ב"ה

Moshiach in the Pandemic

R' Yankev Bock

Forget the "signs" -- do you see Moshiach?  The Covid-19 health guidelines are a reality affecting most of the world, regardless of our opinion of those who have instituted these guidelines.  Just as the Czarist government who imprisoned the Alter Rebbe had no idea that they were acting out a Supernal court case, but the Alter Rebbe was sensitive to the Divine Providence guiding his situation -- so, too, we should be aware of the heavenly hand guiding the decisions of even the most politicized actors.

In our case we find a global reality of masks covering the mouth, 2-meter distancing, and isolation -- which recall the status of a Metzora (one who has Tzoraas), whom the Torah instructs must isolate from the community, cover his mouth, and keep daled amos (2-meters.6-feet) from other people.  Are we being told that we have Tzoraas?!

The world hears Tzoraas and thinks loshon hara.  A chossid hears Tzoraas and thinks Moshiach!  The gemara tells us that Rebbi Yehuda HaNosi was fitting to be Moshiach because he suffered illness and was called Metzora.  In Likkutei Torah the Alter Rebbe teaches that Tzoraas is a spiritual state that only comes upon one who is perfected, who has completed his self-rectification internally, and ready for Geuloh.  Only that there is an external manifestation of  a lesion ("nega") on his skin, but that these lesions are in their source actually very lofty spiritual lights ("oneg").  When he will be purified the lesions reveal their lofty source.  The Rebbe says that our entire generation is on this level -- should we be surprised or alarmed to see the world saying to us "Tzoraas"?  But it goes deeper than you think: 

The lesion of Tzoraas which appears on the skin is defined in the Torah as a white patch of skin.  The Alter Rebbe explains that the white color indicates that the blood flow is interrupted.  In a healthy body the heart pumps blood to the limbs, and the limbs return the blood to the heart.  The failure of the limb to return blood to the heart results in the white patch of skin, which is lesion of Tzoraas.

With this concept in mind, let us revisit the words of the Rebbe in the Sicha of Beis Nissan, 5748.  There, the Rebbe explains how the King is the heart of the nation (as the Rambam writes), and just as the role of the heart in the body is to pump blood, which is life, to the limbs, similarly the King gives life to the people. And just as in a healthy body the limbs must send blood — life — back to the heart, so, too, the people must give life to the King (for there is no King without a people).

How do the people return the lifeblood to the King?  Says the Rebbe in this sicha, the lifeblood is returned to the heart (the King) by crowning the King with the expression “Yechi Hamelech!” (The Rebbe suggests that also the declaration "Ad Mosai" ("until when [must we be in golus]") contains within it the crowning of the King.)  

Thus, the crowning of the King by the people through the declaration “Yechi Hamelech” (or "Ad Mosai") is likened to the limbs returning the blood to the heart. And the failure to return blood to the heart results in the white lesion which is Tzoraas, meaning that the failure to crown the king with one of these declarations is itself a case of Tzoraas!

Consider this reality: Supernal Providence is giving the entire world a subtle but firm message that we are in a state of Tzoraas.  Tzoraas itself is a sign of being ready for Moshiach but not having accepted and declared his Kingship -- the final stage before the "purification of the Metzora" which is the actual coming of Moshiach!  Let us correct this "loshon hara" of failing to crown the King (or failing to properly and effectively inspire others to do so) and bring about the purification of the Metzora "on the day of his purification" -- the true and complete Geuloh!

[The rectification of Tzaraas begins with bittul, especially learning of Torah with bittul.  But, as the Rebbe points out, the Metzora must still go through all the stages of purification outlined in the Torah (the process includes bringing two birds, sprinkling, shaving, and immersion (Vayikra 14)).  This process is itself connected with Moshiach, as the Ohr HaChaim haKadosh writes on these verses that the 2 birds described in the purification process are connected with the 2 Moshiachs (Moshiach ben Yosef, Moshiach ben Dovid).  And for those who like hints: the words of the verse instructing the purification of the Metzora ("he shall take 2 pure live birds", ולקח שתי צפרים חיות טהרות) is exactly the same gematria as "this is the year of I will show you wonders, 5781" (זה שנת פלאות אראנו תשפא)!]

יחי אדוננו מורנו ורבינו מלך המשיח לעולם ועד!י