Awaiting Moshiach--To Wait with Wisdom

To Wait with Wisdom

by Harav Hamekubal Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

One of the definitions of the word חכמה (widsom) is חכה-מה -- the power to wait and to anticipate that something will tarry, as in the verse that relates to the ketz of Moshiach "if he will tarry wait for him because he will come, he will not be late" (and as the fundament of faith [Rambam]: "even though he will tarry, despite all this I await him").

The power of chochma to wait and anticipate brings closer that which one is awaiting. The degree of power of one who waits is very great -- in the end -- it approaches "close to prophecy". Thus the prophet states עין לא ראתה א-להים זולתך יעשה למחכה לו "no eye has seen what Hashem will do for those who wait for Him", and the sages explain that in the time to come the one who waits will merit to see that which the prophets themselves did not see. In the Zohar it explains "to wait for him" -- "to one who is exacting in the words of chochma". In Kedusha, even one who awaits something that he can't even imagine doesn't wait passively; rather, he strives and dives deep to discover it in the depths of Divine chochma. So, too, in the anticipation of Moshiach and his unimaginable wonders, the one who truly waits does this wisely -- with chochma -- with effort and exacting study of inyanei Geulah and Moshiach and Torah. For it is precisely in the Torah of Geulah and Moshiach can the one who waits already taste "the Torah of Moshiach" about which it is stated "every palate which tastes of it says 'let me have, let me have'. In the merit of the "taste [and see] that Hashem is Good" we merit in the time to come to "and you will see that Hashem is Good" -- "no eye has seen what Hashem will do for those who wait for him."

The Test: Waiting for Moshe to Come Down from the Mountain

The Test of Waiting Nisayon Hahamtana, Rabbi Yitzchok Ginsburgh

Before his sin Adam Harishon was the collective Chaya of the souls of Israel (from the five general levels of Nefesh, Ruach, Neshoma, Chaya, Yechida), and Moshiach will be the collective Yechida of the souls of Israel. If Adam Harishon had withstood the test of the tree of knowledge, he would have merited to the level of the "Yechida" and transformed himself into Moshiach. But he didn't withstand the test and he didn't wait 3 hours (until the onset of Shabbos, when the it would have become permissible to eat from the tree of knowledge).

Similarly, when Israel stood at Mount Sinai the venom of the primoridal snake was nullified -- they arrived at the state of Adam Harishon before the sin -- but once again they didn't withstand the test of waiting. They didn't wait for Moshe and sinned with the calf, and therefore they didn't merit to the coming of Moshiach in their generation. Why is there a need for a test of waiting in order to merit Moshiach? Withstanding a test reveals a person's higher powers, and when a person waits for something he strengthens his emunah in that thing and reveals this level within himself. One who waits for the tzaddik, for Moshiach, and withstands the test of his faith in him reveals the Moshiach within himself -- and he "transforms into Moshiach".

source: http://he.galeinai.net/medina/mashiach/nisayonHahamtana.asp

Fear Pushes Off Geulah

In the Zohar, the designated purpose of a retzoo’ah (strap/lash) is to hit someone, that is, to punish him. Now, someone who is not frum, what does he see when he sees frum people? He sees people who are really involved with reward and punishment. But, more than the reward, he sees the punishments hanging over their heads.

He says to himself: “I don’t keep the Shabbat the way that you do. So what would you have done to me? You would want to come and stone me, no!?” In short, what he sees is the lash—if you do not follow the commandments, that lash will strike you. How do we understand what he sees in spiritual terms? We understand that as long as there is still a place that is empty of the true awe of God, it is an empty pit, scorpions and snakes will fill it, i.e., fear of punishment will fill it. And as long as there are such pits where it is not God that is feared but punishment that is feared, the redemption cannot come. Simply put, if a person sees only punishment, only the lash (the retzoo’ah), he cannot be redeemed.

As explained in Chassidut, a place that is empty of awareness of God is a place where a person does not sense the King, the Master of the Universe, but instead he senses gehenom, hell. Anyone who is experiencing only the lack of God’s Presence is experiencing the contraction or concealment of God’s infinite light and that person is unfortunately in gehenom already. As long as this is the case, we cannot yet make peace with Esau. The lash is like a string drawn very, very tight, ready to strike at any moment, and loosening to the point of completely freeing it is what is needed in order to reveal God’s Presence. And to this end we need the Torah of Mashiach.

From this article by R' Yitzchak Ginsburgh

Tzaddik to Melech

From Tzaddik to Melech
Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

Every generation derives its life force and Divine sustanance from the Nosi Hador, and all the neshamos of the generation are connected to him. Therefore, the definition of the identity of the Nosi Hador changes from one generation to another. According to the Zohar there are ten types of neshomas of tzaddikim which over the generations come to be the Nosi Hador, and the last two types are Tzaddikim and Melachim. In our generation -- the last generation of golus and the first generation of geulah -- begins the transition from the manner of the Tzaddik (the manner of the great Rebbes of Chassidus) to the the manner of the King (Melech Hamoshiach).

It is a rectified transition which is generated without a crisis -- a "chiddush" born from the support and extension of the previous generations, which nurtures from their fertile soil. In this way Nosi Doreinu is both the last Tzaddik -- a leader of the miraculous type who is above the world and who shows the way in Divine service to individuals -- as well as serving as a King who takes open responsibility for the entire nation, guiding it to declare the establishment of the rectified Malchus Yisrael (Monarchy of Israel) in the Land of Israel, and to declare the fulfillment of the goals and commandments of the nation as a tzibbur (public, communal entity). (And the hint is: the Tzaddik which hints at the letter צ, gematria 90, which transforms to become the מלך, also gematria 90.)

source: http://he.galeinai.net/medina/mashiach/mezhadikLemelech.asp

The Power of Waiting

To Wait with Wisdom

Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

One of the definitions of the word חכמה (widsom) is חכה-מה -- the power to wait and to anticipate that something will tarry, as in the verse that relates to the ketz of Moshiach "if he will tarry wait for him because he will come, he will not be late" (and as the fundament of faith [Rambam]: "even though he will tarry, despite all this I await him").

The power of chochma to wait and anticipate brings closer that which one is awaiting. The degree of power of one who waits is very great -- in the end -- it approaches "close to prophecy". Thus the prophet states עין לא ראתה א-להים זולתך יעשה למחכה לו "no eye has seen what Hashem will do for those who wait for Him", and the sages explain that in the time to come the one who waits will merit to see that which the prophets themselves did not see. In the Zohar it explains "to wait for him" -- "to one who is exacting in the words of chochma". In Kedusha, even one who awaits something that he can't even imagine doesn't wait passively; rather, he strives and dives deep to discover it in the depths of Divine chochma. So, too, in the anticipation of Moshiach and his unimaginable wonders, the one who truly waits does this wisely -- with chochma -- with effort and exacting study of inyanei Geulah and Moshiach and Torah. For it is precisely in the Torah of Geulah and Moshiach can the one who waits already taste "the Torah of Moshiach" about which it is stated "every palate which tastes of it says 'let me have, let me have'. In the merit of the "taste [and see] that Hashem is Good" we merit in the time to come to "and you will see that Hashem is Good" -- "no eye has seen what Hashem will do for those who wait for him."

source: http://he.galeinai.net/medina/mashiach/lechakotBechochma.asp