Revelations From Hilltop Youth

 The Geulah Shleima Will Not Arrive Via a Smooth Transfer of Power; It Will be Cataclysmic.

On enduring the upcoming pain.

Everyone loves predictions.
Odds.
Betting lines.
Polls, Polymarket and Predictit.
And Jews are no different.

But with us (and here I speak of kosher Jews exclusively), speculation generally centers around the geulah shleima, the arrival of Mashiach and the End of Days in general.

Of course, we've been warned repeatedly against such wagering (Sanhedrin 97B; Hilchot Melachim, 12:2) — that chasing after precise end-dates is a mug’s game that can only engender negative outcomes, and, moreover, Hashem’s dice are loaded, so to speak, so why even try…

Who, after all, could have predicted the 400 years of slavery and oppression Avraham’s offspring would have to endure (Bereshit 15:13), until the full scope of hindsight was brought to bear?That said, Hashem will certainly remain true to His prophets — though exact outcomes and numerical tallies are sure to surprise.

Interestingly, calculating the end is permitted, at least according to the following sources (and, yes, we admit to having thrown our own penny ante into the ring on at least one occasion):

Consider —

1. Ramban, in his Sefer HaGeulah, Ma’amar 4, explains that the prohibition [of the Talmud] only applied to earlier generations, but now that we’re on the eve of redemption, there’s no longer any issur.

2. The Zohar (1380) states that while it's not Hashem’s will that Mashiach’s arrival be revealed in its exactitude, even children will be able to figure it out as the time draws near (Bereishis 118a).

3. Abarbanel concedes that it's forbidden to make an astrological calculation of the ketz, but forecasts based on Tanach are allowed (Ma’ayanei HaYeshuah 1:2).

4. The Vilna Gaon and the Malbim rule similarly.

Our purpose here, however, is not to argue whose guess regarding Mashiach is most logical or convincing.
Rather, it's to stress that—
Chazal and the prophets speak at great length about the suffering that will be experienced in both the Jewish world and beyond when the ketz finally arrives.
What they describe there is a pain that’s completely unprecedented, without parallel in degree or scope.

Rabba said let him [Mashiach] come but let me not see him (Sanhedrin 98b).

No, we haven't come to discourage or to scare.

On the contrary.

We believe that what follows is the only way of successfully building the fortitude to withstand the upcoming birth-pangs of Mashiach.

WORSE, BEFORE IT GETS BETTER

With Moshe Rabeinu’s arrival in Egypt to set free the B’nei Yisrael, remember — things got decidedly worse.
Work quotas were increased and the gathering of building supplies was made the responsibilty of the slaves.
The Jews were decidedly not impressed.
With a redeemer like this, who needs freedom…?

Likewise in Shushan, where bowing down to Haman was humiliating, to be sure, but considered a small price to pay to ensure “good relations.” with our goyische host…

Until along comes this Mordechai character in all his stiff-necked yehuditude and refuses to fall to his knees! And davka in the very place it was mandated!

The result? Instant death sentence on the entire nation, and once again grave disappointment with the Jews’ next goel-provocateur, Mordechai.

At the end of the Megillah we’re told that “…Mordechai was accepted by most of his brethren” (Esther 10:3).

So much for gratitude.
But that's the way redemption works.

1. The redeemer shows up,

2. The evil ones decree harsher conditions,

3. The redeemer is either accepted and followed — or rejected, as the case may be,

4. And geulah thereafter ensues.

What's to come presently, we're told, will almost certainly rhyme with that paradigm.

Considering all the foregoing…

It behooves us to admit that while the last year has been a tremendous trial, and tens of thousands have suffered directly or indirectly from the war, and as a nation we feel every loss intimately…

No one can claim that what we’ve been through approaches the bitterness and torment of the two destructions of Jerusalem and the exiles that followed.

Or Beitar.

Or the Crusades.

Or the Inquisition.

Or Chmelnitskyi, yimach shemo v’zichro.

Or Hitler, yimach shemo v’zichro.

It’s like this:

Don't let anyone convince you that we’re on the doorstep — that redemption is just weeks or months or one more election cycle — or whatever — away.

Geula is close, yes.

But it won’t come without suffering.

Unprecedented suffering that brings about complete teshuva on the part of the Jewish People.

That’s the missing ingredient.

And, yes, it can come achishena if we all do teshuva first.

But folks, let’s be honest here…

We pray for it, yes. But the likelihood of that happening…?

Don't get us wrong; we love the Jewish people as much as the next Shmulik, and yes! Hashem is great, and He’ll help us if we all make sincere efforts and strive to be better…

But in all probability, we’re still going to have to suffer.

Which means we’re going to have to pay the full price, friends, baruch Hashem.

For a gift like none other.

It also means we’re going to need tremendous faith and trust to make it through.

Suffering is fine, after all, if you know why you’re suffering and you appreciate what your reward is for enduring that suffering.

And that’s where our energies should be focused now.

In building our connection with Hashem.

In understanding that everything that He throws at us is just a test, to see if we’ll continue to believe and trust and faithfully do as He’s commanded.

Expect The Best, Prepare For The Worst.

We who’ve familiarized ourselves with the annals of Jewish suffering know how bad it can get.

And we also know the proper route to successfully traverse those straits.

Unshakeable emuna and bitachon.

We’ve some painful hurdles to overcome, brothers and sisters.
Let’s help each other surmount them.
And the first step is — NOT to get lulled into a false sense of impending salvation.
It ain’t here yet.
And no fancy gematriot or elegant rendering of the numbers in Sefer Daniel can usher it in painlessly.
And that’s fine.
When things will take a temporary turn for the worse.
May we all merit to be purified like silver in a crucible.

Dean Maughvet

---

Patience.
Another tehilla.
More learning.
A quick chesed, here or there.
We’ll see it through, together.
And in the meantime, expect a few more rounds of cymbal-crashing contact in the mosh-pit.
Harden yourself.
Thank G-d constantly for the opportunity He's given us to draw closer to Him.
And steadfastly await the arrival of our righteous redeemer…