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By Rabbi Menachem Mendel Sasson, Beis Moshiach Magazine

Lamed-beis (lev=32) years have passed since the Rebbe’s cry in the sicha of Chof-Ches Nissan, “Do all that you can to bring Moshiach tzidkeinu b’poel mamosh,” and the heart of every Chassid yearns to use his abilities to the fullest in order to achieve the call of the hour.

By quickly looking through the “explanatory booklet” of the Chof-Ches Nissan sicha, i.e. the sichos of the Dvar Malchus, the Chassid finds the “derech ha’yeshara” (direct way) which the Rebbe set out for us to attain the goal: learn inyanei Moshiach and Geula.

Perhaps, now 32 years later, the time has come to focus our attention on the amazing significance contained in this instruction by opening a “small window” into the world of the Rebbe’s own explanations of the subject, and discover within this narrow window at least ten goals that are achieved by learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula. Let’s begin.

1. TO BRING MOSHIACH

From a general perspective it would seem that the first goal in learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula is to actually bring Moshiach. This goal is mentioned throughout that period a number of times but the “father of them all” is in the sicha of Shabbos, parshas Tazria-Metzora 5751, “The increase in learning the Torah of inyanei Moshiach and Geula is the ‘direct way’ to bring about the revelation and coming of Moshiach and the Geula b’poel mamosh.”

In the sicha that followed (Shabbos, parshas Achrei-Kedoshim): “Every single Jew needs to add in ‘our deeds and service’ in general which bring the Geula, including and especially – as mentioned in the previous farbrengen – learning the Torah of inyanei Geula.”

2. LIVING GEULA

While there are some action-oriented modes of operation which leave [the inner world of] the person out of the picture, with this instruction, the Rebbe delineated a deeper goal: to bring the Geula and Moshiach into a person’s soul. By learning, a person is elevated from an exile mode of behavior and starts to live in full alignment with the Geula lifestyle.

In the Rebbe’s words of Shabbos, parshas Balak 5751, “Torah has the power to change man’s nature, such that even if from the perspective of his feelings, he is still, ch’v, outside the inyan of Geula (since he did not yet leave the inner galus), through learning Torah in inyanei Geula, he rises to a state of Geula and starts to live in inyanei Geula.”

We find the same idea using different terminology in the sicha of Simchas Torah 5752, “That the conduct of a Jew … is like the life and conduct of the Jewish people in Yemos HaMoshiach, literally. [And this is also the special emphasis in the recent era regarding learning ‘hilchesa l’meshicha,’ the halachos pertaining to the life of Jews in the time of the Geula].”

3. STRENGTHENING THE ANTICIPATION OF THE GEULA

Although the belief in the coming of Moshiach and anticipating his coming is a principle of our faith, after 2000 years of galus and close to 29 years of the concealment of Melech HaMoshiach, most of us need some type of “ignition” on a daily basis for the purpose of arousing authentic inner longing within our souls, and not just lip service.

Without a doubt, the great arousal about learning inyanei Geula is for the purpose of strengthening the anticipation and longing in a Jew’s heart for the coming of Moshiach. As the Rebbe said in the sicha of Chukas-Balak 5749: “It should be emphasized with greater measure and greater force in regards to strengthening the belief in the coming of Moshiach and the anticipation of his coming, ‘I await him every day, that he come,’ including and particularly by learning the Torah of inyanei Geula.”

In the wording of the sichos of the Dvar Malchus (Shabbos Tazria-Metzora 5751): “There is a particular advantage when learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula publicly [in a quorum of ten] as far as the excitement and joy in the feelings of the heart for, through this, the longing and anticipation increase for the coming of Moshiach.”

4. TO KNOW HOW TO ACT IN GEULA

“Action is the main thing” – ultimately, the practical will always sound better than any theoretical idea, holy as it may be. So too, with learning inyanei Geula, the practical goal remains front and center, what will need to be done immediately at the moment the Geula commences, as the Rebbe said (sicha 11 Nissan 5742) about learning Hilchos Beis HaBechira and the korbanos:

“Although nowadays these halachos have no practical application, they will need to know these halachos in the future… Therefore, it is most appropriate for this time to learn the halachos associated with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu.”

This is also brought in other places in the teachings of the Rebbe, for example, in the sicha of Shabbos, parshas Balak 5751, “The learning is with the knowledge and awareness of absolute certainty that this is not ‘hilchesa l’meshicha’ but practical halacha for the following moment.”

5. A TASTE OF THE GEULA

“It’s good to taste from every single cooked dish” – as another goal in learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula, the Rebbe presents the importance of “tasting” from the infinite and unlimited revelation of the true and complete Geula by learning the subject of Geula. As the Rebbe put it in the sicha of Shabbos, parshas Vaeschanan 5751:

“Since we are on the threshold of the true and complete Geula when all things will be unlimited, there needs to be a ‘taste’ of the infinity of the Geula by increasing in inyanei Torah and mitzvos in a way that is beyond measure… with a special emphasis on adding in learning the Torah on inyanei Geula.”

6. TO PREPARE FOR THE REVELATION OF THE GEULA

If at every crossroads in life one needs to prepare emotionally and practically, all the more so is there a need for a psychological and practical preparation for the “crossroads of all crossroads” of all the generations – the Geula shleima. In the sichos, we can discern that the instruction to learn inyanei Moshiach before the Geula is intended as a goal to prepare oneself to be a proper “recipient” for the lofty lights of the Geula.

As an example, we can quote what is explained in the sicha of Shabbos, parshas Vayeitzei 5752, “Including and especially – also a Jewish custom which is spreading in our times, to learn inyanei Geula and inyanei Moshiach, in order to be ready and to prepare others for the revelation of the true and complete Geula.”

In a slightly different way, we can also see this in the sicha of Shabbos, parshas Balak 5751 – for the purpose of preparing for the revelation of the new Torah: “By learning Torah ‘he merits many things’ that he is raised up from the ‘outside’ and goes ‘inside’, i.e. he becomes permeated with Torah (including – inyanei Geula) and is ready for the revelation of ‘a new Torah will go forth from Me.’”

7. TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE GEULA

Oftentimes, a person can be near a rare, precious diamond and not be cognizant of the treasure at his feet. He doesn’t need to reveal the treasure or prepare to receive it; he just needs to take note that he is next to a diamond.

So too, in our times, in addition to the need for this learning in order to live with the Geula and to bring the Geula, there is a critical need “to know and recognize” that we are on the threshold of the Geula. Minimal knowledge is needed as to which “chapter” we are up to in this lengthy “serial” of all the generations, and to recognize that we are literally on the threshold of the Geula.

This is accomplished particularly by learning inyanei Moshiach, which explain the quality of the times we are in, and as explained in the sicha of Balak 5751: “We see that there is a difficulty in instilling an awareness and feeling that we are on the threshold of Yemos HaMoshiach mamosh so that they begin to ‘live’ inyanei Moshiach and Geula … The advice for this is – by learning the Torah of inyanei Moshiach and Geula.”

8. TO ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN THE MITZVOS OF THE GEULA

On the statement in the Gemara, “Whoever is involved in the Torah of the olah, it’s as though he sacrificed an olah,” the Rebbe explains that being involved in the Torah topic of korbanos doesn’t just bring about a spiritual result that is equal in holiness to bringing an offering but, by learning, it is like the person did the action of bringing a korban.

The same is true for learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula, by learning these topics one is actually engaged in the act of the subject that was studied; as the Rebbe says, in the sicha of Shabbos, parshas Korach 5749: “Learning in Torah the subject of the Geula (especially in the Rambam at the end of Hilchos Melachim) and whoever is involved in the Torah of etc. it’s as though etc.”

We can also see this in the sicha after that (Shabbos, parshas Chukas-Balak 5749): “By learning the Torah in inyanei Geula… learning these things is in a way of ‘whoever is involved etc. it’s as though, etc.’ and through this we hasten and speed up and accomplish it in actuality.”

9. TO BE MEKABEL PNEI MOSHIACH TZIDKEINU

The words “kabbolas pnei Moshiach tzidkeinu” can be heard regularly on the lips of every Chassid of the seventh generation. But it’s important to note that one of the main ways to prepare the world to welcome Moshiach is by learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula which has the power to effect an inner conscious connection in the mind and heart of a Jew, as the sicha of Shabbos, parshas Chayei Sarah 5752 ends: “One needs to prepare oneself and all Jews in his place and his city etc. to welcome Moshiach tzidkeinu by explaining what Moshiach is about as it’s explained in the Written and Oral Torah, in a way that it will be received by every single person according to his intellect and understanding, including and especially – by learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula, especially in a way of chochma-bina-daas.”

10. TO OPEN OUR EYES

At the height of the ‘Geula storm’ in the winter of 5752, the Rebbe announced that the “only thing remaining is for every Jew to open his eyes properly and see how everything is already ready for the Geula.” This line repeated itself several times at that time, with slight changes in the wording and in different contexts. Many an article was written about what the Rebbe means by this.

But the way to get us to “open our eyes” was said very clearly, with learning inyanei Moshiach and Geula being one of the main ones, as was explained in the sicha of Vayeitzei 5752: “Now, we just need, as said, that they open the ‘heart to know’ and open the ‘eyes to see’, and open the ‘ears to hear’… to learn pnimiyus ha’Torah as it was revealed in the teachings of Chassidus, and the fulfillment of the instructions of our Rebbeim, including learning inyanei Geula.”

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