Ten years passed. On the one hand, world-wide terror
increased. On the other hand, the world continued to progress towards
the time of the Rebbe MH"M’s revelation. Somehow, the Rebbe arranged it so that
Bush’s son would become president too and complete what his father left
unfinished.
By Rabbi Naftali Estulin
Sukkos has always been connected with the nations of the
world. In the Musaf prayer on Sukkos, we mention the oxen that were
sacrificed when the Beis HaMikdash stood; seventy oxen corresponding to the
seventy nations.
These sacrifices affected the spiritual sources of the
nations so that they would be influenced by the holiness of the Beis HaMikdash
and would receive their life force from it. The spiritual elevation attained by
the nations of the world refined them and prepared them to fulfill the Sheva
Mitzvos Bnei Noach. The Midrash says that if the nations knew what benefit they
received from the Beis HaMikdash, they would stand and guard it!
The connection gentiles have with their mitzvos began
on Rosh HaShana when the first man was created and was given six mitzvos
(aside from the seventh, not to eat a limb from a living animal, which was given
to Noach). The civilization of the world is dependent on the fulfillment of
these mitzvos, which includes the implementation of a system of justice
to enforce the fulfillment of the mitzvos between man and his fellow.
Apparently it’s difficult for the gentiles to deal with the mitzvos on
their own, and they need the Jewish people to bring sacrifices on their behalf
on Sukkos.
After the murderous attack in New York and Washington D.C.,
gentiles have, in a sense, begun to realize that without the fulfillment of the
Sheva Mitzvos, the world cannot exist.
Upon examining the frightful events that took place in the
capitol city of Nasi Doreinu, one can view it as would a gentile, i.e.,
there are groups of terrorists who can destroy the modern world, therefore we
must eradicate them and beef up our security. Or, one can view it from a Jewish
perspective, as a Chabad Chassid would, putting it in the context of that which
began ten years ago.
In 5750, after the silent revolution that led to the
dismantling of the Communist bloc, which up until that point had represented the
war on faith, the time had come to continue the revolution throughout the world.
How? By teaching the Sheva Mitzvos to all nations of the world.
This revolution actually began in the 80’s when the United
States ratified some laws and resolutions about the Sheva Mitzvos in accordance
with the Rebbe’s request. However, these principles were not promulgated
throughout the world.
At the end of 5750, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, a unique
opportunity to convey a clear message was presented, the message that all
nations of the world must conduct themselves in a manner which ensures the
civilization of the world. In the Rebbe’s talks at the time, two points were
repeated: 1) The Jewish people need not fear what was going on, for events were
preparing the ground for the coming of Moshiach, who already stood on the roof
of the Beis HaMikdash (770) and announced, "Humble ones, the time of your
redemption has arrived."
2) Since the time for Geula had arrived, and it was
therefore already possible to experience a foretaste and beginning of the
fulfillment of the prophecies of Geula, the United States could have used
the opportunity to tell the world once and for all, that humanity’s first
priority is "yishuvo shel olam" (settling the world), and a nation that
acts contrary to this priority, will be severely punished.
A few years prior to this, when the Rebbe began talking about
the Sheva Mitzvos in earnest, the Rebbe made it clear that the U.S. had an
important role to play in teaching the Sheva Mitzvos to the world. Being a
kingdom of chesed with worldwide economic clout, the U.S. could use its
strong position in the world to influence the nations to fulfill their
mitzvos.
In one of the Rebbe’s talks during the Gulf War, the Rebbe
said that a special opportunity had arisen to completely eradicate the Iraqi
threat. The Rebbe explicitly said that they should be wiped off the face of the
earth. If President George Bush had taken advantage of the opportunity, the
Arabs would have been shaken up and would not have dared to consider using
violent means to further their goals. They would realize that those who used
violence, those who worked against the Sheva Mitzvos, would be eliminated from
the map.
But Bush did not use the opportunity. Maybe he didn’t have
the z’chus. And the Rebbe said not to publicize this sharp
sicha.
Ten years passed.
On the one hand, terrorist activities have increased. On the
other hand, the world has progressed to the time for the Rebbe MH"M’s
revelation. Providence had it that Bush’s son has become president and is now
being given the opportunity to complete that which his father began: eradicating
evil from the world as a beginning and foretaste of the fulfillment of the
Messianic prophecies, when "I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land."
Bush’s son announced an all-out war against evil in the
world. In a speech to the nation on 3 Tishrei, he said that the United States
would go to war for the purpose of excising evil from the world.
