The 21 Days of Joy
By Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
The 21 Days of Joy
By Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
The Future Seventeenth of Tammuz
The Golden Calf and the Tablets
The Festival Menu of The Wedding Feast
Changes with the Future 21-Day Feast
For eight hundred and thirty years there stood an edifice upon a Jerusalem hilltop which served as the point of contact between heaven and earth. So central was this edifice to the relationship between man and HaShem that nearly two-thirds of the mitzvot are contingent upon its existence. Its destruction is regarded as the greatest tragedy of our history, and its rebuilding will mark the ultimate redemption, the restoration of harmony within HaShem's creation and between HaShem and His creation.
The loss of the Temple resulted in four fast days: Tammuz 17, Av 9, Tishri 3, and Tevet 10. The prophet told us that one day, all of these fast days would become times of joy:
Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 31:12 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Zechariah 8:19 The fast of the fourth month [Tammuz], the fast of the fifth [Av], the fast of the seventh [Tishri], and the fast of the tenth [Tevet] shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love ye truth and peace”.
The promise is that they become moedim, not just “happy days” but festival days.
Both the Shelah Hakadosh and the Arizal teach that both the 17th of Tammuz and 9th of Av were originally meant to be joyous. Thus, in the future, they will fulfill that destiny.
The final hierarchy of joy in the Messianic Age:
The Zera Kodesh[1] draws a parallel between the three weeks and the three pilgrimage festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, and Succoth). Each holiday spans seven days (Shavuot, too, has seven days of Tashlumin[2]), totaling 21 days, mirroring the 21 days of the three weeks. In the perfected future, these days too will be a three-week-long holiday.
What do Chazal[3] and the Meforshem[4] say about the feasts that will replace the fast of Tammuz 17[5] and Av 9?
Abaye, a third-century Biblical “amora” from Babylonia, cited a tradition claiming that the Messiah will arrive on Tisha B’Av, the Ninth day of Av commemorating the destruction of the Jewish Temples in Jerusalem, thereby turning the day of mourning for the Temples into a day of joy and celebration.
Rabbi Fish then noted that, as per the prediction in the Talmud: “And Ben David (the son of David, i.e. the Messiah) will come in the Shemita, that is to say, the exit of the Shemita year, that is to say on the Ninth of Av after the Shemita ends”, Rabbi Fish explained.
The Me’or VaShemesh[6] writes that the 21 days of the Three Weeks[7] parallel the 21 days from Rosh Hashanah to Hoshanah Rabbah: “The days of the Three Weeks are hidden. The days from Rosh Hashanah to Hoshanah Rabbah are revealed…”. According to Rav Saadiah Gaon, as cited by the Shibolei Leket,[8] these three weeks are the same three weeks that Daniel fasted.[9]
The idea is that the essential holiness of the three weeks is present, but concealed. This dual structure, two sets of 21 days, suggests the three weeks are inherently meant to be joyous. How, then, are they days of sorrow?
The answer lies in their missed potential. According to the Shelah,[10] quoting the Arizal, the 17th of Tammuz was originally intended to be a joyous day, the day Moses was to bring down the first tablets. Aaron even said, “Tomorrow will be a festival for God”, referring to the 17th of Tammuz. Similarly, the 9th of Av was meant to be a day of joy, when the Israelites would receive the good news of entering the Land. Instead, because of the sin of the Golden Calf and the negative report of the spies (who returned on the eve of the 9th of Av), both dates became tragic.
The Midrash[11] states: "You wept a baseless cry [on the night of Tisha B’Av]; I will establish this night as a day of weeping for generations”.[12] Thus, the pain of these days stems not only from what happened, but from the greatness of what could have been.
Rabbi of Ruzhin: Tisha B’Av is the first day of the festival and the 17th of Tammuz the last day, and the entire rest of the year is like Chol HaMo’ed (intermediate festival days).[13]
Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz, in Imrei Pinchas,[14] writes: “The 23 days of spiritual ‘smallness’ from the 17th of Tammuz through the 9th of Av (including both) correspond to the 23 days of spiritual greatness from Rosh Hashanah through Simchat Torah”.
The Ohev Yisrael[15] asks: Why do we read Parashat Pinchas, which details the festival offerings, during the three weeks? Isn’t there a contradiction between days of mourning and verses about holidays?
He answers: “The 21 days from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av are the source and root of all the festivals of the year”. He notes there are exactly 21 festive days annually: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, seven days of Passover, Shavuot, two days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and eight days of Sukkot. These all emerge from the inner spiritual power of the three weeks.
Just as the festivals represent revelation, the three weeks represent concealment, but the spiritual potential is the same. The Torah hints at this by assigning the festival offerings[16] during these very weeks.
The Pesikta comes to speak about what should have been during the three weeks:
Pesikta De-Rav Kahana, Piska 24 “Rabbi Levi taught: God had intended to give the Jewish People one festival in each of the summer months. In Nisan there is Pesach. In Iyar there is Pesach Sheini. In Sivan there is Shavuot. As a result of their sins and evil actions, three others were taken from them. Tammuz, Av, and Elul, and Tishri replaced them. Rosh Hashanah replaces the festival that ought to have been in Tammuz. Yom Kippur replaces the festival that ought to have been in Av. Succoth replaces the festival that ought to have been in Elul.
In the Talmud,[17] the Sages of Athens posed riddles to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananiah. One such riddle: They brought him two eggs and asked him to identify which came from a white hen and which from a black hen. He responded by bringing two goat cheeses and challenged them to identify which came from a white goat and which from a black one.
The Maharsha[18] explains this exchange allegorically: A hen’s incubation period is 21 days,[19] corresponding to the 21 days from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av, days of sorrow (the "black hen"). Conversely, there are 21 joyous days from the first day of Rosh Hashanah until Hoshanah Rabbah, days of divine forgiveness and atonement (the "white hen"). The Athenian sages sought to argue that joy and suffering are indistinguishable, implying a world without divine providence.
Rabbi Yehoshua responded: On Yom Kippur we bring two goats—one for God (the white goat) and one for Azazel (the black goat). Yet both goats ultimately serve the purpose of atonement. Even the Se’ir La’Azazel turns white when the sins of Israel are forgiven, as symbolized by the red thread turning white. Thus, the white cheeses symbolize atonement, just like the eggs. The 21 days from Rosh Hashanah to Hoshanah Rabbah are days of purification, and so too, the 21 days of mourning from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av are days of potential atonement.
The transformation of the 17th of Tammuz (the day the walls of Jerusalem were breached) into a day of “joy and gladness” is described by Chazal and the Meforshim as a celebration of the removal of barriers. While Tevet 10 represents the “Foundation” of the Temple, the 17th of Tammuz represents the “Vision” of the Temple. In the future, this day will transition from the hottest, most destructive day of the year into a festival of Infinite Light.
The Sfat Emet explains that the “breaching of the walls” on the 17th of Tammuz was a tragedy because the sanctity of the “Inside” (the Temple) was exposed to the “Outside” (the nations). In the Messianic era, the “Outside” will be elevated to the level of the “Inside”.
The feast of Tammuz 17 will celebrate a world where there are no more walls. It will be a festival of “Openness”, where the Divine Presence is no longer confined to a single building but is visible everywhere. The “breach” becomes a “gateway”.
The period from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av is exactly 21 days. The Bnei Yissachar[20] and the Apter Rav (Ohev Yisrael) teach that these 21 days of mourning are the “dark mirror” of the 21 days of joy in the month of Tishri (from Rosh Hashanah through Hoshana Rabbah). In the future, the “Three Weeks” will become a 21-day continuous festival. According to the Bnei Yissachar and the Ohev Yisrael, the “Three Weeks” (Bein HaMetzarim), which currently marks the peak of exile, will be transformed into a single, continuous 21-day festival that bridges the months of Tammuz and Av. This isn't just a change of mood; it is a structural “healing” of the Jewish calendar.
The Meforshim point to a perfect symmetry in the Hebrew year. There are two 21-day periods that define our relationship with HaShem:
The “revealed” 21 days from Rosh Hashanah (1st of Tishri) to Hoshana Rabbah (21st of Tishri). These are days of open joy and “high holy days”. The “hidden” 21 days are from the 17th of Tammuz to the 9th of Av. Currently, these are days of mourning. In the Messianic era, the “hidden” 21 days are unmasked. The 17th of Tammuz becomes the “Rosh Hashanah” of this new season, and the 9th of Av becomes its “Hoshana Rabbah” (the great finale).
