Welcome back to another episode of NachDaily with chapter 12, the conclusion of Doniel.

[May this segment be a merit for the aliyas neshamos of Raizel bas

Moshe and Avraham Aharon ben Yisroel Yitzchok]

We’ve learned how Doniel was miraculously able to gain weight despite his diet of legumes and therefore allowed to keep kosher, how he and his friends were promoted through the ranks to become high ranking officers. We’ve learned about Nevuchadnetzer’s amazing visions and dreams and seen that no one was wiser than Doniel in the kingdom. We saw the miracle of Chananya, Azarya and Mishael being rescued from the fiery furnace and Doniel being saved from the lions’ den. And we’ve seen Doniel’s amazing visions and dreams.

There’s no better time to be finishing than just before for Shavuos! What better way to go into the chag of receiving the Torah than by learning the books of Nach, as Chazal bring that all the books of Tanach were given at Har Sinai?

This is the last in the sequence of Doniel’s long vision contained in the previous 2 chapters. It continues to speak about what will happen at the end of days, including the exact day that Mashiach will come.

As we will see, it is possible that Doniel himself didn’t understand what Hashem was telling him through this awesome vision!

At that time, the great prince Michoel will try to protect Am Yisrael. The Ibn Ezra explains that the prince Michoel will defeat Yishmael in order to protect the Jews, while Rashi maintains that Hashem Himself will destroy the enemies of Gog U’Magog for our sake.

The Shemos Rabba 18:5 brings that both Michoel and the Satan will stand in front of Hashem. The Satan will slander us, while Michoel will silence the Satan and defend us.

The Medrash Rus Rabba brings that Hashem swears He will save Am Yisrael based in their merit of accepting the Torah. As it says, “B’yom Hashishi – on the 6th day, If the Jewish nation wouldn’t have

accepted the Torah, Hashem would have turned the earth back into nothing.

There will be a great and difficult time which has never occurred before. The Ibn Ezra learns that it will be a period of great suffering for the entire world. The Metsudos learns that this is referring to the Jews’ suffering by the hand of Yishmael until his defeat.

At that time, Am Yisrael will be saved and spared!

Additionally, as part of the process of the Messianic Era, “those who sleep in the dust will awake.” Sanhedrin 92b notes that this is the place in Tanach where we are most explicitly told of techiyas hameisim.

During techiyas hamaseim, the dead will come back to life. The soul will be reunited with the body. Some will come back forever, while others will only arise to see Mashiach but will ultimately be judged again to die forever.

It should be noted that there is a huge debate among the classical Meforshim about who will rise up during the time of techiyas hamesim. Will it only be righteous Jews? What about the Jewish reshaim, evil people? How about non-Jews?

Connected to this are questions like what is the purpose of the Olam Haneshamos – World of Souls? Is that where a person receives reward and punishment? And is Olam Haba after a person dies or after techiyas hamisim?

There have been many seforim dedicated to these topics as well as differences of opinions in every direction. I’m not going to delve into these questions now, but I just want to show you that it’s important not to take these questions for granted.

Moving on….

People who are knowledgeable in Torah and mitzvos, according to Rashi, will shine with the radiance of the sky. Those who teach righteousness will be like stars forever and ever.

Doniel is told that he must conceal what he was just told until the very end. Knowledge in this area will increase because so many people will try to figure out what the end will look like.

Then Doniel saw two “others” standing by river banks. The Malbim notes that these are two angels who are given the chance to rule during the final stage of history. They turned to the “man dressed in linen” whom the Meforshim identify as the angel Gavriel.

The angels asked Gavriel how long their dominion will last. What is the date of the final geulah?

Doniel saw Gavriel raise his hands towards heaven and swear in the name of God. “It will be after a time, time and a half. When the shattering of the holy people’s strength is complete, then all these things will cease.”

Metsudos and Rashi explain that this means when the Jewish people reach their fair amount of suffering, or when they are completely helpless. The Malbim learns that it will be when the Jewish people’s power is shattered, and we are no longer in the Diaspora, while Sanhedrin 97a says that in the generation of Mashiach there will be no more Torah scholars left.

Rav Saadya Gaon emphatically states that we have no idea what this means.

Despite hearing this, Doniel still doesn’t understand what he heard and wants to know what the outcome will be.

He is told that these matters are completely hidden. Many people will try to figure them out, but they will be wrong. Some will even interpret this for the worst, but someone who is truly knowledgeable will understand.

At the end of sefer Doniel, which is completely hidden from us, we are given the dates for Mashiach. From the time the daily korbanos stop, there will be 1,290 days. “Happy is the one who waits and

reaches 1,335 days. Now you must go on to the end. You will rest, then you will arise to your fate at the end of days.”

Mazel tov to everyone for finishing sefer Doniel.

Hashem, we have suffered enough! Please let us see Mashiach with our own eyes. Please hasten the redemption, when the knowledge of God will spread like the waters that cover the earth.

We hope to begin sefer Ezra next.

Thank you for listening, and have a wonderful day!