NOW IS THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR MOSHIACH

A compilation of thoughts and stories about the Rebbe Rashab to mark his histalkus on Beis Nissan. * “Now, in the time of Exile, are the days of avoda, to prepare for the coming of Moshiach.”

REVELATION OF G-DLINESS IN A WAY OF WONDERS

The Rebbe Rashab connected the saying of the famous hemshech “Yom Tov Shel Rosh HaShana Sh’Chal Lihiyos B’Shabbos – 5666” in that particular year to the keitz (time that Moshiach is said to come) which is mentioned in a number of s’farim about that year.

(Sicha Acharon shel Pesach 5730)

SPECIAL NIGGUN

The Rebbe Rashab related:

In the summer of 5639 (1879) three great Chassidim, R’ Shmuel Dovber of Borisov, R’ Gershon Ber of Pahar and R’ Chaim Dovber of Kremenchug met in Lubavitch and stayed there for two weeks. They farbrenged several times and each time they sat for many hours and reviewed maamarim, sichos, and stories that they heard from the elder Chassidim.

One of the things that they discussed was an old niggun that the early Chassidim sang in the early years of the Alter Rebbe’s leadership. However, five or six years after his son, R’ Dovber, succeeded him, he said they should stop singing it in public except for certain people who continued to sing it with a special flavor and sweetness. Naturally, as time went on, fewer people knew the niggun until it was completely forgotten.

Apparently, this niggun was composed at the beginning of the Baal Shem Tov’s leadership and is comprised of three movements that correspond to the three worlds of Creation, Formation, and Action.

The words of the third movement are, “blessed is He, our G-d, Who gave us the Torah of truth and chochma, bina, and daas, to conceive the purpose of Creation and understand the intent of the soul’s descent to this world to do His will, may He be blessed and elevated, in subjugating the mind and heart.”

The Rebbe Rashab concluded:

Before the imprisonment of the Alter Rebbe, the avoda of the Chassidim was in the content and subject of the second movement, which corresponds to Formation, but after he was released from jail, and the teachings of Chassidus went from constriction to liberation, the avoda of Chassidim was specifically in the third movement and the emphasis was on what He gave us.

The third movement is the foundation of all of Chassidus and Chassidim delve in it from then until this day. With this movement we will welcome Moshiach the righteous redeemer speedily in our days, amen.

(Igros Kodesh HaRayatz, vol. 4, p. 298)

GOOD FRUIT

At one of the farbrengens of the Rebbe Rashab, the Rebbe suddenly got up and began dancing with the T’mimim, the students of his yeshiva, Tomchei T’mimim. Then he sat down and said, “May I merit to meet with them before Moshiach and then I can say, see the produce I have raised.”

(Toras Sholom)

WITH THE REBBE’S NIGGUNIM

One day the Rebbe Rashab stood up and said:

“All of us Chabad Chassidim must give praise and thanks to Hashem for the merit of hiskashrus to the Rebbe, for through this we are connected with the Ein Sof of Chochma of Atzilus, and with the niggunim of the Rebbe – the Alter Rebbe – we will go and greet Moshiach Tzidkeinu.”

(Seifer HaSichos summer 5700, Shabbos Parshas Pinchas)

FROM TEARS TO HOPE

The Rebbe Rayatz described the seider at the home of the Rebbe Rashab:

“The heartfelt saying and the pleading voice while saying, “pour Your anger on the gentiles who do not know You,” who do not want to know you, aroused the heart. The words, “for he consumed Yaakov and destroyed his dwelling,” led to heartfelt tears but then immediately there was the heartfelt, inner cry of,

“next year in Yerushalayim!”

(Seifer HaSichos 5701)

YEARNING

The Rebbe Rashab said:

“When Moshiach will come, speedily in our days amen, all will long for the days of Exile. They will then be angered over why they didn’t busy themselves with avoda; then they will feel great pain for the lack of avoda. Now, in the time of Exile, are the days of avoda, to prepare for the coming of Moshiach speedily in our days, amen.”

(HaYom Yom)

SELF-SACRIFICE AND LOVE

One Erev Rosh HaShana, the Rebbe Rashab told his son, later to be the Rebbe Rayatz, what his father R’ Shmuel, the Rebbe Maharash, had told him:

“When the soul of the Alter Rebbe had to descend, they told it that aside from it having a revelation of the essence of the soul down below, it would also appear in the role of the first leader of the Chabad leaders, and that through the service of self-sacrifice and love and kiruv that it would have for the Jewish people, the Jewish people would merit the revelation of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.”

(Seifer HaSichos 5701)