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.

A Unified Troop of 304,805 Soldiers

This is one way the Rebbe fights for Jews.

All We Have are the Words of בן עמרם

Jews are believers and children of believers.

There exist moments in a chassid’s life when reminders help him stand firm about a supernatural belief inspired by his rabbi, one that otherwise would fly in the face of reality were we to measure reality simply with our fleshy receptors. Such reminders keep us separate from non-believers who would consider things strictly from Nature’s perspective. A Jew, after all, wears supernatural lenses.

That this rabbi happens to be the Rebbe of Lubavitch is not insignificant, for he is the Moses of OUR Generation!

We have such a reminder in this week’s Korach portion of the Torah.

During an argument between Aaron and the Angel of Death, we overhear Aaron say to the Angel something that ought not escape our attention. He said (see Rashi, Num. 17:13),

אין משה אומר כלום מלבו אלא מפי הגבורה

"Moses (of the generation) does not say anything of his own but that which he hears from God!”

Note how Aaron does not simply make a positive statement. Rather, he makes his point more emphatically. Note his assertion's incisive, unequivocal and resolute tenor - “does not say anything but”!

You can see the difference when you compare these two statements:
I drink tea.
I drink nothing but tea.
The latter uses the assertive language of exclusivity.

Similarly in our case. The Rebbe’s words continue to resonate with his chassidim (much more so than with those who were distant from him). We know the Rebbe spoke only that which the divine wanted him to say, to the point of excluding anything else!

He told us we are beyond the threshold of the Era of Redemption! Do we SEE Redemption? What we see or don’t see does not change the facts.

He also implored us to “open our eyes” to see the Redemptive events unfold - at least with our mind’s eye! He wanted us to believe him even though the world did not SEEM to be in the state he said it was in.

The Rebbe never gave false forecasts. And with regard to such a grand assertion - that we have entered the Era of Redemption - only a fool can think the Rebbe did not know what he was speaking about, or that he made a mistake, or that he was really just praying.

All the Rebbe said will happen will happen. If only things were more clearly visible for us already now!

(The Rambam too spoke of the first phase of Geulah as proceeding under the guise of "normalcy" - "עולם כמנהגו נוהג" [Melachim 12:1]. Thus we hear sad news too, such as the kidnapping of Jewish boys by scum of the earth. Apparently, while the view among the trees remains painful, the view from above the jungle delivers a rosy picture nevertheless and tells an altogether different story.)

The Perfect Conduit

Many Jews will agree that: "According to Judaism, we do not need intermediaries between ourselves and G-d".

Surprisingly, this is incorrect! We need a King to make a better connection with Hashem. The "Moses of the Generation" holds this very special role as leader of the Jewish people.

God could just as well have taken the Jews out of Egypt WITHOUT a Moses! He could have done all those miracles, and then some, to make the Egyptians chase the Jews from their presence, but, in fact, that's not the way Hashem proceeded. He wanted a "Moses" for every generation.

That's the way Hashem designed the Jewish collective body. IT NEEDS A HEAD, as sure as the individual himself needs a head. And that head exists whether the Jew knows it or not!

Hashem provides the Jewish nation with a "conduit" to reach Him. Without that conduit, the spiritual component of the bond between Hashem and His people could not sustain itself otherwise. Something in the connection will snap if that conduit were absent. The Jewish king or leader in every generation, as Moshe said (Devarim 5:5), stands between Hashem and the Jew to establish an unmitigated bond:

אנכי עמד בין ה' וביניכם

For that bond to Hashem to be intimate, so we do what He wants of us, as in doing His commandments, we need superb motivation and, most importantly, we need plenty of humility to accept God's yoke upon us. The King makes that self-nullification process in the Jew easier to render. The "Moses of the Generation", as a mediator between the Jew and God, is a very special "conduit".

All conduits, by their nature, automatically impose an element of "self" that compromises the channel, even if slightly. In Chassidut, this concept they call "a compromising conduit". A physical analogy could be the "friction" the conduit places on fluid that passes through the conduit to get from one compartment to the next. However slight the friction by this intermediary pipe, it still offers resistance to the flow.

Thus ALL conduits inflict some measure of "interference" when mediating between parties because the mediator has his own personality that cannot become irrelevant; To behave as if he were physically absent is an impossibility and therefore the mediation is less than 100% perfect.

The Moses of the generation is the sole mediator who can mediate with complete self-nullification, without getting his own interests to conflict whatsoever with the needs of the Jew. Only the Moses of the generation is the perfect, frictionless conduit to secure the unbreakable bond between Jew and Hashem.

