‘I Assure You Mashiach is Not Coming!’

Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, ZTL (Wikipeida)

I have long been a fan of Rav Ahron Lopiansky, An Ish Emes who is the Rosh HaYeshiva of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington - a Charedi Yeshiva. I believe that his perspectives on Judaism are right on target. As is his understanding of the reality of how many of us are woefully ignorant of important aspects of it.

That said, I have had disagreements with some of his publicly stated positions. Most notably when - during a session of a recent Agudah convention he was asked about the propriety of publishing pictures of woman. But that did not diminish my respect for his intellectual honesty nor his appraisal of Orthodox Jewish life.

Which he once again expressed last week in Mishpacha Magazine. Before I get to that let me first explain the somewhat shocking title of this post. 

No - I have not suddenly become a heretic. I still believe in the 13 fundamentals of our faith as per the Rambam. One of which is in the coming of Mashiach. It’s just that I do not think his arrival at this particular time is any more likely than it was at any other time in Jewish history. The title of this post is based on a story reported by Rabbi Lopiansky in that article: 

A rav excitedly told Reb Yaakov about a member of his shul who was not shomer Shabbos, but was prompted by a “Mashiach is coming” moment to finally close his store on Shabbos.

Reb Yaakov told the rav to tell this congregant, “ I [Rav Yaakov] assure you Mashiach is not coming.” He explained, “Right now, he is a mechallel Shabbos but at least he’s a believer. But when this frenzy blows over, and Mashiach hasn’t come, he will stop believing as well.” 

Rabbi Lopiansky refers to a phenomenon he calls a “Mashiach is coming” moment. That happens during a national time of crisis for our people – such as the pandemic we are currently in the midst of. That often elicits comments like 'It must be Mashaich's Tzieten (time)'. Or 'Moshiach is surely just around the corner.'

The concept of Moshiach has been mentioned a lot that way lately by a variety of believing Jews. But whenever I hear someone saying that, my eyes roll.  I have to wonder why they believe now is that time?

The answer to that was beautifully laid out by Rabbi Lopiansky. Which in a nutshell is that people that think this way are woefully ignorant of both Jewish history and the very concept of Mashiach.   

If the severity of a crisis is the determinant that  heralds Mashiach’s  arrival, there are many other times in history that makes what we are going through now a picnic by comparison. Surely the Holocaust surpasses all of them - including our current crisis - by orders of magnitude! Our homes are not concentration camps. Jews are not being slaughtered wholesale.

As Rabbi Lopiansky indicates, the purpose of Mashiach’s arrival is not to solve our personal problems. Or to save us during a national crisis.  

What then is Mashiach all about?

The best source for that is the Rambam. Which in essence says when Mashiach arrives nothing will change for us except that we will once again be able to rule over ourselves; that God’s presence will be restored through the re-building of the Beis HaMikdash; there will be no more wars and no more disease; and the whole world will finally recognize God.

What about all the things we do have in our day? Such as the unprecedented amount of Torah study. And  the unprecedented freedom to practice Judaism? Do we not have Rabbinic leaders that can lead us? Why then do we need Mashaich if we have all that? I loved his answer to that. He is exactly right:

Yes, thankfully we have our gedolei Torah, but even that seems to be subjective depending on who you are speaking to. For those who point to “The Moetzes” as “leadership,” I would ask, do you mean Agudah’s Moetzes, Degel’s Moetzes, Peleg’s Moetzes, or Shas’s Moetzes Chachamei HaTorah? Is it the Crown Heights Beis Din? And what about Satmar and others who do not subscribe to any of the above? And Centrist Orthodox and Modern Orthodox? And the many Yidden who do not fit into any of those categories? 

What about the return of Eretz  Yisroel into Jewish hands, and shortly after the return of the Kotel and Har HaBayis (the Temple Mount) - for the first time since the destruction of Bayis Sheni (the 2^nd Temple) 2000 years ago? 

His response was that just because we have religious freedom does not mean we can practice all the Mitzvos. There are many Mitzvos that can only be done after Mashiach comes and the Beis HaMkidash is restored. God’s presence (the Shechina) is still missing until his abode on earth is restored. 

Nor should we be satisfied with the growth of Orthodox Jewry since the Holocaust. How can anyone define Klal Yisroel as only those of us that are observant?... or satisfied having Har Habayis in our physical possession when 90% of us are so estranged from it?  He then quotes Rav Soloveitchik to illustrate: 

 “I reply, ‘Have you ever seen an estranged son sitting at his father’s table? There is only one foot of distance between their bodies, but a thousand miles between their hearts! This creates an unbearable tension, intensified, not ameliorated, by their physical proximity.’ So too, to be so close, yet so estranged…” 

How right he is!

Rabbi Lopiansky touches upon a theme often discussed here.Which is the way many Orthodox Jews are educated. 

That there is so little knowledge of Jewish history is a failure of Jewish education. Especially in the Yeshivos of the right. The religious curriculum consists of Gemarah, Rishonim, and selected Achronim - 24/7/365. (And let’s not even talk about the lack of any secular studies curriculum in certain Chasidic circles.)

In the world of the right, girls are actually given a much broader Jewish education than boys. There is absolutely no reason that boys shouldn’t get the same thing. Why should boys grow up to be ignorant of Jewish history? To the extent that anyone knows anything at all about it is to the extent that it is self taught. 

I will close with the following comment from Rabbi Lopiansky with which I heartily agree: 

Besides not allowing us to understand the events unfolding, our ignorance of history does not allow us to duly thank Hashem for the wonderful times we live in! How much hakaras hatov do we owe, for the plentiful food, advanced medical knowhow, tolerant governments, and incredible siyata d’Shmaya for our spiritual growth.

A wise man once said, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”