The relationship between the 21 days of Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah through Hoshana Rabbah) and the Three Weeks (17th of Tammuz through the 9th of Av) is one of the most profound “Symmetric Overlays” in Kabbalistic literature.
The Arizal and the Bnei Yissachar explain that these two periods are not merely separate times on a calendar, but are the “Positive” and “Negative” versions of the exact same 21-day spiritual frequency.
In the Jewish calendar, the “three weeks” of mourning consist of exactly 21 days. Similarly, the period from the first day of Rosh Hashanah to the climax of Succoth (Hoshana Rabbah) consists of exactly 21 days.
The Three Weeks (Tammuz 17 – Av 9): This is the “Shadow” side. It represents the 21 days where the “Presence” (Shekhinah) is in exile, and the “Walls” are breached.
The Tishri Cycle (Tishri 1 – Tishri 21): This is the “Light” side. It represents the 21 days of building the “Palace” of the New Year.
The name of God E-H-Y-E (אהיה), which means “I Will Be” (representing the future redemption), has a Gematria of 21. The 17th of Tammuz will be the “opening ceremony” of this 21-day celebration of the name E-H-Y-E, marking the transition from “potential” to “actual” light.
According to the Mishnah,[21] the first event that occurred on the 17th of Tammuz was Moses breaking the first tablets (luchot). The Shelah Hakadosh explains that the First Tablets were from the level of the “world to come”, they were “transparent” and the letters were engraved through and through. The 17th of Tammuz will become the “holiday of the first tablets”. We will celebrate the revelation of the “hidden Torah” that was lost when the tablets were broken. It will be a “second Shavuot”, but on a much higher, more mystical level.
In Kabbalistic thought,[22] the month of Tammuz is associated with the sense of sight and the right eye.
On the 17th of Tammuz, our “sight” was damaged, we saw the walls fall, and the enemy saw our nakedness. The feast of Tammuz 17 is the “festival of seeing”, as it says in:
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 52:8: For they shall see, eye to eye, the Lord returning to Zion.
The teaching from Sefer Yetzira that Tammuz and Av are related to sight and hearing, this correlates Tammuz-Reuven-Sight and Av-Shimon-Hearing. In fact, the very names of these tribes are derived from the Hebrew words for these senses. When Leah gave birth to Reuven, she so named him because she said, “HaShem has seen my affliction”.[23] Similarly, regarding the birth of Shimon she proclaimed, “‘Since HaShem has heard…He gave me this one too.’ So she named him Shimon”.
The Meforshim say the feast will involve a physical “refreshment” of the eyes. The “sun of Tammuz”, which currently causes heatstroke and destruction, will be transformed into the “Sun of Righteousness with healing in its wings”.[24]
The 21-day feast unites sight and hearing. The Meforshim say that during this feast, we will “hear the colors and see the sounds”. By bridging the two months, the feast creates a “double month of revelation” where the physical senses are fully rectified.
If you look at the bimodality of the year, the 10th of Tevet (winter/foundation) and the 17th of Tammuz (summer/vision) are the two “Pillars of the Year”, coming about six months apart.
The Tevet Feast (the second Chanukah of 16 days) celebrates the ‘strength of the house’. Tevet 10 is the structure (the foundation / the 10 strings).
The Tammuz Feast celebrates the Light that fills the House. Tammuz 17 is the Consciousness (The 70 Faces / The Wine).
One is about the “Structure” (the 10 strings), and the other is about the “Sight” (the open eye). Together, they complete the experience of the Divine dwelling on Earth. One provides the “Harp” and the other provides the “Song” that is played upon it.
The Meforshim, specifically the Shelah HaKadosh and the Bnei Yissachar, describe the relationship between Tammuz 17 and Av 9 as the betrothal and wedding between HaShem and His people.
To be precise in the Hebrew terminology: Kiddushin (or Erusin[25]) is the legal betrothal (the “ring” and the “contract”), while Nisuin[26] is the full union (the “chuppah” and “dwelling together”). In the future transformation, these two days act as the two bookends of the Divine wedding.
The Shelah HaKadosh[27] explains that the original 17th of Tammuz, the day Moses was meant to descend with the first tablets, was intended to be the kiddushin / erusin of Israel and HaShem.
At its core, the sin of the Golden Calf is understood to be an act of infidelity, quite possibly the most damaging thing a relationship can go through. If we look at the listed tragedies of the day, we can all see them as relating to a damaged relationship. One of the first acts of a Jewish wedding is when a bride circles the groom seven times, in effect creating a space of intimacy that only exists between the couple. The breaching of the walls of Jerusalem is a brutal metaphor of that intimacy and security crumbling. The cessation of the Temple sacrifices was the next listed tragedy. The Hebrew word for sacrifice is korban, which comes from the Hebrew word, to bring close, in effect further severing the ability to become close to HaShem. The burning of the Torah scroll is as if the love letters were destroyed and intimate thoughts became forgotten.
Finally, we have the destruction of the tablets. At the very end of the Torah, the commentator Rashi praises Moses for destroying the tablets. But if we are observing a fast day because of that act, how could it be good? To understand this, we have to look to the ritual known as sotah. Without getting too technical, the idea is that if a wife is suspected of adultery and her husband forbids her from being with the man the husband is suspicious of, and the woman still secludes herself with that man, then the husband and the wife go to the priests (the kohanim). The Priests have the woman drink “bitter waters” which will prove her guilt or innocence. But in order to make these “bitter waters”, the name of HaShem is written then destroyed (which is normally forbidden) and put into the water. Now this ritual wasn’t about proving a woman is unfaithful, but instead about restoring peace and trust between the couple. And so for this shalom bayit (peace in a home) HaShem allows his name to be destroyed. It is for this same motivation of shalom that Moses destroyed the writing of HaShem. In the way a husband must learn how precious the relationship with his wife is in the face of losing her forever, the Jewish people had to face the possibility of losing their relationship with HaShem.
The first tablets were the “engagement gift”. Just as a groom gives a ring to sanctify the bride, HaShem gave the tablets to sanctify Israel. Because Tammuz is the month of sight, the 17th of Tammuz represents the stage of the wedding where the groom and bride first “behold” one another in their full sanctity. When this day becomes a feast, we are celebrating the restoration of the first tablets. The “kiddushin” that was “broken” by the golden calf, is finally made permanent. We celebrate the “legal sanctification” that can never be annulled.
If the 17th of Tammuz is the legal bond, the 9th of Av is the Nisuin, the full entry into the “home” (the Temple). The Temple is often called the chuppah (wedding canopy) where HaShem and Israel dwell together. The 9th of Av was the day we were supposed to enter the land and the “home”, but we wept because of the spies. While Tammuz is sight, Av is the month of hearing. The prophecy of the future says:
Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) 33:11 There shall yet be heard... the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.
The “crying for naught” that happened on the 9th of Av is replaced by the “voice of joy”. The 9th of Av becomes the day the “groom” finally moves into the “house” with the “bride”. It is the completion of the marriage.
The Ohev Yisrael[28] makes the most direct connection between the three weeks and the wedding motif. He teaches that the 21 days between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av are the “bein haChuppot” (between the canopies). In the future, this entire period is a 21-day wedding feast. Since a traditional wedding celebration (sheva brachot) lasts 7 days, the 21-day feast represents “three rounds of seven blessings”, one for each of the three Temples, or one for each of the three Patriarchs who rise from Hebron to attend.
Historically, Erusin and Kiddushin are the same legal step. However, the Sfat Emet notes that there is a “spiritual erusin” that happens in the heart before the “legal kiddushin” happens in the world. Tammuz 17 is when the contract is signed (the tablets). Av 9 is when the consummation occurs (the Temple). This is why the 9th of Av is the ‘birthday’ of the Mashiach.[29] In the marital model, the 17th of Tammuz is when the “potential” is sealed, and the 9th of Av is when the “New Life” (the Mashiach ,the fruit of the union) is brought into the world. The redemption begins from within the destruction itself.
Ok, since Hebron is the portal to Gan Eden, and since the 'luchot' / Torah scroll are the tree of life, then it appears that this 'wedding' takes us from this world to Gan Eden.
If the Luchot (Tablets) are the Tree of Life, and Hebron is the Gate, then the 21-day feast is the literal “Walking Through the Door”. According to Chazal and the Meforshim, the wedding doesn't just “symbolize” a return to Eden; it is the technological process by which the world is re-uploaded into the Edenic dimension.
