Era of Moshiach

Short Teachings

Lengthier Teachings

• Birthday of Moshiach!

• No more Lamentations

• Better Days?

• Future Refuge

• Let's Get Ready

• Moon Man

• Jewish Star

• Preparing for the Teacher and the King

• The Redemption of Wine

• The Teacher and the King

• The Death of Death

• Perceiving Miracles

• Stages in Redemption

The Birthday of Moshiach

Our Sages teach¹ that Mashiach was born on Tisha b’Av. This is not merely a description of past history. On the contrary, the intent is that every year, Tisha b’Av generates a new impetus for the coming of the Redemption.

A birthday is a time when the specific constellation which was in force during a person’s birth is once again ascendent, giving him power and strength. Thus, the birthday of Mashiach is a time when he, and the Redemption with which he is associated, are granted new power. This power, in turn, hastens the advent of the day when the Redemption will become actually manifest.

1. Jerusalem Talmud, Berachos 2:4; Eichah Rabbah 1:51.

[From Sound the Great Shofar, p.74  ]

No more Lamentations

On the eve of Tisha B'Av each year Reb Avraham of Chechanov would have to buy a new copy of Kinos--Lamentations. For every year, as soon as the mournful service was over, he would stow away his copy in the place where old and battered sacred books were lodged until they were buried. And each time he did this he would say: "I am sure that Moshiach will come this year, and then we won't have any further need for books of Lamentations."

[From A Treasury of Chasidic Tales]

Future Refuge

The Torah designates six cities of refuge to which a person who has inadvertently killed someone can flee and atone for his deed. Three were established in the Land. When Moshiach comes and the borders of Israel are expanded to include the territory of the Kini, Kenizi and Kadmoni, three more cities of refuge will be established.

But why will additional cities be necessary in the Messianic Era? If peace will reign supreme, and violence between men will disappear from the face of the earth, what purpose will these cities of refuge serve?

Although no new acts of violence will occur, the cities of refuge will allow those Jews who accidentally killed someone throughout the centuries of exile to seek atonement and be worthy of the Messianic Era.

(Lubavitcher Rebbe)

Let's Get Ready

Once the students of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi asked him, "Rebbe, we pray, we ask, we beg G-d to bring the Moshiach--why hasn't he arrived yet?"

The Rebbe looked up from his holy books and shook his head. "Perhaps the Moshiach which you are waiting for is not the one which G-d wants to bring."

[From Let's Get Ready- quoted in L'Chaim #225 / Pinchas 5752]

Moon Man

"When she gave birth there were twins...and he called his name Peretz, and afterwards his brother...and he called his name Zerach." (Gen. 38:27-30)

Peretz is the direct ancestor of King David and Moshiach. The Midrash notes that "Before the first enslaver of Israel (Pharaoh) was born, the ultimate redeemer of Israel (Moshiach -- Peretz) was already born." G-d thus brought about the remedy and cure before the affliction - before the Egyptian exile and all the exiles that would follow thereafter - including our own.

This "light of Moshiach" that was created with the birth of Peretz confers upon Israel the strength and ability to succeed in their exiles to "break through" (the meaning of the name "Peretz") all the obstacles that try to impede their service of G-d until Moshiach is revealed.

Our Sages compare Zerach to the sun and Peretz to the moon. The sun continuously shines in an unchanging manner; thus it symbolizes the stable manner in which tzadikim (the righteous) serve G-d. The moon's appearance keeps changing; it continually waxes and wanes.

The moon thus symbolizes ba'alei teshuva (penitents), who "slipped" and strayed and then returned and regained their spiritual stature. The royal house of David, the very source of Moshiach, is precisely from Peretz (the moon), because Moshiach will bring even tzadikim to do teshuva, to return to their Divine source.

(Likutei Sichot)

Jewish Star

Although one passage in the Jerusalem Talmud states that this verse refers to Moshiach, another interprets it as referring to every Jew. This seeming contradiction is resolved by the Baal Shem Tov, who said that every Jew contains within him a spark of the soul of Moshiach. Furthermore, this spark is more than just a latent aspect; every Jew is able to bring that spark out into the open, bringing about the actual manifestation of Moshiach by means of Torah and mitzvot, which effect a purification and refinement of the physical world. This will be achieved in macrocosm with the coming of Moshiach, who will reveal the world's goodness and holiness.

(Peninei HaGeula)