To Know Moshiach is to Know the Man!

The Rebbe, with nightvision

There exists a misinformed segment among religious Jewry who clamors for Redemption with lip service, without motivational attachment. In effect it amounts to hypocritical talk on Geulah.

Many "Geulah sites", if not most religious Jews, have heard the news - that the Rebbe's emissaries tout their Rebbe as Moshiach. Many "Geulah Jews", however, ignore the input value of this Chabad claim instead of jumping on it.

These Jews, who reject the Redeemer but maintain the Era of Redemption is at hand, fail to grasp one key issue of the Era of Redemption (I opine), and that is, because they believe Moshiach will appear much like Hashem came to Jews at Mount Sinai - in some spectacular exhibition!

They think Moshiach must pop in onto today's world scene in a fantastic, eye-grabbing explosion. Under ordinary and rather humdrum circumstances Moshiach cannot be expected to arise. They believe in fireworks as a prelude. They are expecting lots of noise and fanfare, everyone bubbling with sudden excitement.

That Chabad rabbi some of his followers rage about couldn't be "him"! Smart as he is, he's still just a rabbi, with some radical followers misinterpreting what he told them. No matter the rabbi has so many Chassidim, much influence and respect, and several thousand representatives universally placed, that hardly vouches for him as Moshiach. They'd sooner read about the Yankees or the lottery winner, than bother with some eccentric, old Jew.

Back in the good old days, when we still had our Second Temple, rabbis radiated divine light. Respect for their words resonated with appreciation and endearment to God. Back then, when a rabbi suggested he'd qualify as Moshiach, people listened and waited with baited breath. Back then, when Jews singled out a rabbi as a prophet, people knew enough to believe.

The intervening millennia of years blunted and stunted the grasp of the divine. Today for Moshiach to draw attention he needs to do somersaults on television. Mere word of mouth from Jew to Jew just won't cut it in an age of modern technology. Either he perform a special miracle to identify himself to everyone, to be on air where everyone can watch, or he may as well burn his credentials.

"Yearning for Moshiach" may as well be the diagnosis of a neurotic. With jets capable of Mach 7, telescopes that see billions of light-years away, in the days of the Internet and rocket science, Moshiach either must show up as a world-renowned phenomenon that drowns out any controversy before his world debut, or he will be relegated to the dust bins of useless logs.

Over 300 rabbis signed a "legal decree" that the Rebbe fits the Rambam's guidelines as "Supposedly Moshiach"! That, however, cannot satisfy the "Geulah philosophers". They want Moshiach on a silver platter.

Do these Geulah-talking folk think that knowing the identity of Moshiach entails no work on their part? Do they need to do nothing at all to realize the great personage of Moshiach; No study, no history-taking? Do not these Geulah-talking folk anticipate Moshiach's coming in a miraculous way (much like the goyim probably do), where the whole world will instantly recognize him for who he is and they themselves will just happen to be one of these passive observers? ... like sitting in the baseball bleachers thinking a pop-fly will land right into your hand.

Moshiach's presence is not and will not be an all-or-nothing, one-time debut phenomenon! There will be no fireworks to introduce him! Moshiach means a process! To know Moshiach means - to know the man!