The Shelah HaKadosh explains that the First Tablets (the focus of Tammuz 17) were not made of “dead stone”. They were “living light” from the Tree of Life. When the tablets were broken, the “Tree of Life” was withdrawn from the world, and we were left with the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” (the 17th of Tammuz became a day of mourning).
The 21-day feast marks the re-revelation of the first Tablets. In the future, as we eat at the banquet, the “letters” of the Torah will no longer be black ink on white parchment; they will be the fruit of the Tree of Life. Eating the “Torah” at this wedding provides eternal life.
The Zohar (Parshat Chayei Sarah) famously states that the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron is the entrance to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve are buried there because they “smelled the scent of Eden” wafting through that spot. Chazal teach that during the “three weeks” of the future, a “spiritual bridge” or “light-tunnel” opens between the Temple in Jerusalem and the Cave in Hebron. We don't “leave” this world to go to a far-off heaven. Instead, Eden enters our world through the Hebron Portal. Since the Patriarchs (the “roots”) rise in Hebron and travel to Jerusalem (the “fruit”), they are effectively dragging the atmosphere of Gan Eden behind them.
The Ramchal[30] explains that a human being cannot transition from “exile” to “Eden” in a single second; the intensity of the light would be shattering. The 21 days are a “Decompression Chamber”. We enter the “outer courtyard” of Eden. We slowly “digest” the 70 faces of the wine, which allows our physical bodies to become refined enough to handle the higher frequency of light.
We enter the “Chuppah”, the inner chamber of Eden.
When Adam was exiled from Eden, the ground was “cursed” to produce thorns and thistles. Chazal note that on the 9th of Av, the “Thorns of Exile” reached their peak. The Bnei Yissachar says that at the future wedding, the 9th of Av is the day the “curse on the earth” is officially lifted. This is why the feast features the “wine preserved in its grapes”. This wine represents the state of the world before the curse, where the fruit was the wine and the bark of the tree was edible. The wedding is a return to a “total edible reality”.
We have mapped a journey that begins with the 10th of Tevet (winter siege/foundation), moves through the 16-day bridge (internalization), and ends in the summer feast (The Wedding). In this model, the 10th of Tevet is the moment we “knock on the door” of the Garden, and the 9th of Av is the moment the door is fully removed. The “siege” was HaShem trying to get back into our world; the “wedding” is us finally letting Him in.
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21 Days |
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Tammuz 17 |
Av 9 |
Av 10 |
Av 11 |
Av 12 |
Av 13 |
Av 14 |
Tu B’Av |
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Kiddushin / Erusin |
Nissuin / Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot[31] |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
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Betrothal |
Wedding |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
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Rosh HaShana |
Yom Kippur / Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Hoshana Rabbah |
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21 Days |
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Originally, Rosh HaShana was to occur on the seventeenth of Tammuz and Yom Kippurim on the ninth of Av, as the sages assert.[32] Rosh HaShana is the day of man’s creation, as we say in the prayers of Rosh HaShana, “this day is the beginning of Your works, the remembrance of the first day”, and the seventeenth of Tammuz was to be the true day of man’s creation. The Creator had formed man to live eternally in the garden of Eden, but man sinned. On the seventeenth of Tammuz, the Jewish people were to receive the first tablets.[33]
The 21 days of Tishri (Rosh Hashanah through Hoshana Rabbah) will be “subsumed” or integrated into the future 21-day feast of Tammuz and Av is a cornerstone of the Bnei Issachar’s teachings. He explains that while Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippurim, and Succoth will not disappear, their function will be fundamentally altered. They will be “subsumed” in the sense that the light currently hidden within the “Three Weeks” of mourning is actually a higher frequency of the light found in the High Holydays.
Currently, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippurim, and Succoth[34] are days of Judgment and Fear. We do “teshuva from fear” to ensure a good year. The Bnei Yissachar[35] explains that in the future, the world will be “post-judgment”.
Tammuz 17 as the “new” Rosh Hashanah: Instead of a day of judgment (1st of Tishri), we will have the “Rosh Hashanah of vision” (17th of Tammuz). It will be a day where we don't “fear” The King, but “see” The King.
Yom Kippur is the “Day of Atonement” through fasting and deprivation. The 9th of Av, in the future, is the “day of union” through feasting. The “cleansing” of the soul will happen through the intensity of the joy, rather than the intensity of the fast.
The Bnei Yissachar uses a musical analogy to explain how Tishri is subsumed into Tammuz/Av: Tishri (the revealed octave): These 21 days were given to us after the sin of the golden calf as a way to fix the world within the “seven days of nature” (7 days times 3 weeks} = 21). These 21 days represent the first tablets, the world before it was broken. Because they are currently “dark”, they contain the “Ohr HaGanuz” (hidden light). In the future, the “revealed” 21 days of Tishri will be seen as a rehearsal for the “hidden” 21 days of Tammuz/Av. The joy of Succoth will feel like a “shadow” compared to the joy of the 9th of Av.
The Ohev Yisrael notes that the Name אהיה (E-H-Y-E - “I Will Be”) is the Name of the Future. Tishri is governed by the Name Adonai (Lordship/Judgment). The Tammuz-Av feast is governed by the Name E-H-Y-E (Pure Being/Redemption). Because E-H-Y-E is higher than Adonai, the 21 days of the “Three Weeks” will effectively “absorb” the spiritual energy of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippurim, and Succoth. The “Awe” of Tishri will be replaced by the “Awe of Splendor” in the Tammuz-Av feast.
The Arizal makes the most radical statement regarding this:
“In the future, the 9th of Av will be the greatest of all festivals, greater even than Yom Kippur”.
He explains that on Yom Kippur, the “satan” (accuser) is merely silenced. On the 9th of Av, the “Satan” himself is transformed into an angel of light. This “transformation of darkness to light” is a higher spiritual achievement than the “suppression of darkness” that happens on Yom Kippurim. Therefore, the feast of the 9th of Av “consumes” the holiness of Yom Kippurim.
Originally, Rosh HaShana was to occur on the seventeenth of Tammuz, as the sages assert.[36] Moshe descended with the first tablets on the 17th of Tammuz. Had the golden calf not happened, this day would have been the greatest holiday in history, the day of the "wedding" between HaShem and Israel; that day would have been the "new beginning" for the world, a day of eternal life where the "head" (rosh) of the year was fixed in the light of the first tablets. Because of the sin, the "head" was moved to the 1st of Tishri (the anniversary of Adam's creation) to focus on human repentance. The future feast of Tammuz 17 restores the day to its original status. It becomes the Rosh Hashanah of the "Torah of the tree of life”, while the Tishri Rosh Hashanah remains the anniversary of the "Physical Creation".
Because "beneficial" is already embedded in the date (17 = Tov = beneficial), the transformation is not an external change but a revelation. In the future, the "shards" of the broken tablets will be reunited, and the 17th of Tammuz will revert to its original status as a festival of the "inner Torah”.
The Bnei Yissachar explains the "Three Weeks" (the 21 days between the two fasts) using the metaphor of the almond tree (Shaked) mentioned in the prophecy of Yimiyahu (Jeremiah) 1:11.
Just as an almond takes exactly 21 days from blossoming to ripening, the "bitterness" of these 21 days is actually the "ripening" process of the redemption.
The Bnei Yissachar teaches that the mourning we experience now is merely the bitter peel of the almond. In the future, the peel will be discarded, and the 21 days will become a three-week festival of "sweetness”.
The Five "New Years" of the Future
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# |
The "New Year" |
Current Significance |
Messianic Transformation |
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1 |
1st of Nisan |
New Year for Jewish Kings and Festivals. |
The New Year of national redemption and the revealed miracles of the Exodus. |
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2 |
1st of Elul |
New Year for Animal Tithes (now a month of Teshuvah). |
The New Year of Intimacy, celebrating the "King in the Field" and constant closeness. |
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3 |
1st of Tishri |
New Year for Years and Gentile Kings. |
The New Year of Physical Creation, where the material world is harmonized with the spirit. |
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4 |
1st of Shevat 15th of Shevat |
New Year for Trees. |
The New Year of Nature, where the "Fruit of the Tree of Life" becomes accessible. |
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5 |
17th of Tammuz |
New Day of restored luchot and feasting. |
The New Year of the "Inner Torah" and the Revelation of Vision (sight). |
Classic sources,[37] note that Moshe’s intended descent with the unbroken tablets was scheduled for Tammuz 17. Had Israel not sinned, that day would have been the first coronation day of divine kingship, the true “Rosh HaShanah” of the Torah. After the sin of the golden calf, that potential was postponed to Tishri 1, the day of judgment instead of pure revelation. So, the mystical program of redemption is to restore the original calendar structure:
Tammuz 17 becomes again what it was meant to be, Rosh HaShanah of Torah, the day when heavenly wisdom is fully received on earth.
