I would like to begin a three-part article in preparation for Days of Judgment.
We stand in Chodesh Elul, waiting for the Gates of Redemption to open. Or perhaps we should say, the gates are waiting for us to knock. Or perhaps we should pound upon them with the knowledge that they will open. “Pis’chu li shaare Tzedek ….. Open for us the Gates of righteousness. We will enter and thank You, Hashem!” (Tehillim 118)
I believe that every thinking person feels that the world is nearing a climactic moment. Some object and claim “They have been saying that for years,” but I do not agree. As the Torah says: “R’ay … See!” The signs are before us! All we need do is open our eyes. One can see clearly that the course of history is about to undergo a fundamental change even more stupendous than Yetzias Mitzraim.
How do we know that the Final Redemption will be bigger than the Redemption from Mitzraim? It is an open Gemara!
“Ben Zoma said to the Sages, will we mention the Exodus from Egypt in the Messianic Era? But has it not already been said: Behold days are coming … when people will no longer swear, ‘As Hashem lives, Who brought the Children of Israel up from the Land of Egypt, but rather, as Hashem lives, Who brought … back the offspring of the House of Israel from … all the lands wherein he had dispersed them!’ The Sages replied: the verse does not mean that the mention of the Exodus…. will be [discontinued], but rather that the mention of the [Final] Redemption will be primary and the mention of the Exodus [from Egypt] … will be secondary.” (Berachos 12b)
Here is a beautiful moshul: There is a minhag to take out drops of wine from the kos during the Pesach Seder to represent the Esser Makkos. According to Yerushalmi (Pesachim 10:1) and the Be’er Miriam (which I saw in the Artscroll Interlinear Haggadah), these drops indicate the magnitude of Yetzias Mitzraim as compared to the Geulah Shelemah. Just imagine: we take a few drops out of the kos. The remaining amount (even if it is a small kos), is staggering compared to the tiny amount we have removed. The scale of what remains in the cup compared to the amount we have removed hints at the magnitude of the Geulah Shelemah as compared to Yetzias Mitzraim!
Since we are nearing such a climactic moment, it behooves us to approach Chodesh Elul with utmost seriousness. We can transform ourselves especially if we are aware of the awesome events in the world around us.
Following are the words of Rabbi Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler zt”l on the transition to the world of Moshiach. I must apologize for the strength of these words, but they are not mine! “The destruction of Edom will only come through the destruction of this world [as we know it]. Hakadosh Baruch Hu will cause the very foundations of life on earth to collapse. Tranquility will be disrupted, personal lives will be filled with worry, fear and yissurim and the entire world will cower in dread of destruction and devastation. Only then will the light of Moshiach be revealed, ‘And the saviors shall go up to Har Tzion to judge the mountain of Esav.’ (Ovadia 1:21) …. Then the kingdom of Edom will be destroyed and the light of Moshiach revealed.” (Michtav Me’Eliyahu)
How will we survive this cataclysm? Here are the words of the Alter of Novardok:
“[The verse (in Mishlei) states], ‘Trust in Hashem with all your heart,’ on which the Gr’a comments, ‘your heart must be fully imbued with the attribute of bitachon …. not part of the heart …. [but rather you should] trust in Hashem with all your heart’ …. Even if, Heaven forbid, a time of destruction were to come upon the world, this would not affect the composure of [the baal bitachon] at all. He will not fear regarding his personal circumstances and his heart will not tremble…. He traverses his world in complete serenity.” (Madreigas ha Adam, Artscroll)
Here is a passage describing the Month of Elul in the Novardok yeshivos.
“[During the Russian Revolution, a soldier of the White army approached [a student of Novardok] and said, ‘You are communists and are sentenced to death…. My first shot will be aimed at you!’
“[But] the student did not show any fear …. He told the soldier, ‘If G-d hasn’t decreed my death, nothing will happen to me.’ The soldier laughed. ‘How can you put your faith in G-d? Your life is in my hands, and I will kill you in a moment.’ [But] the student repeated himself: ‘Unless G-d wills it, you won’t be able to do anything.’
“These words pierced the heart of the soldier, who said, ‘I also believe in G-d, but I have never seen anyone with your level of faith.’ For the next three days, while the army destroyed the city, that soldier stood in the yeshiva and protected the students.”
To be continued, with G-d’s help, next week.
Rabbi Eliahu Eliezer Dessler zt”l
GLOSSARY
Baal bitachon: a person possessing bitachon
Bitachon: faith in G-d
Chodesh Elul: the Jewish month before Rosh Hashanah
Edom: Western Culture
Esav: Twin brother and primordial enemy of our Father Jacob
Esser makkos: the Ten Plagues
Geulah shelemah: the Final Redemption
Gr’a: Gaon of Vilna, a towering rabbinic figure from about 300 years ago
Hakadosh Baruch Hu: The Blessed Holy One (G-d)
Har Tzion: Mount Zion
Kos: cup (of wine)
Minhag: Jewish custom
Moshul: parable
Yetzias Mitzraim: the Exodus from Egypt
Yissurim: troubles
No comments:
Post a Comment