HERE AND NOW!

A point from the weekly D’var Malchus for Parshas Pinchas with a relevant message. 

Levi, a young married man: Ah, boruch Hashem, how wonderful it is to be involved in Torah study! May His name be blessed forever.  Every morning, as I walk into kollel, I thank Hashem for my good lot in life and praise Him that it is my fate to be a Chassid of Melech HaMoshiach and to work to reveal him with the power of Torah.  “To turn the world over through Torah study” – that is what he said to do.

Although I have to admit that sometimes, while I am still stirring my hot cup of tea, thoughts come to mind of the glowing fate of my friend Shneur who does mivtzaim all day.  Why was it decreed for me to be “stuck” here for an entire year facing the s’farim while others are surely doing better things to make the Geula happen? When you go about outside you are mekarev Jews to the Rebbe.  Can that be compared to learning Torah in kollel?

Shmuel, a famous marriage counselor: Every night I am excited once again at the moving sight of a happy couple leaving me with smiles on their faces.  I, however, cannot smile, because when they leave the next couple comes in or the phone rings.

What can I do? My soul yearns for Torah.  I have no doubt that I am doing what the Rebbe wants, but is this the work that is desired? Am I not like that person who can polish diamonds but who bakes bread instead? Maybe I will take some time off and spend a year in yeshiva, delighting in G-dliness like in the good old days.  The bachurim and young men are the ones who are bringing the Geula!

Rochel, a homemaker: We women are on the front lines, throughout the generations and especially in the generation of the Geula.  We were given the lofty task, along with the requisite strength, to train the generation which will welcome the Rebbe, Moshiach Tzidkeinu.  We are truly stubborn; uncompromising.  When the children return from school I drop everything.  My phone is shut off, and the cooking will have to take care of itself.  Even the dishes will wait.  Quality time is not just a matter of clearing a time slot. You have to put in effort.  In the merit of righteous women we will be redeemed!

Nearly every day, at the height of the hullabaloo, a troubling thought occurs to me.  Are these efforts I make my mission in this world, or am I exaggerating a bit? Maybe I need to go out more to the neighbors, work more with high school girls.  After all, we also need to apply our efforts outside the home.  Maybe that is what will really bring the Geula.

Noam, a yeshiva bachur: The T’mimim are the front line warriors of the House of Dovid to bring the Geula. Why the T’mimim? Just because! We don’t need to, and cannot, explain.  The T’mimim are bringing the Geula, period.

The truth is that one thing bothers me.  Why don’t bachurim go and open Chabad Houses while they are still in yeshiva? After all, Chabad Houses bring people back with t’shuva.

Shneur, a soldier in Tzivos Hashem: But it makes no difference who wins; the main thing is Moshiach should come … The Rebbe will come and we will go up to the Beis HaMikdash … We, the children – are the power! Everyone knows this.  The Rebbe called us “Meshichoi.”  What could be more than that? With Hashem’s help, we will execute the “final blow.”

What I am missing in all this is how exactly we kids can accomplish such great things.  Maybe the adults can do more than us?

Pini, a soldier in the IDF: Today, being in the army is not what it used to be.  All of the IDF is one big Chabad House.  Why am I here? Because hashgacha led me here.  This is what the Rebbe wants, so this is what I am doing.  I won’t deny that I’d prefer being a successful shliach running a Chabad House.  But as long as I am here, I’ll do the work without complaining too much.

***

“And although every point in space and every moment in time and the mission of every person in the world is only a small part of the entire world, of all the places and all the times, and sometimes a person can wonder how things would be if he were somewhere else, in another time.  Maybe his avoda would be different and maybe even better than it is now … How can it be demanded of him to bring the Geula, the collective Geula for the world, when his avoda is only a small part of the world (in space and time)!?

Get to work right here!  Here and now! Be where you are and do it all wholeheartedly.

The goral (the lottery through which the Holy Land was divided among the Jews) spoke, because although it might seem that it was only a preparatory step, it was actually a purpose in and of itself.  It was not apparent by looking at the Rebbe Rayatz that he would be leaving any minute on a dangerous journey, and in the middle of a farbrengen of the Rebbe the El-Al plane that was scheduled to depart did not exist (as per the well-known story).

The true and complete Geula is, as it says – true and complete.  Not as a preparation for something else.  The preparations for the Geula, especially in the final moments, also need to be true and complete.  Don’t look at something as a preparation for something else.  Everything is an end unto itself.  Where Hashem put it, where the Rebbe sent us, that is our place.  That is where we need to be and bring about the hisgalus from there.

In simple words, as we stand so close to the Geula, each and every Jew needs to get used to the Geula and place himself in a position and feeling of Geula … by doing his avoda in this moment and in this place in the most complete manner, in thought, speech, and action.