Two More Idols To Go

Let's calculate: We're the last generation of exile and the 1st to reach the Era of Redemption. If so, we must experience the pre-Messianic signs our sages foretold. Whereas these signs occurred some 70 years ago, godless zionism, we noted, forestalled the threshold by many decades. So we must experience these travails - again. We also noted world events, like the disaster in Japan, point to this period.

Now another important piece of the puzzle, in the mosaic of our current history, comes into play - whereby Socialism and Democracy remain the last two pretentious sources of hope that must be removed as obstacles to the Era of Redemption.

The (Previous) Rebbe here gives us insight into the verse:

"And against all gods of Egypt will I avenge myself, for I am G-d"

(Ex. 12, 12) - which may surprise you.

(By the way, "All gods of Egypt" refers to all gods of the world, for Egypt then ruled the whole world. Only after the Jews fled the country did Egypt lose this status [link])

It occurred when Jewish houses were passed over by G-d, when the Egypt's first-born were stricken, that G-d also struck down ALL IDOLS OF EGYPT - EXCEPT TWO! Only two "gods of Egypt" G-d left intact, namely, "Ba'al Tzifon" and "Pee-Hachirot". The destruction of these two gods, said the Rebbe, was postponed [to our time]! The Rebbe then explains Ba'al Tzifon refers to the idol of the Soviet Union, "Socialism", and Pee-Hachirot refers to the idol America stands for, "Democracy". These last two artificial idols worshipped by the masses are bound for destruction.

Here are the Rebbe's own words, copied from his magazine הקריאה והקדושה, Mar. 1941, p. 165. Please read every word. The highlighting and square brackets are mine.

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According to our sages, every child has a name. They have recorded for us all that is happening, and what will happen to the Jews and to the entire world throughout the long exiles .... For in our Torah are contained the replicas of all world situations. One need only to be able to match them with the correct originals, at the right time!

One picture of a world situation which our sages have left us matches the present time in all its details. That is the picture of the world situation immediately preceding a deliverance of Israel. They recorded it ... in fewer words than it would take to fill an American post-card.

Following is the entire description of that period. The English translation is far lengthier than the original text , which consists of a few brief sentences:

"Before the Jews were freed from Egyptian exile, they were sunk deep in idolatry, having passed through 49 of the 50 possible stages of defilement that result from idol-worship. Therefore G-d first destroyed all the Egyptian gods. Those of stone crumbled away, those of metal melted, those of wood became rotten and moldy. He left only two idols for a certain time; The one called "Pi-Hachirot," and the one known as "Baal Tzephon". .... The Jewish masses .... When they saw that all the idols were broken, they awakened to the truth that the only true G-d is the G-d of their ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

This is the entire description; From this we find that the "child" of today, whose identity has been sought in vain by everybody, really has a name! That name is, "The Eve of Redemption".

During the last fifty years the world in general, and particularly the Jewish world, has been flooded with all sorts of idol-worship, otherwise known as "isms". .... The G-d of our ancestors was forgotten; They forgot that He brought us into this exile, and they refused to believe that He will free us from this exile. Instead, they began to serve the newly-created idols, Reform, Assimilation, World Culture, Socialism and various other isms.

Now G-d has come to break the chief idols. The world is suffering the ten plagues. Barbarism is destroying all the other isms, until only two idols remain; That of "Pi-Hachirot", which symbolizes "Freedom" [Chirot as in חרות] for which the democratic countries are fighting, and that of "Baal Tzefon," which symbolizes the unknown salvations and consolations, as yet unseen by man [concealed, as in צפון], which the Red ism is supposed to bring to the working class.

To these two remaining idols the modern publicists adhere with might and main, for without these idols they would be left simply jobless - their importance would vanish entirely. In a resuscitated, limping civilization, and with a national-political movement for a small Jewish coop in the land of Palestine amongst Arabs and Christians, they could retain their leadership and authority over the ignorant, G-dless masses; But in a true redemption, with a Moses as a leader, they would be forced to forget their pretensions to leadership. Therefore they demand no more than a continued exile, in a Pi-Hachirot type of world.

However, their reckoning is false! The time to switch from one idol to another is gone forever! This time all idols will be shattered to bits, and no new ones will take their place. This is a world revolution which leads to the complete extinction of all idols and all their priests, especially among the Jews....