A Special Year, A Special Reckoning

לו. קטעים משיחות ש”פ ראה, א’ דר”ח אלול תנש”א (1)

 36. Elul 1, 5751 − August 10, 1991 (1)

Traditionally, the month of Elul is dedicated to retrospection and soul-searching on the deeds and thoughts of the past year. But the year 5751 was not a year like any other, and neither was its reckoning…

The relationship of our time to the Redemption is based not only on the fact that “I await his coming every day”1	נוֹסָף עַל כְּלָלוּת הָעִנְיָן דְּ”אַחֲכֶּה לוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא”1,
especially after “all the deadlines have passed”2 and all the factors of Divine service necessary for the Redemption have been completed (as was discussed many times),	וּבִפְרָט לְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁ”כָּלוּ כָּל הַקִיצִין”2, וְסִיְּמוּ כָּל עִנְיָנֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה (כַּמְּדֻבָּר כַּמָּה-פְּעָמִים),
but also on the fact that we are in a special year whose Hebrew initials abbreviate “It will be a year when I will show you wonders,”	נִמְצָאִים בְּשָׁנָה מְיֻחֶדֶת שֶׁהַרָאשֵׁי-תֵּבוֹת שֶׁלָּהּ “הָיֹה תִּהְיֶה שְׁנַת נִפְלָאוֹת אַרְאֶנּוּ”,
miracles in the magnitude of “as in the days of your exodus from Egypt, I will show you wonders” in the Redemption of the future.	“כִּימֵי צֵאתְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אַרְאֶנּוּ נִפְלָאוֹת”,
And indeed, we actually have observed this year many “wonders,” both concerning the redemption of the individual, as well as the redemption of the public.	– וּכְבָר רָאוּ בְּפֹעַל כַּמָּה-וְכַמָּה “נִפְלָאוֹת” הֵן בְּנוֹגֵעַ לִגְאֻלַּת הַפְּרָט וְהֵן בְּנוֹגֵעַ לִגְאֻלַּת הַכְּלָל,
The most notable among them concerns the liberation of our brethren in “that country” — the former Soviet Union ­— where many of them have emerged from distress to freedom,	כּוֹלֵל וּבִמְיֻחָד בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְאַחֵינוּ בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבַּמְּדִינָה הַהִיא, שֶׁרַבִּים מֵהֶם יָצְאוּ מִן הַמֵּיצָר אֶל הַמֶּרְחָב,
both literally, as well as (primarily) with respect to the ability granted to them to live a Jewish life based on Torah and mitzvos.	הֵן כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ, וְהֵן (וּבְעִקָּר) בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְהָאֶפְשָׁרוּת לִחְיוֹת חַיִּים יְהוּדִיִּם עַל-פִּי הַתּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹותֶיה,
A most-powerful illustration of this miracle is that in the most recent days a convention took place	וְעַד שֶׁבַּיָּמִים הָאַחֲרוֹנִים מַמָּשׁ
­— and its effects continue also currently —	(וּבְאֹפֶן דִּפְעוּלָה נִמְשֶׁכֶת גַּם בְּיָמִים אֵלֶּה)
of Chabad emissaries (from many countries) who convened in Russia,	הִתְקַיֵּם הַכִּנּוּס שֶׁל שְׁלוּחֵי חַבַּ”ד (מִכַּמָּה-וְכַמָּה מְדִינוֹת) בַּמְּדִינָה הַהִיא
the country where the town of Lubavitch and the cities Liadi, Liozna, Rostov and Petersburg are situated,	– שֶׁבָּהּ נִמְצֵאת הָעֲיָרָה וְהֶעָרִים לְיוּבַּאוִויטְשׁ, לִיאַדִי, לִיאָזְנָא, רוֹסְטוֹב וְפֶּטֶרְבּוּרְג,
all places in which, for many generations, the Chabad Rebbes resided and worked from.	שֶׁבָּהֶם חָיוּ וּפָעֲלוּ נְשִׂיאֵי חַבַּ”ד בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כַּמָּה-וְכַמָּה דּוֹרוֹת –
The emissaries of the leader of Chabad in our generation, my sainted father-in-law the Rebbe, gathered in its capital, Moscow,	נִתְכַּנְסוּ הַשְׁלוּחִים שֶׁל נְשִׂיא חַבַּ”ד בְּדוֹרֵנוּ כְּבוֹד-קְדוּשַּׁת מוֹרִי-וְחָמִי אַדְמוֹ”ר בְּעִיר הַבִּירָה שֶׁל מְדִינָה הַהִיא (מָאסְקְוָוא),
with the intention of vigorously increasing the dissemination of Torah and the wellsprings of the teachings of Chabad Chassidus  to the farthest reaches,	עַל מְנַת לְהוֹסִיף בְּיֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וּבְיֶתֶר עֹז בַּהֲפָצַת הַתּוֹרָה וַהֲפָצַת הַמַּעֲיָּנוֹת (דְּתוֹרַת חֲסִידוּת חַבַּ”ד) חוּצָה,
which through such activity “the master, the King Moshiach, will come.”3	שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי-זֶה אָתֵי מַר דָּא מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא3 –
Within this year, we already stand at Rosh Chodesh Elul, the month of reckoning for the entire year.	וּבְשָׁנָה זוֹ עַצְמָה – עוֹמְדִים כְּבָר בְּרֹאשׁ-חֹדֶשׁ אֱלוּל, חֹדֶשׁ הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן שֶׁל כָּל הַשָּׁנָה,
The sum total of this accounting is: “Ad mosai? − Until when will we remain in exile”?!…	אֲשֶׁר, הַסָּךְ-הַכֹּל דְּהַחֶשְׁבּוֹן הוּא: “עַד מָתַי”!…
How can it be that at the conclusion of eleven months of the year of “I will show you wonders,” our righteous Moshiach has still not come?!…	הֲיִתָּכֵן שֶׁבְּסִיּוּמָם שֶׁל י”א חָדָשִׁים דִּשְׁנַת “נִפְלָאוֹת אַרְאֶנּוּ”, מָשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵנוּ עֲדַיִן לֹא בָּא?!…