We want Meshiach now !

B"H


Is it only me noticing that more and more people talk about the immediate Ge'ulah (redemption) ?


Especially now before Rosh HaShana, some religious Jews seem to see a sign that Meshiach is on his way. Don't get me wrong; I do believe in Meshiach and, just as everyone else does, hope that he will be coming soon. However, wherever I go, religious Jews talk about the time having arrived and it has to be almost now.


It is not always Chabad drawing conclusions about the arrival of Meshiach. In Talmud Sanhedrin it says that Meshiach should be coming around the year 6000 (according to the Jewish calender). But in the same Talmudic Tractate it also says that we should avoid any calculations regarding Meshiach's arrival and the Ge'ulah.
In Talmud Sotah as well as in Sanhedrin, we can find a whole list about the conditions for Meshiach. What are the conditions for his arrival and how should the world look ? Should everything be so miserable, should there be a war or is he coming when everything seems to be so wonderful and perfect ?
Fact is, we don't know for sure.


I feel that more and more people are getting lost in calculations. Soon we are celebrating the New Year 5769 and if we believe that Meshiach should be due around the year 6000, we have still got some time. Or maybe not.


Jews always tend to look at certain worldly events as signs for the upcoming Ge'ulah. Certain wars, people's behaviour, anti - Semitism, Iran and Europe being Gog and Magog, etc. In every generation, many times Jews thought that different events lead to Meshiach. "Get ready, he is on his way because there is another war".


I personally feel that some Jews are totally getting lost in the Meshiach idea. Even former famous chassidic rabbis. Let's just look at the Seer (Chozeh) of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz (1745 - 1815). In those days, chassidic rabbis saw the wars with Napoleon as an important sign for a close Redemption. And when you look into all those generations throughout history, there were always signs of Meshiach. That's life. But you shouldn't run after every single event, after every war or hurricane, in order to predict an immediate arrival.


Meshiach comes when G - d wants him to show up.
Does this mean we just have to sit and wait ?
"It is up to G - d and I cannot do anything !"
Nevertheless, there are actually many opinions that we Jews are able to do something to bring about the Ge'ulah. Hasten it so that G - d has no other choice but sending us Meshiach. Why don't we take action instead of sitting around and doing nothing besides Torah study and prayer ? Why not being actively involved in making everything ready for Meshiach ? And doesn't G - d Himself want us to be ready ?


Rabbi Mordechai Machlis made a rather strange remark the other Shabbat. Some may even think that he lost his mind.


In a speech at the Se'udat Shlishit (third Shabbat meal) he suggested that we should be so ready for Meshiach that maybe we should organize a special Meshiach dress for ourselves. Just showing that we are really expecting him and not just look at it as a concept. Do we want Meshiach and actively do something for his arrival ? Maybe if we did, he would come sooner than expected.
All those suggestions might sound rather strange but I do see a point in it. At least I started seriously asking myself what I personally do to bring Meshiach. On the other hand, I just don't want to get lost in exaggerated expectations. I am not one of those looking through the news and trying to figure out if this or that event has to do with Meshiach.


Although I do want Meshiach, it is hard to imagine how our lives would be. Maybe we should think much more often of an active role and not only relying on a concept or everyone else.