"Have Moshiach - Will Travel"

The Rebbe, the Moses of our generation (the 9th Nassi since the Ba'al Shem Tov‫(‬ is the "Head of the Jewish People",
 "ראש  בני  ישראל"
as the acronym of his title suggests.

He is the אתפשטותא דמשה in this generation and
גואל ראשון הוא גואל אחרון

Just as the head, which contains the brain, connects (via neurons) to all parts of the body, from head to toe, similarly the collective head of the Jewish body too connects with and reaches out to every Jewish soul, the world over.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe connects with every Jew. In any of Nature's infinite ways, the Rebbe can reach and touch every Jew, each in his own unique way.

The infrastructure to accommodate the Era of Final Redemption meanwhile stands in waiting. The technology to broadcast his revelation to every corner of the world is a few tweaks away from operation.

The Rebbe stands between God and the Jewish people as the perfect conduit for shepherding the faith of the Jewish people. The role of Moses, which is the role of the Rebbe, is to imbue every Jew with knowledge of and pure faith in G-d.

The Rebbe did his part, in that everything is primed for debut of the the final phase of redemption. Now "the ball is in the Jewish people's court" - for them to shape themselves into the final collective vessel. Every Jew can be switched "on" to Moshiach - if he wants.

The last thing left for Jewish people to do - is to accept the Rebbe as their redeemer, so he can assume his sovereign role (eg: link). Our sages tell us (not as crudely as I say it here) that, if there ain't no people to make him king of, then king he cannot be.

Recall the time King David, already anointed in public by Shmuel the Prophet, was on his way to kill Naval for insubordination. But the wife of his intended target deliberately crossed his path and reminded David that although he qualified as King, he was not yet officially king because the majority of Jews in Israel had not yet accepted him as such (See King David's Delayed Inauguration). King David acknowledged the truth she bore and turned back. He could not yet behave as king, even though his role already received divine sanction.

The Rebbe worked a lifetime to render his heartfelt mission. Already in early childhood he dreamed of Moshiach's arrival to redeem the nation. Since day 1 when he first took over the Chabad dynasty in 1950, he poured out tons of Chassidus, founded Jewish organizations and promoted Jewish awareness of the Redemption Era (which now most accept). He brought hundreds of thousands back to the religious fold and meanwhile planted his emissaries in every corner of the world.

The reason Chassidut blossomed in the world was to put into action a new tool to help effect the ultimate change the world requires. Chassidut opened the floodgates of a once secretive Kaballah and brought into the world a new light by which the coming generations will foster that transition. The 7th generation from the Alter Rebbe (or 9th from the Ba'al Shem Tov) merits today to finalize that transformation from exile into the Final and Ultimate Era of Redemption. For many years before that Moshiach was taboo or an esoteric yearning, far from a popular idea. The chassidic Rebbeim changed all that. The deep slumber of Jews in the diaspora has been shaken off. Every Jew today is ready to "travel" and hop on the bandwagon of Geulah.

All Jews carry business cards that read: "Have Moshaich - Will Travel!"

The Final and Ultimate Geulah can happen if every Jew or Jewish family would just do a little something towards the Geulah to crack it wide open already.

Happiness from Self-Sacrifice

One night Abraham dreamed of a prophetic mission. When he left early next morning with his son and companions to offer God a sacrifice, they did not pack sandwiches. They took the necessary effects and rushed off.

Along the way they hardly spoke. Isaac had a question for his father, but it could wait to when they are alone. They trekked more than two days. Dread rippled through the blood of father and son for they committed the order of the day to God.

These were strong men. They mostly fasted more than 2 days as they advanced Northeast, headed towards what one day will be Jerusalem.

On the 3rd day, Abraham and Isaac saw "the cloud". It hovered over a hill, the hill later to be the place of the "Beit Hamikdash".

Father and son immediately recognized this cloud as their personal sign - because the companions were blind to this apparition.

Abraham told the companions to stay put and wait there with the donkey. Father and son proceeded to their venue.

Now Isaac broke his silence. Until now his question could wait lest in the presence of non-familial company it raise discomfort for his father or extraneous babble. But now Isaac asked, "Abba, where's the lamb to be sacrificed?"

Abraham's answer satisfied Isaac, who was willing in self-sacrifice to die for the cause, if need be.

Now they walked onward in total calm, both happily committed, both together happy to be at one - with God.

