Waiting for Mashiach

16 Tamuz 5776
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parshat Pinchas

It was recently reported that Rav Berger said that Rav Kanievsky told him that all we can do now is "wait" for Mashiach.  I agree. 

We must not make the same mistake that Chava did when she did not wait for Adam's return before eating of the fruit of the Eitz Da'at Tov v'Ra. We must not make the same mistake as those who did not wait for Moshe Rabeinu's return from the moutain and who sympathized with the Erev Rav who created the Eigel HaZahav.

We must not make the same mistake that they did by thinking that they would bring redemption to the world through their own efforts instead of waiting for HKB"H's appointed agent to do it on our behalf. Mashiach will surely come and elevate us to the next level of existence. No mere desire or will or effort by humankind is capable of accomplishing this.

Here is a perfect example of the rebellious mindset that opposes HKB"H, his Torah and his Mashiach? Can you find all the errors that underlie it?

Torah Nations Mission Statement

Our goal is to be a ‘light unto the nations’ and unify all the ‘Righteous Among the Nations’ throughout the world, Jews and Gentiles, between all groups and within all groups, regardless of race, gender and nationality, in promoting the teachings of the Torah, with emphasis on humanism and moral values for all G-d’s children. In our kinship, we hope to create peace between the nations, fostering mutual understanding, open discourse and love for our fellow brothers and sisters as we usher in the era of redemption! We also aim to create solutions for global problems such as developing resources for food, water and ecology and hope to be able to come together during times of catastrophe in helping one another, making the world a better place for all mankind.


1) Jews and Gentiles have no common goal to be "a light to the nations." This is uniquely Am Yisrael's mission and Gentiles have no share in it.

2) There can be no "unity" between Jews and Gentiles - even those designated "righteous". Am Yisrael must be united internally around loyalty and service to our God and King.

3) "Humanism" and its "moral values" do not always align with the Creator's will as expressed in His Torah. It is based on human thought and feeling rather than on the revealed Divine will.

4) Only Mashiach can bring peace to the nations. Only when HKB"H slaughters the yetzer hara will peace reign on earth.

5) As the Ramchal explains, Jews are God's children and the Gentiles are His creations. There is a vast difference between Jews and Gentiles, which is why there can be no marriage between them. References to all mankind being God's children and there being this kinship of brotherhood between Jews and Gentiles is patently false.

6) All mankind will benefit from the final redemption, but the Gentiles have no part in bringing it about. That is uniquely Am Yisrael's mission and destiny. Am Yisrael is uniquely equiped and qualified with spiritual gifts which a Gentile does not possess.

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We even find echoes of this in the parshiot of this time period  - Balak and Pinchas - which describe how Bilaam and Balak managed to induce some of Am Yisrael to sin with the Midianite women.

Tanchuma, Balak 18, tells us how it went down:

" [A Moabite girl lures an Israelite into her store.] Following that the girl says [to the Israelite], 'You are like one of the family. Sit! Choose what you like!' and a jug of Ammonite wine is sitting by her. The wine of the nations had not yet been prohibited [later on, our sages forbade their wine to prevent intermarriage, wine being a factor in generating intimacy]. The girl comes out in jewelry and perfume, and entices him, saying, 'Why do we love you but you hate us? Take this vessel for free! Surely we are all decendents of one man, Terach, father of Abraham.' "

And it is all for the purpose of mixing with us and blurring the boundaries that HKB"H established in order to ultimately assimilate us and thereby destroy us.

From Bamidbar Rabba 20:22 :

"Most of those who sinned with the Midyanite girls and worshiped the Ba'al Peor came from the airev rav. The seeds of impure desire had never been completely eradicated from their hearts. They were now weeded out from the pure stock of K'lal Yisrael through the test of Peor and the punishment that followed."

As we await the revelation of Melech HaMashiach, HKB"H is presenting us with "tests" to "weed out" those who are undeserving because of their unfaithfulness to Him. In their minds and in their hearts, they've strayed from Him. They are attached to their Christian or Muslim "friends" and to the alien culture. They refuse to slaughter the gods of the impure nations and have gone even further in calling them "kosher!"