Mystically, the 17th of Tammuz will become a holiday celebrating the inner Torah. Because Tammuz's sense is sight (linked to the letter chet in some traditions, or ayin), the future feast will focus on "seeing godliness" clearly. It will be the "Rosh Hashanah" of the summer, a day of new vision where the "broken pieces" of the world are finally seen as a complete mosaic.
According to the Bnei Yissachar and other Chassidic masters, the future feast of the 17th of Tammuz is not just a 24-hour celebration, but the "opening of the gates" for a 21-day festival period. Currently, we observe the "three weeks" of mourning between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av. In the future these 21 days will be transformed into a continuous period of joy. The 17th of Tammuz will function as the "Rosh Hashanah" (the head), or the beginning of this 21-day period.
This feast will have three names:
1. Yom HaChizayon (The Day of Vision) - Because the sense of Tammuz is "sight”, and the "evil eye" is corrected into a "good eye".
2. This feast will be called, “Moed HaLuchot” (the Feast of the Tablets), which will celebrate the "New Torah" (the inner secrets of the Torah) that will be revealed, which Moshe originally intended to give before the golden calf incident.
3. Simchat Tammuz (The Joy of Tammuz): Directly mirroring the prophecy of Zechariah that the fast will become "joy and gladness".
In Eden, Adam and Eve saw Godliness in everything. After the fall (and later after the Golden Calf on the 17th of Tammuz), our vision became "physical" and "obscured". Thus, we will have the correction of our vision, which means that the doubt which entered the world when we ate the fruit in Gan Eden will end. This will be the end of "doubt". On this feast, the "scales will fall from our eyes". We will see the spiritual energy inside physical matter. This corrects the sin of the spies, who saw the land with "fearful eyes", and the sin of the golden calf, where people needed a physical statue because they couldn't "see" HaShem.
The Prophet Malachi speaks of the future where "The sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in its wings". On the 17th of Tammuz, the physical heat of the world, which currently causes "burning" and destruction, will be transformed into Divine warmth and healing. The energy that once caused the "walls of Jerusalem" to be breached will instead provide the light that powers the Third Temple.
Just as we had five tragedies occur on Tammuz 17, so also will we have five corrections on Tammuz 17:
|
Tragedies |
Future Tikkun |
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The "Luchot”, the tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were engraved, were broken by Moshe; |
Re‑giving of the original Luchot. |
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The Korban Tamid, the continual daily sacrifice, was discontinued; |
Resumption of the Tamid—unceasing awareness of HaShem. |
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The wall around the city of Jerusalem was breached; |
Jerusalem opened as city of unity—breach becomes gateway. |
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Apostamus burnt the Torah scroll; |
Torah burned → Torah newly shining (Isa 51 :4). shift from a Torah of "black ink on white parchment" (which can be destroyed) to the Torah of the tree of life (which is indestructible light). |
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An idolatrous image was placed in the Beit HaMikdash, the Holy Temple. |
Idol replaced by manifest Divine Presence. |
According to traditional Jewish thought and the explicit commentary of Rashi, the punishment for the sin of the golden calf is not a single historical event, but a "long-term debt" that is paid off in small installments throughout every generation of human history. However, the future feast of the 17th of Tammuz (the day the tablets were broken) marks the specific point in time when this debt is finally settled and the "books are closed". The primary source for this is Exodus 32:34, where HaShem tells Moses:
Shemot (Exodus) 32:34 And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.
Rashi explains this famous verse by stating: "There is no punishment that comes upon Israel which does not contain a small portion of the punishment for the golden calf". This implies that the "golden calf" is the root of all subsequent national tragedies. Whenever the Jewish people suffer, a tiny fraction of that ancient debt is being cleared.
The punishment is considered "completed" only when the world reaches the state of tikkun (rectification). Chazal and the Meforshim point to three specific markers for the end of this punishment: The transformation of the 17th of Tammuz: Since the golden calf led to the breaking of the tablets on the 17th of Tammuz, the debt is only fully canceled when that day is transformed from a fast day into a feast day.
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 51:4 Hearken to Me, My people, and My nation, bend your ears to Me, when Torah shall emanate from Me, and My judgment [shall be] for the light of the peoples, I will give [them] rest.
The Sages famously state in Leviticus Rabbah 13:3: "Chidush Torah mei-iti tetzei"—"A new Torah shall go forth from Me”. They explain this to mean that the reasons and the hidden depths of the Torah will be revealed in such a way that it will seem "new" compared to our current understanding.
Midrash Rabbah - Leviticus XIII:3 R. Abin b. Kahana said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Instruction [Torah] shall go forth from Me (Isa. 51:4), i.e. an exceptional temporary ruling[38] will go forth from Me.
In Isaiah 51:4, when the "Torah’s new light" is revealed, it signifies that the "first tablets" (which were broken) have been restored in a higher form.
The Talmud[39] says that when Moses broke the tablets, he saw the "letters flying in the air". The Meforshem (specifically the Zohar) explain that the "black fire" (the letters) did not cease to exist. They simply became invisible to the human eye. The physical "sapphire" fell and shattered into pieces. The "soul" ascended: The fire (the black and white) ascended.
This is why the future feast of the 17th of Tammuz is so significant. On the day the "fire and stone" were separated, we celebrate the re-binding. The "broken shards" are collected from the ark. The "flying letters" (the black fire) descend back into the "white fire". The Torah becomes "newly shining"[40] because we are no longer looking at stone or parchment, but at the original "fire on fire" that Moses saw before the breach. Because the 17th of Tammuz was the day the shards were created, it is the only day that can host the "re-unification".
Nowadays, the tekiah gedolah is the "great blast", an exceptionally long, final, single sound of the shofar blown at the conclusion of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to symbolize a grand finale, spiritual awakening, hope, and the coming of the Messiah, being held as long as the blower can manage to inspire awe and reflection. This blast seems to be the precursor to the ‘great shofar’. The most famous source for the ‘great shofar’ is:
Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 27:13 And it shall come to pass on that day, that a great shofar shall be sounded, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those exiled in the land of Egypt shall come and they shall prostrate themselves before the Lord on the holy mount in Jerusalem.
All the Meforshem agree that the above verse points to the moment of final ingathering and redemption, the closing movement of the end of days”. Every Rosh Hashanah is therefore a rehearsal of Isaiah 27:13. This shofar, louder and more profound than the Rosh Hashanah teruah, signals the final geulah. The exiles will be gathered, and divine kingship proclaimed.[41]
In the context of the future 21-day feast, this "great shofar" is blown on the 17th of Tammuz (the new Rosh HaShana). Currently, the 17th of Tammuz is marked by the sound of "breaking". In the future feasts, it is marked by the shofar of the first tablets. It signals the end of the "mental exile". It is the sound that "wakes up" those who are "lost" (trapped in the physical world) to the reality of the shining Torah.
The shofar "blows" exiles home (Isaiah 27:13), reversing Tammuz 17’s breach. Walls that fell to our enemies are now opened for returnees.[42] Chazal[43] teach shofar as "breaking" sorrow, the feast begins with this blast, turning summer's heat (Tammuz judgment) to mercy.
The Midrash[44] states that at the very moment the second Temple was set ablaze, the Mashiach was born. This teaches that the destruction (Churban) is actually the conception (Ibur) of the redemption.
The Sages teach that the 9th of Av is the birthday of the Mashiach. In the 21-day summer feast (the transformed three weeks), we celebrate the birth of Mashiach and the end of the yetzer hara (evil inclination).
In the future, this day will be the greatest feast of the year, even surpassing Succoth. The 15th of Av (Tu B'Av) is already considered one of the happiest days (a day of "matching" and weddings). In the future, the entire month, culminating in the 9th, will be celebrated as the "Marriage of God and Israel”. If the first Temple was a "betrothal”, the third Temple (revealed in Av) is the final, unbreakable marriage.
