Ikvesa De-Meshicha

 

What are Am Yisrael’s Weapons?

"Go into the Teva" to the Torah (and speak to Hashem)

"Elchanan Wasserman in his ... we should go to the Torah, 

which is our mirror, and there we shall see clearly the truth”

Ikvesa De-Meshicha

If we wish to grasp the essence of the events in our lives, we must seek verses and statements that pertain to the period of "ikveta de-meshicha," i.e., the period of transition between exile and redemption. If we compare that which is written to what is taking place, we see in the Torah – as though through a clear glass – all that is happening to us, and all the reasons for it. Everything that is stated in those verses is being realized, and everything that is being realized was foreseen.

We may indicate several periods in the history of the Jewish nation: the period of the Tannaim, the period of the Amoraim, the period of the Savoraim, the period of the Geonim, the period of the Rishonim, etc. The final period is referred to in the holy writings as "the end of days," and the Gemara refers to it as "ikveta de-Meshicha," the footsteps of the Messiah (Sota 49b), or "chevlei Mashiach," the birthpangs of the Messiah (Ketubot 111a). The concept of the "end of days" includes the period immediately preceding the redemption and the redemption itself, while the "footsteps of the Messiah" or the "birthpangs of the Messiah" refers only to the final period of subjugation.

 

A proposal has been made to combine the Ĥareidi Beit Din with the Chief Rabbinate. It is well known that he who heads [the Chief Rabbinate] has written and signed on a declaration calling on Jews to contribute to Keren Hayesod. It is also known that the funds of Keren Hayesod go towards educating intentional heretics. If that is the case, he who encourages supporting this organization causes the public to sin on a most terrible level. Rabbeinu Yona in Sha'arei Teshuva explains the verse "The refining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, and a man is tried by his praise" (Prov. 27:21) as meaning that in order to examine a person one must look at what he praises. If we see that he praises the wicked, we know that he is an utterly wicked person, and it is clear that it is

forbidden to associate with such a person. Letter to Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinski, June 25, 1924

Rabbi Elhanan Wasserman pointed to the advice offered long ago…

to be saved from the hevlei mashiach, a person should engage in study of Torah and perform acts of kindness.

Kovetz Ma'amarei Ikveta de-Meshicha (Jerusalem, 5762), pp. 291-328.

and

Hebrew:  http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/ezrachut/tsiyonut/ikveta.pdf