To go greet Moshiach one must go with simcha

My father-in-law the Rebbe said that we are on our way to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu, and when going to greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu one must go b'simcha.

However, when a person makes an honest accounting of himself, where he is holding and what his spiritual state is--he could think: what does he possibly have to be happy about?

Regarding his situation itself -- "yada inish b'nafshe", a person knows his spiritual standing; even regarding the Torah and Mitzvos that he does fulfill -- he is unable to feel what is brought about by his fulfillment of Torah and Mitzvos, since at the present time all these matters are in a way of "matan b'seiser" (gifts given secretly), as though kept in a sealed chest. If so, how can he be b'simcha?

The answer to this is: he must know that all that is drawn down via Torah and Mitzvos is being drawn down now, in the time of golus, and in the time to come all the things drawn down through Torah and Mitzvos now will be revealed. And when he makes an account, that the truth of the matter is that all of these things already exist now, and ultimately they will be revealed--this brings to simcha.

Lubavitcher Rebbe, Parshas Kedoshim, 5714

Hesech HaDa'as

The fact that there are those who assert that the generation is not worthy for the redemption, etc., is itself a proof that now is the time of the revelation of Moshiach, being that the sages state that Moshiach comes "b'hesech hada'as" -- when we are found in a state like this that neither da'as nor the revealed intellect sees any possibility for the coming of the geulah: this is "hesech ha'da'as" which is a sure sign that the geulah is very close.

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, LS 10:171

Refining the Sparks: True Vengeance on the Enemy

"Hashem, be with me among those who help me, and I will see [vengence] in those who hate me." (Tehillim 118:7)

This verse suggests that there are those who help, and the request is that Hashem should be among them. And why does he request to see vengeance? Shouldn't he request that the enemies and haters be transformed into those who love him?
[...]
"Those who help me" refers to the nitzutzos (sparks) that have been refined, which are a man's true helpers (according to the known explanation that "not on bread alone does man live, but from all that comes from Hashem's mouth" [Ekev 8:3], that from refining the nitzutzos in mineral, vegetable, and animal he receives additinoal energy in his divine service, that the nitzutzos help and assist him).

So the explanation "Hashem should be among those who help me" is that this refers to the nitzutzos that have been refined ("those who help me"), that the refinement is from below to above, and then drawn down in them is a revelation of the name YKVK which is above the order of Creation (seder hishtalshelus). The combination of these two things comes from YKVK, the essential name (shem ha'etzem).

This also explains "I will see [vengeance] in those who hate me", that those who hate Dovid also hate Hashem, but there is no need to push them away completely, but rather to refine the nitzutzos within them. And by bringing out the nitzutzos from them, the evil is thus nullified. In this way we come to see G-dliness, "I will see in those who hate me", seeing G-dliness with our physical senses, even in worldly things.

As happened with my father-in-law, the Rebbe, that even the opposition -- despite that they remained in their reality -- they were forced (by the nitzutzos within them) to act according to the Divine intent, and there was a revelation of G-dliness (above nature) perceptable in nature.

Chassidic Discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 12 Tammuz 5717

Among the Nations Until the End

This, in my opinion, is the Divine reason why today Jews are returning to the lands of Edom from which they were expelled, in order to make G-d's name famous in all lands through the miracles and wonders Hashem will do for them when He will gather them from the four corners of the world as is promised in the psukim. In order that "the goyim will say 'Hashem did great things for them'". For that reason it should not be difficult in your eyes the present diaspora in the various lands and kingdoms, because "from Hashem came this thing" and "when they have ended shattering the strength of the holy people, all these will end." (Daniel 12)

R' Avraham ben R' Eliezer haLevi, Igeres Sod Hageula, p.36

The Jew is the "head of the household" of the world

Yehudah thought that he was dependent upon the approval of a non-Jewish ruler in order to help Benyamin. This is similar to the status of the entire Jewish people in exile, when we depend on the kindness of the non-Jewish nations around us in order to lead our lives as Jews in peace and comfort.

The reality of the situation, though, was that Yehudah was really not dependent on a non-Jew at all. This ruler, as he found out later, was really Yosef, and therefore a Jew was really in charge. The same applies to the Jewish people in exile. Although it appears that the non-Jewish nations are in control, in reality the Jew is the one who is the "head of the household" over the world, and he has the ability to influence the nations to carry out his will.

How does the Jew acquire such an amazing power? This is because he has attached himself to G-d. His strength is therefore not his alone, but that of G-d Himself. And G-d, who is the "King of all kings," guides the nations of the world to act according to His will and the will of the Jewish people.

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Shabbos Parshas Vayigash, 5th Day of Teves, 5751

"...man will not be material and physical..."

