The Rebbe מה׳׳מ (on Pesach Sheini תש׳׳מ) explained a passage of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, who assesses from King David’s Psalms the Jews' prospects during the final world war of Gog & Magog. Despite the apparent threat this war might pose on the Jewish people (as in Tractate Sanhedrin and other places), King David's prophecy points -- to the contrary! This is particularly timely today, when horrible human tragedies plague Europe and the Middle-East, all while a war-mongering Iran ominously approaches nuclear potential.In Psalm 2, King David grieves when his own son rebels against his sovereignty.
... מזמור לדוד בברחו מפני אבשלום בנו. יהוה, מה-רבו צרי
Why? Because during Gog & Magog, no harm will come to the Jewish people!
That war, he says, won't impinge upon Jewish life. Jewish people will have complete immunity against any of its repercussions. Even if the Gentiles gather together and discuss how to violate the Jewish nation, it is all futile. As for those who nevertheless fear Jewish lives are at risk - the Rebbe asserts those concerns are “for naught”.
On the other hand, the other involved nations will be in turmoil. Accusations may well fly targeting Jewish scapegoats, but the Rebbe emphasizes over and over that, despite the agitation Gentiles will stir up against Jews, it ought not provoke any Jewish concern because this concern is illusory.
You might think terrible tragedies shall befall Jews because of this war. The Rebbe shows how God mocks this negative perspective. And why? Because, “He Who dwells in Heaven has enjoyment from it. The Lord mocks them.” (Psalm 2:4)
יושב בשמים ישחק אדני ילעג למו
Isaiah's prophecy (19:2), “I will incite Egyptians against Egyptians” also alludes to this Era. The verse clearly raises no issue that should concern the Jew because this war Jews will be excluded from.וסכסכתי מצרים במצרים ונלחמו איש באחיו ואיש ברעהו עיר בעיר ממלכה בממלכה
"And brother will smite his brother, man will smite his friend, city will fight another city and one kingdom will fight against another." All of this is to happen among Gentile Jew-haters themselves.Worries about Iran, Afghanistan, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, etc. are vain worries, wasted breath. The war of Gog & Magog will not touch the Jewish People, said the Rebbe declared -- in 1980!
Further, says the Rebbe, all this will happen -- not because of some Jewish superior strength or intellect, but simply because -- “He Who dwells in Heaven derives enjoyment from it.” (Psalm 2:4)
יושב בשמים ישחק אדני ילעג למו
Although the prophet Yechezkel says that Jerusalem will be the focal point of this war, the Rebbe explains this to mean "about Jerusalem" ("מסביב ירושלים") -- and not in Jerusalem.This is the right perspective, especially because we've already crossed the threshold into Moshiach's Era.
See and listen for yourself, here! (Also has English subtitles.)
9 comments:
Moshiach Now!
I wonder if that's what is referred to in Akdamut, where we read (p.402 of the Siddur);
"There will be sport with the Leviatan and the wild-ox of the high mountains.
One interlocked with the other in combat
The mighty beast goring with its horns.
The monstrous fish charging fiercely with its fins."
Now with English subtitles:
http://chabadinfo.com/video/rebbe/the-weekly-sicha/the-rebbes-view-on-the-gog-umagog-war/
Thanks - those who can't understand Yiddish will find relief from your gesture.
The Rebbe’s ma’amarim often relate to this Leviathan verse; But I know not how it bears on the War og Gog & Magog.
Almost 2000 years ago Rabbi Akiva thought that Bar Kokhba was the moshiach. Since then there have been numerous self styled messiahs notably Shabatai Zvi all of whom proved to be false. Do you know anyone alive today who can prove he is a descendant of King David? Let's face it, there ain't gonna be no moshiach, and that includes Jesus.
Martyman39 -
All of Torah and Talmud, kabala, halachah and whatnot, -- all of Judaism -- rests upon that one premise that you scoff at, that Moshiach will introduce a much loftier experience to man. All of Judaism teeters on that point of premise. When we received the Torah, we ascended to a new order of magnitude, but the ultimate revelation that will sweep us up very soon, with Moshiach at the helm, will take us higher yet. Consider the proportions. From the years of descent into Ancient Egyptian Exile to the time of the Reception of the Torah at Mt Sinai was relatively short, yet the reward was very high. The 1st exile “paid” for that level of attainment. If you now extrapolate the “proportion” -- of our present descent into exile, now near 2 millennia, from which we must rise to a corrresponding new order of loftiness, it’ll do you well to attune your spiritual antennaes to appreciate the fantastic revelations Jewish souls will see that far supercede even the revelaations divuged at Mt Sinai. What else are we here for on this earth anyhow, to eat and drink and be merry, or to attain a closer bond with our Creator, Who, before He created the world, looked into Torah to see how to create it? Torah is absolute truth. All that’s affiliated with Torah (talmud, kabala, halachah and whatnot) is absolute truth. If you have a problem with that, it behooves you to keep trying to learn the facts.
Bar Kochba was not a “self-styled” Messiah. Based on facts, that he was winning the wars against all enemies, Rabbi A. and others -- according to halacha, inasmuch as Moshiach is the inevitable goal, decided he was indeed the one. The Rebbe has his roots traced back to the Maharal of Prague. Jewish history, my friend, is easily traceable. We are a prolific people of the Book. If you want to have Moshiach or not, that’s the real question. To mock or to throw in 2-bit “research” merely shows insincerity to this one issue. As for your comparison with other religions, Rambam addresses this eventual development, where all Gentiles will see -- once they see the truth -- that they were deceived all along. The turnaround will then take a second to realize the truth. Kol tuv. And thanks for reading.
___For The Record___
Martyman39 writes "Do you know anyone alive today who can prove he is a descendant of King David?"
I knew several in Baltimore who could trace their ancestors back to Rashi, through their fathers, so my answer to that question is "Yes!".
The leader of the generation, in our case the Rebbe...
https://www.chabad.org/therebbe/article_cdo/aid/694406/jewish/Teacher-and-Leader-for-All-Jews.htm
...is always the potential Moshiach. So, now at the end of Golus, when there is no successor - if not the Rebbe, then who?
Only Hashem knows .
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