The Hidden Count of 852 Years and God's Early Exile

"And you grow old (ve-noshantem) in the land." The Holy One, blessed be He, hinted to them that they were destined to dwell in the land 852 years, corresponding to the numerical value of ve-noshantem. And had they stood there that long, there would have been no remedy for the enemies of Israel; rather, He acted in advance and exiled them two years before the period would be completed, so that there should not be fulfilled in them "When his sufficiency is filled, distress comes upon him" (Job 20:22). And concerning this it is said, "And the Lord watched over the evil and brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous" (Daniel 9:14) — the Holy One, blessed be He, did a kindness with Israel in that He hastened to bring the evil before its time, for had it come in its time, no survivor or remnant would have been left of them.