After learning all of this, I want to pause on one beautiful point. This Shabbat we read Pesukim for the Maftir from Parshat Bo. Those who daven Nusach Ashkenaz say the Yotzrot this week – the special piyyutim for the four special Parshiyot. One of these, written by the Tanna Rabbi Elazar HaKalir, is called רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – First and Foremost. The Yotzrot are a treasure worth learning with commentary even for those who do not recite them. Let me read you one piyyut from what will be recited this Shabbat.
הוּא נִקְרָא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וְנוֹאֲמוֹ נִקְרָא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וּמוֹעֲדוֹ נִקְרָא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וְאִוּוּיוֹ נִקְרָא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וְנוֹחֲלָיו נִקְרְאוּ רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וְאוֹיְבָם נִקְרָא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וְאוֹהֲבָם נִקְרָא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וְגוֹאֲלָם נִקְרָא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. הִנֵּה הָעֵת יָבֹא בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. בְּקֵץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לַעֲבוֹר בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לְכוֹנֵן נָכוֹן בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. וְאִתּוֹ נוֹצַר בְּרוּחַ רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לְקַעֲקֵעַ שְׂרִידֵי עֲמָלֵק רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לְעוֹרֵר צוּרִים הַחֲצוּבִים בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לִפְעוֹל חֲדָשׁוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לְהוֹבִיל בּוֹ שַׁי לְרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לְרַצּוֹת חִדּוּשׁ תְּשׁוּרַת רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לְהוֹבִיל בּוֹ שַׁי לְרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. לְרַצּוֹת חִדּוּשׁ תְּשׁוּרַת רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן:
G-d is called the Chief, the First, and His Word (Torah) is called the Chief, the First. This festival is called chief, the first; the chosen Temple is called the chief, the first. Israel. His nation, is called the chief, the first, and their enemy (Amalek) is called the chief, the first. Their friend (Avraham) is called the chief, the first, and their Redeemer is called the chief, the first. Behold the appointed one (Mashiach) will come as chief and first, at the chief and foremost time, to pass foremost before them, to establish the exalted Beit Hamikdash on the chief and foremost mountain. With Him was he (Mashiach) created chief and foremost, to destroy the remnants of ruddy Eisav, who was chief and foremost, to arouse the rocks (Patriarchs), who were hewn out chief and foremost to accomplish new things on the chief and foremost month, to atone, by the new gifts, the choicest first fruits, to bring offerings to G-d, the Foremost the First.
The piyyut begins: He is called ראש וראשון – First and Foremost. And so are many things: His word – the Torah – is called ראש וראשון, for it says: ר א שׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת; His appointed time – Pesach – is called ראש וראשון, for it is the first of the three Regalim; His House – the Beit HaMikdash – is called ראש וראשון; His inheritance – Bnei Yisrael – are called ראש וראשון; His enemy – Amalek – is called ראש וראשון; His beloved – Avraham Avinu – is called ראש וראשון; His redeemer – the Mashiach – is called ראש וראשון;
Then it proceeds to say: הִנֵּה הָעֵת יָבוֹא בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – The time will come in ראש וראשון. When? בְּקֵץ אֲשֶׁר הוּא רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – in the end-time which is ראש וראשון – the month of Nissan; the first of the months of the year. That is when the Mashiach will come.
לַעֲבֹר בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – the Mashiach will go at the head, as the Pasuk says: וַיַּעֲבֹר מַלְכָּם לִפְנֵיהֶם וַה' בְּרֹאשָׁם, וַה' בְּרֹאשָׁם, – And Hashem at their head, their King passing before them with Hashem at their head.
לְכוֹנֵן נָכוֹן בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – He will establish, in ראש וראשון, the Beit HaMikdash, of which it says נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית ה' בְּרֹאשׁ הֶהָרִים.
וְאִתּוֹ נוֹצַר בְּרוּחַ רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – guarded with the spirit that is called ראש וראשון. Why is the Mashiach called רוּחַ – spirit? In Parshat Bereishit: וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ corresponds to the exile of Bavel; וָבֹהוּ corresponds to the exile of Madai; וְחֹשֶׁךְ corresponds to the exile of Yavan; עַל פְּנֵי תְהוֹם corresponds to the exile of Edom. And then: וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם – the spirit of G-d hovered over the waters. That is the spirit of Mashiach.
