EVER WONDER, WHERE ARE THE WONDERS?

Are you seeing miracles and wonders in your life? If not, do you at least know where to look for them? * The peace of the Messianic Era brings success and prosperity on a global scale.

By Rabbi Boruch Merkur

As most of the world suffers ongoing lockdowns and restrictions, to curb the wrath of the pandemic, many Jews eagerly await the fulfillment of the prophecy for this tumultuous year, 5781 (תשפ”א- the transformation of wrath (אף) into miracles, Plaos Er’enu (from the acronym פ”א), “I will show them wonders.”

Are you seeing miracles and wonders in your life? I hope so. If not, do you know where to look for them? 

It should be clear where not to look. There is nothing to be found, nothing gained - no miracles or wonders - in dismissing the inner exile, galus, as a shameful distraction. 

For generations, exile has been seen as just that - an enticing fascination we are encouraged to distrust. But in so doing, our attention is constantly drawn to what we are supposed to ignore. No, I will not look at that 10,000-pound elephant! 

When we look for miraculous success, why look to an archaic model that leaves us ill-equipped to face the unique challenges of our times? Why must our children feel they are essentially bad because all they want is screen-time? Is it their fault they are not equally engaged in anything else, anything less compelling? They are children. We parents create their world. 

Imagine the world through their eyes. Many of our youth are sent to decrepit, aging schools. They are told they are important, the best! The world is at their command. Yet the masters who teach them these ancient rites and secrets, keys to the universe, are untrained and seriously lacking resources.

We fixate instead on the machine called outreach, but the greatest inspiration is achieved by simply becoming the genuine, vibrant, individual, family, or community we can be. That is a model for health and balance, beauty and peace. 

*

And that is the Rebbe’s vision for redemption, a glimpse of which the world has seen - in the time of King Solomon, Shlomo HaMelech, when peace brought success and prosperity to the Jewish people on a global scale.

“All the wise people of the nations were utterly overwhelmed – not through war, but - by the wisdom of Shlomo. That is why he was called Shlomo, because there was peace in his time (shalom haya b’yamav).”^[1] In fact, the nations brought to Shlomo the sparks of holiness (as is known regarding the tribute of the Queen of Sheba), resembling the ultimate peace of the Future Era.^[2]

Although King David, Shlomo’s father, was promised the throne for his descendants forevermore, Moshiach comes from “the House of Dovid, [specifically] from the descendants of Shlomo”^[3]:

The House of Dovid is “the principal dynasty.”^[4] “When Dovid was anointed, he merited the royal crown; the kingship became his and his descendants, etc., forever.”^[5] “The Davidic dynasty stands forever.”^[6] What is intended then by mention of Moshiach coming “from the descendants of Shlomo”?* 

(*FN 90: For if this phrase comes only to rule out the other children of Dovid, it should also have specified the son of Shlomo, for he too had several children.)

According to the inner meaning, the state of the world in the times of Shlomo reflects the way it will be in the true and complete redemption. In the time of Dovid there were wars, to the extent that it is said of Dovid, “You have spilled much blood”^[7] (for which reason he was denied the opportunity to build the Beis HaMikdash), whereas in the time of Shlomo, there was peace.

The reason for Shlomo’s achievement of peace is because he had profound wisdom, “Wiser than every man.” That is, in addition to kingship [the quality of Dovid HaMelech], he also had supreme wisdom. In fact, “Shlomo’s wisdom surpassed … all the wisdom of the Egyptians,” the unique quality of the Alef (“aalafcha chochma – I will teach you wisdom”) that emerges through gola, exile (the wisdom of the Egyptians) [to experience geula, redemption].”^[8]

The level of peleh, wonders, characteristic of the Future Era, is attained specifically through the refinement (of the wisdom) of the world.^[9]

It is fascinating that the highest and most transcendent dimension of Moshiach is attained specifically by refining the wisdom of the world, secular wisdom!

*

Moshiach possesses wisdom that surpasses even Shlomo HaMelech,^[10] thus he will “teach the entire nation Torah, including the wonders of the inner dimension of the Torah.”^[11] And since the core identity of each Jew is a spark of Moshiach, each Jew can experience geula by bringing each of the three levels of Alef into gola, the highest of which is the peace brought on by wisdom – alluded to by the words, “from the descendants of Shlomo.”

Geula (גאולה) means simply to bring Alef into gola (גולה). The Alef (אלף) is understood at three levels, the highest of which is peleh (פלא), the letters that spell “Alef” rearranged to mean “miracles, wonders”: 

Peleh is pure mind (Chochma), as it connects with Keser (reaching even P’nimius Keser^[12]), which completely transcends the world.^[13]

In particular, Peleh refers to the wonders in the Torah (“open my eyes that I may behold wonders in your Torah”), the revelation of the inner dimension of the Torah, “the esoteric reasons and secret treasures,” which are inherently wondrous and distinguished.^[14]  

The miracle of Moshiach is about the radical transformation of ourselves, to become the miracle itself. The power to do so is Chassidus, the inner dimension of the Torah, the peleh of the secrets of the Torah.

*

NOTES:

^[1] Shaarei T’shuva 56a

^[2] Seifer HaSichos 5751, pg. 528

^[3] Perush HaMishnayos Sanhendrin Perek Cheilek yesod 12. Rambam cites this law also in Seifer HaMitzvos, Mishneh Torah, and Igeres Teiman.

^[4] Rambam’s Laws of Kings 11:4

^[5] Ibid law 7

^[6] Ibid law 9

^[7] Divrei HaYamim

^[8] Seifer HaSichos 5751, pg. 527-528

^[9] Ibid, pg. 525, FN 73

^[10] Rambam’s Laws of Repentance 9:2

^[11] Seifer HaSichos 5751, pg. 529

^[12] The engaging, compelling world of taanug, pleasure in serving G-d.

^[13] Seifer HaSichos 5751, pg. 525

^[14] Ibid 524