Terror has reigned in Eretz Yisroel for years. In the U.S.
this was observed and ignored. For years, the Rebbe called on the U.S. to use
its worldwide economic influence and support of many nations in order to spread
the observance of the Sheva Mitzvos, but the U.S. preferred to focus on its own
narrow interests.
But since the time has come for the revelation of the Rebbe
MH"M, the U.S. has no choice, and must fulfill its destiny and instill the Sheva
Mitzvos within all of humanity.
The unfathomable has come to pass and terrorism struck right
here. America has no choice but to go to war against terror now.
Upon examining the details of the events, one sees how it is
all written Above with open Divine providence:
In order to get the U.S. to go to war, the president needs
the consent of four sectors: the government, the military, the financiers, and
the people. In Vietnam, for example, the people did not want the war, and it
pulled out in the middle. The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center
affected all four sectors simultaneously:
The White House and the President’s plane were quite possibly
terrorist targets; the Pentagon, nerve center of the U.S. army, was attacked and
partially destroyed; the World Trade Center, home to the high-powered financial
movers and shakers, was completely demolished and thousands of civilians killed,
leaving millions more frightened of what is to come.
Aside from the physical devastation, the attack severely
affected the morale of all four sectors. There is great shame over the debacle
of the President of the United States fleeing in his plane to an undisclosed
destination, all because of a group of terrorists who used knives to commandeer
American planes and transform them into missiles to attack America. The
tremendous shame led to unprecedented support by all four sectors of the
president’s decision to go to war.
Also, the fact that the attacks were simultaneous compelled
the U.S. to go on the offensive against terrorism. It is very possible that if
the attacks were spaced over a number of weeks, that the U.S. would not have
reacted as strongly as it did, just as it did not react to the numerous other
attacks against it over the past five years.
When examining this chain of frightening events with a
Chassidic eye, you see that the U.S. is being pushed towards fulfilling its
historic role of teaching the Sheva Mitzvos to the world. There has been an
unprecedented spiritual awakening in America, with the president himself asking
the nation to pray for peace. Thousands of Jews who never visited a shul
before, attended shul this Rosh HaShana.
By the way, the attacks took place on Tuesday, the third day
of Slichos, the day the Rebbeim would say special maamarim, though
not revealing why this day of Slichos was special. This secret was
transmitted from Rebbe to Rebbe.
What practical lessons can we derive from current events?
1) The Rebbe gave us the job of bringing Moshiach. If we
thought for a moment that we could get out of it, recent events have shown us
otherwise. The previous President Bush also thought he could get out of
fulfilling the role which the Rebbe said America has, but the Rebbe arranged
things so that his son could complete the job.
The world is waiting for us, for us to fulfill our role in
preparing the world to greet Moshiach. The Rebbe is waging the wars of Moshiach
on his own, but he gave the job of preparing the world to us, and we have to use
this Shnas Hakhel and fulfill the task with chesed and rachamim.
2) In his speech to the American people, Bush said that the
U.S. would not only fight against terrorists, but against their supporters. Any
nation that grants immunity to terrorists would have to contend with the U.S.
Whoever would not join the coalition in the war against terror, would be counted
among the terrorists. The world became black and white. No gray. Whoever is not
with us is against us.
In Chassidus we call this, "yisboreru v’yislabnu ha’dvarim"
(the matters becoming clear and white). Whoever doesn’t join the coalition to
bring the Geula, ch’v, takes full responsibility for the
continuing Galus! You cannot stand off to the side and say, "I’m not
getting involved in matters that are steeped in controversy..." Whoever stands
with arms folded while Chabad Chassidim make the effort to bring the Geula,
is counted among those who "mocked the footsteps of Your anointed one." Every
person must decide where he belongs.
3) We must know that since the Rebbe announced, "Humble ones,
do not fear, the time for your redemption has arrived," we can clearly see how
all world events are for our benefit. Jews have been fighting Arab terrorism for
fifty years, and when Israel demonstrated an uncompromising war against terror,
the Western world refused to see the justice in their position.
On the Shabbos following the World Trade Center attacks, the
Haftora said, "For the sake of Tziyon I will not be silent, and for the
sake of Yerushalayim I will not be quiet, until Your justice goes out against it
and her salvation burns like a torch. And nations will see Your justice..." It
was on account of those towering flames of fire that the nations finally began
to see the justice in Yerushalayim’s stubborn war against terrorism.