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Tanya: The world only exists because G-d keeps His light in it.

Fighting the Wars of Hashem

The Rebbe told us
(ש"פ חיי שרה תשנ"ב),
“The one job left to do is to disseminate to the world that King Moshiach already is operating in the world theater!” Already operating - in 1991!

One of Moshiach's jobs is to fight the wars of Hashem. But see how interesting - he's doing just that - single-handedly! Why on his own? Because he wants to show that, while other nations rely - “these on their chariots and those on their steeds” - we need only rely on Hashem.

Jews need not worry any more! They have the anonymous warrior waging chessmate against the enemies.

Everyone knows the proverb that "Moshiach's arrival shall come in breach of expectation". Nobody can predict Moshiach’s modus operandi for revelation because, we know, it will come unexpectedly (בהיסח הדעת).

The “unexpected”, however, cannot remain forever concealed. In the course of present time the unexpected must happen. Elazar Kenig, the Chabad rabbi in Nazareth Elite, concurs with the Rebbe's assertion, that "King Moshiach already is operating in the world theater!”

He says: “It would be foolhardy to believe Israel can overcome her security problems as other nations rely, 'these on their chariots and those on their steeds' ‪‬(אלא ברכב ואלא בסוסים).  After all, the enemies of the Holy People, were each soldier merely spit into Israel, could drown Israel, so massive are their numbers."

He reminds us, “During the Persian Gulf War, the Rebbe invoked the Midrash, ‘It is the year in which King Moshiach reveals himself’, and he said, invoking the same Yalkut Shimoni, ‘Jews, have no fear! All that I do - is for your sake.’ Note the words ‘I do’ - that Moshiach is he who actively operates solely here! He started that war! He provoked Saddam Hussein into action. Then he prevented Israel’s participation in the war! Israel was prevented from presuming a consequence of ‘my power and my arm’s might’."

This is Moshiach’s own battle.

By the way, during the Persian Gulf War, amid the turmoil, with Kuwait invaded and overrun, the many enemies of Israel could well have swallowed up little Israel, G-d forbid, had they joined the fight. But the Rebbe handles the plot well.

Rabbi Kenig adds, “King Moshiach defeated the Communist Soviet Union", and this we'll not pursue here, for so many stories abound of the Rebbe's prophecies regarding Soviet Russia. But what more evidence do you need of this when we see Putin so often talking with a Chabad Rabbi and taking his advice as well? Russia is today very Jewish-friendly. Another important pawn as the Rebbe morphs the Diaspora into the Geulah!

This Ongoing War of Good vs Evil

Soldier reciting שבת Kiddush

As we live concurrently with the Chumash weekly portion of Torah, where this week covers the portion of Vo'eschanan, we cannot forget the last verse (3:22) in the previous portion, Devarim, that left us off with:
"Do not fear them! 
For Hashem, your G-d - it is He Who fights for you!"

לא תיראום כי ה' אלהיכם הוא הנלחם לכם

Hashem, we know, transmits by proxy messengers on Earth to do His bidding, be the messenger an angel, a person, or a set of circumstances. Now, because the bidding is for war, and the period is Redemption, the messenger is a general. With the enemy frightfully close and venomous, the fight must be waged taken to the foe. (Although this general is hard at work, to most Jews he remains anonymous. As for his identity, we'll leave that for another time.)

The more prevalent perspective is a diaspora-conceived one. Here too, in its theatre of play, you have a "leader", where, say Bibi, runs the show.

Simultaneously two worlds function, each on its own level, where one's operation does not interfere with the other's. In fact, the higher world's orchestration also steers the lower world's circumstances unsuspectingly.

Vo'eschanan begins with Moshe telling us he wanted very much to take the Jews into the Era of Ultimate Redemption (for had Moshe stepped into the Holy Land, the  Era of Redemption would have immediately blossomed).  Moshe begged G-d for this favor, to be the redeemer of the redeemed.

