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Obsession With Moshiach

Can Weaken Other Aspects Of Judaism

by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

"This obsession with Moshiach will detract from all other aspects of Judaism. People will de-emphasize the need to study Torah and observe mitzvos as a result of the overemphasis on Moshiach."

The response to the challenge about our obsessions with Moshiach is that, the entire premise is wrong. Firstly, as the Rebbe ¹ stated with regard to mivtzah tefillin which was criticized on similar grounds: "What good is it to put tefillin on a person who will not do any other mitzvah afterwards?" The Rebbe's halachic response, among other points, was: On the contrary, the Mishna² rules, "Mitzvah goreres mitzvah," one mitzvah brings another in its train."

In other words, the Torah repudiates the notion that a mitzvah can be sterile and detract from other mitzvos. The characteristic of a mitzvah is that it will inevitably lead to another, ad infinitum. Obsession with Moshiach will inevitably lead to other mitzvos, not detract from them, G-d.

Secondly, when referring to Moshiach in particular, the charge that obsession with Moshiach will detract from Judaism is like saying that learning Torah and doing mitzvos detracts from Judaism! One is reminded of the following story:

A newly hired rabbi who was told by his shul president not to speak about Shabbos, kashrus, intermarriage or charity, for fear of alienating some of the shul's leading members. When the exasperated rabbi asked what to talk about, the puzzled president replied: "Why rabbi, speak about Judaism!"

Moshiach is Judaism! If specific mitzvos can be categorized as Judaism, certainly the concept of Moshiach can. In its essential nature it is the whole Torah. Moshiach is the one who will restore all of the teachings of the Torah and its practices to its original position of importance and viability. ³ Moshiach is the one who makes Torah complete, i.e., reveals its completeness and facilitates its uncompromised observance by all.

Emphasis on Moshiach means that we are tired of a world in which Judaism can be compromised and fragmented. We are fed up with a state of existence in which Judaism is relegated to a secondary or tertiary status. We are obsessed with Moshiach because we want the totality of Judaism. Moshiach completes and unifies all of what we do. It's like the final piece of the puzzle that makes sense out of all the other pieces.

Talk of Moshiach and of his imminent coming inspires us to do mitzvos with more sincerity, depth and completeness. It inspires us to learn Torah with greater zeal, while it encourages us to go beneath the surface, and reach for a more profound understanding of Torah.

The belief that Moshiach will be coming in the immediate future is the reason why the teachings of Chassidus, the soul of Torah, have been introduced to the world⁴, enabling us to fathom the secrets of the Torah, something that had been denied to most of our forebearers who were not so close, timewise, to the Redemption.

It could very well be stated that the degree to which one is committed to the study of all parts of the Torah (nigleh and nistar), to be involved in (or, at least, to harbor a desire for the observance of) all of the mitzvos with hiddur (excellence or beauty), to be involved in reaching out to all Jews, to be concerned about breaches in all areas of Jewish life, is commensurate with one's belief in and dedication to the ideal of Moshiach. In a lecture it would be appropriate to distinguish between other principles of faith, and their bearing on the observance of the mitzvos, and Moshiach and its effect on Jewish life.

Faith in Hashem, to be sure, is as fundamental a principle as you can find. Yet, faith in G-d does not necessarily lead to the observance of all the mitzvos. One can believe in G-d, yet feel there is no compelling reason to serve Him in a prescribed manner. ⁵ Belief in and understanding of Moshiach's role does produce results, because it entails a belief and commitment to the transformation of the entire world into G-d's dwelling place by way of the observance of Torah and mitzvos. Moshiach entails a commitment to a much more intense, profound and all encompassing view of Judaism.

In conclusion, it is appropriate to add that we emphasize Moshiach, not only because we believe in his imminent coming, but because of our need to prepare for him by making a greater commitment to Judaism. Ramban⁶ (Nachmanides) states that all the mitzvos we perform presently in Golus are a preparation for the ideal way we will perform them in the time of Geulah. It is self evident, then, that as we get closer to Geulah, the mitzvos become more and more complete and call for deeper levels of commitment.

By definition, emphasizing Moshiach means emphasizing a qualitatively higher and more intense connection with Torah and Mitzvot. ⁷

¹ Likkutei Sichos, Vol. VI, p. 27ff

² Avos 4:2

³ Hilchot Melachim 11:1

⁴ See, for example, Likkutei Sichos. Vol. VII. p. 206; vol. XX, p. 172f

⁵ See Berachot 63a, version of Ein Yaakov.

⁶ Vayikra 18:25. See also Rashi, Eikev 11:17; Likkutei Sichot, vol. XXI, p. 280-281.

⁷ See Sefer HaSichos 5751, vol. II, p. 502, p. 695ff.

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