Hebrew has ten synonyms for "happy":
ששון ,שמחה, גילה, רינה, דיצה, צהלה, עליזה, חדוה, תפארת, עליצה
but, as the Malbim emphasizes, each synonym carries a different nuance for its meaning. For example, there is a happiness that derives from an immediate, unexpected source, like finding a treasure. Another one refers to a happiness expressed by singing. Whereas חדוה refers to a happiness derived from an otherwise sad event (I do NOT remember my source).

The words in the Akeida's chapter read, "וילכו שניהם יחדו", "and they went along together". The word יחדו shares the same letters with the Hebrew word חדוה, which, I suppose, is one way our sages determined the emotions of our forefathers during this episode.

Apropos, speaking of שמחה, someone once pointed out to me that the inner two letters of this word comprise the Hebrew word for "brain" (מח), whereas the outer letters make the word "lamb" (שה). We know that the Moses of the Generation is referred to as a "Faithful Shepherd". Said my friend, were we to relegate our brains according to the wishes of our Shepherd, we'd experience true happiness.

Purim Revisited

All that happens in the world, especially on a high-profile political scale, where many can tune in, projects itself onto life for the sake of the Jewish people. When heads of governments, especially those with immense military might, broadcast their politics across the world, Jews should take notice to the extent they register the incident, and act in Torah ways with complete confidence in Hashem that this way will redeem the Jew and bring the world one step closer to Redemption.

The "King of Aram" (ref. here), a Muslim mole in the White House, characterizes King Achasverosh of ancient Persia. He hated Jews even more than his deputy, Haman,  so he needed no persuasion to kill all Jews of his large Empire that comprised 127 countries.

The current Iranian aristocracy, headed by some "Khameini", characterizes Haman, in that here too they seek a "final solution" to exterminate all Jews. In fact, it is no coincidence, is it, that Khameini (with a guttural pronunciation of Kh) and "Hamani" sound similar, and neither is it coincidence this seed of evil derives in Iran - Persia!

So what we have during these Adar days are inside-closet meetings of two "leaders/governments", one from פרס and the other from "ארם", quietly and in private secrecy plotting to expedite the "Jewish problem".

Much as Haman wanted, and Achashverosh let happen, the Jews, because they streamed back to Hashem in total self-sacrifice and in regret for not having listened to the "Leader of the Generation" 10 years earlier, when Mordechai warned them NOT TO ATTEND the Achashverosh feast at the Shushan Party, now got their salvation from Hashem. Things suddenly took a sharp turnabout and Jews became

"ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר"

- as we too will during these great days of Adar -

"כן תהיה לנו"

The Process of Redemption

At the start of a show, once the curtains swing aside, the stage props set the opening scene. But, had you pushed aside the curtain as you entered the Era of Redemption, you'd have seen no differences beyond the curtain; All theatrical properties before and beyond that threshold did not change.

We enter into the Era of Redemption by entering a new ethereal atmosphere. The change beckons for a new spiritual mindset, rather than material change. The Rebbe said we are into the Era of Redemption. Yet we see nothing we might imagine that would characterize that era. We only have the words of the Leader of the Generation to rely on. Instead of radiance, we find ourselves in a thick, dark cloud. It could easily fool anyone that we are, in fact, operating inside of the Era of Redemption.

Only later, as we traverse deeper and deeper, the cloud will dissipate and give way to the brilliance of Moshiach's era. Later, if were we to recall that initial darkness, in hindsight, we'll of course notice there really never was any "dark" element in the first place. That wrong impression duly derived from many years under an exile mentality.

Entering the Era of Redemption is a process! It takes years to watch and learn about. Why learn? Because this opening period insists to fleshy eyes the world remains steeped in evil. Only our faith and trust in the Rebbe strengthens us to think against the grain. He told us to "open our eyes"! He told us darkness only serves as a cover; In and of itself darkness cannot change the underlying good. If we adopt the Rebbe's views, we begin noticing resplendent lights here and there from cracks in the dark facade. We begin to tangibly sense Moshiach's times. We can then appreciate this unique perspective that otherwise would go unnoticed. With a new mind's eye we can make out, by connecting the dots of these sparse radiant points, the entire underlying Messianic mosaic that will soon enough manifest in awesome brilliance.

How do we remove this initial "darkness"? We need understand how the forces of evil, during the Era of Redemption, get their fuel.

Does Torah or Torah-learning fuel these apparent anti-Messianic features? Of course not.

