The Rebbe: We Have Had Enough of This Kind of "Kiddush Hashem"

[After explaining that self-sacrifice al Kiddush Hashem (in sanctification of G-d’s name) is greater even than composing the entire Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), the Rebbe continues:]

[…] not one from among us understands (and lacks the ability to understand) at all the meaning things, why did Hashem do this?!... All the more so when we are speaking about a young woman, a mother of small children that need their mother and yearn for her…but we can’t make lengthy accusations and defenses regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says “In a multitude of words, transgression will not be avoided, and he who holds back his lips is wise” (Mishlei/Proverbs 10:19) and “Be not rash with your mouth, and let your heart not be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven, and you are on the earth; therefore, let your words be few.” (Koheles 5:1)

Nonetheless, we should emphasize how great is Kiddush Hashem in this case, and especially, to cry out to the Holy One, blessed be He, about the length of golus (exile), “Ad Mosai” (“until when?!”)…and to request and plead and do everything possible that the true and complete geulah will come immediately, through Moshiach Tzidkeinu, and then we will see the fulfillment of the promise “rise and sing those who dwell in the dust” (Yeshaya 26:19), beginning with tzaddikim who rise in resurrection immediately, and among them and at the start the righteous woman who was killed al Kiddush Hashem, and immediately she will meet, neshoma in a body, with her family and continue to raise them to Torah, to chupah (marriage), and to ma’asim tovim (mitzvos). With joy and gladness of heart.

[None the less, as lofty as it is to sacrifice one’s life al Kiddush Hashem] we have already fulfilled our obligations (“enough and more than enough”) of self-sacrifice al Kiddush Hashem, through decrees and pogroms that occurred throughout this long and bitter golus, until our generation –the children of Israel cry out to the Holy One, blessed be He: “Ad Mosai”?!...How can it be that after this long, bitter golus that we are still in need of self-sacrifice al Kiddush Hashem of a young woman, a mother of small children?!...

Even if the Holy One, blessed be He, wants the pleasure of self-sacrifice—besides the fact that we have already fulfilled our obligations in all the generations before this, Bnei Yisroel provide sufficient self-sacrifice from the fact that they are found another moment in golus!

Bnei Yisroel are in golus already more than 1900 years and Moshiach Tzidkeinu still didn’t come!...they have already completed all the tasks required in golus, and they have already done all the activities in all the possible ways (including and especially through the simcha of the month of Adar over the course of 60 dyas) and we don’t know what else there is to do, and nonetheless another week passes, another day, another moment and still the true and complete geulah hasn’t come in actuality!

Nothing remains for us other than to take consolation in that this incident should be the last incident of self-sacrifice al Kiddush Hashem[…and upon reaching the true and complete geulah it will be] the true and complete form of Kiddush Hashem—because the whole idea of golus is itself the opposite of Kiddush Hashem […]

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on Parshas Tetzaveh, 5752 (1992), (following the murder of a Jewish woman by an intruder in the Lubavitcher neighborhood of Crown Heights)

Golus: Until We Cry Out!

The Rebbe cries over the length and pain of exile...and yet we must push forward and be b'simcha!



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Everything which transpires in the world is a result of the service of the Jews

The effects of our service in refining the world and preparing it for the Messianic redemption is openly visible throughout the world.

There are those who protest against the suggestion that we are nearing the close of the exile and approaching the coming of Moshiach. They maintain that the world is proceeding according to the natural order without disruption.

Such a perspective represents a lack of sensitivity and awareness to the upheaval that is taking place throughout the world. Political regimes are falling and power is changing hands in a drastic, almost inconceivable manner. Furthermore, this is being done without war or bloodshed, without even disturbing the commercial activities of the world.

First and foremost, we see a change in Russia, the country in which the Previous Rebbe and his students had their roots. After more than seventy years of rule by a powerful regime which cast fear into the heart of every citizen of the country, there has been radical change. In a very short time, sweeping reforms have been put into effect by the leaders of the country and they have spread to the other countries who follow their ideological thrust.