Tisha B'Av is uniquely called a moed[45] (a festival, an appointed time) in the book of Lamentations. This is why we do not say tachanun (prayers of confession) on Tisha B'Av, we are already acknowledging the ‘birth’ of the Comforter within the tragedy.
Eicha (Lamentations) 1:16 The Lord hath set at nought all my mighty men in the midst of me; He hath called a solemn assembly (מוֹעֵד - moed)[46] against me to crush my young men; the Lord hath trodden as in a winepress the virgin the daughter of Judah.'
The Bnei Yissaschar and the Chatam Sofer explain that because it is called a moed, it contains the inherent DNA of a holiday. Therefore, in the Messianic era, it doesn't need to be changed into a festival; its true nature as a moed is simply revealed. This concept is further codified in Taanit 29a, where the Gemara discusses the festive nature of the afternoon of Tisha B'Av (the time when the Messiah is born), and why certain mourning practices are eased as the day progresses.
In the Messianic era, prophecy is not just for a select few; it becomes a global human faculty. This is based on the prophecy in:
Yoel (Joel) 3:1 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.
During these future three weeks, the air of the land of Israel, which the Talmud says makes one wise, will expand to cover the whole world. This air acts as a conductor for Divine communication.
Currently, HaShem is in Hester Panim (Hiddenness). During this feast, the veil is removed. Prophecy returns because the "noise" of the physical world, the ego and the struggle for survival, is silenced. According to the Ramchal[47] and the Bnei Yissaschar, prophecy will return specifically during this future feast. The transformation of these 21 days is not just a change in mood; it is a structural change in human consciousness. During the future 21-day feast, these sounds become the voice of HaShem walking in the garden. This is the literal return of prophecy, the ability to hear the Divine resonance behind every physical object.
There is a shocking teaching in the Zohar that the 9th of Av is actually the day of the greatest vision. It is compared to the sun at high noon. Currently, that light is so strong it burns and destroys. In the future, we will have the vessels to look directly into that light. This looking into the light is the definition of Aspaklaria HaMeira, the clear mirror of prophecy that only Moses possessed. The feast of Av will grant this level of vision to the entire nation.
One of the primary ways prophecy returns is through music. The Levites in the Temple did not just play music for entertainment; their music was a prophetic trigger. During the 21-day feast, the song of the Levites will be restored. It is taught that the 15-stringed harp (up from the 7 and 10-stringed harps of old) will produce frequencies that automatically put the listener into a prophetic trance.
When prophecy returns, doubt disappears. People will no longer ask, "is there a God?" or "what is my purpose?" Because the communication is direct, the world enters a state of perfect peace (Shalom), as everyone is aligned with the same Divine will.
The transition from the physical Temples to the messianic era follows a specific progression of "closeness" to HaShem: The first Temple represented the Father (Divine revelation). It was destroyed because of the three cardinal sins. The second Temple represented the Son (human effort). It was destroyed because of baseless hatred. The third Temple represents the union of both. It is described as the building of HaShem that descends from heaven. Unlike the first two, it is eternal because it is built on the rectified heart of Israel, which Mashiach facilitates.
The Meforshim explain that Mashiach himself is a walking third Temple: In Jewish mystical thought, particularly in the teachings of the Arizal, the Ramchal, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Third Temple is not merely a building made of stone; it is a living structure—and that structure is the soul of Mashiach. The transition from the second Temple to the third is described as a transition from a "physical house" to a "human-divine interface".
Yochanan (John 2:18-21 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19 Yeshua answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.
The Kabbalists explain that the human body is a microcosm of the Temple. The Holy of Holies corresponds to the mind (Keter/Chochmah). The Menorah corresponds to the eyes (the light of perception). The incense altar corresponds to the nose (the sense of smell/prophecy). The table of showbread corresponds to the digestive system (sustenance).
The Bnei Yissaschar explains that the 21 days (Tammuz 17 to Av 9) represent the reconstruction of the 21 "organs" of the spiritual body that were damaged during the exile. Each day of the future feast is a "rebuilding" of a different part of this Divine human structure. By the 9th of Av, the "birth" is complete. The "birth of Mashiach" and the "rebuilding of the Temple" are the same event because they are the same entity.
Mashiach is the individual whose soul is so perfectly aligned with the Divine will that his very body becomes a "sanctuary". When the Torah says:
Shemot (Exodus) 25:8 Make for Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell within them…
Our Sages note it doesn't say "within it" (the building), but "within them" (the people). Mashiach is the "first person" in whom this dwelling is fully realized.
While the Temple was a place where the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) dwelt in a building, Mashiach is the person in whom the Shekhinah dwells perfectly. The role of the Temple was to connect the upper and lower worlds. Mashiach performs this same function, uniting all of humanity in the knowledge of HaShem. This is why the third Temple is called a house of prayer for all nations”.
According to the prophecy in:
Zechariah 2:9 HaShem says, I will be to her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her.
On Tisha B'Av, we mourn the "Fire of Destruction”. In the future, that same fire becomes the wall of protection for the third Temple. Because the Temple was destroyed with fire, it will be rebuilt with fire. The Bnei Yissaschar teaches that the third Temple will be made of light, meaning it will not be subject to the laws of physics or the possibility of destruction.
Tisha B'Av moves from a day of sitting on the floor in mourning to a day of standing in the third Temple.
In the future, the 9th of Av is viewed as the wedding day between HaShem and the Jewish People. The mourning is revealed to have been the labor pains leading to the birth of this eternal union.
Our Sages say that there were no days happier than the 15th of the Hebrew month of Av, known as Tu B'av, and yom kippur. On Tu B'Av the maidens of Israel would dance in the vineyards while their potential bridegrooms would look on and choose a mate from among the dancing maidens. Thus, Tu B'Av is the day when marriages were made. This is the greatest joy in the world, as it leads to the birth of children, which ultimately leads to the birth of the Mashiach.
Chazal and later commentators describe Tu B’Av as the calendar’s day of synthesis, and that is exactly what the last day of the marriage week symbolizes on the personal level. The sheva berachot repeatedly connect the couple’s joy to Jerusalem’s rebuilding, “speedily gladden… in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem”. The final day highlights this link between personal joy and national redemption.
For seven days after the ḥuppah, bride and groom are celebrated with daily blessings.[48] These seven days replay the seven “lower sefirot” or stages of creation: Ḥesed → Gevurah → Tiferet → Neẓacḥ → Hod → Yesod → Malkhut. By the seventh day, malkhut, the feminine, the receiver, has been fully integrated with yesod, the channel of giving. In mystical language that day is the complete union. Thus, the end of the seven marks no longer “celebration of a wedding” but “beginning of a household”. The couple stand as one whole being.
Tu B’Av, The last day of sheva berachot (i.e., the final day of the seven days of rejoicing after a wedding) is significant because it is the culmination and completion of the couple’s transition from chuppah to an established Jewish home, marked by the final recitation of the full set of sheva berachot. It closes the halakhic unit of seven celebratory days (based on Ketubot), during which the couple is treated as being in a special, elevated state of communal joy.
Taanit 26b There were no better days for Israel than the fifteenth of Av and yom kippur, when the daughters of Jerusalem would go out and dance.
The Midrash and Gemara list its historical reasons:
1. Lifting of the tribal marriage ban (Benjaminites);
2. Annulling of wilderness deaths;
3. Completion of wood‑offering for the altar (yom tavra de‑magal);
4. Peak of the moon’s light (“full moon of Av”), sign of restored love between HaShem and Israel after Tisha B’Av.
Interpretively, Tu B’Av is the cosmic “seventh day” after the weeks of sorrow, the heart’s completion of its own sheva berachot following the long estrangement of exile.
The last day of sheva berachot mirrors hoshana rabbah, which is the "seventh day" of the succoth festival. Just as hoshana rabbah is the final seal of the high holyday judgment, the last day of sheva berachot is the final seal of the "Marriage Decree" made on Tu B'Av.
When the three weeks between Tammuz 17 and Av 9 become the 21 Days of light, Tu B’Av stands as their capstone, the last day of the cosmic sheva berachot. The midrash and Zohar call that the day “the bride, the Shekhinah, sits in joy within her palace”. It is the mirror of the seventh day after an earthly wedding, after all blessings have been said, the union simply is.
For a couple, the final day of sheva berachot marks the transition from newlyweds celebrating to a life fully joined in love.
For the nation and the cosmos, Tu B’Av marks the same transition from reconciliation to dwelling, from temporary forgiveness (Yom Kippur) to permanent delight.