This fuel comes from a holy source - to be sure - but it is the MISUSE of a holy source that provides the fuel to prop up the anti-Messianic dynamic. Jews themselves are the source for this provision of fuel. Jews who waste their time obsessed on politics or agnostic science provide, unwittingly, for this "energy" to channel into the wrong avenues.

A small anecdote will illustrate this. Suppose two Jews meet. One says to the other, "Did you hear; Hezbullah now has in its arsenal over 170,000 rockets?" He wants to discuss its juicy repercussions. Says the other, "Who cares! Let's go learn Torah. I'd rather do that than discuss Hezbullah."

The first guy wanted to discuss "Hezbullah"and thereby would have fed this latter group the powers it needs to continue its unholy agenda. Jews have that power, to divert their energies, that derive from holiness, and route it to source or feed darkness. The 2nd guy, preserved those energies and channeled them appropriately. He prevented evil forces from receiving fuel by Jewish proxy. If all Jews behave like the second guy, Hezbullah would starve into oblivion!

Now that we're in Moshiach's Era, now that all "sparks of holiness" have been liberated, now that all Jews have in effect done tshuvah, it is worth repeating - we Jews energize evil to subsist - with our own energies. We, and only we, have the power to boost the world to its ultimate phase - by eliminating concern for evil. It will go away on its own if we Jews do our part in trusting Hashem and trusting in the Leader of the Generation. Not for naught does Torah tell us,
"ויאמינו  בה‫'‬  ובמשה  עבדו" (Ex. 14:31).

The Rebbe taught that our concern for anti-Torah issues - in and of itself - provides the holy energy these dark forces live on. They have no source of life-energy of their own! They rely for  their existence on wayward Jewish preoccupation with this darkness -  by Jews reading it, discussing it, and Jews giving it the time of day.

The 3 forces of evil, which encompass all "dark" behavior, live off of our own preoccupation with political or economic concerns. Anti-Israel forces have their source in our own behavior. We supply these negative forces with their lifeblood. Were we to IGNORE the threats by, in same measure, preoccupy ourselves with Torah and halachah, these forces would evaporate.

Every Jew can accelerate exposure of the Messianic Era with new commitments to Hashem and learning Torah. We need also muster a new level of trust in Hashem's servant's words, the words of Moshiach, words of the Moses of our Generation!

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!

Moses and 770!

Did some counting to determine how many times the name Moses (משה) occurs in Tanach.

You might think Torah mentions it 649 times,
and you might think Tanach mentions it 770 times.

UPDATE: BIG MISTAKE! See correction here.

Divine Providence 6 Months Post-Tammuz 3

An event in 1995 inside of "770" during Shabbat prayers deserves mention. The large crowd in the shul was listening to the Ba'al Koreh, Rabbi Michoel Slavin. About half way through, he suddenly stops his recitation, looks closer at the script, and points to the text for a gabbai nearby to look at.

By the way, every Friday, in preparation for this reading, Rabbi Yehudah Clapman, a long-time sofer in the community, checks the Sefer Torah to make sure all is in good order for the upcoming reading on Shabbat.

After a few more cursory inspections, they began wrapping up that Sefer Torah, returned it to the Aron Kodesh, and took out another one to replace it.

It turns out an entire word was missing from the text. This happened Tevet 21, 5755. That was Shabbat, parshas Shmos. The verse was 4:1,

‫...‬ והן לא יאמינו לי
... and they will not believe me ....

The word לי was missing!

My own reaction to what happened was - I was stunned. To me this was a significant providential message with huge impact. Here was Moshe Rabbeinu telling God the Jews will not believe him. His mission was to tell the Jews he will be redeeming them and the Jews, in turn, may well not believe him.

We were about 6 months away from the 3rd of Tammuz, 1994. The trauma was still raw; Emotions still ran fresh. Many of us believed nothing had changed from what the Rebbe had charted out for us, while plenty of others, local and remote, felt what the past held in store was now down the drain.

No verse in all of Torah could better have depicted the schism the 3rd of Tammuz created. But now, on this Shabbat, those of us who believed the Rebbe's agenda remains sturdily on course, and hadn't changed one iota, felt vindicated - a surreal relief!

It was as if the leader of the generation, the Rebbe, was telling us "They won't be believing in me", as if many would continue to believe (regarding some far future) - BUT NOT IN ME!