לְקַעֲקֵעַ שְׁרִידֵי עֲמָלֵק רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – to uproot the remnant of Amalek by ראש וראשון. What needs to be finished by Rosh Chodesh Nissan? Uprooting the head of Amalek! Who is that? Khamenei the first, Khamenei the second, Khamenei the third, the Tajikai one, the Bacucai one – all of them, the whole list, everyone whose name ends in *-i*. Finish them all by Rosh Chodesh Nissan! When I messaged Trump I told him: by Rosh Chodesh you finish all of them! B'ezrat Hashem, you have the B-2s, you have enough to finish the whole matter. Chalas! Done – finish it off, quickly!
לְעוֹרֵר צוּרִים הַחֲצוּבִים מֵרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – to awaken the holy Avot, the rocks from whom we are hewn, as it says in the Pasuk: מֵרֹאשׁ צוּרִים אֶרְאֶנּוּ וּמִגְּבָעוֹת אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ – From the head of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him.
לִפְעוֹל חֲדָשׁוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – to bring about new things in the month of ראש וראשון. B'ezrat Hashem, Rosh Chodesh will bring news. What kind of news? News of all Beit Yisrael in Yerushalayim. News that in five minutes you will hear a siren – that Mashiach has arrived. Rabbotai, a new kind of alert – לִפְעוֹל חֲדָשׁוֹת בְּרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן. If they announce an alert with the instruction to enter the safe room – that isn’t news. That is already old news. News is the Mashiach coming! The ultimate in protective measures and covering.
לְרַצוֹת חִדּוּשׁ שׁוּרַת רֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – to bring before Hakadosh Baruch Hu the renewal of the first row of Korbanot. There are Berachot one recites, and we need to be ready! There are Berachot to be recited upon the coming of Mashiach!
לְהוֹבִיל מוֹשִׁי לְרֹאשׁ וְרִאשׁוֹן – to bring a gift to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. What gift? All the Korbanot we must bring Him for what we have sinned and transgressed.
This evening, a Jew brought me a passage from the Sefer Kli Paz, written by Rav Shmuel Laniado, one of the commentators on Tanach who lived five hundred years ago. He comments on the pasuk in Sefer Yeshayahu (34:6): כִּי זֶבַח לַה' בְּבׇצְרָה וְטֶבַח גָּדוֹל בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם׃ For there is a slaughter for Hashem in Batzrah, and a great massacre in the land of Edom.
What is Batzrah? Rabbotai, in a few hours it will be Shabbat. What will we sing? דְּרוֹר יִקְרָא לְבֵן עִם בַּת – you know the third stanza? דְּרוֹךְ פּוּרָה בְּתוֹךְ בָּצְרָה – Tread the winepress within Batzrah. So start practicing Batzrah!
Rav Shmuel Laniado writes on this pasuk: There is a place far from Bavel called Batzrah, situated between the border of Ashur and Persia and the border of the land of Edom. What is this place called? Hormuz.
You know what Hormuz is? The Strait of Hormuz. What is happening there right now? The Iranians wanted to place mines so that every ship passing through would explode; they would block the oil passage, and then what? No oil. A third of the world is fed through that passage, and they would block it. What did Mr. Trump say? You shot a bullet past my ear and now I will sink every ship of yours. He has sunk, until today, I don't know how many – some twenty ships or more. And he said: The Strait of Hormuz will remain open.
Rav Shmuel Laniado continues: This place called the Strait of Hormuz is under the rule of the Yishmaelim, and blessed is the One Who knows the truth of all things. Perhaps through this place will come the final war at the End of Days.
Rabbotai, who knows what news we will receive, B'ezrat Hashem, on Rosh Chodesh Nissan this year, may Hakadosh Baruch Hu bless this month for us for good and for blessing, and may we merit the complete Geula, speedily in our days, Amen v’Amen!!!
