For long now they made no sense to me - the words of the Rebbe - that we were "the last generation of Exile and the first generation of the Era of Redemption". After all, how long is this generation's duration? The Rebbe first spoke these words back in 1951, in his very first Ma'amar, yet here we are 62 years later and not much looks different today from what seemed to be the situation back then. Had a generation passed?
The Rebbe strongly intimated all along, and especially since 1991, that his generation is the generation of Moshiach, King Moshiach, who will usher in the long-awaited Era of Redemption, yet Moshiach and his actions have yet to be seen and felt by all Jews.
Then I came across these words in Yalkut Shimoni, in section 942 (תתקמ"ב), in explanation of זכר ימות עולם
in the Torah-portion Ha'azinu:
בינו שנות דור ודור - זה דורו של משיח שיש בו ג' דורות שנאמר "ייראוך עם שמש ולפני ירח דור דורים"י
This generation of Moshiach stretches across or comprises three generations! Puzzle solved.UPDATE Dec. 15, 2013:
Had I been well-learned in Gemora, I would have also noted that this phenomenon of Moshiach is expressly mentioned in Sanhedrin 99a:
ימות המשיח ,,, רבי אומר שלשה דורות
and see Rashi (on spot) who refers to the above reference in Psalms (72:5) to explain this Gemora.As it says in Pirkei Avos 5:21, "Explore it and explore it for all is therein contained." "הפך בה והפך בה דכלא בה"
5 comments:
BS"D
This is also hinted in the verse "and it was on the Eighth Day" and Rashi says that on that day 10 crowns were attained.
In the discourse of 5737 the Rebbe King Moshiach discussed why was it necessary for an 8th day before the Divine Pressence was revealed in Israel - what was missing on the 7th day, especially since all the 7ths are beloved.
The Rebbe explains that the 8th day is a portion of the 7th, just like there are only 7 days in the week, but the 7th day has two (maybe 3) parts - the 8th day of the week is the time of Rava deRavin in Shabbos, a time that is above time and space.
Similarly the 7th generation, which is the last generation of exile and the first of redemption, has 2 parts, before Gimmel Tammuz and after. We are now the 8th generation, which is a sub-part of the 7th generation.
there is more to say but ich hab nishet jkein koach, koach nissan
Thanks Ronnie. And ... you got plenty of koach!
the rebbe says that the 3 generations are the rashab, the frirdika rebbe , and the rebbe. each generation is defined according to its leader. there are many examples through the whole torah. the generation of moishe(the 7th one), the generation of king salomon(number 15 from avrohom),etc
Yesh Lomar, that just as one who was born before 1900 may be referred to as someone "from the generation before jets, phones, radio and cars"
So too when the Rebbe announced in 1951 that this the first generation of Geulah we can say he meant that there were people alive then who would themselves see Melech Hamoshiach.
The Rebbe was born during the nesius of the Rebbe Rashab, lived through the entire nesius of the Frierdiker Rebber, and the Rebbe himself is the 3rd generation.
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