Kol HaTor
Encyclopedia
Kol HaTor - קול התור or "The Voice of the Turtledove
" (a reference to Song of Songs
2:12) was written by Rabbi Hillel Rivlin
of Shklov a disciple of the Vilna Gaon
. The text deals with the Geulah (Era of Redemption) and describes its signs vis-a-vis an evaluation of a proposed 999 footsteps of the Moshiach’s arrival. The Vilna Gaon believed the number 999 to be intrinsically connected to the idea of Moshiach ben Yosef, he also felt that this number is alluded to in the gematria
of his own name. It was first published in Hebrew by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
in 1968 to whom the book was passed down over the generations. According to Rabbi Pinchas Winston
,
"The original text of Kol HaTor was kept in the manuscript by the Rivlin family, descendants of Rabbi Hillel Rivlin, for over 200 years. In 1947, Rabbi Shlomo Rivlin, with the advice of the great Kabbalists of Jerusalem, decided to publish an abridged version of this lengthy and difficult treatise keeping the Kabbalistic terminology as simple as possible so that it could also be studied by non-Kabbalists. Therefore, the printed Kol HaTor is not the original text. In 1968 it was reprinted again by two different editors (unknown to each other), Rabbi Menachem Kasher and Rabbi Chaim Friedlander (Committee For The Dissemination of Kol HaTor). Rabbi Kasher omitted the chapter on the confluences of Kabbalah and science called Sha'ar Be'er Sheva (Gate of The Seven Fields of Wisdom). The B'nei Brak edition, which did contain this chapter, was out of print for over twenty years, thus making this "lost doctrine" of the GR"A totally unnoticed by scholars and the public. Only recently a new print has appeared in Jerusalem with the Sha'ar Be'er Sheva."Turtledove
Turtledove may refer to:* Doves of the genus Streptopelia, in particular the European Turtle Dove * Harry Turtledove, a historian and author who writes historical fiction, science fiction, and fantasy novels...
" (a reference to Song of Songs
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
2:12) was written by Rabbi Hillel Rivlin
Hillel Rivlin
Hillel Rivlin of Shklov was a close disciple of the Vilna Gaon, he and some other pupils of the Vilna Gaon are credited with having revitalized the Ashkenazi community in Eretz Yisrael during their era. He was also the author of the esoteric text known as Kol HaTor, that describes the 999...
of Shklov a disciple of the Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
. The text deals with the Geulah (Era of Redemption) and describes its signs vis-a-vis an evaluation of a proposed 999 footsteps of the Moshiach’s arrival. The Vilna Gaon believed the number 999 to be intrinsically connected to the idea of Moshiach ben Yosef, he also felt that this number is alluded to in the gematria
Gematria
Gematria or gimatria is a system of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase, in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person's age, the calendar year, or the like...
of his own name. It was first published in Hebrew by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher
Menachem Mendel Kasher
Menachem Mendel Kasher was a Polish-born Israeli rabbi and prolific author who authored an encyclopedic work on the Torah entitled Torah Sheleimah.-Early life:...
in 1968 to whom the book was passed down over the generations. According to Rabbi Pinchas Winston
Pinchas Winston
Rabbi Pinchas Winston is an international lecturer and acclaimed author, having published more than 25 works about Judaism.-Life and career:...
,
The text has become popularized amongst the adherents of Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
who perceive parallels between current and recent historical events and those forecast in the book. They maintain that we are currently in the years right prior to the full Redemption and that the indicators established in Kol HaTor are currently being manifested. However some anti-Zionists
Anti-Zionism
Anti-Zionism is opposition to Zionistic views or opposition to the state of Israel. The term is used to describe various religious, moral and political points of view in opposition to these, but their diversity of motivation and expression is sufficiently different that "anti-Zionism" cannot be...
have disputed the authenticity of Kol HaTor, particularly Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch who is a direct descendant of the Vilna Gaon and is the rabbi of the GR”A Synagogue in Jerusalem which primarily follows the traditions taught and espoused by the Vilna Gaon. Rabbi Shternbuch argues against the work on theological grounds as well as textual grounds by drawing attention to certain words in the text that only a speaker of modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew
Modern Hebrew , also known as Israeli Hebrew or Modern Israeli Hebrew, is the language spoken in Israel and in some Jewish communities worldwide, from the early 20th century to the present....
would utilize. He first wrote against Kol HaTor in a ten page pamphlet in the year following its publication in 1968 and later expanded upon the matter in his work Teshuvos VeHanhagos.
According to a new Theory of reasercher Eli Eshed "kol Hator " was actually written at the beginning of the 20 century by well known Cabalist Yizchak Zevi Rivlin,Pehrhaps with the Help of the Gaon of Vilna Descedant and expert Eliyau Landau.
External links
- קול התור - Kol HaTor Hebrew Text; Kabbalah La'am
- Kol HaTor English Translation; Yedid Nefesh