Schneur Berger was there, at Israel’s International Airport, to witness air traffic control divert planes to military airfields to clear the runways for gigantic clouds.
The thousands of tourists who filled Terminal 3 at Ben Gurion Int’l Airport panicked. Outside the giant terminal windows they noticed a large cloud flying low and then landing on the ground, within seconds, with surprising gentleness.
Moments passed and the phenomenon repeated itself once and again. More and more clouds began to arrive, packed with Jews. Nevertheless, there is enough room. Waves of clouds keep rolling in and landing on and between the wide runways, filling every corner of the vast area overlooking Kfar Chabad.
Those with sharp eyes noticed an unusual degree of activity through the glass of the control tower. Something is happening. Everything is chaos. Nobody understands why, how and when. With all the massive traffic an odd, unfamiliar silence fills the air.
Rabbi Nachman Madanchik, director of Chabad at the airport for the last few decades of galus, immediately recovered and began running to the office of the director of the airport. Without knocking, he opened the door and yelled, “Moshiach came! Stop all plane movement!”
The director looked at R’ Nachman in surprise. He knows R’ Nachman as a nice fellow, not as someone who bursts into offices. The director gets up and puts a kippa on. “Yes, we are feeling something in the air, but why stop …” Before he could finish his sentence, from the window overlooking the runway, piles and piles of clouds could be seen with Jews on them.
The director, a cool character, an officer in an elite unit in the past, immediately recovered. He opened the whatsapp group of senior airport officials and wrote briefly, “The gathering of exiles has begun! The clouds are already streaming in! Stop all flights immediately!”
R’ Madanchik did not stick around. He sped off to the landing field which was already packed with thousands of Jews. These are the first to arrive from France, South Africa, Alaska and Hong Kong1. These people had immediately realized the awesome significance of the moment when they saw the clouds arriving in their countries. They didn’t even stop off at home to pack, but immediately hopped on the clouds. Nobody seems interested in waiting around for buses to take them to the Beis Ha’Mikdash, and they begin to set out on foot towards Yerushalayim. Something about this walk seems a whole lot easier, almost like skipping. Clearly, they want to get there as soon as possible to grab good spots to meet the Rebbe Melech Ha’Moshiach.
ON CLOUDS OF HEAVEN
More and more clouds come pouring in at high speed2. Suddenly there is a booming sound. An especially large cloud passes overhead carrying the building of 7703, surrounded by another approximately seventy shuls from around Crown Heights4. Sharp eyes can discern the buildings of Oholei Torah and Chovevei Torah, and many other familiar structures. Folks on the ground can easily hear the sweet sound of song coming from the cloud, with thousands singing as one, “Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu Melech Ha’Moshiach L’olam Va’ed.”5
With everybody’s eyes straining upward, hundreds of large clouds pass quickly with shuls from Belgium, Tunisia, Morocco, Canada and many other countries. The control tower seems superfluous, as people can sense a divine hand controlling and guiding the traffic. Many of the clouds continue directly to Yerushalayim, where they land, dropping off Jews, shuls, yeshivos and Torah centers. Those places that served as beacons of light in the darkness of exile are now arriving to be attached to the Beis Ha’Mikdash along with “Beis Rabbeinu” 770.
On the next wave of clouds, private homes also begin to appear. These are the homes of those Jews who fulfilled the directive of the Rebbe to turn their private residences into houses of Torah, Tefilla, and good deeds, and were just upgraded to first class cloud transport along with all the shuls.
One of the rabbis standing on the ground was watching the sight, and his eyes shone from joy and pleasure. He stroked his impressive beard and stated in a factual tone as he pointed to the clouds, “This will take quite some time. It will continue on and on until the last of the castaway Jews arrives6. Even the sinners and the lowliest characters, and even those who never knew that they were Jewish, will also come here via the clouds of heaven. Until the Geula is complete, meaning that every last Jew arrives, it will not end.”7
Yossi Wiesel, a student at one of the local Torah elementary schools in the area, who was standing there transfixed, suddenly seemed to snap to attention and turned to his father in response to what the elder rabbi had just said, “We learned about that in Chumash class. It says, ‘And Hashem, your G-d, will bring back your exiles, and He will have mercy upon you. He will once again gather you from all the nations, where Hashem, your G-d, had dispersed you. Even if your exiles are at the end of the heavens, Hashem, your G-d, will gather you from there, and He will take you from there. And Hashem, your G-d, will bring you to the land which your forefathers possessed.’
