BESURAS HAGEULO
The Announcement Of The Redemption
1. Pesachim 106, end of side a.
The appointment of David, the King Moshiach, has already occurred, as it says,
"I have found David My servant, with My holy oil I have anointed him." It requires only an acceptance of his kingship by the people and a complete revelation of the attachment between the king and the people - in the true and perfect Redemption.
(From the talk of Shabbos Parshas Mishpatim, Parshas Shekalim, Mevorchim HaChodesh Adar, 5751)
1. Tehillim (Psalms) 89:21.
In regard to recent events:
First of all, it occurred that on the eve of this Shabbos, the heads of the great and important countries of the world, and at their head the leaders of the two superpowers, convened together. They resolved and announced a new era in the relationship between the countries of the world. The status of war between the nations of the world was nullified, to be expressed in a reduction and elimination of weapons of destruction until there is peace and unity, a working partnership and strong cooperation between nations for the good of all mankind.
Prior to this event (by Divine Providence) the President of this country declared to all his people (on Wednesday, "the preparation for Shabbos,") the beginning of the eve of this Shabbos) that he would announce and publicize a reduction and elimination of weapons of destruction, utilizing the money that was not spent to procure weapons to expand economic programs that provide for the citizenry. The announcement was confirmed by Congress, wherein the laws of the country are established and which have the force of law according to Torah ("the law of the government is the law")
One has to consider the lesson as well as the details of the event - its place and time, including its connection to the contents of the time in the Torah, the Parsha of the week, as will be explained.
The lesson of this event is a general and fundamental aspect of the Divine service of the Jewish people ("our work and Divine service while in exile") - to bring the coming of Moshiach:
One of the promises of the true and final Redemption through our righteous Moshiach is connected to the conduct of the nations of the world: "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
Furthermore, this will occur through the activity of our righteous Moshiach himself, as stated at the beginning of the verse,
"He will judge among the nations and reprove many peoples" ("The judge is king Moshiach... for he is the master of all the peoples, and he reproves them; he says to whoever in whom is found sin, let the crooked be made straight... and because of this there will not be war between one nation and another because he will make peace between them, and they will not need weapons of war, and they will beat them to make of them utensils for working the ground"). For
The Announcement Of The Redemption
8. Yeshayahu ibid, 2-3. Micha ibid, 1-2.
9. Commentary of Radak on the verse.
10. Iyov 28:5.
11. Shir HaShirim 2:8 and Shir HaShirim Rabba on the verse.
12. A common expression - based on Mishlei 21:1. See Likkutei Sichos, vol. 13, p. 285, note 1 and the marginal note there.
"At the end of days the mount of the House of the L-rd will be mended... and all the nations will flow to it, and many peoples will go and they will say let us go up to the mount of G-d, to the House of the G-d of Yaakov and learn from his way and go in his paths, because Torah goes forth from Tzion and the word of G-d from Jerusalem,"
and "the one who will teach them is the king Moshiach, about whom it is said, and he will judge."
The heads of the nations of the world are resolving and announcing the reduction and elimination of weapons of destruction and an expansion of programs that provide sustenance for the country and the world as a whole. This is the content of the promise that "they shall beat their swords into plowshares," breaking weapons of war to make them vessels for working the ground, "ground from which comes bread."
[Since they are currently making this resolution,] this is a clear sign concerning the beginning of the fulfillment of this promise of the true and complete Redemption through our righteous Moshiach.
A further clarification:
Since we find ourselves in the "highest time" of the coming of our righteous Moshiach, "Behold he (the king Moshiach) comes," we already see (an example) and the beginning of the effect of the king Moshiach on the nations- "and he judges between the nations and reproves many peoples and they shall beat their swords to plowshares..." Essentially, G-d is inspiring the rulers of the world ("the heart of kings and princes is in the hand of G-d") to resolve and announce together concerning the position and situation of "they shall beat their swords into plowshares."
The resolution and announcement occurred specifically at this time, because of its special connection with the true and complete Redemption through our righteous Moshiach.
It may be added, that the connection of the event to the beginning of the activities of our righteous Moshiach is also emphasized in the details of the event - the time and place wherein the heads of state made the resolution and announcement concerning the position and situation of "they shall beat their swords into plowshares":
The place wherein this event occurred (a place designated for representatives of the nations of the world to gather to deliberate among themselves in a courteous and peaceful manner) is in this country and this city. In the country and city wherein is "Beis Rabbeinu Sh'B'Bavel" [The House of our Rebbe in Babel], "Beis Chayeinu" [The House of our Life], the synagogue and study hall, the house of Torah, Prayer and acts of loving-kindness, [all creations] of my sainted father-in-law, the leader of our generation. He chose [this place] and established here the headquarters from which "Torah will go forth," the dissemination outward of Torah and the wellsprings into all corners of the world until the coming of our righteous Moshiach (when your wellsprings extend outward). For then also will the promise be fulfilled that "they shall beat their swords into plowshares."
