The time: about 1700 years ago, the period of the Tanaim.
The place: Pumbedisa in Babylon
There was a commotion among the talmidim. From moment to moment it increased as the news spread. Rabbi Yitzchok, the Tanna Eloki, would be addressing the crowd. Excitement reached fever pitch and the huge beis midrash filled up with talmidim grabbing places in order to hear the lecture.
A silence fell over the beis midrash. The sound of the door opening broke the silence and the crowd stood up. Rabbi Yitzchok entered slowly, accompanied by two faithful students. He walked with measured steps to his place in the center of the platform, faced the crowd of thousands, and began to speak. He began to describe the wondrous events which will take place in the year that Moshiach is revealed and the confusion and fear that will prevail in the world, especially among the Jewish people. And how, amidst all the confusion, Hashem will announce that there is nothing to fear and that the time of the Geula has come.
Rabbi Yitzchok concluded and left. The tumult in the crowd was indescribable. This was no ordinary lecture, a chiddush in Halacha or a p’sak din, but something else entirely, a wondrous G-dly revelation.
A thunderous banging suddenly quieted the crowd and the voice of the announcer was heard: Our greatest rabbis, the Sages, will come up now to speak in continuation of what Rabbi Yitzchok said. The students quickly sat back down in their places and the beis midrash was once again completely full. Those responsible for maintaining order hushed the crowd. The Sages rose and began to speak:
“When Melech HaMoshiach comes and stands on the roof of the Beis HaMikdash, he will address the Jewish people and say to them: Humble ones, the time for your redemption has arrived!”
What took place in the hearts of the talmidim who heard this, we cannot describe. There is no question that at the end of that emotional day they sat down to a celebratory farbrengen and rejoiced and said many a l’chaim over the wondrous revelations they merited that day.
They were actually envious of the generation of the Geula who will merit to be there and to see the fulfillment of these events. They had merely heard about them, but those lucky ones would get to experience them! They dreamed about this era of the Geula and the revelation of Moshiach who would announce the Geula. Wow! What an amazing era!
***
About 1700 years passed and it was the year 5751.
2 Shevat 5751, 2:00 am
Woo, woo … Sirens pierced the night. The alarm rose and fell and could be heard throughout the country. Frightened people ran in pajamas with little children in their arms. Screams, wails, and the sound of crying echoed through the air. In a dramatic voice, the radio announcer said: Due to a missile attack on Israel, sirens are heard throughout the land. Residents are asked to enter their sealed rooms and to put on their gas masks.
I remember how scared I was when I heard the threats of the evil dictator, Saddam Hussein, who threatened to wipe Israel off the map. In my mind, the sounds of the explosions of Scud missiles sent from Iraq still echo. I will never forget the long hours I spent in the dark and claustrophobic shelter in my building with fear wafting in the air.
One morning, the Iraqi army conquered its neighboring country, Kuwait. Saddam Hussein announced that he intended on continuing toward Saudi Arabia and from there to Eretz Yisroel. The Saudi king asked the United States for help. Saddam’s response was: if Iraq was attacked by the Americans, he would send Scud missiles at Israel. The world was in an uproar.
Then, in the midst of this international crisis, one calm voice could be heard, the voice of the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach. He promised that that year would be a year of wonders, the wonders of the Geula. And this war was actually the realization of the events described by Rabbi Yitzchok who foretold about the year in which Moshiach is revealed. As the year progressed, the Rebbe said we already merited “the time when Melech HaMoshiach is revealed,” and he was already standing on the roof of the Beis HaMikdash in 770 and informing the Jewish people: Humble ones, the time for your redemption has arrived. The desire and goal of the Jewish people was being fulfilled before our eyes. How could we not sing and dance?
***
It was during the first days of the war, on Shabbos Parshas VaEira. I was sitting in my neighborhood shul, trying to take advantage of the peacefulness of the day to rest a bit from the confusion of the war outside. But then, I heard the sounds of war again, and a bloody battle took place before my astonished eyes. Huge armies of the mighty Babylonians, led by Nevuchadnetzar, galloped toward Egypt, the large empire.
I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, but it was no dream. It was about precisely this war that they read there, in shul, in the Haftora of that week, about one of the biggest wars in history between the two super-powers, Babylon and Egypt. Yechezkel the Navi, who lived at that time, prophesied about the victory of Babylon and its subjugation of Egypt.
I had wondered, why was I being told all this? How does all this pertain to me? Had the Haftora turned into a thriller tale about wars among nations thousands of years ago? I found the answer to my question, as always, in the booklet of Likkutei Sichos which the Rebbe produced for that Shabbos. In the sicha, the Rebbe asks my question and explains the following:
Whatever occurs in the world happens for our sake, for the sake of the Jewish people. Even regarding that war, which does not seem to have any connection to the Jewish people, Hashem says to Yechezkel: All this I did just so that the nations will recognize and see the fulfillment of your prophecies, so that a few more Jews will believe in you.
For this, and only for this, Hashem has orchestrated a mighty war which involves the entire world so that even those few Jews who still did not hear about the prophet of Hashem will see the fulfillment of his prophecies with their own eyes and will concede that the Sh’china speaks from his throat.
Then I suddenly got it. Wow! That is precisely what is taking place now, as the world panics and great wars take place between mighty powers. All this is meant just for us, so that all the Jewish people will see the fulfillment of the prophecies of the prophet of our generation, the Rebbe. While all the security experts spoke in frightened tones, the Rebbe’s soothing voice could be heard, saying: My children, do not fear.
Within all the noise and tumult he told his people the happiest news: Humbles ones, the time for your redemption has arrived!
So onward, soldiers! If Hashem is making wars so that another Jew will believe the prophet of the generation, surely we, as faithful soldiers, will do all we can to publicize to all Jews and the entire world, our Rebbe’s main prophecy: Hinei zeh Moshiach ba. And may we immediately see the fulfillment of this right now!