Another wave of clouds passes close by, this one seems especially large. It seems that these clouds are carrying millions of Jews from the “ten tribes,” who were dispersed and lost in the years before the exile to Bavel, and now Hashem is bringing them from the ends of the earth.8
BORUCH HABA MELECH HA’MOSHIACH
The Rebbe Melech Ha’Moshiach is already seated on his royal throne, with the other Chabad Rebbeim standing alongside. Nearby are all the great leaders of the Jewish people through the generations: Moshe and Aharon, the Avos and the twelve sons of Yaakov, and the leaders of subsequent generations. More and more righteous individuals from different time periods keep arriving to join them, as they have merited to be resurrected in the first stage of the Geula9. All present joyously greet the arriving Jews from every background and community, who have arrived from all around the world. One can sense a special glow on the faces of the simple Jews more so than on others.
Loud trumpet blasts sound from the Har Ha’Bayis, from behind the walls of the courtyard. It seems that the Kohanim and Leviyim are starting to get organized in order to begin the sacrifices.10
The area that is Yerushalayim seems to keep expanding from second to second11 in order to contain the incalculable number of Jews who keep streaming in from all sides. Somebody mentions the need to organize a greeting line to enable every Jew to pass before Moshiach and wish him, “Boruch Haba Melech Ha’Moshiach.” Many of those present ask the Lubavitchers to let them read the cards in their wallets with the five blessings, and review the rarely-said brachos by heart so that they can say them when they pass the king.12
Somebody who decided that he is on the “order committee” gave a shout, “Stand in the line.” Somebody asks if the the Rebbe will distribute dollars, and the people around him react with surprise, “Dollars? For what? Tzedaka was only necessary in galus; we are past that point now.” Someone else argued that “there is no difference between this world and the Days of Moshiach, except for subjugation to the nations,” and there is still a place for money and tzedaka. Well, it is pretty clear that lots of confusion still reigns until things shake out.
Either way, a very long line begins to form. Everybody wants to pass before Melech Ha’Moshiach and bless and be blessed. Here and there, some arguments break out. It appears that there are those who claim that it is an embarrassment to present ourselves to Moshiach, considering all of the things that we did and did not do during the years of galus. They are of the opinion that we need to “hide in caves of rocks” so that Moshiach will not have to see and smell us and our actions. “How can we dare show our faces?”13
There are some first signs of movement at the head of the line. Somebody informed the crowd that now those Jews, who were under the impression that they were of the genealogical line of Kohanim and Leviyim, were passing before him. They are asking Moshiach to inform them who is in fact a proper kohen or levi.14 Time is short and everybody has a job to do, but they can’t get started until Moshiach certifies their tribal affiliation, something that only he can do.
They are saying that after the Kohanim and Leviyim, everybody else will be given a chance to pass. Anybody who wants to know to what tribe he belongs, will be able to get the exact information without any doubt.15
Yossi Wiesel snapped awake from his magical reverie, and asked his father, “What will be after that?”
“I don’t know yet, but it is important for us to know where we belong in order to receive our portion of land in Eretz Yisrael, in the area designated for our shevet.”
Apparently, Moshiach had already divided the land into thirteen sections, twelve for the tribes including that of Levi, with the thirteenth portion designated as the area of residence of Melech Ha’Moshiach himself.16 Our reporter was informed that included in that thirteenth portion is the replica of 770 in Kfar Chabad, and that the late Chassid, R’ Zushe Rivkin has already been resurrected and was spotted on the site with a team of workers, showing them the plans for the palace that is being built as the private residence of Melech Ha’Moshiach.
SHACHARIS IN 770
Nighttime. The first night of the Days of Moshiach descended upon the world.
High-speed trains and endless rows of buses brought the millions of Jews to various cities. The local residents opened their homes for the guests. [At least until the fulfillment of the prophecy, “And I will return the captivity of my nation Yisrael, and they will build cities that were left desolate and will reside in them,” although it is still unclear how so many millions of homes will be built in a short span of time. It remains to be seen.] There are no longer any language barriers or different mentalities. It suddenly seems that all Jews, whether from Morocco or Australia, France or South Africa, all speak the holy tongue of Lashon Ha’Kodesh.
The first families to return to their homes encountered lots of surprises; many gentiles were waiting for them in their yards ready and eager to serve their families; their homes were well stocked with refrigerators, heaters, and plenty of beds, in anticipation of the sudden population explosion. There seems to be plenty of everything for everyone in every place.
