"LIVING WITH MOSHIACH,"
11 Nissan, 5761
"Happy Birthday, Rebbe"
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"I BELIEVE WITH COMPLETE FAITH IN THE ARRIVAL OF THE MOSHIACH.
"AND THOUGH HE MAY TARRY, I SHALL WAIT EACH DAY, ANTICIPATING HIS
ARRIVAL."
Maimonides, Principles of the Faith, No. 12
THIS PUBLICATION IS DEDICATED
TO THE REBBE,
RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON
OF LUBAVITCH
In honor of his 99th birthday,
11 Nissan, 5761
Click here, to see pictures
of the Rebbe
The Daily Sicha (in Real Audio)
- Listen to selected excerpts of the Rebbe's Sichos
[talks] which are relevant to the particular day.
We are pleased to present, to the visually impaired and the blind, our weekly
publication, Living With Moshiach.
*
In this issue, we focus on the Rebbe's 99th birthday.
*
Our sincere appreciation to
L'Chaim weekly
publication, published by the Lubavitch Youth Organization, for allowing
us to use their material.
Also, many thanks to our copy editor, Reb
Mordechai
Staiman, for
his tireless efforts.
*
It is our fervent hope that our learning about Moshiach and the Redemption
will hasten the coming of Moshiach, NOW!
Rabbi Yosef Y. Shagalov,
Administrator,
Committee for the Blind
25 Adar, 5761
100th birthday of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka
Brooklyn, New York
"The spirit of G-d will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of G-d.
He shall be inspired with fear of G-d, and he shall not judge with the sight
of his eyes nor decide according to the hearing of his ears. He shall judge
the poor with righteousness and decide with equity for the humble of the
earth... Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle
of his reins" (Isaiah 11:2-5).
The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson of Lubavitch, issued a call that
"The time of our Redemption has arrived!" and "Moshiach is on his
way!"
The Rebbe stressed that he is saying this
as a
prophecy, and asks us all to prepare ourselves for the Redemption,
through increasing acts of goodness and kindness.
Let us all heed the Rebbe's call.
By Rabbi Shloime Ezagui
The Rebbe once recalled that even before the age of three, he envisioned
what the world would be like in the times of Moshiach. Nearly five decades
later, upon becoming Rebbe, his first official public address outlined the
mission of our generation--to bring about the long-awaited Redemption. And
today, as we approach the Rebbe's 99th birthday (on 11 Nissan (April
4)), the vision of almost a century ago remains clear and the mission unchanged.
True unity between the physical world and the Torah will only be apparent
in the Messianic era. However, as we are now rapidly approaching that time,
G-d is allowing us a glimpse into that ultimate reality. As the Rebbe has
said, all we need to do is open our eyes.
Consider this: There are 100 trillion cells in the human body. (To put this
number in perspective, a million seconds is 11 days, a trillion seconds is
34,446 years.) Most of these 100 trillion cells have a nucleus that contains
a complete set of the body's blueprints, which are twisted into packets of
chromosomes. Unravel a chromosome and you get DNA. Within the DNA are the
blueprints--genes--for making proteins. The DNA molecule has a twisted,
ladder-shaped structure. The genetic code can be read on the rungs of the
ladder. Four chemicals spell out the code: "A" pairs with "T" and "G" pairs
with "C," forming the rungs.
Now imagine a factory with over a million different machines at work. Each
machine is perfectly coordinated with all the others to produce a superior
product. If someone were to tell you that the factory exists by accident,
and the product it manufactures is also an unexplained coincidence, you would
say that the idea is ludicrous.
Similarly, it is totally illogical to assume that the human body, with its
over 100 trillion components, has not been put together by a Higher Power
for a positive, constructive purpose.
While it's true that just about every cell in the body contains the instructions
for making a complete human being, most of these instructions are inactivated
after the cells have become a particular organ. The only time cells truly
have the potential to turn into any and all body parts is very early in a
pregnancy, when so-called stem cells have not yet begun to specialize.
That is why the Torah tells us we can pray concerning the gender of a baby
until the 40th day of pregnancy, while there is still a chance to direct
the course. (Not long ago, doctors discovered that this is the point in gestation
when the baby's gender is determined.)
If doctors could isolate stem cells, then direct their growth, they might
be able to furnish patients with healthy replacement tissue. And cloning
is just the other side of the coin. With cloning, the genome within a developed
cell is reactivated, resetting its developmental instructions to their pristine
state. This ability to reset body cells could also potentially enable doctors
to cure disease.