In the world to come man will not be material and physical as he is in this world, rather man will be on the level of angels who are separated from physicality.

Maharal, Netzach Yisroel, ch. 42

Shaking out Yerushalayim

Just like the verse in Yechezkiel (Ezekiel) states, that the Holy One blessed be He wants to shake out the land of Israel and Yerushalayim like a man shakes out his tallis, so will He shake out all the idoloters from Yerushalayim as well as the idolatry itself which is in Yerushalayim and the impure corpses which are buried around the holy place and all the filthy places in it.

Chesed L'Avraham 1:17, R' Avraham Azulai

A lone Jew in a gentile city

"If even one lone Jew will be in a city of the gentiles, I will take him from there, and similarly the family, and in their merit they will go out from exile."

Commentary of the Radak Yermiyahu 3:14 "I will take you one from a city and two from a family and I will bring you to Zion."

True Redemption Includes Every Single Jew

"The inner meaning of the redemption is—the revelation of the essential bond (קשר העצמי) that exists between Bnei Yisroel and the Holy One, blessed be He. If even one Jew remains in exile, then this indicates that the redemption is not true. The future redemption is called 'the true and complete redemption' and thus it will be the redemption of all Yisroel."

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, 5748 (free translation)

Making True Aliyah: Without Airline Tickets

We should immediately see in actuality the fulfillment of the words of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai "when they will be redeemed in the future the shechina is with them" [...] and then our guests [from Israel] won't need to arrange return flights to the Holy Land with all of the effort involved, since everyone will come together "with clouds of heaven" to our holy land, and in our holy land itself ascend to Yerushalayim the holy city, and to the Beis Hamikdash (higher than all places) and in the Beis Hamikdash itself we ascend "to the top of the mountain" until we become "bnei aliyah" [the level of Rashbi, and through him it is drawn down to every Jew], as the true place of every Jew is "in the highest place" (b'aliyah) in the Bais Hamidash--in the Holy of Holies.

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Erev Lag B'Omer 5750

Moshiach--Breaking the Boundaries of World

Moshiach is the king who reads the Torah at the "Hakhel", and "the king breaks borders and we do not protest" (Pesachim 110a), and about him it states "the border-breaker goes up before them" (Micha 2:13), that he has permission to break even the borders of world -- to bring the complete redemption here in this world, speedily, in this physical world, from which we will make a dwelling place for Him.

Talk of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, eve of 2nd day of Chol Hamoed Sukkos, 5720 (link)

Acharon Shel Pesach: The Most Proper Time for Moshiach

Tonight is Acharon Shel Pesach, the last day of Pesach. We have already counted the Sefirah, Malchus sheb'Chesed (Kingship within Kindness). Here we see an obvious connection to the Future Redemption for the greatest kindness G-d can show is to bring that Redemption. Then, we will witness the ultimate state of Kingship, when "The L-rd will be King over the entire earth" and "the sovereignty will be the L-rd's." [...]

May we merit the construction of the Third Beis HaMikdash, which will be built in the immediate future. Indeed, may it have already been built at this time.

Today, Acharon Shel Pesach, after we have counted Malchus sheb'Chesed, is the most proper and the most urgent time for the coming of the Redemption. And then we will proceed "with our youth and with our elders... with our sons and with our daughters" -- and with all the Jews of the previous generations who will arise in the Resurrection -- to Eretz Yisrael, to Jerusalem, and to the Beis HaMikdash, "the Sanctuary of the L-rd, established by Your hands."

There we will merit "the new [dimension of the] Torah which will emerge from Me," i.e., from G-d's essence. May this be in the immediate future.

Gut Yom Tov.

Talk of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, night of Acharon Shel Pesach, 5751 (1991)

How Moshiach will teach: not like a teacher

Sicha of the Lubvitcher Rebbe, Acharon Shel Pesach, 5746 (translation: Sichos in English)

The subject matters of the future Torah study taught by Moshiach will be the esoteric teachings of Torah.

But there will be another distinction. The intellectual pursuit of the esoteric knowledge will not follow the temporal pattern of a teacher imparting knowledge and comprehension, instead it will take the form of visualization:

They will comprehend with the visualizing light of the supernal wisdom, to the degree that they will all perceive with the vision of the innermost wisdom, the reasons, and the heretofore, utterly sequestered secrets.... This is what is meant by the prophet: "He will be permeated with the spirit of the fear of the L-rd" (Yeshayahu 11:3) he will judge by the "spirit" of G-d; "He will not judge by the sight of his eyes" (Ibid.), but by the sight of his mind's eye. He will "Not decide by the hearing of his ears" (Ibid.), the listening of understanding, only with the power of the vision of Chochmah. (Likkutei Torah, Ibid.)