As the Wiesel family settled down for the night, the father addressed his son, “Yossi.”
“Yes, Abba?”
“Today, Boruch Hashem, they finished building the Mizbeach and inaugurated it, so early tomorrow they will already begin to offer up the morning Tamid (daily communal offering). Afterward, there will be shacharis with Melech Ha’Moshiach in 770 that is now attached to the Beis Ha’Mikdash.”
“What time will the davening begin?”
Almost automatically, the words of the traditional announcement in Yiddish for the Rebbe’s minyan in 770 were on his tongue. “L’erech tzen a’zeiger,” he said as he drifted off to sleep. ■
1 • “והיה ביום ההוא יוסיף ה’ שנית ידו לקנות את שאר עמו אשר ישאר מאשור וממצרים ומפתרוס ומכוש ומעילם ומשנער ומחמת ומאיי הים, ונשא נס לגויים ואסף נדחי ישראל ונפוצות יהודה יקבץ מארבע כנפות הארץ” (ישעיה יא, יא–יב).
2 • “ובקרוב ממש נזכה לגאולה האמיתית והשלימה על ידי משיח צדקנו – באופן ד’אחישנה’ ‘וארו עם ענני שמיא’ טיסה מהירה יותר מטיסה של ‘מטוס’, כי טסים ‘עם ענני שמיא’, עם ‘מטוסו’ של הקב”ה – לארצנו הקדושה”. (שיחה לילדי צ”ה, ד’ תשרי תשמ”ג).
3 • קונטרס בית רבינו שבבבל.
4 • מגילה כט, א.
5 • כפי הנהגת קהל אנ”ש חסידי חב”ד החל משנת תשנ”ג.
6 • דברים ל, ג–ד.
7 • שמואל ב, יד יד.
8 • יחזקאל מח. ובסנהדרין “עשרת השבטים אינן עתידין לחזור שנאמר “וישליכם אל ארץ אחרת כיום הזה. מה היום הולך ואינו חוזר אף הם הולכים ואינן חוזרים”, דברי רבי עקיבא. רבי אליעזר אומר: “כיום הזה מה יום מאפיל ומאיר אף עשרת השבטים שאפלה להן כך עתידה להאיר להם”. (סנהדרין קי, ב).
9 • ערוך לנר נדה סא, ב הוכיח מדברי הגמרא ביומא דף ה, ב: “כיצד מלבישן לעתיד לבוא? לעתיד לבוא נמי לכשיבואו אהרן ובניו ומשה רבינו יבוא עמהם”; “הרי פשיטא לגמרא דלכשיבנה ביהמ”ק וישוב העבודה יקומו משה ואהרן ובניו בתחיית המתים, אף שזה עדיין אינה עת התחייה לכל העולם, שהרי אין בין העוה”ז לימות המשיח אלא שעבוד מלכיות, וכן איתא בזוהר…”
10 • להעיר משיחת שבת מקץ תשכ”ח, ומאגרות קודש ח”ו אגרת א’ תרמ, שם מבואר כי מוכרח שקודם ייבנה המקדש ורק לאחר מכן יהיה קיבוץ נדחי ישראל, וזאת על פי פסק דין הרמב”ם הלכות מלכים, פרק יא הלכה ד’. אבל ראה שיחת ש”פ חיי שרה תשמ”ז הערה 36, שהרמב”ם בספרו פסק סדר המוכרח על פי הלכה בכל אופן, מה שאין כן הסדר שיהיה רק אם אכשור דרי ויהי’ כלו כל הקיצין לגמרי, שאז יבנה בית המקדש מלכתחילה בתכלית השלימות (על ידי כל ישראל וכשכל יושבי’ עלי’, וכו’).
11 • ילקוט שמעוני, ישעיה תעב “אמר רבי יוחנן עתידה ירושלים להיות מגעת לשערי דמשק”. וראה בשיחות קודש תשל”ד, ח”א.
12 • ראה מנחת שלמה להגרש”ז אוירבעך זצ”ל, קמא סי’ צא סקכ”ז. ובאריכות בגליון ‘התמים’ תמוז תשע”ז עמוד 53.
13 • שיחת פורים תש”ב.
14 • רמב”ם, הלכות מלכים פרק יב הלכה ג’.
15 • שם.
16 • יחזקאל מח.