What does all this have to do with Moshiach?
As the Rebbe has repeated many times, we mustn't accept outer limitations
but dig deeper into the Source. Science is now thinking in exactly these
terms.
When Moshiach comes there will be a revelation of truth. Everyone will see
that everything is constantly energized by G-d, everything comes from Him,
everything is G-dliness. As we are on the threshold of the Redemption, we
are already getting a foretaste of this Divine unity.
The Name of G-d, through which everything was created, has four Hebrew letters,
yud-kei-vav-kei. Accordingly, the number four
is reflected in so many essential areas of creation, such as the four spiritual
worlds and the four levels of creation (inanimate, vegetative, animal and
human). Through their different combinations, the four letters of G-d's Name
give life to every hour of the day.
Now modern science "discovers" that there are basically four essential elements
that constitute all matter: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Likewise,
the Torah has already told us that there are four elements at the essence
of all existence: earth, water, fire and air.
At the core of the above mentioned four elements is the DNA of all living
tissue, four components that pair into two. This parallels the combinations
of G-d's Name into yud-kei and vav-kei, the source
and potential of all creation. Moreover, just as DNA is arranged in a
ladder-shaped spiral, so the stairs of the Holy Temple, the source of all
energy in the world, were a spiral. Thus DNA, the physical blueprint of life,
reflects the underlying G-dliness of all creation.
In these last days of exile, G-d is enabling us to better understand His
world, revealing His guidance within the natural order. Every new discovery
confirms that creation is essentially a united existence, with a single,
four-component imprint on all of it.
The Rebbe has told us not to be satisfied with nature, which is only a limited,
superficial expression of something more profound. We must reach deeper to
the true Source, opening our eyes to see how the opportunity for Redemption
is all around us.
On Wednesday, 11 Nissan (April 4), we celebrate the Rebbe's 99th birthday.
It is customary to recite daily the chapter in Psalms corresponding to one's
years. Chasidic tradition encourages that one recite daily the Psalm of the
Rebbe as well. Thus, Jews the world over will begin reciting Psalm 100 on
Wednesday, 11 Nissan, in the Rebbe's honor.
*
Psalm 100 was sung in the Holy Temple during the offering of the karban
toda'a--thanksgiving sacrifice. This sacrifice was brought by a person
who survived a great danger.
Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, nineteenth century commentator and leader of
German Jewry, explains that this song of thanksgiving deals with the gratitude
that will be due to G-d in the Messianic age. Psalm 100 serves as a finale
to the previous series of Psalms, which spoke about the Redemption.
The Psalm begins, "A song for the thanks offering." The commentator
Radak explains that in the Messianic era, the Jewish people will offer
thanksgiving to G-d for all His kindness. The Midrash (Vayikra
Rabba) teaches that in the Messianic era only the thanksgiving
offering will be brought. No one will transgress and there will be no need
for sin offerings.
The next verse emphasizes a fundamental approach to Judaism. "Serve the
L-rd with joy." We must serve G-d with joy and we are enjoined to serve
G-d constantly. Therefore, we must always be joyous. The Baal Shem Tov, founder
of Chasidism, greatly emphasized this principle. The Previous Rebbe, Rabbi
Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn explained that when a person rejoices he breaks
out of all his limitations and inhibitions. The Rebbe noted that by being
joyous and serving G-d with joy, we will break out of this final limitation
of exile into the Redemption.
"Know that the L-rd is G-d; He has made us," the Psalm continues.
In this world there are three partners in the creation of a child: the father,
the mother and G-d. But at the time of the Resurrection of the Dead, we will
be recreated by G-d alone--"He has made us."
The fourth verse reads, "Enter His gates with [sacrifices of]
gratitude, His courtyards with praise." At that time, when
everything is good, we will continue our sacrifices of gratitude and
sing G-d's praises.
The final verse of this Psalm expounds another principle of Judaism: "For
the L-rd is good; His kindness is everlasting." G-d is good and His deeds
are good forever. The commentator Ibn Ezra explains that it is with
these words that the Jewish people are destined to praise G-d.
The verse concludes: "...and His faithfulness is for all generations."
These words teach us that G-d keeps His promises.
May He immediately fulfill His promise to take us out of exile and bring
us to the Holy Land with the revelation of Moshiach and the long-awaited
Redemption, at which time we will sing G-d's praises together with all mankind.
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