And since the study will take the form of seeing, he will be able to teach tens of thousands at once. It will be unnecessary to explain the meaning in lengthy logical discussions or lectures, rather the knowledge will come instantaneously, grasped in its full depth and breadth by seeing.

In Pri Etz Chaim we are told that the Arizal was able to perceive and comprehend in one instant the deep secrets and esoteric teachings of the Torah, at a "glance." If he had had to teach that knowledge in the conventional manner of transmitting wisdom, in speech and writing, it would have taken 60-80 years of discourses.

In dealing with esoterics we must remember that there were earlier sages who did learn the secrets of the Torah. Moshe, the Rashbi and others who were mentioned in the Zohar, yet in this field of learning -- there is the level of "secrets" and then "secrets of the secrets" and so on, ad infinitum. Moshiach will teach the highest levels and it will be transmitted in a manner of seeing.

When Moshiach comes, Moshe and Yehoshua and the Elders will all teach large schools of students the revealed aspects of Torah. Each will teach according to his personal system of learning which could differ from another system.

But the secrets of Torah will be taught only by Moshiach, who symbolizes the "Yechidah" of the Jewish people, the innermost aspect of Jewish souls.

(This sicha can be viewed online in Hebrew here)

Divine Revelation: Above Comprehension

Just as by the Splitting of the Sea it states "and Moshe raised his hand, etc.", so too in the future redmeption it states "and He will raise his hand on the river"--river meaning Bina, understanding. Because in order to come to the revelation of the Ohr Ein Sof (endless and infinite divine light) which is above comprehension, there needs to be an elevation [to a level] above intellectual comprehension. This refers to the nullification of intellectual comprehension, and through this there will be a revelation of the Ohr Ein Sof which is His Essence and Identity.

וכמו שבקרי"ס כתיב ויט משה את ידו כו', כמ"כ לע"ל כתיב והניף ידו על הנהר, נהר הוא בינה השגה, שבכדי לבוא לגילוי א"ס שלמעלה מהשגה צ"ל הנפה על השגה היינו ביטול השגה ועי"ז יהי' גילוי א"ס עצמותו ומהותו.

Toras Shmuel, 5632, Hanachos p. 625

Redemption of the Wise Son: by redeeming the one who doesn't know to ask

Through the redemption of the "son who doesn't know to ask", the one on the lowest level, comes about the redemption from Egypt of the Wise Son as well. Because from the fact that he [the Wise Son] has a question, this shows that he is in fact in a state of exile, for in a state of exile there is a need to nullify questions and arguments that come from the "other side" [of unholiness].

Chassidic discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, "V'Higad'ta L'vincha Bayom Hahu", 11 Nissan, 5735 (1975)

King Chezkiyahu's Messianic Bitachon

...We celebrate the Festive Meal of Mashiach while we are still in exile, thereby demonstrating that Jews do not acknowledge the exile. This very fact in itself is effective in "burning down the walls of exile" (to cite the idiom of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe [Rayatz]) - very, very soon, when Mashiach will be revealed and will "lead us upright to our land."

* * *

...In order to make it easier for people to appreciate this line of thinking, we may note that - like all subjects in the inner, mystical plane of the Torah - this subject, too, is alluded to in the revealed plane of the Torah.

On the eighth day of Pesach, the Reading from the Prophets is the passage that opens with the words, "[Sancheriv exerted himself] to be standing at Nov while it was yet day...." Why on that day? - "Because the downfall of Sancheriv took place on the eve of the first day of Pesach." Now, since the downfall happened on the first day, the above-quoted explanation for the choice of this passage for the eighth day comes as a surprise.

The solution to this seeming anomaly lies in the fact that this passage speaks of the victory of King Chizkiyahu, whom G-d sought to establish as Mashiach - and it is on the Last Day of Pesach that "the radiance of Mashiach is openly revealed."

Moreover, many of the predictions promised in this Haftarah were not fulfilled during the victory of Chizkiyahu; they will be fulfilled with the arrival of our Righteous Mashiach. For example, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb...." (According to Rambam, too, this prophecy relates to the Days of Mashiach, though in keeping with his approach he understands it as a parable alluding to the presently warring nations.) Another example of a prophecy that will be fulfilled only in the Messianic era concerns the Ingathering of the Exiles: "And it shall come to pass in that day that G-d will [...] recover the remnant of His people that shall remain from Assyria and from Egypt... and from the islands of the sea..., [and He will assemble the dispersed of Israel, and gather together the scattered of Judah from the four corners of the earth]." Since this Haftarah, much of which will be fulfilled when Mashiach comes, is read on the Last Day of Pesach, it is self-evident that "the radiance of Mashiach is openly revealed" on that day.