On Replacement of The Moses of the Generation

When Harav Hagaon Pinhas Hirschprung, a"h, was asked by a non-Lubavitcher why Chabad did not see fit to nominate another rabbi to replace The Rebbe after Gimmel Tammuz, he pointed to the Torah portion of Ki Tisa, where it relates the sad story of the Golden Calf (Eigel Hazahav). When the nation reckoned Moshe had not returned after 40 days as they expected, some Jews began worshipping the Golden Calf.

But a question arises, he said; If Moshe had left behind two sons and a most esteemed brother, each of whom could serve as a natural successor, why did they need to turn to the Calf?

Said Rabbi Hirshsprung, “Whoever thinks he could be a replacement to the Rebbe is like the Eigel Hazahav!”

Apropos, Rabbi Hirshsprung also wrote a letter encouraging the proclamation of "Yechi" (Long Live the Rebbe!). Here is an approximate translation of his words: “I wish to clearly state my opinion in this matter. The entire matter of singing, printing and the very issue of Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu Verabbeinu Melech Hamoshiach Le’olam Voed and everything connected with it does not have a shadow of uncertainty in Jewish law. There are clear sources for this in Shas, Zohar, and from the greatest mekubalim upon whom we depend on for halachic rulings. Besides this, the Lubavitcher Rebbe himself also used these words in regard to his father-in-law, OBM, and did this hundreds of times. This in and of itself is reliable proof.”

[My thanks for this to Eliezer Zalmanov, author of Vert 'a 'lach.]

Organic Chabad Food in Deliverable Doses

Of all the Rebbe's campaigns, the last one he discharged proves to be the hardest to execute. Realizing the heavy burden he imposed on his emissaries, the Rebbe offered assistive advice. He told them to:
"Wrap the incredulous in digestible form!"
אורות דתהו בכלים דתיקון

The chassidim knew exactly what the "incredulous" entailed. They knew they had to persuade non-Chabad people to accept the sovereignty of the Rebbe, King Moshiach.

What they did NOT know was - to what extent this incredulity would jump in intensity. For, on the 3rd of Tammuz 1994, their burden encountered a liability they never expected. Only then did it dawn on them what the Rebbe really meant by that term (אורות דתהו). For, not only was the Rebbe's sovereignty an issue, but now, his apparent death complicated the issue one hundred-fold.

The chassidim also had understood the original requirement - to deliver a heavy message to unknowing folk - in "digestible form" (בכלים דתיקון). After all, the Jewish people would find the idea of accepting a monarch quite bizarre. Emissaries therefore would have to explain a whole chunk of information, bit by bit, making each bit by itself readily absorbable.

But suddenly, on Tammuz 3, even plenty of Chabadniks themselves would choke on what they were meant to now feed their counterparts.

Suddenly, both phrases used by the Rebbe, namely, "Mold the incredulous", "in palatable format", acquired new, prodigious proportions. The task at hand for the Rebbe's soldier now required introspection, more learning, tact - in short, a new basic training course for the infantry before they can go out and execute the Rebbe's orders.

Note, that regarding the message of Moshiach, the Rebbe said, "in digestible form" - and did NOT say, "something digestible". His emissaries have no permission to improvise their own message; Only the Rebbe's message can be delivered. The emissary has room for originality strictly in the MANNER of delivery of the message, each delivery as per his targeted "vessel".

A Chabad chassid can decide he won't open his mouth to tell someone of Moshiach's identity. However, were someone to turn the question on him, he has no right to deny the pure faith that springs forth from the Rebbe's own words. If he feels he cannot clearly and decisively declare "the incredulous", it is better he not respond at all.

The only, single authority upon whom the responsibility of Chabad rests - is the Rebbe himself. Whatever the Rebbe said or wrote to the public, a chassid may repeat and can repeat without any reservation. But he mustn't mix in his own interpretations or try to dilute "the incredulous".

Just as Hashem communicated to Jews through Moses, Hashem communicated to this Jewish generation through the Rebbe's mouth. The Rebbe leads the generation. The Rebbe's words are holy. The Rebbe's message is wholesome organic food for Jewish souls to thrive on. The Shulchan Aruch warns that good food taken in oversized measure is detrimental. So let's feed on the Rebbe's words, bit by bit, and the Jewish people will again see the glory they so much deserve - very soon, please God!

Stumbling into Redemption

Human nature pushes you to keep trying despite failures along the way to success. Like a child who first learns to walk, but falters as he tries to stand up or take a step - falling down only gives reason to try again.

What holds true for children applies equally to the most sublime of adult endeavors.

