17 Elul 5776
That's like saying "Do everything you can to bring Shabbat." We don't spend the week figuring out how to bring Shabbat. It's coming and there's nothing you can do to stop it or make it come one day earlier.
What you can do is get ready for it. You can build the anticipation for it by buying or preparing something "likvod Shabbat kodesh" each and every day leading up to it. But, of course, the big push is on, beginning on the afternoon of Yom HaShishi (Friday), because the sun is already on the downward slide and when it goes, so goes any chance of doing anything else before Shabbat enters. Once the sun sets (or you light candles), whatever condition you are in at that time, whatever preparations you have made up til then, will just have to suffice because Shabbat has arrived.
It's the same way with redemption. Redemption-in-its-Time comes no matter what we do. All we can hope for is to be ready for it when it does.
CLARIFICATION ADDED:
Because of some questions int he comments, I ahve attempted to clarify a bit the remarks above. I hope this helps.
...I only meant by this post to point out that we don't "bring" Mashiach, HKB"H sends him. If we are deserving, he comes early, if we are not, still he will come, but at the end; however, even in that case, it comes earlier than the absolute end. And just like Shabbat comes at the end of the week without regard to what we do during the week, so the geulah is guaranteed to come no matter what and no one can stop it.
However, Mashiach is the conduit for the geulah, not us. We can't get tired of waiting for it to come and think we must then go out and make it happen, because this is exactly what led to the building of the golden calf. And there are many very questionable activities being carried out by Jews today in the mistaken idea that WE have to BRING the redemption. And it is distracting many good Jews from being busy doing the very thing that can actually hasten it in its time: Torah, mitzvot, and gemilut chasadim!
Maybe some think I am nitpicking the language here, but I don't think so. I think this is a very important point and distinction.
Yes, I agree with what you write. I'm trying to apply this concept to when people bring Shabbat in early, either as early as they can with an early minyan or light 5-10 minutes early to be a special zechut. Do we also have the ability to usher in the redemption early like that, what exactly can we do to start early other than the preparations we have been doing? What aspect of Moshaich's early arrival can we actively have a part in as individuals? Some days I am thinking I am doing all that I can as an individual and other days I wonder if Hashem is giving us more power than we know we have and we can actually bring it in early somehow with our activity. Maybe that is what the Temple Institute is aiming for? I don't know much about it but I assumed they were just getting everything ready which, of course, is a very active role. In that train of thought, I don't see how this idea can be applied to the redemption from Egypt as even though Hashem brought us out early, the Jewish people were on a very low level, the lowest, and didn't do much to try to leave early. Could they have actively tried and made a difference? I did learn that there were not actual guards at every exit from Egypt but they had creatures who with the yetzer hara would convince the Jews that they shouldn't leave. So they gave up an active ability to leave - I guess that means we can't know if they COULD have left earlier. Will Moshiach come when Hashem says it is time (b'eeto) or will He let us have the power to bring him early (achishena) like we can Shabbat? What can that action be other than tefilla, Torah and mitzvot? Can one individual bring it about or does everybody have to want it at once? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteMiriam, it's my understanding both from what I have heard many rabbis say and from what I can observe, that "early" is already too late. We've missed all the "early" opportunities and are now in the b'ita mode - Redemption-in-its-Time. But, I've also heard that in the merit of Am Yisrael bringing in Shabbat 18 mins earlier every Shabbat (40 mins in and around Jerusalem) over the years, Hashem will still bring it earlier than the absolute end (6000) - "In its time I will hasten it". Traditionally, that verse is explained as follows: redemption can come one of two ways - either in its time or Hashem can hasten it, but the GR"A said that even when it comes in its time "I will hasten it".
DeleteBut this is all built in. We have to just keep doing our jobs - Torah study, prayer, mitzvot, gemilut chasadim, tzedakah - and not be sidetracked or distracted from this in order to take up questionable practices which are intended to "bring redemption".
Yes. Devash is right (in my opinion), as usual.
ReplyDeleteThe Creator, speaking via the Prophet Ezekiel, is quite clear about this, the Redemption comes whether or not we are ready or "repent". It comes ANYWAY.
Ezekiel 36:22-24
(22) Therefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God: I DO NOT THIS FOR YOUR SAKE, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL, BUT FOR MY HOLY NAME, which you have profaned among the nations, whither ye came".
(23) "And I will sanctify My great name, which hath been profaned among the nations, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes".
(24) "For I will take you from among the nations, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land".
