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The Zohar 1:117a says:

וּבְשִׁית מְאָה שְׁנִין לִשְׁתִיתָאָה יִתְפַּתְּחוּן תַּרְעֵי דְחָכְמְתָא לְעֵילָא וּמַבּוּעֵי דְחָכְמְתָא לְתַתָּא

In the six hundredth year to the sixth millennium, the upper gates of wisdom will open up, and the lower springs of wisdom will open up.

Did any contemporary Rabbis of that time discuss this Zohar in relation to their surroundings?

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Dr. Shmuel
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  • So the year 5400? Not sure if any rabbis discuss this but a quick Google search showed that in 5406 the shach and Taz were printed. Found in this link... https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3915966/jewish/Timeline-of-Jewish-History.htm – Dude Dec 04 '18 at 05:13
  • Possibly referring to scholorship which emerged after the year 5400? – Dude Dec 04 '18 at 05:15
  • Related (duplicate?): https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/33259/interpreting-the-zohars-prediction-of-the-year-1840 – Alex Dec 04 '18 at 05:34
  • This is a good question, but think, what's there to discuss? As literally, the "prophecy" is of little understanding ("תַּרְעֵי דְחָכְמְתָא" - what could it be?), any "prophecy" is left to see HOW exactly it will be realized. This is the general problem with prophecies. So year 1840 (5600) comes, people look around and... What do you expect the Rabbis to say? – Al Berko Dec 04 '18 at 13:19
  • That’s why I wrote around 1840 @AlBerko – Dr. Shmuel Dec 04 '18 at 13:21
  • First photographs? First programs? https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1DVcpL00L4o1dsHgVFvkFGSF3dcAMSh1p3IcsBB-jtjk&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=650 – Al Berko Dec 04 '18 at 13:26
  • @AlBerko thank you that is a very nice link. It is obvious that there ended up being an abundance of innovation, but the question is if any Rabbis familiar with the Zohar took note of that during the time period – Dr. Shmuel Dec 04 '18 at 13:28
  • @Dude 5400 is the secular year 1640 – Dr. Shmuel Dec 04 '18 at 13:50
  • Doesn't it say the 600th year to the 6th millennium? Or 600 years before year 6000? – Al Berko Dec 04 '18 at 13:55
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    The way that I have heard this Zohar is that the 'Upper Gate of Wisdom' is referring the spread of the teachings of the Ari z"l (1574-1572), which culminated with Chassidut, starting with the Ba'al Shem Tov and leading to the Rebbes of Chabad (Tzemach Tzedek, 1789-1866). The 'Wellsprings of Lower Wisdom' were associated with the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840). It is not an idea unique to the Zohar, but repeats the model established by G-d with creation as is stated with Tehillim 95:4. It also follows one of the explanations of the concept of the Sulam of Yaacov Avinu (Bereshit 28:12-17). – Yaacov Deane Dec 04 '18 at 15:13
  • The 'opening' means opening up and spreading, not that it begins at that precise moment. And if memory serves, I think the Tzemach Tzedek actually commented about this. But that would require some digging. It might have been in one of his sichot. – Yaacov Deane Dec 04 '18 at 15:16
  • The way I see it you can look that the Zohar's words two ways: either the sixth hundredth year to the sixth millennium means 5,400 (1640) or 5,600 (1840). Either way I don't think anyone really commented on this. – ezra Dec 04 '18 at 15:52
  • The first option makes no sense @ezra – Dr. Shmuel Dec 04 '18 at 15:54
  • @Dr.Shmuel Read: "six hundred years until the sixth millennium". – ezra Dec 04 '18 at 15:58

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Rav Tzadok (b. 1823) lived during this time period has this to say:

ר' צדוק הכהן מלובלין - פרי צדיק בראשית פרשת נח וזה שאמרו בזוה"ק שבשנת שש מאות לאלף הששי יתפתחון תרעי דחכמתא לעילא ומבועי דחכמתא לתתא. אמר חכמתא דלעילא קודם שהוא כבר אחר מתן תורה. ואז הזמן לפתוח שערי חכמה עליונה שהוא אור זרוע לצדיק. ותורה שבעל פה שהיא אור צדיקים ישמח כאמור ומסיים בזוה"ק ויתתקן עלמא לאעלא בשביעאה כבר נש דמתתקן ביומא שתיתאה מכי ערב שמשא לאעלא בשבתא. והיינו דמספר שש מאות כנגד שש המדות ששת ימי בראשית שכל אחד כלול מעשר פעמים עשר וכמו שאמרנו. וזהו השש מדות שצריך האדם להתברר מצדו. לתקן הפגם בבחינת צדיק שהיא באכילה ובתאוות. ואחר כך ארבע מאות שה' יתברך משפיע משלוש ראשונות חכמה בינה דעת תרעי דחכמתא לעילא ומבועי דחכמתא לתתא. ואחר כך מאה אחרונה נגד מדת מלכות. והם ימות המשיח שהם בתוספות שבת. שהוא אלף השביעי יום שכולו שבת: