Weekly Story: The Era of Moshiach

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon

In the past years, I had not regularly posted during Chol HaMoed. But being that I accepted upon myself to post a thought of the maamar that is published in the weekly booklet Dvar Malchus, I chose to go ahead and write it up.

As always your feedback is appreciated.

Being that I am only posting the a thought of the maamar, I would truly like to you’re your feedback about the way this thought is presented. Thank you.

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Reminder that we drink four cups of wine on the last day of Pesach. The meal begins after mincha, before sunset.

A Taste of Chassidus

Kimei Tzeischo Mei’Eretz Mitzrayim 5733

The Navi Micha is informing us that just as Hashem performed wonders when He took us out of Mitzrayim, so too He will perform wonders when He will take us out of the present and final exile.

The commentaries explain these words in two different ways. 

Either that just as there were wonders performed in order that we be freed from the bondage of Mitzrayim, so too Hashem will perform similar wonders when He will redeem us from this final exile. Another explanation is that the wonders that Hashem will perform when He redeems us from this final exile, will be wonders even in equation to the wonders He performed when He freed us from the exile of Mitzrayim. And the reason the Navi says just as …. and compares it to the exodus of Mitzrayim is because the ability we have to be redeemed and go out  from an exile was given to us when Hashem freed us from the exile of Mitzrayim. 

We find this thought also concerning a verse that the Jews sung after the sea split, and they crossed through it. The verse states Until Your nation will cross, until Your nation that You acquired will cross.

Some commentaries explain that the first crossing is referring to the Jews crossing the red sea that split shortly after they left Mitzrayim, while the second crossing is referring to the crossing of the sea of Mitzrayim which will happen when we leave this exile. While the second explanation is that both phrases are speaking about the crossing that will take place when we are redeemed from this exile, but nevertheless it is mentioned in the song sung after the splitting of the red sea, as that gave us the ability, and was the beginning of our ultimate redemption.

According to the first explanation that the first crossing is a reference to the crossing of the Red Sea and the second crossing is a reference of the crossing that will take place in the era of Moshiach, we understand why they possuk mentions crossing twice, as it is referring to two different crossings. However, according to the second explanation that both of them are a reference of the crossing that will happen in the Era of Moshiach, why does the possuk mention the same thing twice?

Evidently it is referring to two different aspects that will occur when we will be redeemed from the present exile.

In order to understand the meaning of two splittings of the stream, we first have to understand if the splitting of the two eras are to be compared one to the other, why are they different? By the Red Sea, the sea split into twelve paths (one for each tribe), while in the near future it will be split into seven parts? 

Furthermore, we have to understand why it was necessary for Hashem to split the Red Sea? After all, was this the only way for the Jewish people to reach Eretz Yisroel? Furthermore, according to some commentaries they didn’t even cross the sea, but rather walked in and out on the same side, so what was the purpose of splitting the sea?

But the explanation is that everything in this world is an extension and reference to its spiritual source. The splitting of the sea occurred because its source split. Its source is the lowest level of the ten sefiros, MALCHUS. Malchus is the sefira through which Hashem created the world.

The reason the world was created through Malchus, is because Malchus limits or conceals the amount of G-dliness that the receiver sees. If the world and its inhabitants would see the true glory of Hashem, we would be nullified by His greatness and would automatically obey and serve Him. However, Hashem desires that we serve Him on our own accord, and therefore He had to conceal His greatness from us. So He will not be so apparent to us, but we nevertheless recognize the truth, that everything is from Him, and choose to serve Him.

This is why Malchus is referred to as the sea. Just as when you throw something into the sea, you know for sure that it is there, but at the same time it is not noticeable. The same thing is with us.

Before Hashem gave us the Torah, humans did not have the ability to refine and elevate the coarseness of the physical world, G-dliness was concealed [as King David says in Psalms, The heavens are for Hashem and the Earth was given to man]. So when the sea split and we saw the ground of the sea, everything that was hidden until then, became revealed. That gave us the ability to also see the greatness of Hashem in this world and therefore we were then able to receive the Torah and through it refine and elevate the world. So although we came out on the same side of the sea bank, it was essential that we have this experience of the sea being split.

However, then we only received the revealed dimension of the Torah, or the lower level of the Torah that also deals with falsehoods, such as two people arguing who is the owner of this item. One claims, I have witnesses that it is mine, while the other claims, but you sold it to me. One of them is definitely lying.

So in order that we have the ability to reveal the truth, the Torah was given to us. and to receive the Torah, the sea had to split. However, when Moshiach comes and redeems us from this exile, may it be speedily in our days, we will be given the inner dimension of the Torah. So then once again, in order for us to be able to receive it, the waters would have to split.

As explained, malchus conceals Hashem’s greatness and brings to the lower worlds. Malchus is the lowest level of the seven attributes of emotions, and by bringing it down it allows those feelings to come down into action. But in order to receive the higher level of the Torah that Moshiach will teach us, we have to draw down and reveal the essence of wisdom that it should truly inspire our emotions, so the waters have to split again. But being that there are seven attributes of emotions so when Moshiach will be coming,  the stream will be split into only seven parts 

This explains that while they are compared to each other, as both times the same concept of revealing a higher level into a level that is lower than it is accomplished through the splitting of the sea or stream. But nevertheless, they are split into different amounts as the question is to which level is the higher level revealing to, to action or emotional attributes.

This leads us to understand why the possuk states that in the era of Moshiach we will cross twice. As then there also will be stages in Moshiach’s influence on the world. The first stage as the Rambam states will be a period where there will be no difference besides the fact that we will no longer be subservient to other nations, That will be followed by an era that the wild animals would no longer be predators and so on.

Or as others say that in the first stage we will feast on the meat of the Shor HaBor and fish of the Liviason. But that would be followed by an era when the body would no longer have to come on or depend on physical food to survive, rather it will survive from basking in Hashem’s glory.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. he can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com