The meaning of this concept is:
The Announcement Of The Redemption
15. See Igros Kodesh of the Rebbe Rayatz, vol. 2, page 492 ff. See there for cross references.
16. According to the ruling of the Rambam (Laws of Kings, chapter 8, halacha 10), that "Moshe Rabbeinu commanded, by Divine edict, that all who come into the world be compelled to accept the commandments commanded to the children of Noach."
17. Tzefanyah 3:9. See Rambam ibid, end of ch. 11.
When the leader of our generation came to the lower hemisphere and established his residence in this country and city, there began in force the purification and refinement of the lower hemisphere, extending there the revelation of the giving of the Torah (which had been in the upper hemisphere). More than this, it became the source from which extended and spread the fundamental activity of disseminating the Wellsprings outward literally into all corners of the world. This was done through the shluchim [emissaries] that he sent throughout the world (also to the upper hemisphere), to the farthest corner imaginable, in order to disseminate Torah and Judaism to all the Jewish people (including and specifically those dwelling among the gentiles and speaking their language and acting in all appearances like them).
Further, and this is also essential, he disseminated matters of goodness, justice and integrity between the nations of the world as well, through fulfillment of the commandments of the children of Noach.
As greatly emphasized in recent years, as we come closer to and approach the time of the coming of our righteous Moshiach, "Then I will turn to the nations a pure language to call all of them on the name of G-d and to serve Him with one consent."
In this last period (beginning with the year of miracles, and continuing into the years of "wonders I will show him" and "wonders in everything") this activity has reached its climax, with the breaking down of the boundaries of the country [Russia] that at its inception engraved on its flag and declared a war against the dissemination of Torah and Judaism, to the extent of waging war against belief in the Creator and Guide of the world. (This also includes the imprisonment of my sainted father-in-law, the leader of our generation, and consequently his expulsion from the borders of that country.) Nevertheless, the activities of the shluchim of the leader of our generation extended even there, spreading Torah and Judaism in secret and with real mesiros nefesh [self-sacrifice]. This continued until the recent period, when the decrees of the country were nullified, and it became possible to continue the activities of spreading Torah and Judaism with greater strength and vigor, openly and publicly. Finally, the previous government fell and a new government was established, declaring itself for justice, integrity and peace, based on belief in the Creator and Guide of the world.
As a continuation of this, on the eve of this Shabbos a meeting between the new president of that country and the president of this country occurred, in partnership with many other leaders of the great countries of the world. There they accepted the resolution and publicized its contents that "they shall beat their swords into plowshares."
The location of this conference, its resolution and announcement in the city of the leader of our generation, my sainted father-in-law (in which gathered the leaders of the countries, including as well the president of this country, who had to come from the capital city to this city) implies that all this came as a result of the activities in disseminating Torah and Judaism, justice and integrity throughout the world. That was done, and is being done, through the leader of our generation, the Moshiach of the generation.
The Announcement Of The Redemption
19. See the pamphlet mentioned above (in note 11), section 5, that the leader of the generation is the Moshiach of the generation. This is emphasized especially in regard to my sainted father-in-law, the leader of our generation, as alluded to in his two names: "Yosef" - "the L-rd shall set his hand again [Yoseef]... and gather the outcasts of Israel" (Yeshayahu 11:11-12), and "Yitzchak" - "then our mouths will be filled with laughter [S'chok]" (Tehillim 126:2. And see Brochos 31:1).
20. It should be noted, that the United Nations, organized for the purpose of peace and unity among the nations, was established in the lower half of the world after and in proximity to the arrival of the leader of our generation to the lower half of the world (beginning with the acceptance of the resolution in the middle of the war, about 5702, and principally at the conclusion of the war, about 5705). The headquarters were established in the city of the leader of our generation, even constructing a special building (about 5711). This emphasizes that the unity and the peace between the nations is a result of the activities of the leader of our generation in purifying the world (through the dissemination of Torah, Judaism, righteousness and integrity throughout the world). According to the increase of purification of the world through the leader of the generation, so also increases the solidification of an organization whose goal is to achieve unity and peace in the world, to the point of the completing and perfecting the purification of the world, fulfilling the prediction that "they shall beat their swords into plowshares," which is the foundation of this organization (to such an extent that it is emblazoned on the walls of the building.)
throughout the world. That was done, and is being done, through the leader of our generation, the Moshiach of the generation.
This is so to such an extent that through the completion of the Divine service mentioned above, at this time the whole world is made ready for the beginning of the activities of the king Moshiach, "and he will judge between the nations and reprove many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares."
The time in which this event occurred is also appropriately connected with the Redemption because of its connection to the life of the leader of our generation; for it occurred on the eve of the last Shabbos of the month of Shvat, the eleventh month, on the tenth of which is the hilulo.
