Uncanny Occurrences
by Reverend Michael Plaskow MBE
I wonder how many have noticed the uncanny occurrences of verses in the weekly haftara that reflect current events. The latest example, from the haftara of B'reishit reads as follows:- "Thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens.....the earth....who gives breath to the people upon it.... I Hashem have called you in righteeousness, and will hold your hand, and will keep you. To open the eues of the blind, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and those who sit in darkness, out of the prison house".
The day that Gilad Schalit was captured was the first of Tammuz which is said to be the yahrzeit of Yosef Hatsaddik. And the day he was released from captivity on the eve of Hoshana Rabba, that was the same day that Yosef Hatsaddik is the "Guest" in the Succa. And we see that the name Gilad is associated with the tribe of Manashe who stems from Yosef. As it is written in Bamidbar 27:1 " Gilad, son of Machir son of Manashe son of Yosef".
And also, Gilad Shalit's exit out of captivity in the eyes of all the world was with great honour. This was comparable to Yosef's exit from the pit which was from a deep pit to an exalted position where he became Governor of Egypt.
And we see a connection between Gilad and Machir son of Manashe. He was called Machir because of Mechiras (play on the word) Yosef (the sale of Yosef).
The words in the Torah are "ו'וסף הוא השל'ט which is equal in numerical value to: "גלעד בן אב'בה של'ט" {Gilad son of Aviva Shalit)