What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon: A star rises from Yaakov, A scepter comes forth from Yisrael; It smashes the brow of Moab, The foundation of all children of Shet.
What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon: A star rises from Yaakov, A scepter comes forth from Yisrael; It smashes the brow of Moab, The foundation of all children of Shet. Numbers 24:17
Scientists predict that a nova in the star system called T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, will be visible to people on Earth in the next month. T CrB will appear 1,500 times brighter than usual, making it the 50th brightest star in the night sky. This nova may just be the Star of Jacob Balaam described as presaging the appearance of the Messiah.
A nova is the temporary brightening of a star before it fades again, not to be confused with a supernova that occurs when a massive star explodes at the end of its life.
T CrB is a binary star system made up of a red giant and a white dwarf. They orbit each other every 228 days at about half the distance between Earth and the Sun. In this case, the earth-size white dwarf is slowly stripping hydrogen away from the ancient red giant. Once enough hydrogen accumulates on the white dwarf, the growing pressure and heat trigger a thermonuclear blast visible from Earth.
As T CrB is 2,630 light-years from Earth, light from the binary system requires 2,630 years to arrive at Earth. The nova we will see occurred over 2,000 years ago, but its light will reach us next month.
T CrB is one of ten recurrent novas recorded that erupt on time scales of less than a century. On average, T CrB undergoes a nova process once every 80 years.
T CrB was first observed in the fall of 1217 by Burchard, abbot of Ursberg, Germany, who recorded “a faint star that for a time shone with great light.” Observations during its past two novae in 1866 and 1946 showed that T CrB became slightly brighter about ten years before the nova was visible from Earth. After brightening, the light from T CrB briefly dimmed, indicating an eruption before September 2024.
Astronomers predict that the next nova event will occur between February and September. Scientists are excited as this will be the first outburst since modern spectroscopic observations have been available.
During the next Nova event, T CrB, also known as the Blaze Star, is expected to jump to second magnitude, making it similar in brightness to the North Star, Polaris. It could be visible to the naked eye for several days and potentially visible for over a week through binoculars before dimming and returning to obscurity. The next nova for T CrB is not expected for another 80 years, making this a potential once-in-a-lifetime astronomical event.
Efraim Palvanov, a teacher and author, writes the blog Mayim Achronim (Final Waters), named for the little-known Jewish ritual of washing the fingers after a meal. Like the eponymous mitzvah, the blog covers Jewish subjects that are misunderstood or not normally discussed. In a recent lecture, Palvanov described the current wars in Ukraine and Israel as consistent with end-of-days predictions recorded in classical Jewish literature.
Palvanov emphasized that he was not making a prediction or a prophecy but was describing an astronomical event as described in Jewish literature
“We know that probably one of the oldest prophecies and traditions about the Moshiach (Messiah) comes from Balaam, a Gentile prophet who came to curse Israel but couldn’t curse them,” Palvanov said. “Instead, he gives a prophecy that actually says, ‘I will tell you what will happen at the end of days.’
What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon: A star rises from Yaakov, A scepter comes forth from Yisrael; It smashes the brow of Moab, The foundation of all children of Shet. Numbers 24:17
“It’s one of the few places that the Torah uses the expression, ‘end of days’,” Palvanov notes. “Balaam says that he is looking far into the future and he prophesies that a star will emerge from Jacob. Of course, Christians adopted this in the nativity scene and the Star of Bethlehem,” Palvanov added.
This verse was interpreted by Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, known as Maimonides, and by the acronym Rambam, the foremost Torah authority of the 12th century. In his book Mishneh Torah, the Rambam uses this verse about a star appearing as proof that the Messiah will come one day. According to the Rambam, the Messiah will come from Jacob, more specifically, from the tribe of Judah.
Palvanov explained that the prophecy of the Star of Jacob was applied to Simon bar Kosiba, leader of the Second Jewish Revolt of 132 CE, whose adopted name, Bar Kochba, meant “Son of a Star” in Aramaic. The failure of the Bar Kochba revolt – which was considered a political Messiah – had a large impact on the interpretation of the Star of Jacob. The failure of the revolt led the sages to deemphasize the eschatology of the Star of Jacob. That led to a preference for the explanation that the Star of Jacob was no longer relevant since it was described as already happening in the time of King David.
“There was always, even in ancient times, an association of Moshiach, or a potential Messiah with the star of Jacob. “Balaam even prophecies that this star will mark the end of Amalek.”
He saw Amalek and, taking up his theme, he said: A leading nation is Amalek; But its fate is to perish forever. Numbers 24:20
The Zohar (212b) goes into detail, describing the Star of Jacob:
“It is taught that in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will rebuild Jerusalem and reveal one firm star, glowing with seventy pillars of fire, and with seventy sparks flashing from it in the middle of the Firmament, and they will be reigned over by seventy other stars, and they will glow and burn for seventy days.”
“And [the star] will be seen on the sixth day, on the 25th day of the sixth month. It will be gathered on the seventh day, at the end of seventy days. On the first day it will be seen in the city of Rome. On that same day, three high structures of that city of Rome will fall and a great edifice will fall. The ruler of that city will die. Then the star will spread out to be seen in the rest of the world.”
The date described in the Zohar as the day on which the star will appear corresponds to the Hebrew date the 25th of Elul. The Zohar specifies that this date will fall on a Friday.
This year, the 25th of Elul falls on the 28th of September.
“In that time, great wars will stir all around the four corners of the world and no faith will be found among [its people],” the Zohar continues.
“In the middle of the world, when that star will shine in the middle of the Firmament, a great king will arise and rule the world, and his spirit will gain pride over all the kings, and he will awaken a war between both sides, and he will become strong against them.
“…On the day that the star will be hidden, the Holy Land will tremble forty-five miles around the place of the Holy Temple, revealing an underground cave. From this cave will come out a blazing fire to burn the world. And from this cave a great branch will grow out, and it will rule over the whole world, and to it will be given the kingdom. The Holy Beings will gather to it. Then Mashiach will be revealed to the entire world…”
The Zohar then describes what the world will be like in that pre-Messianic era.
“The world, at the time that Moshiach will be revealed, will have been experiencing trouble after trouble, and the haters of Israel will grow stronger. Then, the spirit of Moshiach will be aroused against them, and the evil Edom will be destroyed. The entire land of Seir will be destroyed by fire.”
“This is what we have been experiencing,” Palvanov explained. “One crisis coming right after another. The pandemic leading into hyperinflation leading into the Ukraine war leading into the war in Israel and the war with the Houthis.”
“And just as the Zohar predicts, the ‘haters of Israel’ are increasing,” Palvanov said. “Antisemitism is reaching levels it hasn’t reached since the Holocaust. There are even reports that Chinese social media is full of antisemitism and there are no Jews in China. This type of Jew-hatred doesn’t make sense.”
