Bikesh Yaakov

Likutei Sichos  vol. 18, p. 167

With this will be understood that “ve’agido” itself  hints that Yaakov requested  to reveal to his sons the innermost matter of the End of Days (ketz ha’yomin) the gist of which is the revelation of the innermost concealment , i.e. that which is hidden in the soul and within G-d through a concealment in the Torah.

Still, we need to understand  what the Chazal mean by “Shechinah departed from him.” Perhaps the intent here is to proffer a reason as to why the revelation didn’t take place and why didn’t the Chazal use “ve’nischase ha’keitz me’menu” (the end was covered up from him) or a similar expression and what is the rationale behind using specifically “Shchina departed from him?” Also we need to understand that Yaakov already had begun to prophesy, why did the Schchinah leave at that specific point?

The matter is as follows:

Yaakov felt that his sоns were in a state wherе they were ready for the revelation of the end of days (osofu-gather together), in other words, when it came to Yaakov himself, he was able to anchor Shchinah and the end of days of consciousness  and the end itself wasn’t  hidden from him but when got down to revealing the End down below, that’s when the Schchinah left.

That’s why the Gemora uses “nistalek”: the end wasn’t hidden from him, the power to bring it down and reveal it was, that’s what left him.

Also the fact that his sons weren’t ready caused a yerida in Yaakov himself, similar to what happened to Moshe Rabbeinu vis-à-vis the Yidden when they sinned and G-d told Moshe: “descend from your greatness, whatever I’ve given you is for their sake.”

Still the question is, why so to speak involve the Shchinah to begin with since apriori it was known that the sons weren’t ready?

Yaakov was completely removed from the affairs and influences of this world similar to Moshe Rabbeinu when he was on Har Sinai. Therefore even if the sons were not ready, The Shchinah rested upon him up until “bikesh Yaakov.” Since the sons weren’t keilim, the Shchinah left.

The fact that Yaakov made the request (bikesh) is significant since requests of tzaddikim don’t go unfulfilled. The resut is that although the request went unfulfilled then, nevertheless it the effect to empower to the sons to bring about the keitz thru their avoda “bederch makif”.

Additionally, that request enables us in this orphaned generation when we’re confronted with a doubled and redouble darkness, in an instant to reveal the end with the Final Redemption. The truth is, the very fact that some claim we’re not worthy to bring Moshiach is proof that indeed we are and we can and as the Chazal say that Moshiach will come “be heisach hadaas” and that  we’re in a situation where our consciousness  won’t allow for the possibility of the Revelation, that in and of itself is a sign that the Redemption is imminent and is a testimony to Yidden’s emuna (achake lo b’chol you she hu yavo) that even when our minds and senses dictate otherwise, our emuna will sustain us that Ben Dovid bo be’korov mamesh will appear.