He was turned down. Jews would have to wait over 3 millennia for Redemption to finally happen. In our present generation (and we are lucky therefore to be part of it), a Moses of our generation is fighting the Jews' battles. He's doing it on his own. He operates behind the scenes, by himself. Unlike the first Moses, this chief has been granted the privilege to be the redeemer of the redeemed.

Single-handedly he beat back Iraq's 39 Scud missiles during the Persian Gulf War.  He needs no helpers. Nay, he does not want any help. He certainly doesn't want to leave the impression that brains and strength won the day; He wants only that Divine Providence be credited for the victories.

These days we see a wider plan of action coming into play, one that has the world tuned in again, this time with even more diverse appeal and with the most menacing scenarios.

This war has the whole world focused in! No matter what hell breaks loose elsewhere, all eyes remain riveted on that small piece of property hugging the Eastern Mediterranean. Nothing can steal the spotlight from this show called "What's Going On in Israel?"

This war has got to be the final one, the last duel of Good versus Evil.

Iran may become another flashpoint, or some other foe, but focus on Israel will always capture universal appeal, will always remain center stage from now on - for one simple reason: Moshiach touches the lives of everyone, so everyone will have to know of him! Divine Providence will see to that. Everyone is almost forced to tune in or weigh in!

Moshe's overwhelming desire to enter Eretz Yisrael pivoted on his wish to see Jerusalem and the Place of the Holy Temple (Rashi 3:25).

Watch therefore, in our present day, in our present ongoing war, how Jerusalem and Temple Mount issues will be revved up, for Moshiach too, the Moses of our generation, has his eyes set on these two holy entities, which belong to the Jews only.

The war of Hamas is the ultimate fight against Jewish existence. Moshe reminds us in our Torah portion, therefore, who we Jews are and what privileges we have:
"You are a people bonded with Hashem, your G-d, as you are alive today!" (4:4)

ואתם הדבקים בה' אלהיכם חיים כלכם היום

The Jews (and their supporters) will therefore triumph in ultimate victory.

Tisha B'Av - From Condolences to Cheers

Nearly 2,000 years ago the Romans destroyed the 2nd Temple in Jerusalem. Banished from their beloved Land of Israel, Jews were scattered across the globe.

Was this punishment? Yes, superficially, but no, when you look at the destruction of the Temple as a phase in the rebuilding of the 3rd temple. Without the Second Temple's demolition, the Third Temple would be unattainable.

Holiness, should it suffer a decline, suffers the decline for the purpose of achieving thereafter an even higher than original state of holiness. As a prerequisite for this higher level of holiness, the descent is a necessary component, as sure as a seed must first decompose in the earth before it "recovers" and creates a tree.

The first two Temples were built by human hands. The third Holy Temple will be built by God, leaving about 1% of the job for man to finish.

To merit this ultimate, eternal Temple, Jews had to undergo exile for nearly two millennia, which forced upon them a refinement that only an exile, a long one at that, could accomplish. Exile to the Jew has been the smelting process from which he can be extracted in his refined state.

Tisha B'Av for Jews is a day of mourning for on this calendar day both Temples were destroyed (and other Jewish tragedies). But chassidus of the last several generations has given impetus to think positively of the whole mess, to reveal that despite the travails, an ulterior purpose, a good one, is being served.

And therefore Tisha B'Av is also the day the supernal light impregnating this darkness took conception. For on the day of the 2nd Temple's destruction, a higher cause was also put into motion; On that day, Midrash Eichah tells us, Moshiach was born.

(A question arises for those who believe the Rebbe of Lubavitch is Moshiach, for the Rebbe's birth date is different from Tisha B'Av; Here's a resolution of that riddle: link)

This brightest of stars, we began seeing glimmers of its shine breaking through the fog of a turbulent world, at least for those whose eyes are keenly focused to the teachings of our sages and Rebbeim.

This bright floodlight will soon bathe the earth, will raise the earth orders of magnitude in spirituality, will reward people with this new insight, will sweep away evil and will bring the utopia meant for in the first place - may it happen very soon, in our own days.