Moshiach is Achdus and Achdus is Moshiach

Dear Reader sh’yichyeh,

We are all preparing for the Yom Tov of Shavuos, the Yom Tov of Mattan Torah. Before the Yidden received the Torah, the Torah tells us that the Jewish people came to Har Sinai and “Va’yichan sham Yisroel neged ha’har – He rested there opposite the mountain.” Rashi comments on the singular term “He rested,” as opposed to “they rested,” explaining that the Jewish people were “K’Ish echad b’lev echad, as one man with one heart.” That is the proper preparation for receiving the Torah.

The Rebbe’s directive, given over in 5746 on Shabbos Behar-B’Chukosai, is well known. “This coming Shabbos, which blesses the month of Sivan and on which we read the portion of BaMidbar, is clearly the most appropriate time for Ahavas Yisroel gatherings to take place. Therefore I propose the following soulful request:

“This coming Shabbos, during the time of Mincha, late afternoon, Jewish people all over the world should gather in great numbers – men, women and children: ‘with our youth and elders, …our sons and daughters’ – in a manner of ‘brothers dwelling together.’ There should be joyous gatherings of friends and festive meals (of course, men and women separately). At these gatherings words of Torah should be spoken on the topic of Ahavas Yisroel and Jewish unity. The entire subject should be broadly covered. Starting with Scripture ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ on which ‘Rabbi Akiva said this is an important rule of Torah,’ and which was also interpreted (by Hillel) as ‘that is the whole Torah while the rest is commentary thereof….’ Then, the study should follow through the practical halachic details, as described in Mishneh Torah of Maimonides, and finally the in-depth explanations on the profound quality of Ahavas Yisroel, as developed in Tanya and all the symbolic and exegetic interpretation presented by the great Sages of Israel, whose Torah works have been widely accepted.

“To all this we should add a special emphasis, that when we increase our love for fellow Jews and intensify Jewish unity, the causes of the exile will be dissolved and automatically the effect, the Diaspora, will disappear.

“The subject matter for discussion should obviously be chosen with presence of mind and understanding of the audience so that it will be appreciated, comprehended and absorbed, to the point of influencing and enthusing the listeners. Hopefully, the enthusiasm will be contagious and they will go on and influence others, and strengthen and encourage others, to further the goals of Jewish unity. If, for some reason, these gatherings cannot take place on Shabbos, then they should be scheduled for a subsequent fitting day, such as Sunday, Rosh Chodesh, etc. It is of primary importance that this call should be publicized and transmitted to the widest possible audience.

“Those who will carry out this mission should involve themselves with energy, enthusiasm, vigor and excitement. They should keep in mind that this is spiritually essential for the Jewish people, and that we are dealing with an exceptional and unusual matter. Practically speaking: Preparation for these activities and appropriate publicity should start as soon as possible and every moment of the day should be properly utilized. The approach must be in a pleasant and peaceful manner, day by day, leading up to the coming Shabbos and especially the time of ‘greatest delight’ (late afternoon), when everyone will gather together. And although in every time zone on the globe the time of Mincha is different, nevertheless, in the spiritual realm they all unite so that all Jews will be united simultaneously as truly one.

“In approaching the preparation for these gatherings there will surely be those who will be concerned about the expenses. The first answer is that in each place they will certainly find the necessary funds, especially since everyone knows that in matters of holiness we must participate with our money, which indicates how important the matter is.

“However, if there should be a place where the problem of finances will cause a diminution in the potential activities, then, after the program has been completed, they should inform the local Merkos offices and the list of the deficits should be transmitted here, and from here the necessary funds will be forwarded to cover the expenses, with happiness and gladness of heart. May it be G‑d’s Will that our good resolution accepted now will forthwith generate the reward that is fitting for Ahavas Yisroel and Jewish unity, the suspension of the galus. And we will speedily merit the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach.”

Last Shabbos, here in Cincinnati, we had a historical Shabbos of unity. Over 100 Talmidim from across the USA, including the entire Queens Yeshiva, came to Cincinnati for a special “Shabbos Achdus Lekabel P’nei Moshiach Tzidkeinu!” That was the theme of the Shabbos which permeated all the Divrei Torah and farbrengens over the Shabbos. Many of the local Anash joined in as well.

At the main Farbrengen, after Mincha as per the above directive, Rabbi Mendel Scharf, Menahel of the Mesivta in Queens, kept on repeating and making sure that all in attendance internalized: “There are some who try to separate Moshiach from Achdus and Achdus from Moshiach. But we all have to know and internalize that Moshiach is Achdus and Achdus is Moshiach! These two concepts are inseparable and in truth are really one and the same!”

