The Talmud states (Megillah 14a): A prophecy which was relevant for later generations was put into writing; a prophecy that was not relevant for later generations was not put into writing (for posterity).
Accordingly, the prophecy describing G-d’s indignation with the indifference and apathy of the nations [discussed in detail in the last issue], is actually a reflection of the state of affairs by the Jewish people.
Also today there are Jews who are apathetic to the fact that they are in golus. They have all their necessities both materially and spiritually, they argue, and they’re not bothered by the golus! They are indifferent and complacent to it, without any concerns.
Of course, every Jew repeats three times a day in the Amida “May our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy,” and “For we hope for Your salvation [every day and] all day.” But the problem is that five minutes later he forgets all about this! He gets involved in his daily activities and his personal matters (these could be good things, matters of Torah and Mitzvos . . ), but concerning the golus he is complacent! He is smug without any worries; the golus he is in doesn’t affect him.
Wouldn’t you expect that someone languishing in golus should care? Shouldn’t they be bothered?!
This lack of concern, this indifference is caused by the complacency of the “leaders” as the expression goes: “A fish smells from the head.”
For some time now, there has been a great tumult and “storm” about bringing an end to the golus; that the Jewish people can no longer tolerate this golus. As the prophet protests: “Ad Mosai - how much longer will You not have mercy on Yerushalayim?”
And after all this, when a Chabad chassid was approached and asked, “Where is the source in Torah for awaiting every moment, asking, hoping and demanding for Moshiach to come immediately?” the chassid became confused and wrote to me that he was at a loss to respond! And asked me how to answer that question!
If you are a chabadnik who comes to the farbrengens (gatherings), where it is constantly repeated with a “storm” that the golus should end, and the sources for this in Torah have already been indicated, brought and quoted, it has already been indicated that all of Torah and Yiddishkeit demands this preoccupation with Moshiach, and numerous explanations were already given on this topic, and nevertheless, when you are asked about this, you don’t know what to answer? What can be expected then of Jews who are not of Chabad?!
The outrage is not merely that a Chabad chassid does not have the answer (although he was at so many farbrengens), but what is bewildering is the impression this makes on the one who asked the question.
Consider this: By Divine Providence that individual came to him with his question, expecting him to reply in a satisfactory manner, and to strengthen his faith in the coming of Moshiach and his commitment to Yiddishkeit. The irony is, that not only did he not answer the question, but the one who asked it walked away with the notion: “Aha! I’m right! The chabadnik has no answer, and he always attends the farbrengens where those issues are extensively discussed, so it’s obvious that they have no answer to my query!”
When a Jew from outside of Chabad comes with these questions, you must answer him, (“Da ma shetoshuv” - know what to answer) because the questioner expects that of you.
But the problem stems from the indifference of those who did hear all the sources in Torah, and the explanations, and they are nevertheless complacent. This causes others to be complacent and indifferent. The Chabad chassid is held to a higher standard - and if he cannot explain why every Jew must constantly await and demand Moshiach, what can be expected of others?!
As for the question itself: Everyone is familiar with the “Tikun Chatzos” (midnight) prayer, which is printed in many siddurim. There one can see a constant refrain (many verses actually start with these words): “Ad Mosai?!” which means, how much longer will this golus continue? This means that we are asking G-d to end this golus! And this demand has to be constant, not only when we say the words Ad Mosai but throughout the whole day, as we say in the Amida prayer “We hope for your salvation all day”. These prayers were not made up recently in the United States, they are from Tehillim and Zohar etc.
And yet, because of the indifference of that chassid, this obvious answer did not come to mind.
When you look at your children or grandchildren, you see them singing enthusiastically, “We Want Moshiach Now” (or similar expressions of yearning for Moshiach), but your apathy is so pervasive that you simply cannot understand what’s going on, [because] there is nothing bothering you! But at least you have sense enough not to bother the child, because he will answer you that he heard this from me.
May it be the will of Hashem that these words should have their effect, that the indifference should be eliminated, that one should have the answers to the questions and actually give the answers, that every Jew must cry out “Ad Mosai, We Want Moshiach Now,” in any language, and that this should not only be verbally, but it should permeate all our thoughts and deeds, and thereby we will bring about the Geulah with Moshiach’s coming. (Mishpotim, Shabbos Mevorchim Adar I, 5744)