The Era of Moshiach depends in large measure on human effort, so much so it gives rise to the concept of "bringing Moshiach". Mankind is capable of hastening the advent of Moshiach - by fulfilling required preliminaries.

The transition period from non-Moshiach to Moshiach times incorporates the same natural, built-in template. So how does this interval manifest? How does the world transform itself into a Messianic lifestyle?

The sages tell us our merits could conceivably precipitate the transition overnight. But we mustn't rely on a miraculous turn of events. (See Extraordinarily Ordinary). So, how should we expect the changeover will happen?

The answer to another question will give us a clue.

God created the world in a way where His spirituality, through a protracted series of "contractions" and "concealments", transformed itself into a physicality, which is the world as we know it.

Why did God choose this way when He could just as easily have created a world in one single act, without all those intermediary steps?

Because this was God's way to inject into nature an inherent ability to elevate the being, a nature to reach higher levels incrementally - on our own. Otherwise, the jump to a lofty level in one high-jump would not be feasible. It's the difference between climbing a high mountain or jumping onto a high cliff, the latter being naturally impossible.

Actually that too isn't an altogether satisfying answer because God could just as well have injected nature with springboard capabilities, allowing someone to jump onto that cliff if he so chooses.

But rather, God implanted in us both a good and an evil inclination. This paradigm renders the human psyche in constant battle, continually having to determine which inclination shall receive the green light for control. This, in turn, reflects as the ups and downs we experience, as we seek to overcome our drawbacks. We climb, fall, slip back a bit, get back up, struggle further, etc.

God "enjoys" this battle of wits. The struggle of man to achieve his own elevation, therefore, seems to be the divine will.

We Jews living today straddle two generations at one time. We have one foot in the pre-Messianic era and the other in the Messianic Era. In order to have both feet in the Messianic Era, we need to improve ourselves, and, as the Rebbe pointed out, we must fulfil the preliminaries he spelled out for us (see "New Marching Orders").

In Egypt, during the Plague of Darkness, those Jews who rejected the prospect of emancipation, lost their lives. In contrast, the Rebbe said - of our generation, slated to usher in the Era of Redemption - every Jew will be included and, unlike what happened in Egypt, no Jew will be left behind.

It behooves the soldiers of the Rebbe, therefore, to do their part and persuade the Jews who do not know yet, or who continue to disbelieve, that the Rebbe is the Moses of our generation - the Moshiach. There has been a Psak-Din that confirms this declaration (e.g. "Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik's Verdict").

Even among Chabad chassidim there are those who believe "it will never happen" (see "Chabad Stragglers"). There are such Jews, included in Chabad, who base their beliefs entirely on the forces of Nature. For thousands of years Jews existed in exile. Based on a view of looking backwards, and assuming that that perspective carries momentum, some assume a reality in the future cannot transform that existentialism.

But the Rebbe kept urging, "Think good and THAT will make it good!" A positive outlook is not an empty promise to remove gloom. It promises that proactive work of a positive Jew has consequences that determine the future. The Rebbe wants Jews to do something to extract from a future eventuality available resources that NOW can hasten its occurrence. The Redemption of the future can be drawn much closer because every Jew has that power. Every Jew who lives with the past as his guide - surrenders that power!

Every Jew must be recruited for this job because every Jew is an important cog in the wheel. A dog "leads" his master by always looking backwards, in effect thereby being led by behind. A Jew mustn't be "led from behind". He must think and function proactively. The Redemption calls for an all-inclusive bandwagon and until everybody is aboard, we won't cross the finish line.

God created the world in ten utterances, instead of one, to give human nature the boost it needs to struggle forward and achieve. Just as a parent enjoys watching his baby struggle to stand up and walk, despite occasional stumbles, God enjoys seeing us prepare for the march into the Era of Redemption. Let us therefore oblige Him.

Faith in the Rebbe

We "Chabadniks" who believe the Rebbe to be Moshiach believe so based on faith in this Tzaddik.

Even had we figured out for ourselves the Rebbe was Moshiach and thereby arrived at this conclusion, the conclusion would be a lie because its foundation is a lie. Who are we to determine faith for ourselves - based on our own intellect?

No. We arrived at that conclusion strictly on faith. Thereafter, if things make sense and things could then be made sense of, so much the better. But the basis for believing the Rebbe is Moshiach is strictly from that which he disseminated.

