מכתב לנשיא הנבחר ברק אובמה – באנגלית
To
The US President Elect
Mr. Barack Obama
On the week you were elected, we read the לֶךְ-לְךָ (Lech Lecha) portion in the synagogues.
As a religious person, who does not believe in coincidences but rather that everything in our world has significance, I asked myself what is the meaning of your election in the week in which God said to Abraham "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee"[1] [לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶך].
Commentary interprets the first לֶךְ (Lech) as the physical journey Abraham had to make from one spot to another in the physical world. However, the לְךָ(Lecha) indicates that this journey is intended to be a journey into one's self, an intrinsic journey to fulfill his destiny in this world without external interference that arises from universal human norms, society, and sometimes even the family.
This idea is suitable to your election, symbolizing a fresh start for the US and the rest of the world. However, I asked for more signs.
In the Hebrew language numerology (gematria), each letter has a numerical value. When calculating the numeric value of one or several words we can compare it to other words with the same numeric value. Thus, we have an additional interpretation and a more in-depth understanding of the original word.
Your name, Barack Obama, which appeared on the election ballots, has the numeric value of 356. Using a specific computer program, I found, to my amazement, in the same portion that was read on the week of your election the (Genesis, chapter 2, verse 3) God says to Abraham "... and in thee shall … be blessed"[2] [וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ, כֹּל]. The numeral value of this phrase is the same as in Barack Obama.
In addition, in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 11, there is a description of the ideal king, who will rule at the end of days. The sum of the words "the spirit of the LORD… upon him"[3] [עָלָיו, רוּחַ יְהוָה] in the second verse is also 356 (Barack Obama).
I'll tell you one last thing, the Jewish people began with three fathers and four mothers. The first father was Abraham, whose numerology is parallel to the Morning Prayer (tefillat shaharit). This prayer is said in the morning, upon awakening to a new day. Your name, Barack, is written in Hebrew using three letters [brk - ברק] and if we scramble their order, we get the word morning [boker - בקר]. A new day is dawning in the world.
May these signs prove to be true. May we have the privilege, together with you, to improve a little more of the world. May we reach, maybe not in our lifetime but I am sure that one day, a world in which there is a unity of antitheses, a world of love and peace as in Isaiah's prophesy:
Verse 4 And He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
ד וְשָׁפַט בֵּין הַגּוֹיִם, וְהוֹכִיחַ לְעַמִּים רַבִּים; וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים, וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת--לֹא-יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל-גּוֹי חֶרֶב, וְלֹא-יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה.
And
Verse 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
ט לֹא-יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא-יַשְׁחִיתוּ, בְּכָל-הַר קָדְשִׁי: כִּי-מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ, דֵּעָה אֶת-יְהוָה, כַּמַּיִם, לַיָּם מְכַסִּים.
[1] Verse 1 Now the LORD said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee.
א וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ.
[2]Verse 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'
גוַאֲבָרְכָה, מְבָרְכֶיךָ, וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ, אָאֹר; וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ, כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה.
[3]Verse 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
ב וְנָחָה עָלָיו, רוּחַ יְהוָה--רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה, רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה, רוּחַ דַּעַת, וְיִרְאַת יְהוָה.
