Rav Avigdor
Miller on The Lubavitcher as Moshiach
Q:
If our
generation is the עקבתא דמשיחא,
the generation of the footsteps of Moshiach, why should our
generation be the lowest of all
generations?
A:
Now, I don't know if this is the generation of עקבתא דמשיחא, that I can't tell you, but
let's say it is. The answer is — you know what it
says: כי יראה כי אזלת יד
— When Hakodosh Boruch Hu will see that all the power is
gone from us, ואפס עצור ועזוב,
that there is nothing left, ואמר אי אלקימו,
and we will see there is nobody to help us, so that’s
when Hakodosh Boruch Hu will come to help.
That's what the Chofetz Chaim said; he said, “Please Ribono Shel
Olam. It’s getting late and we’re going lost.” He said, “Please come
quickly and help us.” That's a reason why Moshiach should
come — just because we’re the lowest of all
generations. Of course, it would much better if
Moshiach should come because we’re so good. However, nobody knows
what can happen yet — don’t be so sure that this is the
end; it can chalilah
get much worse.
I
want to tell you a word from the old Lubavitcher Rebbe — I'm
not a Lubavitcher, but the old Lubavitcher Rebbe said
something. In his time, they published a newspaper called הקריאה והקדושה — it was the
old Lubavitcher Rebbe. And there was a certain year when they said
Moshiach is going to come this year. He put himself out on a limb.
"Moshiach will come this year,” he said. It was years ago –
the old Rebbe, not this one. And the Lubavitcher? They were
organizing, making pronouncements: “This year! This year!” Everyone
else was ridiculing it.
And the year passed by and nothing happened. So I
offered him a consolation; my little cheap consolation I
offered to them. I said, “The Lubavitcher Rebbe is
right; he was right. He himself redeemed many Jews from
going lost; he was a Moshiach for many Jews.”
Who says your job is to worry about the Moshiach for the whole Klal Yisroel? What
about yourself? You're living only once in this world, and your job is
to be a Moshiach to rescue at least yourself. And if somebody
comes and rescues you like the old Lubavitcher Rebbe did, he’s also a
Moshiach. The old Lubavitcher Rebbe founded a yeshiva in
Rochester, a yeshiva in Buffalo, a yeshiva in Boston. He
founded yeshivos
wherever he went. In those days they didn't have such a
thing. It was before Torah
U'Mesorah.
How many children, how many Jewish boys and girls was he a
Moshiach for? And therefore Moshiach came; in a certain sense
it came. You have to worry only about the whole Klal Yisroel?!
You have to worry about each one of us! So Moshiach did come!
And therefore, although it's a virtue: אחכה
לו בכל יום שיבוא – Everybody should hope every day
that Moshiach should come, but in the meantime get busy and
redeem yourself. You hear that? Don't wait. There’s a lot to
accomplish.
TAPE
# 593
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