‘HOW CAN I CURSE MOSHIACH’S MOST PRECIOUS GIFT?’

By Nechama Bar

Erev Shabbos. The home of R’ Zev of Zbarizh was hustling and bustling. The rebbetzin rushed around in the kitchen while the Rebbe did his physical and spiritual preparations for the coming of the Shabbos Queen. Suddenly, in the midst of the commotion, there was a knocking at the door.

R’ Zev went to see who was there. At the door stood a group of Torah scholars. From the look on their faces it was apparent that whatever they had come for could not be postponed.

“Surely the Rebbe knows that for a long time we have been suffering from a cruel Jew who reports his fellow Jews,” one of them began. “More than once he nearly caused a tragedy. We cannot stand it any longer! We decided to gather together and pray for the death of this wicked man, but our prayers are not being answered. We fear that you have something to do with it… While we pray for his death, you arouse mercy for him. Please, we beg you, save us and join our prayers!”

R’ Zev listened silently and then said, “It will be Shabbos in a few hours. Please join me and we will see later what can be done about this.”

They looked disappointed. They had hoped the Rebbe would curse the wicked man then and there and they had looked forward to returning home and hearing the news about the man’s death. But after some discussion, they decided that if it didn’t help, it certainly couldn’t do any harm to stay, and they would get to spend Shabbos with the tzaddik.

Friday night, the guests told of the wicked man’s deeds and they hoped for salvation. But the Rebbe ignored what they said, and instead spoke fiery divrei Torah and sang heartfelt z’miros.

The next day, they once again tried to bring up the matter for which they had come, but R’ Zev did the same as the day before and did not say a word about the matter.

On Sunday, when the men were ready to return home, they impatiently said to him, “Will you answer our request and curse the evil informer? He is wicked and cruel and has no share in the G-d of Israel!”

R’ Zev smiled as though he did not hear them and asked, “It says in T’hillim that when Moshiach comes, all the gentile kings will ‘bring a gift to he who is feared’ – they will give a gift to Moshiach. You tell me, what kind of present can the gentile kings give him?” Silence reigned.

The question was interesting, but even more stimulating was, what connection did this have with the wicked man? The tzaddik did not wait and said as follows:

When Moshiach comes, the Jewish people will be going about their business. The innkeeper will be pouring wine, the shoemaker will be fixing a shoe; each person will be busy. Suddenly, a loud noise will be heard, the shofar announcing Moshiach.

Everyone will immediately drop what they are doing (the storekeepers, no doubt, will forget to lock their stores) and run to the shuls to grab another prayer, another mitzva, another chapter of T’hillim … a final opportunity before they appear before Moshiach. Who wants to appear before him bereft of mitzvos?

Suddenly, a large cloud will descend from heaven and a voice will be heard from above which proclaims that all who repented should board the cloud and be carried to the Beis HaMikdash. A select group of people are chosen while the rest shout and plead. Their hearts are broken, “What about us? We are promised that no Jew will be left behind in galus!” The cloud returns and collects another few Jews to take them to the Beis HaMikdash.

The remaining Jews will wail about their plight and will do a complete teshuva and they too will merit to go up to the Beis HaMikdash.

The nations of the world will also hear the mighty shofar and will be very frightened. They will know that their end is a bitter one. Their consciences will begin to bother them about the afflictions and decrees they inflicted on the Jews, but it will be too late. They will shortly be called before Moshiach and….

The leaders of the nations will convene to come up with a plan about what to do, how to be saved and appease the king so they are not destroyed. They decide that one of them will present a box of rare diamonds and another will describe his magnificent palace while another will praise his fabulous stable.

A wise man among them will sigh and say, “You do not understand. Everything we have is his. He will turn us into dust and ashes. Anyway, what does Moshiach need silver and gold for when all he desires is G-d’s Torah?”

Then he will come up with an ingenious idea. “I know what present he will be happy to receive! A Jew! Moshiach loves every Jew. Let us find a Jew who remained behind and give him as a present to Moshiach!”

“What a great idea! But where will we find a Jew? They are all at the Beis HaMikdash, enjoying what Moshiach is teaching them. Who, at this point in time, when the Jews are ascendant, would be left behind?” This was logically said by one of the leaders but he did not succeed in dampening the enthusiasm of his fellows.

“Everyone search in their area and in a few hours let us reconvene and then go together to present our precious gift to Moshiach.”

After much searching in fields and mountains, stores and houses, they will find this wicked man you speak of. Yes, that hardhearted individual who hated his fellow Jews all his life. Now too, when the shofar is blown, his heart does not melt.

He will remain as he was before, as though he is unaware of what is happening around him. The gentiles will rejoice. They will place this Jew in the fancy carriage of one of the leaders, decorated with the precious jewels of another leader, and with great rejoicing they will bring this treasure to Moshiach.

As for Moshiach, how will he react to the gift?

He will joyously call out, “This is the most precious gift of all, for every Jew, even the worst, is as precious as can be.”

The guests listened avidly as the Rebbe spoke. They understood the message. R’ Zev looked into each of their eyes and said, “And I, how can I curse and ruin Moshiach’s precious gift?”