דניאל, פרק י״ב, פסוק י׳

Human history and the long wait for redemption carry deep processes of testing and purifying faith. These trials ultimately separate the wise from those who lose hope, acting as a force of clarity that cleanses and sets the truth straight [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Commentators offer two main views on how this intense refinement unfolds. One approach focuses on the human attempt to calculate the end of days. Many will try to determine the exact time of the final redemption, entirely convinced that their calculations are perfectly refined and free of any errors [רש"י, מצודת דוד]. A second approach views this refinement as a deeply personal cleansing brought about through suffering. Many people will endure hardships that purify them [ביאור שטיינזלץ], with some even sacrificing their lives to sanctify God, driven by a burning faith that the arrival of the Messiah is near [יוסף אבן יחיא].

Faced with these intense processes, the wicked respond with a profound lack of understanding. According to the view centered on calculating the end of times, their failure becomes evident when a predicted date passes and the Messiah does not arrive. Instead of recognizing that a simple human error occurred in the math, the wicked will fall into despair, ultimately denying the redemption and declaring that it will never happen [רש"י, מצודת דוד]. From the perspective of refinement through suffering, the wicked will simply fail to grasp the meaning of the prophecies. They will persist in their evil ways, refuse to believe in the coming of the Messiah, and may even abandon their faith entirely [יוסף אבן יחיא, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

In sharp contrast, the wise will successfully comprehend the prophecies [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or at the very least, grasp their essential meaning [יוסף אבן יחיא]. When a calculated time for redemption passes without event, the wise will correctly identify it as a mere miscalculation. They will firmly hold onto their hope and maintain their faith in the ultimate redemption [מצודת דוד]. However, a complete and perfect understanding of these complex calculations will only become entirely clear to them when the actual end of days finally arrives [רש"י].