Building a faith based on rationale is bound to become a disaster, even if it reached the right conclusion, because the process is a fabrication of an imperfect human mind. Only total submission to the Tzaddik's words, most especially those of the Tzaddik and Nassi of the generation, the Moses of the generation, can and always will align itself with the pure truth.

The Trial at Sea - and of Matrimony

Seeing the Egyptian army quickly gaining on them, the Jews, who hastily made their famous exodus from slavery 7 days earlier, were frightened. They faced the sea and felt trapped as the Egyptian chariots were closing fast. In those apprehensive moments, Torah tells us the Jews divided into 4 opinions as how to react. One group wanted to fight; The other to pray; Another to surrender; and the other, to commit suicide.

You'd think one of them would get it right, but not one did. Said Hashem to Moshe, "Tell them to go forward!" Which is exactly what Moshe did; He said, "Keep going!" (Ex.14:15)

By the way, here you have a clear indication the Moses of every generation knows that which Jews, otherwise, would never know were it not for their leader with whom God communicates.

The Jews were afraid; People started saying, "Oh no, I'm not going first." Just then, the leader of the tribe of Yehuda took the initiative and said, "I'll go first!". Only after the waters reached his nostrils did God split the sea and provide the Jews with a dry path to advance into. (Mechilta Beshalach 5; Sotah 27a)

You can imagine the tribulation Jews suffered with a mighty army closing in behind them and a dreadful sea they were ordered to enter in front of them.

To what do our sages compare these moments of tribulation?

- To finding a marriage mate!

Finding the right person requires much of what the leader of the tribe of Yehuda, Nachshon ben Aminadav, had and did. You have to be committed to following Hashem's directives, to the extent that not everything needs to be discovered from the start. Things will work out for the best if the attitude to obey God's command to marry (for it is indeed a mitzvah) is paramount. If you would just take the plunge - without too many calculations, you'd discover that that which appears as an awesome sea before you, will split, and a smooth road will lay ahead. Do your part, and trust in God, and God then chimes in to help you on the road you want to follow.

Bad Jewish Leaders

Poor Jews. The leaders they have often set them back from readily available gains - by decades.

We note such a setback when 12 leaders of the Jews, on their way in the desert trekking towards the Land of Israel, insisted from Moses to spy out the the land God promised to give to the Jewish people, before setting foot into it. Not only did they ignore God's word, but when they returned from the mission they sought to discourage the Jews from entering the land!

This sin was a grievous blow that forestalled entry into the Holy Land by 40 years!

The Rebbe too stated how the Era of Redemption had been impeded by decades because of the Jewish country's Zionist thrust to forge it into a secular state (see here).

Today too a similar senseless posture undermines and frustrates the Jewish people's yearning for a country of their own. Today's generation of Jews too see how the Rebbe's words of warning fall on deaf ears. Instead of turning Israel in a country for Jews and only for the sake of Jews, the consortium of leaders seeks to appease Gentile populations at the expense of Jewish rights and seeks to cede some of the Holy Land, which God gifted the Jews during the wars, and hand it back to the Gentiles who instigated the wars in the first place. All that can come from such fallacy is renewed warfare, God forbid!

You might think this awful policy comes solely from a secular mindset, but, in fact, an orthodox party, Shas, prevents this government from dissolution, so further destruction can take place, all due to worship of the false idol of money and power this party receives as bribes.

We could be celebrating the Era of Redemption NOW, by acknowledging the Rebbe as leader of the Jewish people - here and now! Instead, we must suffers the woes of misfortune because many Jews and their leaders think they know better than the Rebbe, the Moses of our generation.

A Ruling by the "Moses of Our Generation"

God assured Moses at Sinai that, "And also in you the Jews will have faith in, for always".
(וגם בך יאמינו לעולם) [Ex.19:9]

Why the word "also"?
Rashi explains, "Not only will Jews believe in Moses the prophet, but they will also believe in all the prophets who will appear in generations thereafter."

Chabad got lucky because their Rebbeim happened to be the leaders of the last 7 generations. The Rebbeim, besides being leaders of a generation (נשיאי הדור), were also, like Moses, blessed with נבואה, prophetic power. But our entire generation - that of the 7th Rebbe - really got lucky; Because the Moses of our generation also happens to be the Moshiach, who very soon will usher us into the Era of Ultimate Redemption!

