The Haggadah says, “For the Holy One, Blessed is He, calculated the end of the exile.

The Geulas Avraham – the Vilna Gaon’s son – says that the numerical value of קֵץ, end, is 190. Of the 400 years of exile decreed at the Covenant Between the Parts, 210 were spent in the bondage to Egypt, while the other 190 comprised the years of the sojourns of our forefathers in lands not their own.

Hashem did not tell Avraham Avinu at the Covenant Between the Parts how the 400 years of exile would be divided between slavery and wandering. The Holy One, Blessed is He, calculated the end can thus be interpreted as the Holy One, Blessed is He, calculated the 190; He made a calculation for our benefit, allowing 190 of the 400 years to be spent in sojourning rather than slavery.[1]

Nowadays, can we figure out the end of our exile? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.

Seifer Chasdei Avraham says, “Today, we are living ‘Chevlei Moshiach’ - the birth pangs of Moshiach, this is neither the beginning nor middle of the period but rather the last chapter of the Chevlei Moshiach.”

In our current exile, where did we suffer the most the ‘birth pangs’ of Moshiach? Approximately 48 years ago, the Steipler Gaon said, “We are very close to the coming of Moshiach since we underwent most of the ‘birth pangs’ of Moshiach during World War II with its dreadful suffering...”[2]

How many years is Chevlei Moshiach?

Between אַשְׁרֵי and וּבָא לְצִיּוֹן during Shacharis, we say, “לַמְנַצֵּחַ... יַעַנְךָ ה' בְּיוֹם צָרָה, Hashem should answer us in our day of pain.”[3] The Vilna Gaon[4] says that there are 70 words in this chapter corresponding to the 70 years of the suffering the Jews will experience before Moshiach reveals himself. This period is called ‘Chevlei Moshiach’ - the birth pangs of Moshiach.

Menachem Robinson explains:[5]

“We are told that the seven years before Moshiach is introduced will be with very definite events. It is worded as: in the first year…, in the second year…, etc. Then it says that in the eighth year, the year following this seven-year period, the Moshiach will be introduced. All modern Rabbis talk of this revealing page of the Talmud as the 7-year Shemittah cycle that we observe. It is the most defined information which has been watched for decades. It also was the biggest reason that the end of the last Shemittah cycle in 5775 appeared to be the cycle and the year 5776 would definitely be the year Moshiach would be introduced. There were Rabbis during World War 2 who said that after 10 Shemittah cycles Moshiach would come. With the war ending in 5705, 1945, the 10 cycles or 70 years brought us to 5775, which was totally consistent with Moshiach being introduced in 5776 after the last Shemittah cycle.

When it didn’t happen, many Torah scholars were scratching their heads asking what went wrong…

I figured out what went wrong. In reviewing the page 97 in Sanhedrin, I noticed that there was not one mention of Shemittah. Even in the commentary by the great sages there was talk of the 7-year cycle, but no mention of it being in conjunction with the 7-year Shemittah cycle. It was only commentary from modern Rabbis that insisted that the 7-year cycles were congruent.

The actual wording in the Talmud is: ‘In the seven-year cycle when the son of David will come: In the first year…, in the second year…, etc. In the aftermath of the seventh year (the eighth year), the son of David will come.’ Not only is there no reference to the Shemittah but alluding to the eighth year means ‘the next year after the 7-year period.’ Otherwise it should say in the first year of the next Shemittah cycle, since the eighth year of a Shemittah cycle is meaningless.

It even makes more sense to talk about ten 7-year cycles or 70 years, not after WW2 but the establishment of the State of Israel. 5708 to 5778 is much more believable.”

The Maharal[6] says the following:

“The Gemara teaches that Moshiach will come in the year after a Shemittah because that is the number appropriate for him; that number reflects sublime character of Moshiach. For this world is a world of sevens and the concept of Moshiach is beyond this world; thus, he comes in the eighth year.”

On January 15, 2018, Rabbi Kessin said in a shiur the following:[7]

There was a special code words given by Moshe Rabbeinu that identified him as their savior sent by Hashem to take the Jews out of Mitzrayim. Those words are פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי, I have surely remembered you. As the posuk states, “Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, ‘The L-rd G-d of your forefathers has appeared to me, the G-d of Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob,’ saying, “I have surely remembered you and what is being done to you in Egypt.”

These are the words used by the Redeemers: Moshe and Moshiach.

Now Rabbi Kessin gives us some extra information.

The gematria of פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי is 778. This may represent the year 778… but how do we know that this could actually be the year 5778? Because there is a Vav missing from the word פָּקֹד and Vav is the number 6, representing the sixth millennium - 5778. So those words are quite possibly hinting to the fact that when the Moshiach arrives with these special code words, it could very well be this year 5778.

On January 11, 2018, Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita, spoke at Rechovot and said that 5778 is the year of the coming of Moshiach.[8] [9]

Who exactly is Rav Eliezer Berland?

On August 11, 2016, Rav Dovid Chaim Stern shlit”a said the following:[10]

I was approached with regards to the great Gaon and holy Tzaddik, R Eliezer ben Etya Berland shlit”a. I know this Tzaddik for more than 50 years. We speak with each other and we’ve spoken a lot in the past. He was the chavrusa of the Steipler for many years. He was then a young man, so I asked the Steipler what he says about him – I wanted to know.

So he said to me, “You should know, he is an expert in the entire Torah, a holy man and Tzaddik!”

This is the testimony from the mouth of the Gadol Hador, and it is clear as day that the Steipler had true Ruach Hakodesh (a sort of prophecy), there is no one who argues about this.

I knew Rav Berland, we had a strong connection, he is an exalted Jew who stands above all others. There is no man who is completely kindness and mercy, whenever he had money he immediately distributed everything to charity. It is clear to us that person who distributes so much charity and kindness, Hashem imbues his Shechina on him, “He who has mercy on creation, they have mercy on him from Heaven”.

And therefore, Hashem imbues his Shechina onto him and Hashem will guide him as He sees fit.

And it is clear to all of us, we are hoping and praying, that the Good Name will do miracles and wonders.

Other people don’t know Rav Berland like I know him, and they didn’t ask the Steipler what I asked about him. He was a young man while the Steipler was the Gadol Hador and much older than him. They were study partners learning many hours together each day, so I was interested in finding out what he says about him.

He’s holy and pure – that’s it!

They want to make a mass rally

That’s obvious! We need to wake up the masses!

Everyone must come!

A holy Tzaddik who is suffering in prison.

I’m willing to participate to the rally, because I believe that every single action is the greatest mitzvah, to save this Tzaddik as quickly as possible.

He’s not guilty – He didn’t do anything! [Note: He was released from prison on April 6 2017].

Didn’t the Rambam[11] forbid attempts to figure an exact date for the arrival of Moshiach? Yes. However, the Ramban[12] says that the prohibition of the Gemara[13] only applied to earlier generations; now that we are on the eve of redemption, there is no prohibition.