Accordingly, it is possible to explain the above concept even when speaking to a person who contends that not every individual can experience this radiance. One can explain to him that it illumines him, too. After all, in his shul, too, this Haftarah was read, complete with its introductory and concluding blessings to which everyone responded Amen. And since this Haftarah speaks of the Coming of Mashiach and related subjects, he, too, should experience this theme. He, too, is lit up by the above radiance, so that he, too, will be able to trust in G-d, utterly and absolutely, and without any trace of a doubt. Even though according to the laws of nature there is nothing to warrant such a trust, he trusts in G-d that He will fulfill His promise supernaturally.

One's trust ought to resemble that of Chizkiyahu. His trust was so complete that he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "I do not have the strength to kill nor to pursue nor [even] to sing [Your] praises. Instead, I shall sleep in my bed - and You will act." This he said even though the armies of Sancheriv had besieged Jerusalem on all sides, and had promised Chizkiyahu peace if he would surrender under certain specified conditions. Moreover, Shevna [the Scribe] and his party, who constituted the majority of the Sanhedrin, held that according to the Torah, the Jews should submit to this offer of peace and follow the laws of nature.

Yet despite all this, Chizkiyahu acted according to the Word of G-d that the Prophet Yeshayahu relayed to him: "Thus says G-d, 'Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the King of Assyria have blasphemed Me..., for I shall cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.' "Once the beleaguered King Chizkiyahu heard these words, he placed his trust so completely in the Hands of G-d that he lay down in bed and, unlike a worried man who cannot fall asleep, his trust allowed him a sweet and tranquil slumber. And as he slept, G-d fought his battle, as it is written: "And it came to pass that night that the angel of G-d went out and smote in the Assyrian camp...."

In the same way, every individual should be certain about the Coming of Mashiach with an absolute and unwavering trust, so that "I shall await his coming every day." He trusts that Mashiach is coming the very next day, even though he finds no support for this trust in the rational arguments of nature.

A trust such as this has the power - in itself - to accelerate the Coming of Mashiach in the immediate future.

Sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Acharon shel Pesach 5732, Likutei Sichos 7:274

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/in-good-hands/090.htm

Future Redemption: Miracles like coming out of Egypt

The Bais Hamikdash will descend already built and Yisroel will come to the rebuilt Yerushalayim and the Shechina will be with them "like in the days of your coming out of Egypt", and at that time the miracles will be profligate and they will be so great that the mouth won't be able to speak of them and the intellect will be overwhelmed by the amount of miracles and wonders that will be for Yisroel and the sources of wisdom will be opened and this will be the manner of the redemption, with the help of heaven.

R' Avraham Azulai, Chesed L'Avraham 1:17

Pesach: Leaving the Gates of Impurity

Every year 30 days before Pesach Hashem "lifts His face" משא פנים to Yisroel in His great kindness, and He begins to remove their souls from the chambers of impurity little by little, one thirtieth each night so that by the night of biur chometz [destroying the leaven] every Jew who commited a sin is now standing at the doorway of the outer chamber...and on the night of Pesach they do not enter that chamber at all, and all of them are absolved and free men. Hashem in His blessed wisdom decreed that this should occur little by little over 30 days so that Sama'kel [the Satan] should not feel the pain and he shouldn't come to accuse.

Chesed L'Avraham 2:57, R' Avraham Azulai

A Fixed Number of Prayers Until Moshiach

G-d has determined that the redeemer will come after a certain number of prayers have been said for his coming...when the predestined number of prayers have been said, the redemption will begin.

Me'am Loez, Parshas Bo 12:42

The Wicked Son Redeemed?

And as has been said numerous times, based on the language of the sages in the response to the question of the "wicked son" in the Pesach Haggada: "if he was there, he wouldn't have been redeemed"—that it seems perplexing: what is the need and what is the benefit from telling a wicked one that he has no connection to the Seder, which is in rememberance of the Exodus from Egypt? The explanation is that the intention is not to push away the "wicked son" from the Seder and to inform him that the redemption is beyond him, on the contrary—the response to him emphasizes that only "there (in Egypt) he wouldn't have been redeemed", but in the future redemption, since it follows after the giving of the Torah, he too will be redeemed.

And this illustrates to us, in passing, the wonderous effect of Matan Torah, where the Holy One blessed be He said "I am Hashem your G-d" in the singular, that YKVK is brought down to be the power and the life of every single member of bnei Yisroel, and therefore every Jew, even a wicked one like this, and so he is assured that through this power [which was bestowed upon him at Matan Torah] in the end he will be redeemed...

Lubavitcher Rebbe, Likutei Sichos XI, p.2