Balak & Moshiach - Since 1991

The “times of Moshiach” is a term that resonates well with most Jews today. Many, to be sure, like many of our secularly-based Jewish friends from academia, see world affairs and divine scripture as unrelated. Orthodox Jewry, on the other hand, aware that Torah commandments have eternal, practical value, feels the imminence of Moshiach in the air.

The Era of Redemption no longer is some quaint, quackish topic for back-room conversation. Jews tuned to Moshiach feel a shift in the winds of history gripping the world and, however things play out dynamically, the world is moving closer to the betterment of the Jewish people and their prophesied cozy utopia.

A particular Midrash tells us what it’ll be like when Moshiach arrives. Well, that scenario, inscribed as prophecy since this Midrash was written, has begun to unfold -- when the Rebbe declared it, in 1991.

This is, by now well-known, the prophecy of the sage Rabi Yitzchok (Yalkut Shimoni, Isaiah:499), namely, “During the year Moshiach is first revealed, all leaders of the world’s nations are inflamed by each other. The King of Persia provokes the Arab King, and an Arab King goes to Aram to seek their advice ... fear not ... for ... I only did all this for your sake, so why are you afraid? Stop being afraid -- your Era of Redemption has arrived!”

The Rebbe in 1991 invoked this Midrash not as a repetition of a prophecy for the future but rather as a prophecy that is currently actualizing. The time line of demarcation from past to present has been crossed.

We’ve crossed over the threshold of this important milestone. The Era we are in now has a quality that went missing two thousands years. What Jews accomplished throughout these two millennia of exile, by keeping Torah and mitzvot, is in this present period being vindicated and redeemed!

Of course we can see the half-filled glass as half-full or as half-empty.

The Rebbe wants us to see it as half-full because a positive perspective reveals that other unexpected lights, though they may appear as random, fit in as pieces of a greater puzzle. A positive view helps you connect the dots of light of the unfolding, underlying Messianic mosaic. A negative perspective robs you of this encompassing view; You remain blind to the cohesiveness that binds the scattered events into the unique phenomenon we are now able to palpably feel happening -- to the world, to the collective Jewish People and to Israel.

It’s no longer a prophecy. It was a prophecy; Actually a sage's prophecy of some details that depict and debut as the Torah's prophecy of a Moshiach era. It is now ongoing -- before our very eyes. If you look, you can see how everything is preparing the Jewish People for their huge crowning state of glory and eternity.

The Torah portion of Balak in particular hoists high the idea of Moshiach who will show up as the King of all the Jews. This end-of-times period is one that waxes honor on Jewish folk. Even though Bilaam hated Jews, he could foresee nothing but praise for the Jewish people, praise for that nation’s matriarchs and patriarchs and praise for their good nature and noble humility.

Bilaam had remarkable prophetic power, at least of the same caliber as had Moses (the sages tell us)! So important was this prophecy, our sages considered including this portion in the daily prayer of the Shema. A mere technicality kept them from including it.

So important is this scriptural portion that even before any praise of God is mentioned in morning prayer, even before quotations from the Torah and Talmud, the very first verse of prayer, the very opening verse of Jewish morning prayer in the synagogue is -- a quote from this Torah portion of Balak (24:5) (“How goodly your tents, of Jacob, your dwellings, of Israel”)!

This prophecy's main end point is clear: In the "Days of Moshiach" the Jewish Nation will rise to supernal glory. During these times they will climb from strength to strength! This is the meaning of the words near the end of this divine prophecy (Balak 24:18):

" ... and the Jews wax in triumph”
וְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֹשֶׂה חָיִל

Jewish Faith

This week's Torah portion (Chukat-Balak) tells about the first wars of the Jews on their way to The Land of Israel. They had to fight against the nations therein as well as against those who tried to prevent them from reaching their inheritance. The Torah alludes to the might and valor of Sichon, king of Emori, and of Og, king of Bashan. But the Jews handily defeated them - knowing G-d wrought them these victories.

This faith is lacking today. Incessantly they present us with pressures and problems we must face up to; Some of which are true, and some but illusions. All the while they cower with timidity. These political circles have only one type of solution to every problem - our surrender. Were we to take a stand on some vital issue, some real concern, these polititicos would immediately jump up and declare, "The Arabs will never agree to it." This leads to the usual solution; That we must further compromise, retreat and fold.

We need to know - we did not succeed in returning to the Land of Israel, and in freeing up large territories thereof, with our own strength. Far from it. By the rules of Nature, we had no such realistic possibilities. We prevailed against 7 Arab nations only because The Creator of the universe served as our right arm. Anyone who participated in the wars of Israel can tell stories of multiple miracles that occurred during the battles. Only due to the protection of Our Father in heaven did we survive against all odds.

A Slippery Slope

This is the crux of the matter. Without faith in G-d we keep sliding down with more compromises and more retreats - which will never end. This, after all, is today the Arab enemy's mindset. Having realized they can't beat us in war, they resolved to nip and tear at us over and over again; By tearing away more and more property, by wanting to infest us with tens of thousands of refugees - they mean to enfeeble us and, eventually, to beat us.

Unfortunately their strategy is working. You doubt it? Just sum up everything all Israeli administrations accomplished in the last 25 years and you'll see how each one contributed another step, one bigger one smaller, to this slippery downward slide. The Arabs did not move even one millimeter. But we always feel the need for more "progress" (read: compromise, retreat or fold).

When we decided to go through with that awful operation of uprooting the Gaza Strip and handing it over to our worst enemies, at the expense of critical property and of Jews who lived there (and nearby) for generations, some Israelis thought a sweet end would justify the cruel means. These people thought we'd then be able to solidify our hold on Yehuda and Shomron with American sanction. That Israeli administration explained the expected "achievement" for our self-sacrifice; The iron-clad claim on Yehuda and Shomron would be our reward for driving out tens of thousands of citizens from their homes and properties.

Today it's clear just how flawed was their argument. America today deems the West Bank settlements as illegitimate. We may have gotten some letter and signature for the Yehuda & Shomron issue, but it's only a worthless piece of paper (added to many such collections of paper). The American administration now is tightening the screws to stop all building in the West Bank. Also included in the American ban is construction in various areas and neighborhoods inside Israel proper, including Jerusalem! Again we retreated and folded - and got nothing in return.

A Brief Response

If, G-d forbid, we submit to American demands and freeze construction in these areas, the dismemberment of Israel will continue. It's not for nothing the Arabs are going all out in this direction, for Yehuda and Shomron is the only single area where we actually laid stronger foundations in the Land of Israel, despite the retreats and compromises.

We have to do all we can to tell the Americans, "NO!". It's high time Jews tell the world that the holy Land of Israel is ours, Jerusalem the holy city is ours - and we will continue to build and lay roots there. If we speak clearly, firmly, and out of faith - we will be victorious.