What course should our messianic activism take after Gimel Tamuz (the 3rd of Tamuz)?
Our example for messianic activism is the Rebbe, whose rising messianic fervor went hand in hand with his increasing involvement in current world affairs. The Rebbe saw the political, social and economic changes taking place around the world as signs of the imminent messianic era. He foresaw and foretold these changes, and saw them as being for the good of mankind. The Rebbe emphasized the intrinsic interrelationship and interdependence of all world events, emphasizing that all that takes place in the world at large relates, whether directly or indirectly, to the Jewish People and the Land of Israel.
Before Gimel Tamuz, the Rebbe took the first steps to fulfill the words of the prophet: "I, God, have called upon you in righteousness, and will take you by your hand; I will guard you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people, a light unto the nations." According to the commentaries, this verse addresses the people of Israel in the generation of Mashiach, appointing Israel to bring peace (the "covenant" of mankind) to all people on earth and teach all the nations of earth the wisdom ("light") of the Torah, so they may learn to walk in the ways of God.
Just as Abraham, the first Jew, spread the light of God's presence and unity to all the people of his generation, teaching them to be good and loving to one another, so will Mashiach and the souls of Israel in his generation teach all mankind to serve God, in awe and joy, together.
Clearly, in order to bring the world "together," we, the Jewish People, must first be "together" ourselves. Only when we are united, with unconditional and unbounded love for one another, and living together in the way of the Torah, can we have a positive influence on the rest of the world, both in the material and spiritual sense. Our task is to show the world that "Moses is true and his Torah is true." The Torah of Moses, the revelation of God's will and wisdom (which are one with Him), is the source of all Divine blessing and beneficence for all of humanity. Ours is the generation and now is the time (especially after Gimel Tamuz) to bring to the world the truth of the Torah and its blessing.
Obviously, success in all the above depends on our spreading the wellsprings of Mashiach's teachings (referred to by the verse, "a new Torah will issue from Me") more and more — incomparably more than we have done until now. As we have seen, the higher-level Messianic consciousness is that of "the concealed things which are the province of God." This is the level of the concealed wisdom of the inner dimension of the Torah.
The spark of Mashiach in every one of us, our yechidah, is our capacity for self-sacrifice. Mashiach is the collective yechidah of the Jewish People — the source of our capacity for self-sacrifice. This is the highest level of the collective soul of Israel. Mashiach-oriented activity on the physical plane in general–Mashiach's work — corresponds to the collective nefesh of the Jewish People, which is the soul of King David (as explained in the writings of the Arizal). This is the lowest level of the collective soul of Israel. The connection between the collective yechidah (Mashiach) and the collective nefesh (King David, the progenitor of Mashiach) is forged by means of the Torah, specifically the Torah of Mashiach. The Torah corresponds to the chayah of the collective soul of Israel. This is the level of Adam before the primordial sin, as explained in the writings of the Arizal.
collective yechidah | Mashiach | Mashiach |
collective chayah | Adam before the sin | Torah (specifically the Torah of Mashiach) |
collective nefesh | King David | Mashiach-oriented activity |
When God created man, he formed him "out of the dust of the earth, and blew into his nostrils a breath of life, and man became a living soul." Man's original state, "the dust of the earth," refers to humanity in general. The "breath of life" blown into mankind to redeem it is the soul ofMashiach, inasmuch as "one who blows, blows from deep within," and "the breath of our nostrils is the anointed one [Mashiach] of God." The "living soul [nefesh chayah]" which mankind ultimately becomes refers to the soul of Mashiach entering the arena of life to rectify it (nefesh), via and by virtue of his new revelation of Torah (chayah).
"God formed man out of the dust of the earth…" | humanity in general
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"…and He blew into his nostrils a breath of life…" | the soul of Mashiach |
"…and man became a living soul." | Mashiach rectifying the world via his new revelation of Torah |
May it be God's will that we immediately merit to reveal the spark of Mashiach within each and every one of ourselves, and through this witness the revelation of the collective Mashiach and the true and ultimate redemption.