Similarly other countries -- including China, India, and Japan, countries whose combined populations number in the billions -- are in the midst of radical political change. The most miraculous aspect of this process of transition is that it is being carried out peacefully, without bloodshed, something that has never before happened in the history of man. In previous generations, whenever there was a revolution, destruction and bloodshed came in its wake. Indeed, we do not have to look past the second world war, to see the devastation that can accompany political change. In contrast, today the change is coming in a more complete fashion and yet, in a peaceful manner.[...]

One may ask: Of what relevance are these events to the Jews? A Jew's mission is to study Torah and fulfill mitzvos and the events that transpire regarding the gentiles have little relevance for him. Nevertheless, these events are significant in two contexts:

1) They reveal the greatness of G-d and His kindness and mercy. This miraculous turn of events is obviously a sign of the greatness of G-d and the lack of bloodshed a revelation of Divine mercy and kindness. We must acknowledge and give thanks for such Divine Providence.

2) This strengthens our faith in Moshiach's coming. One of the signs that our Sages gave for Moshiach's coming was political upheaval throughout the world. Thus, when we see such events taking place, our anticipation of Moshiach's coming is increased.

Everything which transpires in the world is a result of the service of the Jews as alluded to in the Torah's statement, "He established the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the children of Israel." Thus, our efforts in Torah and mitzvos -- including our efforts to spread the observance of the seven commandments given to Noach and his descendants -- will have a direct effect on spreading peace and stability throughout the world. In this light, the International Conference of Shluchim which involved representatives from countries all over the world takes on a new significance. Their efforts in spreading G-d's truth throughout the world will contribute to the positive changes that are occurring throughout the world and prepare the world for the ultimate change, the coming of Moshiach, when "the sovereignty will be the L-rd's" and "the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover up the ocean bed."

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Toldos 5750 (1990)

Palestinians (Plishtim) of Kedusha

Plishtim (Palestinians) is from the word "entrance" and "open", like the sages say about the verse "don't sit amongst scoffers" these are Plishtim. The matter is zeh leumas zeh asah Elokim that G-d made the holy and its opposite, and there is an aspect of Plishtim in kedusha (holiness) and an aspect of Plishtim in klipa (opposite of holiness). The aspect of Plishtim that is in kedusha is the aspect of revealing simcha (joy) in being bonded with Hashem in an open and revealed way and with unlimited expansiveness, the level of bchol meodecha with all of your might.

Torah Ohr Beshallach 61c

The Future Body of Supernal Light

Rabbi Pinchas said, in the future the Holy One will beautify the bodies of the tzaddikim l'asid lavo, like the beauty of Adam Harishon when he entered Gan Eden...Rabbi Levi said, the neshoma as it is when it is still Above is nourished by the Supernal Light and enclothes in it. When it will enclothe itself in the body l'asid lavo, it will enter into that very same light mamash, then the body will radiate like the zohar harakia the radiance of the Heavens. This is what is written, hamaskilim yazhiru k'zohar harakiya the wise ones will radiate like the radiance of the Heavens.

Zohar, Vayera 113a

Supernal Garments

Come and see: a neshoma does not ascend to appear before the Holy King until it merits to be garbed in the Supernal Garments (mitzvos). And similarly, it does not descend below until it is garbed in the garments of this world.

Zohar Shemos 229b

Gog and Magog: War of Emunah

The war of Gog and Magog is an internal war within each and every one of us against that which denies the reality of Divine Providence. The war manifests itself when we are challenged to follow what the Torah tells us to do in a situation when such a course of action appears "guaranteed to fail" in the eyes of worldly logic.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains here that the way to acheive victory in this war of Gog and Magog is through learning and internalizing the teachings of Chassidus (the inner dimension of Torah) to such a degree that worldly logic ceases to be the basis for a persons view on what will bring success, and instead his perspective is informed by the insights and "assumptions" of G-dly Wisdom.