After Shabbos, something occurred to me. If you look at the HaYom Yom, you will find that many of the days that are strongly connected to Moshiach have HaYom Yoms that speak about Ahavas Yisroel!

Here are some examples. We all know the sicha of 28 Nissan 5751. On that day, the Rebbe gave each and every one of us the responsibility to bring Moshiach. Indeed the whole Mivtza Moshiach can be traced to that sicha. What is the HaYom Yom of 28 Nissan? “Chassidim once asked the Alter Rebbe: ‘Which kind of Divine service is superior: cultivating a love of G‑d or cultivating a love for one’s fellow Jew?’ [The Alter Rebbe] answered: ‘Loving G‑d and loving one’s fellow Jew are both equally engraved in the soul of every Jew. Nevertheless, it is explicitly stated: ‘I have loved you,’ declares G‑d.’ From this we can conclude that the love for one’s fellow Jew is superior, because it involves loving what one’s Beloved loves.’”

On 15 Iyar 5751, the Rebbe personally gave out the D’var Malchus to each Chassid. This kuntres, which consists of four sichos that explain the halachos of the Rambam that speak about Moshiach, are essential to fulfilling the Rebbe’s directive that learning about Moshiach is the direct path to bringing the Geula. It also marks the first day that the Rebbe publicly, in recorded video, encouraged the Chassidim to sing “Yechi.” What is the HaYom Yom of this special day? “In the Alter Rebbe’s time, there was a saying common among his Chassidim: ‘The piece of bread that I have is yours just as much as it is mine.’ And they would say ‘yours’ before ‘mine.’”

On 28 Sivan, we celebrate the miraculous rescue from war-torn Europe and the arrival to America of our Rebbe and Rebbetzin. It is also the day, in 5751, that the Rebbe spoke the sicha which is the basis of the “Kuntres Beis Rabbeinu Sh’B’Bavel”. In this special kuntres, the Rebbe speaks about 770 and how it will connect to the Beis HaMikdash. In that sicha, the Rebbe said: “The most essential matter is to bring about the true and complete Redemption. And in order for G-d to achieve this goal He ‘needs,’ as it were, the participation of every Jew. This means living Jews, souls within bodies. The Redemption comes through ‘our deeds and efforts,’ and it depends, as it were, on the Jewish person’s consent, desire and proclamation that not only has ‘the time for your Redemption arrived,’ but that the Redemption is actually here, literally speaking. As mentioned above, Geula (Redemption) is cognate to the term Gilui (Revelation), and is a reference to the revelation of the Master of the world within Gola (exile). It is the effort of the Jews in exile that brings this about.”

What is the HaYom Yom of 28 Sivan? “After the Tzemach Tzedek told his son, my revered grandfather, the Rebbe [Maharash], about an incident that once happened to him, he concluded: ‘When one helps a Jew make a living, even to earn a mere seventy kopeks when he’s selling a calf, the gates of all of the Heavenly palaces are open for him.’”

Several years later, my revered grandfather, the Rebbe [Maharash], told this whole story to my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab], and added: “Though ideally one should know the path to the heavenly palaces, this is not crucial. What is of fundamental importance is to help another person wholeheartedly and with warmth, to take pleasure in doing a fellow Jew a favor.”

Are we seeing the connection? “Moshiach is Achdus and Achdus is Moshiach! These two concepts are inseparable and in truth are really one and the same!” Let us finish with the words of the Rebbe that revolutionize the type of unity that is demanded from us right now as we prepare for the Geula, published in Besuras HaGeula chapter “32 – Lev”:

“The connection between Ahavas Yisroel and the future Redemption can be emphasized yet again, not only because the negation of exile comes through the negation of the cause of exile (which comes through the opposite of Ahavas Yisroel). For in our situation, after the completion of our actions and Divine service throughout the time of exile, and after the completion of all forty two journey in the ‘wilderness of the nations,’ [when] we find ourselves already ‘by the Jordan near Jericho’ (the stage of Moshiach who ‘smells and judges’), on the threshold of Redemption, certainly the reason for exile has already been corrected. Therefore, the emphasis on Ahavas Yisroel anticipates the beginning of the true and complete Redemption, which is connected with the point of unity above any division. This emphasis on the unity of the Jewish people is a result of the aspect of yechida (the fifth level [of the soul]) that is in all Jews equally. For this is a spark of the soul of Moshiach, the general yechida.”

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