50,000 Jubilees

These are different cycles of years of the world's existence (or additional worlds) according to the calculation brought in Kabbalistic texts. These cycles (according to Chassidic explanation) express spiritual worlds one above the other, where among all of them only our "Shemittah" (seven thousand years) is physical.

Their Concept

In Kabbalah

It states in the Gemara: "Rav Ketina said: The world will exist for six thousand years and be destroyed for one, as it says 'And Hashem alone will be exalted on that day.'" This means that the duration of the world's existence is divided into six thousand years followed by the seventh millennium, "one of destruction" - like the cycle of the six days of creation followed by the Sabbath day, and like the six years of work followed by the Shemittah year.

Based on this foundation, it is explained in Kabbalah that this cycle - of "the world existing for six thousand years and one of destruction" - is the second Shemittah, and before it there was another Shemittah (about which it is said "Hakadosh Baruch Hu builds worlds and destroys them"). According to this, the later Kabbalists established that there would be five additional Shemittot, for a total of seven Shemittot - corresponding to the seven middot (attributes). In other places, it is brought that according to this calculation of seven Shemittot followed by a Jubilee, there will be 50,000 such cycles (50,000 Jubilees).

The Arizal disagrees with the opinion of these Kabbalists, and says that there are no other physical Shemittot like ours.

In Chassidut

In Chassidic teachings, it is explained that even according to the Arizal there was a Shemittah before our world - but not as a physical world, rather as the world of Tohu (chaos). Based on this, the Rebbe learns that the Arizal also agrees to the other Shemittot and Jubilees that will exist as spiritual worlds.

According to this, it is explained many times in Chassidut, and the Rebbe also explains, that all the Shemittot and Jubilees are spiritual, and our Shemittah - the six thousand years of the world's existence - is the only physical world. From this it is also understood that through our actions and service, all the 50,000 Jubilees are also elevated.

The concept of all these Shemittot and Jubilees is explained in Chassidut as spiritual worlds one above the other. That is, when our world in its six thousand years reaches its perfection after all its elevations - it will receive its reward in the seventh millennium, which is the end and perfection of the elevations, and in it there will be rest (like the Sabbath day after the week, and the Shemittah year after the six years). In this Shemittah, our world of Asiyah will reach the level of the world of Atzilut, and the world of Atzilut will be elevated to an even higher level. However, what is considered perfection relative to our Shemittah is considered only the beginning of creation - six thousand years - in a higher world, and the perfection of reward in the next Shemittah is in elevation to an even higher world. And so on, elevation after elevation.

In truth, there could have been many more elevations in Shemittot and Jubilees without end, but it arose in His will that there should be 50,000 Jubilees.

Their Level

It is explained that this entire concept of 50,000 Yovels one above the other - is only in the "Or HaMemaleh Kol Almin" (the light that fills all worlds), which clothes itself in each world according to its level, and in the clothing and chain-like descent of this light into the worlds there are these different levels of 50,000 Yovels. All these worlds are included in the Sefirah of Malchut, which is just a "name" and illumination from the Infinite Light.

However, regarding the "Or HaSovev Kol Almin" (the light that surrounds all worlds), there is no place for these different levels, rather all worlds are equal. Therefore, the ultimate perfection of reward and revelation of the Divine light is not in the ascents of these worlds, but in the World of Resurrection where the Sovev light will be revealed.

The First and Second Shmitta

The difference between the first Shmitta - which was the Shmitta of Tohu (chaos), and the second Shmitta - which is the Shmitta of Tikkun (rectification) (this world):

The Shmitta of Tohu was the Shmitta of Chesed (kindness) - therefore there were no judgments, constrictions, or descents. In contrast, our Shmitta is the Shmitta of fear and Gevurah (might) - hence its great descents (like the great sins that removed the Divine Presence immediately at the beginning of creation, starting with the sin of the Tree of Knowledge), as well as the troubles like the destruction of the Holy Temples, and other judgments that occurred in it.

But on the other hand, this Shmitta has an advantage, since the World of Tikkun (whose essence is vessels) has an advantage over the World of Tohu (whose essence is lights), as the root of the vessels is higher than the root of the lights - since "their end is wedged in their beginning."

From the Shmitta of Tohu were drawn into the Shmitta of Tikkun the souls of Chanoch and Moshe Rabbeinu, in order to rectify this world and draw into it the Divine lights of Tohu. This is why Moshe Rabbeinu found it difficult to accept the mission to redeem the Children of Israel, and claimed "I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue" - since in his elevated root in Tohu there were very great lights, which the vessels of the World of Tikkun could not contain (in his humility he thought this was because he lacked the advantage of the vessels of Tikkun, but in truth it was due to the greatness of the abundance of lights that he possessed). Therefore, Moshe needed a special empowerment from the Holy One, Blessed be He, so that he could connect the abundant lights of Tohu with the abundant vessels of Tikkun.

For Further Reading

• Admor HaZaken - Torah Or Shemot 51, 4; Sefer HaMaamarim 5562 p. 260
• Admor HaEmtzai - Torat Chaim Shemot 59, 1. Shaarei Teshuva, Shaar HaTeshuva 1, Chapter 12 and on
• The Tzemach Tzedek - Sefer HaLikutim Dach Tzemach Tzedek, entry "Yovel"