“In every generation an individual descended from Yehuda is born who is qualified to be the Moshiach for Israel,” and that “one who qualifies because of his righteousness to be the Redeemer and when the time arrives G-d will be revealed to him and send him, etc.” And according to the announcement of my sainted father-in-law, the leader of our generation, the singular shliach of our generation, the singular Moshiach of our generation, that everything has already concluded, it’s understood that there has begun to be fulfilled the “send now the one You will send.”
Dear Readers sh’yichyu,
This Shabbos we celebrate the anniversary of the beginning of the Rebbe’s leadership and we “re-accept” his leadership again. In whatever context Yud Shvat is mentioned, we must never forget the words that the Rebbe started off his official leadership of world Jewry:
“This, then, is why the seventh is so cherished: it is he who draws down the Sh’china, in fact, the essence of the Sh’china; moreover, he draws it down into this lowly world. It is this that is demanded of each and every one of us of the seventh generation, and ‘all those that are seventh are cherished.’
“Although the fact that we are in the seventh generation is not the result of our own choosing and our own service, and indeed in certain ways perhaps contrary to our will, nevertheless ‘all those who are seventh are cherished.’ We are now very near the approaching footsteps of Moshiach, indeed, we are at the conclusion of this period, and our spiritual task is to complete the process of drawing down the Sh’china, moreover, the essence of the Sh’china, within specifically our lowly world.’”
These words are the guiding light to everything that is associated with our Rebbe and the entire seventh Generation. It is impossible to separate the Rebbe - and Chabad in general - from the mission statement of bringing Moshiach. Think of the words that the Rebbe spoke on 28 Nissan (5751): “What more can I do so that all the children of Israel should create an uproar and cry sincerely and cause Moshiach to come in reality, since all that was done until now, has had no effect – la’hevel v’la’rik! - and the proof is, that we find ourselves still in exile, and most essentially - an inner exile in Divine service. The only thing I am able to do - is to turn the matter [over] to you: do everything in your ability - things that are in the nature of lights of Tohu, but, in vessels of Tikkun - to actually bring our righteous Moshiach immediately, instantly, in reality.”
In the earliest documented description of the Rebbe’s dreams as a child we find the following (Igros Vol. 12): “From the time that I was a child attending cheider, and even before, the vision of the future Redemption began to take form in my imagination – the Redemption of the Jewish People from their final Exile, a redemption of such magnitude and grandeur through which the purpose of the suffering, the harsh decrees and annihilation of Exile will be understood…”
Dear Chassidim sh’yichyu!
On this special day of the Kabbalas HaN’sius of the Rebbe, we must put a special emphasis on the aspect of Kabbalas P’nei Moshiach - which must come by the people - which empowers the Rebbe to fulfill his life-mission in this world. In the words of the Rebbe (Chayei Sara 5752):
The shluchim have already begun long ago to fulfill the work of shlichus in spreading the Torah, Judaism and the Wellsprings of the inner teachings of Torah outward, and for a long time have even reached completion in the work of shlichus, according to the announcement of my sainted father-in-law mentioned above. Nevertheless, the true and complete Redemption has not yet actually come. It must be said, then, that there must be something that remains to be done that will bring the Redemption into reality.
What is needed is the following: It is known that “in every generation an individual descended from Yehuda is born who is qualified to be the Moshiach for Israel,” and that “one who qualifies because of his righteousness to be the Redeemer and when the time arrives G-d will be revealed to him and send him, etc.” And according to the announcement of my sainted father-in-law, the leader of our generation, the singular shliach of our generation, the singular Moshiach of our generation, that everything has already concluded, it’s understood that there has begun to be fulfilled the “send now the one You will send,” the shlichus of my sainted father-in-law. And therefore it’s obvious that the only thing that now remains in the work of shlichus is to greet our righteous Moshiach in actual reality, in order that he should be able to fulfill his shlichus in actuality and bring all the Jews out of exile!
Rabbi Avtzon is the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Lubavitch Cincinnati and a well sought after speaker and lecturer. Recordings of his in-depth shiurim on Inyanei Geula u’Moshiach can be accessed at http://www.ylcrecording.com.