Miketz and the Echo of 2025

Why You Can’t Fully Understand the Bible in English

You open an English Bible to Genesis 41. You read the dramatic story of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph rises to power and eventually reveals himself to his brothers. It’s a powerful tale of forgiveness, providence, and redemption. But something profound is missing—something that only the original Hebrew Torah scroll reveals.

In a traditional Hebrew Chumash or Torah scroll, at the end of Parashat Miketz, there’s a Masoretic note. It states not only the number of verses (pesukim) but also the number of words: 2025. This is unique—Miketz is the only parsha where the word count is prominently noted this way in standard editions. And today, as we sit in the secular year 2025, that number leaps off the page.

God proclaims in Isaiah 46:10: “מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית” – “I declare the end from the beginning.”

God proclaims in Isaiah 46:10: “מַגִּיד מֵרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית” – “I declare the end from the beginning.” Jewish tradition has long understood this as a promise. It suggests that the seeds of ultimate redemption are embedded right in the opening chapters of Genesis (Bereshit).

English translations capture the words. However, they strip away the numerical layers. These include the gematria, the counts of letters, words, and verses. These layers form the Torah’s deeper prophetic structure.

Isaiah 46:10 – Declaring the End from the Beginning

The 146 Verses: The Unique Bond Between Miketz and Bereshit

The 146 Verses: The Unique Bond Between Miketz and Bereshit

Count the pesukim in Parashat Bereshit (Genesis 1:1–6:8): exactly 146.

Now count Parashat Miketz (Genesis 41:1–44:17): exactly 146 again.

No other two parshiyot in the entire Torah share the same number of verses like this. Bereshit opens the story of creation, humanity’s fall, and the first exile from Eden. Miketz brings the turning point: Joseph’s revelation to his brothers (“I am Joseph!”), The preservation of the family of Israel in Egypt, and the beginning of the path that leads to redemption.

The rabbis who fixed the verse divisions saw this echo as a deliberate divine design. They believed it was the blueprint for geulah (redemption) hidden in the text’s very structure from the start.

The 2025 Words: A Hint to Light in Darkness

Traditional Masoretic notes record that Parashat Miketz contains 2025 words.

(Some counts vary slightly to 2022 or 2026 due to scribal variants or how certain phrases are divided, but the received tradition in most Chumashim highlights 2025.)

Miketz means “at the end of”—and it almost always falls during Chanukah, the festival of light overcoming darkness. Classic sources like the Vilna Gaon connect the 2025 directly to Chanukah. There are 8 days of lighting candles (8 × 250 = 2000, where “ner/candle” = 250 in gematria). Additionally, the 25th of Kislev marks the beginning of the miracle.

In the year 2025, it takes on added urgency. It acts as a reminder tucked in the margins. We’re living in a time that the Torah itself seems to mark.

From Adam to Joseph to David: The Redemption Thread

Trace the pattern:

• Bereshit: Creation, the fall into exile, 146 verses laying the foundation.
• Miketz: The family descends to Egypt, but Joseph reveals himself—salvation begins amid famine and darkness, 146 verses + 2025 words.
• The line continues through the prophets to David, the shepherd-king, ancestor of Mashiach, whose story embodies the heart of redemption.

In astonishing timing, the major new animated biblical epic David, from Angel Studios, was released in theaters yesterday. It premiered on December 19, 2025. This vibrant retelling of the young shepherd’s rise is intriguing. It highlights his faith against Goliath and his anointing as king. This story completes the circle: from the fall in Genesis, through Joseph’s revelation in Miketz, to the throne of David.

Watch the official trailer here: David (2025) Official Trailer

For more on the film: Angel Studios – David | IMDb Page

Why English Translations Fall Short

English Bibles excel at narrative clarity, but they erase:

• The precise verse counts in the margins.
• The word and letter tallies passed down by scribes.
• The subtle hints in the Hebrew lettering itself.

When you read only in translation, the Torah’s “hidden clock”—its numerical prophecies and interconnections—remains silent. The margins of a real Torah scroll whisper clues that English footnotes rarely capture.

A Call to the Original Text

As we mark 2025, the year encoded in Miketz’s words, it’s a wake-up call. This is the year a major film brings David’s story to the world anew. The end was declared from the beginning, and the Hebrew text still holds the keys.

Don’t settle for a flattened version. Open a Hebrew-English Chumash. Count the pesukim yourself. Listen to the original voice of Torah.

The light is increasing. The redemption pattern is unfolding. And it was written there all along.

Hazan Gavriel ben David

beithashoavah.org

The Torah’s Hidden Clock – Beit HaShoavah