Archive Q&A Teshuvah Before the Geulah

Archive Q&A

Teshuvah Before the Geulah

What is the practical difference between the avodas Hashem we have had throughout the duration of galus (exile), versus the avodas Hashem of current times?

The unique avodah of today’s generation is to connect to Hashem earnestly and simply (with unquestioning loyalty), and from this we will merit the light of the Torah’s wisdom, because wisdom comes from ayin (the spiritual), for the Torah’s wisdom is longer than the land, wider than the sea, and vastly deep. In our times, besides for attaining the Torah’s wisdom by warring against the impure forces, the Torah’s wisdom is also attained through the pleasantness of this earnest and simple connection with Hashem.

How important is it in our times to be connected to tzaddikim of the past by learning their sefarim? Is more needed than this, or is learning sefarim of tzaddikim enough in order to have true aliyah in avodas Hashem?

The sefarim explain that there two “beginning points” to start from: Keser and Chochmah. When one starts with Keser, it is by beginning from a simple, direct bond with HaKadosh Baruch Hu, without using any intermediaries to get there. This is also known as the “ohr (illumination) of Mashiach ben Dovid”. The other beginning point is called Chochmah.

When one begins with Chochmah, he connects to HaKadosh Baruch Hu through the wisdom of tzaddikim. This is the “ohr of Mashiach ben Yosef ”. Every person needs both of these aspects in his avodas Hashem, but in the final generations, the main way of connecting to Hashem is through the ohr of Mashiach ben Dovid [by starting from Keser, which is to form a simple, earnest bond with Hashem].

Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben Dovid are growing up in this generation, where the yeridas hadoros is at its lowest point. How then is it possible they will be the greatest tzaddikim in history, even more than the Avos and Moshe?

It is because since there is so much tumah in the final generations, the rule is that Les nehora ela m’gav chasheicha, “There is no light like the light that follows darkness.” [the darkness and low level of ruchniyus in the final generation makes the tzaddikim of the final generation even more righteous than the previous tzaddikim of our history]. Even more so, the spiritual level of the two Mashiach’s will be a gift from Heaven to them, like what the Mesillas Yesharim says about kedushah (holiness), that “At first it is work, and in the end it is receives as a reward”. At first a person works hard to achieve kedushah, but in the end, he receives it as a gift from Hashem.

Chazal taught that Eliyahu HaNavi will arouse everyone to do teshuvah before Mashiach comes, which seems to imply that Eliyahu will enable each person to be redeemed even from the worst levels of tumah. Today we do not have a navi to rebuke Klal Yisrael and therefore perhaps we can give everyone the benefit of the doubt for falling into the “50th Gate of Impurity” through being connected to media and internet. And perhaps we can also say that Eliyahu and Mashiach will help all of Klal Yisrael be worthy of the Redemption, even if there is no mass teshuvah of the tzibbur. Does that make sense?

Eliyahu will not return everyone to doing teshuvah. This is because Chazal state (Eduyos 8:7) that “Eliyahu does not come to contaminate or purify, to distance or to draw close, only to distance with the arm those who are close, and to draw close with the arm those who are distant.” [In other words, only those who are already close to Hashem are the ones who will gain from Eliyahu’s revelation before the Geulah.] See also the Gemara Kiddushin 71a. Eliyahu will come to “return the hearts of the fathers on their children”, and it is certainly going to depend on each person’s particular level in ruchniyus, and chas v’shalom should a person say that we don’t need to do teshuvah before Eliyahu’s arrival. To the extent that one does personal self-work, that is how much one will merit the great ohr (the illumination) of the revelations of Eliyahu, followed by the revelations of the Geulah.

How can a person do teshuvah in a joyous way and stay positive, instead of falling into worry and sadness from all of his aveiros and personal shortcomings?

The suggested advice for this is that first, you should always see what positive gains you have had in your life so far, recognizing the value of what you have, and then thank Hashem for whatever good you have. Only after that should you reflect on your shortcomings. In this way, the beginning of your connection to Hashem will be coming from recognizing what you have, from actualizing your gratitude to Hashem about your good points and achievements - and from that positive state, you are now ready to do teshuvah for whatever areas you fall short in. This will turn your fears about your aveiros and personal shortcomings, into pachad d’kedushah (“holy fear”). When your fears about your past aveiros and personal shortcomings are appearing to you after have actively established a relationship with Hashem, only then can you recognize clearly whatever it is that you need to fix, and only from that healthier perspective towards yourself can you go about fixing your past.

Will the Geulah come only when we do teshuvah?

The Geulah is able to come even when the generation is entirely undeserving of it, as the Gemara says [Talmud Bavli Sanhedrin 98b]. When that is the case, there are no conditions to be deserving of Geulah [i.e. we can merit the Geulah even if we don’t separate from the sins of lashon hora, sinas chinam, excessive pursuit of luxuries, materialism and food, etc.]. But even more so, the Geulah will be an ohr (spiritual illumination) that is above our comprehension. And since it cannot be comprehended, you should not try to understand how it will happen. As Chazal taught: “Mashiach will only with hesech hadaas” (absence of understanding). Therefore, there is no place for making any calculations regarding the Geulah, and all we need to do [with regards to the words of our Sages about the conditions necessary for Redemption] is to be mechazeik (inspire) ourselves to improve, but we must not use any of the statements of our Sages to make any calculations of when and how the Geulah will come.