PLEASE READ THE REST OF THE CHAPTER FOR THE BROADER "BIG PICTURE"
Shana Tova from Jerusalem, ISRAEL
Aryeh Yosef Ben Meir
madam there's nothing else i can do
ReplyDeletei'm spent
if God wants him to come, he'll come
if not, not
i'm not a factor any more
The easiest and surest way to bring Mashiach is to live strictly accd to the Halacha. No special things are then necessary.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds nice, but I'm not sure I can agree with it. First of all, there's nothing "easy" about living "strictly according to halachah" and I just wrote a whole post saying we can't "bring" Mashiach any earlier now no matter what we do. And we don't bring it, Hashem does.
DeleteI didn't speak about earlier, but yes Hashem can hasten it's coming, depending on the klal doing ratzon Hashem, which is the Halacha. I just spoke about, what has to be done anyhow, and easiest way doesn't mean, that it's easy for us to keep everything, with easy i meant, that this is the actual only and most sure way. And what i wrote was the answer of one of the gedolei hador when i asked him what we can do to bring Mashiach. He mentionend to keep on as usual, no new things/ways, keeping halacha, beung a simple jew.
DeleteThank you for clarifying that for me, Inon. I appreciate it. And thanks for taking the time to comment.
Deleteand yet we say in Shimonei Esrai 3 times a day, Es Tzemach Dovid M'hera Tazmiach as well as many other prayers that we ask to hasten Moshiach and Geula ...i guess the anshei kneses hagadola had a different perspective than yours. All the best.
ReplyDeleteSee my answer to Miriam above. If you still don't get my point, let me know and I'll try to explain myself a different way.
DeleteElio57, it surprised me that you equated rebuilding Jerusalem and restoring the Davidic kingdom with redemption and Mashiach. You do realize that we had these conditions during the first and second temple periods and redemption had not arrived yet. We could have a return to these conditions today without the full and complete redemption, but I doubt it will happen short of that. In any case, your citing these brachot does not necessarily prove the point you were trying to make.
DeleteThroughout our long history, Jews were observant either to avoid punishment or because of a deep love for God. As far as I know, no one ever did it in order to bring Mashiach. There seems to be almost an obsession with redemption and Mashiach these days, a fervor both the Christians and the Muslims share. And I"m talking out of proportion to what it has traditionally been among the faithful. Now, you could say it's because the world is becoming ripe for redemption and that may be true. But, as Jews, we don't order our lives around this, or we shouldn't.
ReplyDeleteP.E.
P.E. - Do you know that the world was created just for the coming of Moshiach? Do you also know that one of the first three questions one is asked, after 120 years, in Shamayim is: Did you await with fervor for the coming of Moshiach? The reason the Jews didn't make of his coming a big deal because basically, they understood that it wasn't the time for his coming and they really had gedolei hador in centuries gone by. Another point is that we are 'really now in the time of Moshiach's coming b'itah and we can actually see most of the signs where it has become obvious to most. Even non-Jews feel and understand something is going on. The reason that the avodah zorahs also talk of Moshiach is because they took it from us! Now they want it for themselves! Everything is coming out in the open; just open your Nach, Tehilim, Zohar, etc., etc. and you will see for yourself. We are almost there.
ReplyDeletemoishe
You are talking in sound bites. Why don't you take your first sentence and explain to me exactly what that means.
DeleteP.E.
Moishe, this statement of yours ("chazal tell us that the world was created for the coming of Moshiach") concerns me. The world was created as a corridor to the World to Come, it is the place where our choices are made and we are prepared to enter that world. Mashiach, reprising the role of Adam HaRishon, facilitates our ascension to the next level - back to Gan Eden and beyond. So this world was created as a vehicle for getting us to the world where we will forever bask in the presence of HKB"H. And THIS is the ultimate reason given for everything else, including Mashiach. Is that essentially also what you are saying?
DeleteP.E. - Excuse me, but the first sentence is showing you the importance of the coming of Moshiach, which, in your comment above you try to prove that it is not the important thing, as long we keep the mitzvot and golus is just fine, etc. Therefore, am trying to prove that chazal tell us that the world was created for the coming of Moshiach. Actually, it started with Adam HaRishon, who failed by his sin, and from then on only tzoros. H' wants the whole world to acknowledge that there is No Other Than HIM. Also, chazal tell us that in Shamayim, one of the first three questions asked is - Did you yearn for Moshiach's arrival? That's how important it is.
ReplyDeleteThat is what I mean in my first comment.
moishe