Portions of Kol HaTor on Mashiach ben Yosef and Armilus and Gog & Magog

 

Kol HaTor 2 P.39:

(Gen. 42:8) Yosef recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him -- This is one of the traits of Yosef not only in his own generation, but in every generation, i.e., that Mashiach ben Yosef recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him. This is the work of Satan, who hides the characteristics of Mashiach ben Yosef so that the footsteps of the Mashiach are not recognized and are even belittled because of our many sins. (See below 103). Otherwise, our troubles would already have ended. Were Israel to recognize Yosef, that is, the footsteps of ben Yosef the Mashiach which is the ingathering of the exiles etc., then we would already have been redeemed with a complete redemption. 

Kol HaTor P.40

(Gen. 49:24) “but his bow was emplaced firmly” -- This is a basic important principle for us: we must stand firm and very stiff-necked with regard to our holy work of gathering in the exiles that will be accomplished by the first Mashiach. 

(Gen. 42:6) “now Yosef [was] the ruler over the land” -- That is, he had overpowered all the forces of impurity, and this is one of the great tasks of the first Mashiach -- to eradicate the spirit of impurity from the land by settling the Holy Land, for the spirit of impurity rules in the Holy Land where it is desolate, and this is revealed in the words, [gematria: 832] “and the land will not become desolate.” Though this was said about Egypt, the reference was to [gematria: 832] Eretz Israel, in accord with the spirit of Yosef, and as affirmed in gematria.

Kol HaTor 2:131

“Horns of an ox” -- as is written, (Deut. 33:17) “his horns are like those of an ox, with them he gores nations.” The main idea refers to Mashiach ben Yosef, as the Gaon explains at length in his remarks on this verse (in his work Aderet Eliyahu), for Mashiach ben Yosef is in the line of Joshua, who took part in the war “the Lord wages against Amalek from generation to generation.” The horns of an ox is refer to the war of Gog and Magog, which is divided into many parts, like the parable in the Midrash. In the parable, a king became angry at his son, and swore to throw a huge stone at him. Later on, he regretted what he had said, etc.It’s an important principle that all pain and anguish that Israel suffers because of the nations of the world, generally and well as personally, even more so in connection with the ingathering of the exiles--all these decrease the amount and intensity of suffering during the war of Gog and Magog (see the beginning of the section on Efraim is My fistborn as is known). Happy are you, dear sons of Zion who stand in the breach against savage descendants of Hagar, as promised to us that Mashiach ben Yosef will gore nations, and the Lord will provide the salvation. Now the best and surest path and medicine to lighten, even remove all the tribulations of Gog and Magog and all the tribulations of Eretz Israel, is to correct one’s conduct by setting up people of Truth in the Holy City.

Seraiah son of Dan -- He helps Mashiach ben Yosef to overthrow the wicked Armilus, as brought in the Zohar.

Yaakov’s blessing on Bnei Dan:

לְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵי־דָ֖ן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם יָצָ֖א הַגּוֹרָ֥ל הַשְּׁבִיעִֽי׃ 

וַיְהִ֖י גְּב֣וּל נַחֲלָתָ֑ם צׇרְעָ֥ה וְאֶשְׁתָּא֖וֹל וְעִ֥יר שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃ 

וְשַׁעֲלַבִּ֥ין וְאַיָּל֖וֹן וְיִתְלָֽה׃ 

וְאֵיל֥וֹן וְתִמְנָ֖תָה וְעֶקְרֽוֹן׃ 

וְאֶלְתְּקֵ֥ה וְגִבְּת֖וֹן וּבַעֲלָֽת׃ 

וִיהֻ֥ד וּבְנֵֽי־בְרַ֖ק וְגַת־רִמּֽוֹן׃ 

וּמֵ֥י הַיַּרְק֖וֹן וְהָרַקּ֑וֹן עִֽם־הַגְּב֖וּל מ֥וּל יָפֽוֹ׃ 

וַיֵּצֵ֥א גְבוּל־בְּנֵי־דָ֖ן מֵהֶ֑ם וַיַּעֲל֣וּ בְנֵי־דָ֠ן וַיִּלָּחֲמ֨וּ עִם־לֶ֜שֶׁם וַיִּלְכְּד֥וּ אוֹתָ֣הּ ׀ וַיַּכּ֧וּ אוֹתָ֣הּ לְפִי־חֶ֗רֶב וַיִּֽרְשׁ֤וּ אוֹתָהּ֙ וַיֵּ֣שְׁבוּ בָ֔הּ וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ לְלֶ֙שֶׁם֙ דָּ֔ן כְּשֵׁ֖ם דָּ֥ן אֲבִיהֶֽם׃ 

זֹ֗את נַחֲלַ֛ת מַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵי־דָ֖ן לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָ֑ם הֶעָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה וְחַצְרֵיהֶֽן׃ {ס}