The last day of sheva berachot is to a marriage what Tu B’Av is to history, the moment love stops being ceremonial and becomes everlasting joy.
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Tammuz 17 |
Av 9 |
Av 10 |
Av 11 |
Av 12 |
Av 13 |
Av 14 |
Tu B’Av |
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Kiddushin / Erusin |
Nissuin / Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot[49] |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
Sheva Brachot |
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Betrothal |
Wedding |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
7 blessings |
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Rosh HaShana |
Yom Kippur / Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Succoth |
Hoshana Rabbah |
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21 Days |
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In Jewish tradition, the 6,000 years of history are mapped onto the six days of the week, with the 7th millennium being the great Shabbat. If we divide the 1,000 years of the "6th day" (the years 5000–6000) into a 24-hour day, we are currently living in the final minutes of Friday afternoon.
To find our spiritual time, we divide 1,000 years by 24 hours. Each hour of the 6th Millennium is approximately 41.6 years.
12:00 PM (Midday) was in the year 5500 (1740 CE), This was the era of the Baal Shem Tov and the beginning of the springing up of Messianic wisdom.
5:00 PM (Late Afternoon) was in the year 5708 (1948 CE), The physical return to the Land of Israel.
In Jewish law, one should stop working and start preparing for Shabbat six hours before its onset – high noon. If each millennium of human history corresponds to one day, then six hours corresponds to 250 years, which means that the official starting point of the Messianic Era was the year 5750 (since this is 250 years before the start of the 7th millennium). Indeed, 5750 is commonly cited as the beginning of the Ikveta d’Mashicha, the “Footsteps of Mashiach”.
5:45 PM (Twilight/Sunset) is in the year 5786 (2026 CE).
In Jewish law, we don't wait for the sun to fully set to start Shabbat, we "add from the mundane to the holy".[50] This is why teachers suggest that the 21-day future feast could manifest now, we are lighting the candles early.
The years 5780–5790 (2020–2030) are viewed as the twilight zone (Bein HaMashmashot). During these minutes on a physical Friday, people are usually rushing, finishing their work, and cleaning the house. This mirrors the global shaking we see today: The "shaking" of world systems is seen as the dusting of the world before the King arrives. Just as it is a mitzvah to taste the Shabbat foods on Friday afternoon, the revelation of the secrets (like the transformation of the fasts) is the tasting of the 7th Millennium.
The Bnei Yissaschar teaches that the name Adam (א-ד-מ) is an acronym for the progression of history: Adam, David, Mashiach.
Adam: Represents the 1st millennium (potential).
David: Represents the midpoint (The heart of history).
Mashiach: Represents the 7th Millennium and the jump into the 8th.
As we enter the 7th Millennium, the "feasts" take on a different nature:
7th Millennium: The Feast of Restoration. We fix what was broken in the 6,000 years.
8th Millennium: The Feast of Transcendence. We move into Binah (Understanding), where the light is no longer reflected but direct.
9th Millennium: The Feast of Atzmut (essence). This corresponds to the 9th of Av. The 9th Millennium is when the "Essence" of HaShem is fully revealed in every atom of creation.
The reason prophecy returns during the late Friday period is because the material density of the world is thinning. As we approach the year 6000, the screen between the physical and spiritual becomes porous. The 21-day feast is the moment the screen is removed entirely. For those who have prepared their vessels (through the study of these secrets), the transition will be a smooth expansion. For those unprepared, the sudden return of prophecy and Divine light can feel overwhelming, like a sudden bright light in a dark room.
* * *
Based on the synthesis of the Ramchal, the Bnei Yissaschar, the transformation of these 21 days occurs in stages, primarily during the Messianic Age (the transition period) and reaching its full expression at the start of the 7th Millennium.
Here is the timeline of how this "Feast" manifests across the eras:
We are currently in the period known as Ikveita d'Meshicha (the Footsteps of the Messiah). The transformation begins before the 7th Millennium starts. In this stage, the 21 days are still physically observed as fasts, but their inner light begins to leak out. This is why more people are currently learning about these "future feasts" now, the information is a precursor to the reality.
The 7th Millennium (Years 6000–7000) is defined as "The day that is entirely Shabbat". This is when the 21-day feast becomes the permanent state of the calendar. Since the 7th Millennium is a thousand-year rest, the narrow straits (the 21 days) are fully widened.
Prophecy's peak will occur during the era of the resurrection of the dead and the restoration of the Garden of Eden. The 21-day feast acts as the wedding celebration between the Creator and Creation that lasts for the duration of this millennium.
The 8th Millennium represents a level of reality that is currently beyond human description. In the 8th Millennium, we move past the concept of ‘days’ and ‘months’ entirely. The 21-day feast is no longer a ‘scheduled event’ on a calendar because the light that was once restricted to those 21 days becomes the constant atmosphere of existence.
The "New Torah": The Bnei Yissaschar hints that while the 7th millennium is the restoration of the past, the 8th millennium is the revelation of the unprecedented.
* * *
While the Bnei Yissaschar focuses on the spiritual "when," many later Chassidic and Sephardic Kabbalists (referencing the same systems) point to the decade we are currently in, the 5780s (2020–2030 CE).
We are currently in a year (5786) that many see as a "bridge". Some sources suggest that as we approach the year 5800 AM (2040 CE), the "scent" of the 7th Millennium becomes so strong that the laws of nature, and thus the requirement to fast, begin to dissolve. In Ma’amarei Tammuz–Av, he hints that the closer we get to the end of the 6th millennium, the "narrower" the straits become, but the "sweeter" the potential feast. If we have not yet merited the "hastened" redemption, the latest the feasting will begin is 6000 AM (2240 CE).
However, the Bnei Yissaschar suggests that the revelation of the Inner Torah (which began in 5600 AM / 1840 CE) was the signal that the "table is being set".
The Bnei Yissaschar explains that the "feasting" doesn't start because we decide to stop fasting. It starts because the third Temple descends. There is a Halachic principle that "one does not fast when the Bridegroom is present".
Marqos (Mark) 2:19 And Yeshua said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
In the year that Mashiach reveals himself during the Three Weeks, the law of the fast is automatically canceled because the joy of his presence overrides the mourning.
In a standard year, the high energy of Tu B'Av (Av 15) usually drops off as we enter the "solemn" preparation of Elul. This 21-day feast acts as a Launchpad:
On Av 15 (the dance) national unity is achieved.
In the aftermath, Av 16–30 will be the "afterglow" where the joy of the wedding is integrated into daily life.
On the first of Elul, instead of starting "40 days of repentance", we start "40 days of indwelling”.
Elul will transform into a month-long celebration of Divine Intimacy. In the future, we will no longer need to "return" (teshuvah) from sin because sin will be removed. Instead, Elul will be a feast of "teshuvah from love", where the soul constantly rises higher. It will function like a month-long Succoth, where the "clouds of glory" (the King's presence) are felt everywhere, not just in a temporary hut.
In the summer/early harvest, the "Clouds of Glory" were meant to be most visible.
The name of the month, ELUL (אלול), is an acronym for Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li ("I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine"). Currently, this is a month of "longing" from a distance. In the future, it becomes a month of dwelling together.
The Midrash says that in the future, the songs of Elul will be played on an eight-stringed harp.[51] Currently, we blow the shofar in Elul to "wake up" the soul. In that day, the shofar of Elul will be a song of praise because the broken shards of the first tablets[52] have finally been harmonized.
In the future feast, the Levites will sing a specific sequence of Psalms that correspond to the "rebuilding" of the world's joy. While the exact "New Songs" are currently hidden, the Bnei Yissaschar hints at a structure based on the 21 "Songs of Ascents" and "Hallel" themes:
Days 1–7 (The Week of Vision): Focusing on Psalm 120–126. These Psalms move from "Distress" to "Laughter." Specifically, on the 17th of Tammuz, the Levites sing: "Then our mouth will be filled with laughter... The Lord has done great things for us" (Psalm 126).
Days 8–14 (The Week of Building): Focusing on Psalm 127–134. These are the "Songs of Ascents" that describe the building of the House and the unity of brothers.
Days 15–21 (The Week of the King): Focusing on the Great Hallel (Psalm 136). Each day, a different "stanza" of the Hodu L'Adonai Ki Tov is sung, emphasizing that God's "Kindness is Eternal." This culminates on the 21st day.
