8 Elul 5774
From Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi's Facebook Page...
Chazal tell us that Moshiach will only come in a generation that is Kulo Zakkai or Kulo Chayav completely innocent and worthy, or completely guilty with not a morsel of good. Under these criteria it is hard to see Moshiach coming. "Completely good" sounds like a fantasy and not something we can imagine in today's world. Similarly we see so much good and so many wonderful people that it is equally incomprehensible to imagine a generation without a single good person. So what do Chazal mean?
Rav Elya Weintraub says that the Chofetz Chaim explains as follows. "All innocent" and "all guilty" does not mean that everyone is on the same side of the fence. It just means that everyone sits squarely on one side of the fence. In order for the Moshiach to come the world must be completely polarized. Everyone must choose where they belong, with Hashem or Chas V'Shalom the opposite.
Adam HaRishon was created perfectly good. The element of evil in the world was the snake who stood outside of Adam. Good and bad were separate and clearly defined. When Adam ate from the Eitz HaDaas the boundaries became murky, and good and bad became mixed together. Each person is good and bad at the same time. The face of evil and righteousness look the same to us and we can't tell who is who. We ourselves aren't really sure who we are. Sometimes we are good and sometimes less so. Moshiach won't come until the two sides are clearly divided and everyone knows where they belong, inside or outside. Moshiach's arrival will be the final showdown between good and evil.
People complain that our society is becoming polarized. The "middle ground" is disappearing. Clearly in a sense this is good news, and the best sign yet that Moshiach is on his way. Make sure you are standing on the right side of the fence. The most intriguing part of all is that when Moshiach does arrive, we may be pretty surprised to see who is on each side. The truth will be revealed and it will have nothing to do with our exterior appearance. Moshiach will peer deep within each person's heart and he can't be fooled!
Hi Devash,
ReplyDeleteI am looking at Rav Mizrachi's zlaz.net site, and I feel it is something I could join.
Probably by Rosh Hashana I hope to have a phone with Android...
Thank you so much for posting this. I'm aware that you are busy looking for a job - I wish you all the best - and congratulations on your family's enlargement. Ken yirbu im bri'ut!
CDG, Yerushalayim
Thank you, CDG.
ReplyDeleteI always thought Moshiach will come to a generation that is completely righteous, because everyone else is assimilating away and the rest will die in the preceding war.
ReplyDeleteYosef: Moshiach coming in a completely righteous generation (which is very improbable) means at any time; so if there was a very righteous gnneration even a thousand years ago, he would have come; but, there is a pre-determined date that only Hashem knows that Moshiach MUST come, no matter how wicked or righteous we are, and we are now living in that era. Our Sages tell us that even in this wicked era, Jews will do teshuvah, which we also see happening.
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