Literally scores of times our Rebbe spoke of himself in strong hints as the Messiah. One such indication we find in the Ma'amer, Ve'Ato Tetzave, he delivered in 5741 (10 Adar A), and handed out, after footnoting it, in 5752. This was the last publication he handed out before the 3rd of Tammuz. Here's what he said:

"... And we can conclude that, since the Previous Rebbe made reference to the Midrash, where it states 'Mordechai in his generation was the equivalent of Moses in his generation', the Previous Rebbe thereby ruled this ruling upon himself, namely, that he [too] was the 'faithful shepherd' of the entire generation (in a revealed way!)."

To drive home this point, the Rebbe adds an analogy as a footnote. It says in Pirkei Avot that a person eventually "is destined for a judgement and an accounting" when he finally appears before the heavenly court. But what sense does that make; Don't you first need an accounting before a judgement can be made; So why do the sages reverse the order of these terms? The Rebbe answers (elsewhere) - that the way the person himself had judged others in similar situations on earth will be the very same way the heavenly court will judge him, and then the accounting will proceed accordingly. I.e., the way he had judged people will in turn decide how he himself will be judged for similar situations. Thus "judgement" proceeds "accounting".

Similarly, just as the Previous Rebbe asserted that Mordechai was the Moses of his generation, "in a revealed way", in effect thereby ruled himself to be the Moses of his generation (in a revealed way) , this very same ruling applies to the Rebbe's own evocation of it as well. Just as he explained how the Previous Rebbe broadcast his status as Moses of the generation, the Rebbe too broadcast his own status in the same way!

Like I said, there are literally dozens of such invocations, or strong hints. (As to why it had to come by way of hints, I postulate here.)

All these indications, taken together, give the chossid, a soldier of the Rebbe, the impetus to take his words public, to let people know, that he is both prophet (let that be for another post) and Moshiach, i.e., the leader of this generation bound to take us into the Era of the Ultimate Redemption.

A Chassidic Axiom - The Moses of the Generation

Jews pray daily, including these words from Torah:

"ויאמינו בד‫'‬ ובמשה עבדו"
"And they believed in God and in Moses his servant,"

But why not just say,

"ויאמינו בד‫'‬";

Is this phrase in itself not enough? Why is there, in addition to the belief in God, also the addition of the phrase "ובמשה עבדו", invoking belief in Moses too?

The answer is a simple axiom of Chassidus: Because there can be no connection directly to God without the mediation of the "Moses of the generation"! As sure as every body needs a head to function, God casts a Moses for every generation to be its leader (Tikunei Zohar 469). No generation can exist without its "Moses" (Beraishit Rabba 56:7).

"אתפשטותא דמשה בכל דרא ודרא"......, "אין דור שאין בו כמשה"

Failure to believe in this Tzaddik, the leader of the generation, causes forfeiture of the belief in God - because the Moses of the generation is the perfect conduit through whom belief in God can be actualized.

One might ask, "Who needs Moses (or the present leader of the generation)? I can believe or connect to God directly - without need of a "conduit" (ממוצא המחבר)!

That's like saying, "I'll pray to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to help me out"; But who says they will accept you? But, if your request is carried to them by the "Prince of the Generation" (נשיא הדור), now suddenly your request is deemed worthy for acceptance.

That's just what Torah insinuates. There is a formal channel of communication to God. You might have the right "number" to dial, but without the right "area code", you cannot get through.

(How failure of faith in God manifests is a different story.)

So it is not for nothing "ובמשה עבדו" follows "ויאמינו בד‫'‬"! One requires the other!

This truth might hurt those who do not practice "ויאמינו במשה עבדו", in which case "ויאמינו בד‫'‬" therefore fails, but this is Torah truth, and nothing but Torah truth!

As R' Yossi taught, "Woe to those who see, but know not what they see, who stand, but know not upon what they stand; Upon what does the earth stand? ... 'And the righteous one is the foundation of the whole world' (Proverbs 10)." (Chagigah 12b)

Here's an indication of the same concept. It says "And when you wish to raise the heads of the Jewish people ..." (Ex.30:12), you do it by counting them, because counting attributes equal importance to every Jew. You count them by counting the coins they each provide, the Half-Shekel (מחצית השקל) coins. The word מחצית, says the Tzemach-Tzedek, shows that those who connect to the Tzaddik, represented by the middle letter of this word - are "alive", as suggested by this letter's two adjoining letters, חי; Whereas those remote from the Tzaddik, as suggested by the two letters furthest from the Tzaddik, מת, suffer a metaphoric death. To be uplifted, then, a connection to the Tzaddik of the generation is warranted.

(See also "The Chassid-Misnagid Barrier is Melting", here.)