Was Netanyahu-Gantz impasse predicted in mystic's hidden manuscript?
"On the eve of the year 5780 (the upcoming Hebrew year), the year of corrections, there will not be a government in Israel for an extended period..."
By TZVI JOFFREPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri meet at prime minister's office, Sept. 1997(photo credit: AVI OHAYON - GPO)
Sephardic Kabbalist (mystic) Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri could have predicted the political unrest surrounding recent struggles by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, according to a report by the Hebrew daily Israel Hayom on Sunday.Information alluding to Kaduri's predictions spread throughout social media and on the messaging application Whatsapp in recent days, as well. Kaduri reportedly wrote in And He Swore to Isaac, a "hidden book" that was recently found in the Kabbalistic school of Nahalat Yitzhak, that "On the eve of the year 5780 (the upcoming Hebrew year), the year of corrections, there will not be a government in Israel for an extended period and the various camps will be quarrel much without a decision on either side, and then, on Rosh Hashana (the Jewish new year) itself, they will fight in heaven, the holy side against the side of evil, and G-d and His entourage will decide between them. And this is all I can say, and from here I swore not to reveal more secrets and hidden things."The book was purportedly written by Kaduri in his youth and hidden by him.The statements by Kaduri also reference excerpts from the ancient book The Covenant of the Persimmon by kabbalist Rabbi Sasson Hai Shoshani, who Kaduri said was known as "The prophet of Egypt." Shoshani said, "There will come on the day that two ministers win the government in the land of Israel. Both their names will be Benjamin and neither of them will succeed in establishing their government or kingship."On that day, know and understand that the King Messiah already stands at the doorway and on the Sabbath afterwards he will come and be revealed," Shoshani's statement continues. "Understand this and remember it.'"Moshe N., an aide to Kaduri's grandson and the current head of Nahalat Yitzhak, Rabbi Yosef Kaduri, told Israel Hayom that, "The yeshiva has all sorts of manuscripts by Rabbi Kaduri with the names of G-d and similar things, that we are keeping in a safe. These are things that are passed from generation to generation, in secret, only between the kabbalists and it is forbidden to reveal them."In writings based on the teachings of Rabbi Sasson Hai Shoshani, the redemption is discussed, and the writings also discuss that right before the coming of the messiah, they won't be able to form a government, so what was published is very close to what was written in the manuscripts, but the published wording is not exact."Similar things were also written by Rabbi Kaduri's learning companion, Rabbi Menachem Menashe, the author of Ahavat Chaim, who wrote in the name of Rabbi Shoshani on the weekly Torah reading of Ki Tavo, the Torah portion that we read on the last Sabbath, about what will be in the end of days, how there will be a war with the rabble about the issue of the Sabbath and how the rabble will be the majority," he continued.He explained that the remarks referenced in Kaduri's manuscript are similar to the excerpts being circulated.Additionally, he said that "the round of elections" is not explicitly written about, and that this is an interpretation of Kaduri's writing. But he noted that the struggle between observant and non-observant sectors of Israel is considered something that will take place before the final redemption. "In the end of the day, the redemption is dependent on us, the people of Israel, and it could be actualized and could not [be actualized]," he said.Israel Hayom was not able to find any information about the existence of a book titled The Covenant of the Persimmon or of a rabbi by the name of Rabbi Sasson Hai Shoshani, the paper reported.This prediction is not the first time Kaduri has been in the news in connection with Israeli politics.In the 90s, the rabbi joined Shas Party founder Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef on the campaign trail. To attract votes, Shas distributed amulets with an image of Kaduri that promised "health, protection and success," according to The New York Times.Meretz complained to the election commissioner at the time that these amulets were illegal gifts and he ruled that Shas must stop distributing them. Kaduri's aides argued that he feared that without the protection of the amulets, there might be renewed Arab terrorist attacks.According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, in a meeting between Netanyahu and Kaduri in 1997 on their shared birthday, Netanyahu was recorded as whispering to the rabbi that left-wing people "have forgotten what it means to be Jewish."Ehud Barak, then head of the Labor Party, responded that "Netanyahu will not teach me or anyone else what Judaism is."
