An extraordinary statement by former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef drew attention this past Motzoei Shabbos, as he discussed the timing of Moshiach’s arrival and the end of the world, while hosting an unexpected guest who was honored with a cup of tea.
Delivering his weekly shiur at Beis Knesses HaYazdim in Yerushalayim, Rav Yosef addressed theological questions about the End of Days. “At most, within 15 years Moshiach will come,” the Chief Rabbi declared. “And 215 years after that, the world will end.”
He urged his listeners not to be intimidated by those who claim the universe is ancient. “The world does not exist for millions of years,” said Rav Yosef. “It’s less than 6,000 years old. And if someone says otherwise, don’t stay silent. It’s not a matter of discomfort; it’s about truth. The world was created less than 6,000 years ago, and that’s clear according to the Torah.”
During the shiur, the Chief Rabbi also emphasized the growth of the Sephardic Torah world over recent decades. “When I was a bochur, there were maybe 300 Sephardic boys learning in all of Eretz Yisroel,” he reflected. “Today, baruch Hashem, there are tens of thousands.”
A Surprise Guest
This week’s shiur began with an unexpected guest of honor, Rav Shalom Ber Sorotzkin, rosh yeshiva of Ateres Shlomo, whose talmid‘s recent arrest sparked widespread protest against the draft decree. Upon entering, Rav Sorotzkin was personally handed a cup of tea prepared for the Rishon LeTzion. Accepting it graciously, he smiled and said, “It’s a mitzvah to listen to the words of the chachomim.”
Rav Yosef opened his talk by referring to the incident involving the arrested yeshiva student, using it as a springboard for a detailed halachic discussion on the brocha of HaGomel recited upon release from imprisonment, analyzing who is obligated to say it and whether one person can fulfill the brocha on behalf of another.
Faith and Science Collide
Toward the close of his address, Rav Yosef turned to one of the most sensitive intersections of faith and science, the age of the universe and the timeline of redemption. He spoke firmly against evolutionary theory and modern scientific dating, asserting the traditional Torah position that creation occurred fewer than 6,000 years ago.
In a rare, unequivocal statement, he linked the coming of Moshiach and the eventual end of the world to that timeline. “Fifteen years from now Moshiach will arrive,” he said, “and 215 years later — the end of the world.”
Rav Yosef concluded by urging strength and conviction in emunah: “The Torah teaches us the one and only truth,” he said. “Our mission is to uphold it, even when others think differently. Never be ashamed to say the Torah’s view, even when it contradicts prevailing opinions.”
{Matzav.com}
YES, give or take a few years IF one pays attention to our Madrega today….also with more speculation based off of Sefer Daniel and using Melech Ahaz to start the count. ( Most would say Melech Menashe, but Ahaz would be the alternate time frame).
amen
With all due respect to the Rav, the questions of what the Torah has to say about the age of the universe and the timeline of Moshiach’s arrival are all much more complicated and multifaceted than would be suggested by the quotations cited here. For sure, there is no question we should not listen to what the secular world has to say about these questions, but it’s inaccurate to suggest that the answers offered by the Torah are simple and straightforward.