The Bnei Yissaschar and other classical sources (such as the Zohar and the Talmud) teach that the latest we will begin using the 10-stringed Nevel is the year 6000 AM (Anno Mundi). However, there is a "hastened" timeline that suggests it could happen much sooner.
The Talmud[53] states that the world as we know it, defined by the struggle between good and evil, will exist for 6,000 years:
Years 0–2000: Age of Desolation (Tohu).
Years 2000–4000: Age of Torah.
Years 4000–6000: Age of Mashiach.[54]
The "Shabbat of the World." This is the year when the 10-stringed Nevel becomes the standard instrument of the world, as the "7-stringed" natural order is superseded by the "10-stringed" supernatural order.
The Zohar and the Bnei Yissaschar explain that just as we prepare for Shabbat on Friday afternoon, the "scent of Mashiach" and the music of the nevel begin to appear before the year 6000.
Many Chassidic masters pointed to this year as the start of "Plag HaMincha" (the late afternoon) of the 6th millennium. From this point on, the "vibrations" of the 10th string begin to leak into the world.
We are currently in the "Friday afternoon" of history (5786 AM / 2026 CE). The Bnei Yissaschar suggests that as we perform acts of Chesed and study the "Inner Torah", we are effectively "tuning" the 10th string today. The Prophet Isaiah[55] says of the redemption: "In its time, I will hasten it". This is the hard deadline of 6000 AM (which is approximately 2240 CE). This means the 21-day feast and the 10-stringed Nevel can manifest any year, including this one, if humanity is spiritually ready. The Bnei Yissaschar emphasizes that the "21 days" are always pregnant with this potential every summer.
The "Circumcision of the Heart" and the "10-stringed Nevel" are actually the same event. Devarim 30:6
The "Skin" (Orlah): The "foreskin" of the heart is what prevents us from hearing the 10th string. It acts as spiritual "noise". When HaShem performs the change spoken of in Devarim 30:6, that blockage is removed.
The moment the heart is circumcised is the exact moment the 10th string becomes audible. For most of humanity, this is slated for the transition to Year 6000, but for those "tuning" themselves now, the Bnei Yissaschar says a "taste" of it can be experienced in the 21-day summer feast today.
The Ohev Yisrael[56] provides one of the most vivid descriptions of the “future menu” served on the 17th of Tammuz. He explains that the fast days are like a fruit with a hard shell; currently, we only taste the bitter “rind” (the fast), but in the future, the shell will be discarded, and we will feast on the “inner sweetness”.
There is a Talmudic dictum that “when a man marries his sins are forgiven”. Hence a wedding day is equated with Yom Kippurim. As Yom Kippurim atones for sins, so matrimony is a bridge to forgiveness and atonement. To emphasize the nexus between Yom Kippurim and their wedding day, the bridegroom and bride fast on that day. In the afternoon service, the bridegroom recites the viddui, the solemn Yom Kippurim confession. As it is customary to wear white on the Day of Atonements as a symbol of purity, so it is traditional for the bride to wear a white gown and for the bridegroom to be clad in a kittel (white robe). Ashkenazim wear a kittle when Sephardim do not have this tradition.
This “wedding rehearsal”, of Yom Kippurim, is meant to prepare us for the wedding of the Lamb which will take place on Yom Kippurim sometime in the future:
Revelation 19:9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’” And he added, “These are the true words of God”.
While the 17th of Tammuz is the “opening feast”, the 9th of Av is the wedding. Chazal teach in the Midrash[57] that the 9th of Av is the ‘birthday’ of the Mashiach. The Meforshim explain that the “three-week feast” is actually a 21-day wedding celebration (Sheva Brachot times three) leading up to the full union of HaShem and Israel on the 9th of Av.
“For this reason, the 9th of Av is called a 'Moed' (Festival) even today in our liturgy—because its true essence is a feast that has been 'delayed' but not canceled”.[58]
The Midrash[59] teaches that as this 21-day banquet moves from Tammuz into Av, the Leviathans (the sea creatures) will sing a song that harmonizes with the Levites in the Temple. The “prayer” is said to be the “song of the sea” (Az Yashir) but played on the ten-stringed harp. The Midrash says this song is so powerful that it will “wake up the sleepers of Hebron” (the patriarchs and matriarchs), who will rise from their graves to join the 21st day of the feast on the 9th of Av.
The Meforshim teach that the feast beginning on the 17th of Tammuz and culminating on the 9th of Av features three legendary items. The Ohev Yisrael explains their spiritual “flavors”:
1. The behemoth (The wild ox): Represents the “fire” of Tammuz. The heat that once burned the walls of Jerusalem is “cooked” and neutralized, becoming a source of physical and spiritual strength.
2. The leviathan (the great fish): Represents the “water” of Tevet. The coldness of the winter siege is transformed into the refreshing, succulent taste of divine wisdom.
3. The preserved wine is the wine kept in its grapes since the six days of creation. The Ohev Yisrael says this wine is the “nectar of the 17th of Tammuz” because it represents the secrets of the Torah that were hidden when the first tablets were broken on this day.
The Ohev Yisrael makes a startling calculation regarding the “Three Weeks” (Tammuz 17 to Av 9). Since there are 21 days in this period, the future feast will consist of 21 distinct “gates of flavor”. Just as the manna in the desert tasted like whatever the eater desired, the feast starting on the 17th of Tammuz will provide 21 levels of “Torah Flavor”. Since the Gematria of God's Name of the Future,אהיה (E-H-Y-E) is 21, each day of the feast will reveal a different letter and “vocal cord” of this Name. The “heat” of the Tammuz sun (which currently causes mourning) will be harnessed to “ripen” the spiritual fruits of this banquet instantaneously.
The Ohev Yisrael notes that the 17th of Tammuz is the holiday of vision. Therefore, the “menu” includes items that “enlighten the eyes”: Derived from the “hidden light”, there will be this honey that heals the “blindness” caused by the destruction. The “fruit of the Tree of Life”: The Sages say that on the 17th of Tammuz, the “Tree of Life” will yield a fruit that allows one to see from one end of the world to the other.
|
Menu Item |
Spiritual Equivalent |
Why on Tammuz 17? |
|
Behemoth |
Rectified Fire/Strength |
Replaces the fire that breached the walls. |
|
Preserved Wine |
The “Internal” Torah |
Replaces the “External” letters that flew off the Tablets. |
|
Tree of Life Fruit |
Infinite Vision |
Heals the “Right Eye” of the month of Tammuz. |
The Shelah HaKadosh adds that the 17th of Tammuz feast will be unique because it will be the only meal where “the food and the eater are one”. Because the first tablets were “HaShem's handiwork” (חָרוּת - charut, engraved), the food at this banquet will not be “digested” and lost. Instead, the “menu” consists of “light-foods”, wisdom that becomes part of the person's very essence, mirroring how the first Tablets were meant to be internalized without the possibility of forgetting.
On the 17th of Tammuz, the “wine” is more prominent than the “meat”. The Ohev Yisrael explains that “wine” (יין) has a gematria of 70, corresponding to the 70 faces of the Torah.
“On the day the Tablets were broken, the 70 faces were hidden. On the day the Fast becomes a Feast, the wine of the 70 faces is poured for all”.[60]
· The birth of Mashiach.
· God, will circumcise our heart Devarim 30:6
· The end of the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination).
· Unconditional love (Ahavat Chinam).
· We will live inside the Ohr HaGanuz.
· The Levites will sing new songs.
· The light of the moon will be like the light of the sun.
· We will perceive the world through the "clear mirror" of prophecy.[61]
· The wine of the 70 faces is poured for all.
· In the future feast, our physical and spiritual "vessels" will expand. The "narrowness" becomes a wide, open expanse. This manifests as a feeling of "limitless time" and "limitless space", the anxiety of being "pressed" by life's demands will vanish entirely during these 21 days.[62]
· Day 1 (17 Tammuz): Healing of the "vision".
· Day 21 (9 Av): Healing of the "speech". By the end of the feast, the human soul is "upright" and fully functional for the first time since the Garden of Eden.
· During the future feast, the spectral quality of light in the Land of Israel changes. The "Red" (Judgment) is sweetened into "White" (Chesed/Mercy). People will perceive the very air as having a "milky" or "diamond-like" clarity, which the Midrash says allows one to see "from one end of the world to the other”.
· The "eating" will be accompanied by "drinking" from the spring of living water, which the Bnei Yissaschar hints will grant the drinker instant prophetic clarity.
