart.
Summary:
In this part of the vision, we transition from the description of the Heavenly Court - the river of fire, the thousands upon thousands who minister and the myriads upon myriads who stand, and the books being opened - to the downfall of the fourth beast, whose judgment is primarily executed due to the arrogant boasts of the horn. The tyrannical rule of the other kingdoms is stripped away, and then one "like a son of man" arrives with the clouds of heaven: a kingdom of man rather than of a beast, coming from heaven rather than from the sea, by way of Torah and gentleness rather than warfare, representing one who has elevated himself above physicality and masters it. This kingdom will be an eternal dominion that will not pass away and will not be destroyed, as the spirit of impurity will be purged from the earth. The angel clarifies to Daniel that the four kingdoms are destined to pass from the earth, and the kingdom will be received by the holy ones of the Most High. Two scenarios are possible: if they merit, "the Ancient of Days arrived" and judgment was given for the holy ones of the Most High; if they do not merit, "the time arrived" and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom, like a poor man riding on a donkey. Amidst all this, we learned the meaning of the little horn - a horn that does not worship idols, that humbles kings, oppresses Israel, and alters times and law - as well as the calculations of "a time, times, and half a time" according to Rav Saadia Gaon and the Malbim. All of these calculations have passed, teaching us that all calculated ends have expired, that one must not calculate end-times, and that an auspicious time for redemption that goes unutilized turns into a stumbling block. And Daniel, seeing how distant the redemption was, kept the matter in his heart so as not to break any believing, yearning heart.