In this way--by learning and internalizing the teachings of Chassidus--we will merit the promise of the Zohar, to be redeemed from exile mercifully. (YN)

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...thus at the end of exile there is a strenghtening of the klipa of Apikorsus, which is the idea of the war of Gog and Magog...entirely denying the reality of G-dliness... (Kesser Shem Tov Hosafos 400)

"I strike, but I heal, and no one can rescue from My Hand." (Devarim 32:39)

It is known the explanation of the Rebbe Maharash (l'chatchila arriber(1)) that "I strike, but I heal" is connected with the revelation of Pnimiyus Hatorah (the inner dimension of Torah) by the Rashbi. Because by all the other Tannaim(2), even those that learned Pnimiyus Hatorah, their learning was in a way that there is mechitza (divider) between Nigleh d'Torah (the revealed aspect of Torah) and Pnimiyus Hatorah. But regarding Rashbi his learning was in a way where the division ceased to exist, "I strike, but I heal", that a union was made between Pnimiyus Hatorah and Nigleh d'Torah, and how much more so after it has become "a mitzvah to reveal this wisdom"(3), and more than this, a mitzvah to spread the wellsprings outward, in accordance with the instruction (together with the giving of the ability) of my father-in-law the (Previous) Rebbe Nosi Doreinu(4).

And through this we merit to the true and complete Geulah -- "with this book of yours the book of the Zohar...[Yisroel] will be redeemed from exile mercifully."(5)

And this is also related to the end of the verse "and no one can rescue from My Hand", as explained in Targum Yonason ben Uziel that this refers to the war of Gog and Magog, etc. -- because by learning Pnimiyus Hatorah in a manner of "If they were wise, they would understand this" (Devarim 32:29), and drawn down to the da'as (internalized knowledge) until "this is their end" (ibid), and in a way of "I strike, but I heal", then "and no one can rescue from My Hand" comes to be, as stated, the war of Gog and Magog, until the point of victory, etc.

1. The Rebbe Maharash's familiar saying: "the world says, that one comes to an obstacle, the first thing to do is try to go around it, and only then to go over it, but I say, go over it from the beginning (lechatchila arriber)!"
2. Great sages of the Mishnaic era.
3. Stated by the Arizal, brought down in Tanya, Igeres Hakodesh, Epistle 26.
4. "Leader of our generation".
5. Zohar III:124b, Raya Mehemna, brought in Tanya, Igeres Hakodesh there.

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe 6 Tishrei 5747

Moshiach is Already Here

In addition to what was said previously that there is the existence of Moshiach in the spark of Moshiach (aspect of Yechida) which exists in every single Jew, קיימת גם מציותו של משיח כפשוטו there is also the existence of Moshiach in the plain sense (the individual who possesses the all-encompasing Yechida) -- as is known that "in every generation one is born from the seed of Yehuda who is suited to be Moshiach for Israel" (Bartenura on Megilas Rus), "one who is suited by his righteousness to be the redeemer, and when the time will come Hashem will reveal Himself to him and send him, etc." (Chasam Sofer), and if it were not for unwanted things interfering, etc., he would already be revealed and come in actuality.

In accordance with the announcement of my father the Rebbe, Nosi of the generation, Moshiach of the generation, that we have already finished and completed all of the matters of avodah and we are standing ready to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu, then, in these days all the obstacles and interferences have been nullified, etc., and therefore, there is (not only the existence of Moshiach, but rather) also the revelation of Moshiach, and now we need only לקבל פני משיח בפועל ממש to greet Moshiach in actuality!

Sicha spoken and edited for publication by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, parshas Vayera 5752 (1992)
(bold in original)

How Close? Erev Shabbos, After Shkia...

"...these days of bein hashmashos of the 6th and 7th millenium, the 6th and 7th of the days of Creation, that it is bein hashmashos is on everyone's lips, and all are trembling towards it to finish their melacha before it gets dark (Rashi, Ksuvos 103a)..."

Letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 23 Kislev 5716 (1955)