· The energy that used to cause accidents, sickness, and "bad luck" during the Three Weeks is transformed into "Protective Energy." The "Demon of Midday" becomes the "Angel of the Great Light." You will feel a physical sense of safety and "invulnerability" during these 21 days.
· The music played during these 21 days will have 21 new harmonic frequencies that were previously inaudible to the human ear. This music will have the power to "resurrect" dead cells in the body, ensuring that during the 21-day feast, no one feels fatigue or illness.
· During the 21-day feast, the todah becomes the primary service, where the "bread" is actually the "Bread of Heaven", physical food that tastes like pure prophecy.
· In the future feast, the 11 ingredients of the incense will be "inhaled" as a form of spiritual nutrition. This inhalation will instantly align the 21 parts of the soul. You won't just smell the incense; you will "know" the secrets of the universe through the aroma.
· In the Messianic era, animals will attain a level of consciousness similar to humans today, and humans will rise to the level of angels.
· The Levites will no longer play 10-stringed harps, but 11-stringed harps (Nevel Asor).[63] The nevel asor symbolizes the unification of the ten sefirot. Worldly music touches only the lower seven (emotive middot). The future harp will sound all ten, including Chachmah, Binah, and Daat, when every sphere of consciousness resonates with divine harmony.[64] Thus the Nevel Asor is a metaphor for redeemed speech, when body and soul, heaven and earth, merge into one resounding praise. Chazal teach that the harp will return with an extra tone (ten or eleven strings) when the world itself becomes music, when every force, even what once sounded discordant, resolves into praise.
· During the 21-day feast, the Levites will compose a new song every day. These 21 songs are the "Keys" to unlocking the 21 gates of the Third Temple. As the music plays, the physical walls of the Temple will actually vibrate and glow with different colors corresponding to the music.
· At the exact moment when the Temple was historically set on fire (the afternoon of the 9th), a flash of white light will emanate from the holy of holies, traveling across the entire world. This is the moment the "knowledge of HaShem covers the earth as water covers the sea".
· The greatest change is that after the 21st day ends, the light does not fade. Unlike our current holidays where we "go back to work", the 21st day of the future feast initiates a permanent state of Shabbat. The "feat" of the 21 days is that they successfully bridge the gap between time and eternity.
|
Tekufot |
Turning Point |
|
Tekufat Nisan |
Vernal Equinox. |
|
Tekufat Tammuz |
Summer Solstice. |
|
Tekufat Tishri |
Autumnal Equinox |
|
Tekufat Tevet |
Winter Solstice |
"The Transformation of the Five Tragedies”
"The Secret of the Three Weeks: From Darkness to Light”
“Descent for the purpose of subsequent ascent”.
* * *
This study was written by
Rabbi Dr. Hillel ben David (Greg Killian).
Comments may be submitted to:
Rabbi Dr. Greg Killian
12210 Luckey Summit
San Antonio, TX 78252
Internet address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page: https://www.betemunah.org/
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[1] Zera Kodesh, by Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Horowitz of Ropshitz, beginning of Parashat Devarim.
[2] Tashlumin (days of fulfillment) refers to the six-day period following the festival of Shavuot (Sivan 7th–12th) during which the Tachanun (penitential prayers) are omitted. Historically, this allowed pilgrims who missed the Shavuot temple offerings to complete them, extending the festival's joy.
[3] Our Sages
[4] Commentators
[5] Shiva Asar B’Tammuz
[6] Parashat Pinchas
[7] Yamim Ben HaMetzarim
[8] Shibbolei HaLeket is a 13th-century work of Jewish law by Italian scholar Tzedakia ben Avraham Anaw.
[9] Daniel 10:2
[10] Torah Shebichtav, Parashat Balak, p. 73.
[11] Mishnah Ta’anit 4:6.
[12] Taanit 29a: “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: 'You wept needlessly; I will establish for you a weeping for generations.’”
[13] See Imrei Emet on Zechariah 8:19. Also in Imrei Pinchas, p. 139, note §217, citing the Holy Rabbi of Ruzhin.
[14] Imrei Pinchas HaShalem, Rabbi Pinchas Avraham Shapira of Koretz, Parashat Pinchas – “Bein HaMetzarim, ‘Between the Confines (Straits)’ ” §358, p. 137.
[15] Ohev Yisrael, Parashat Pinchas, p. 76.
[16] Read from Parashat Pinchas
[17] Bechorot 8b
[18] Maharsha, Chiddushei Aggadot on Bechorot 8b.
[19] Bechorot 8a – “The gestation period of a chicken is twenty-one days, just like the almond tree (shaked), which blossoms and ripens in twenty-one days”.
[20] Rabbi Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov
[21] Taanit 4:6
[22] found in Sefer Yetzirah
[23] Bereshit (Genesis) 29:32
[24] Malachi 3:20
[25] Kiddushin (sanctification) and Erusin (betrothal) are historically distinct yet functionally synonymous terms for the first stage of a traditional Jewish wedding, where the couple becomes legally bound but does not yet live together
[26] The Hebrew word Nisuin (or nissuin, נישואין) literally means "elevation" or "carrying/lifting up". This is derived from the root nasa (נשא), meaning "to carry" or "to lift".
[27] Shnei Luchot HaBerit
[28] The Apter Rav
[29] Yerushalmi, Brachot
[30] Adir BaMarom
[31] Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings) are central Jewish wedding blessings recited under the chuppah (wedding canopy) and repeated at festive meals for the next seven days, celebrating creation, humanity, and the new marital bond, connecting the couple to tradition and future hope.
[32] Yalkut Shimoni, Pinchas 782
[33] Reflexions & Introspection Elul, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, Torah Insights of Hagon HaGadol Rav Moshe Shapiro, by Moshe Antebi
[34] Zohar HaKadosh (Vayikra 31b, Emor 99a, Pinchas 256b, etc.) Repeatedly calls the days of Sukkot “days of judgment” and Hoshana Rabbah – the day the final seal is placed on every person’s decree for the entire year.
[35] in Ma'amarei Tammuz v'Av
[36] Yalkut Shimoni, Pinchas 782
[37] from Shemot Rabbah 43 and 46 to Pirkei de‑R. Eliezer 46
[38] Permitting the flesh of Behemoth thus slaughtered.
[39] Pesachim 87b
[40] Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 51:4
[41] Zecharia 14:9
[42] Zecharia 8:7–8: "I will bring them... to Jerusalem"
[43] Rosh Hashhana 34b
[44] Eicha Rabbah 4:14; Rashi on Lamentations 4:11 - It provides a radical perspective on why Tisha B'Av is called a "Moed" (appointed time/festival).
[45] In Hebrew, the word moed is the same word used for the major festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, and Succoth).
[46] While the simple meaning (Pshat) is that HaShem "appointed" a time for the destruction, the deeper meaning (Sod) is that HaShem set an "appointment" to meet Israel. Even in the destruction, the "meeting" between the King and His people continued.
[47] Adir Bamarom
[48] Ketubot 7b
[49] Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings) are central Jewish wedding blessings recited under the chuppah (wedding canopy) and repeated at festive meals for the next seven days, celebrating creation, humanity, and the new marital bond, connecting the couple to tradition and future hope.
[50] Tosefet Shabbat
[51] Arachin 13b
[52] Tikunei Zohar
[53] Sanhedrin 97a
[54] Tractate Sanhedrin 97a–97b
[55] Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 60:22
[56] the Apter Rav, Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel
[57] Eicha Rabbah, Petichta 25
[58] Lekutei Sichot, vol. 19, pp. 287–288 (Hebrew) and in English in Proceedings of the Association of Lubavitch Rabbis, vol. 13.
[59] Ohev Yisrael; Eichah Rabbah, Proem 24
[60] Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apt, known as the Ohev Yisrael (1748–1825).
[61] Bnei Yissaschar, Ma’amarei Tammuz–Av, Article 5, Consolation §2.
[62] According to Ma’amarei Tammuz–Av and the teachings of the Arizal (which the Bnei Yissaschar systemizes).
[63] Tehillim (Psalms) 33 :2; Psalm 92 :4 - Arachin 13b: The harp (kinnor) of the Temple had seven strings…The harp of the days of Mashiach will have eight strings, and the harp of the World‑to‑Come will have ten strings, as it is said: ‘On a nevel of asor will I sing to Thee.’” => The ten‑string harp = music of the ultimate redemption.
[64] Zohar II 19a; III 285b