"ANI MAAMIN I BELIEVE Part I"

Three things come unexpectedly to a person: Moshiach, a windfall, and a scorpion (Sanhedrin 97a)

The Maharsha comments on the above-mentioned Chazal (Sanhedrin 97a) that if Klal Yisroel is not meritorious, the unexpected arrival of Moshiach will be like the sting of a scorpion. If we are meritorious, then the sudden arrival of Moshiach will be like a windfall.

R’ Chaim Szanzer was reciting Ani Maamin with great devotion one morning following davening. A person who overheard him, approached R’ Chaim and asked him: “Rebbi, if one does not believe, how can he say Ani Maamin – ‘I believe.’ And if he does believe, why is it necessary for him to recite the Ani Maamin?”

R’ Chaim answered him: “For one who doesn’t believe, Ani Maamin is a tefillah that Hashem should help him to become a believer. To the person who already believes, it is a tefillah that his belief should be on an even more intense level.”

To be sure, one of the most difficult concepts that Klal Yisroel has grappled with over the generations is the coming of Moshiach. In order to strengthen our belief in Moshiach’s coming, and also to help us understand the events that will lead up to the arrival of Moshiach, we are fortunate that a gadol hador of the previous generation, HaGaon Rav Elchonon Wasserman, realized that Klal Yisroel was desperately in need of direction, and therefore left us with the Sefer Ikvesa D’Moshicha.

The immortal words of R’ Elchonon were written with prophetic wisdom, words that pierce the soul. The sefer was so very blunt and direct that his son, my Rebbi, HaGaon R’ Simcha Wasserman, asked his father whether it might be too overpowering for the generation.

R’ Elchonon and R’ Simcha shared a common denominator. They were both tzaddikim who felt an enormous responsibility for world Jewry. No doubt, they both saw as part of their raison d’etre the obligation to help prepare us for the advent of Moshiach.

When the Chofetz Chaim, the leading Torah sage of his generation, revealed that he wanted to live out the rest of his years in Eretz Yisroel, the greatest sages in Eastern Europe were shocked. The Chofetz Chaim was considered the father of the generation. If he was leaving, then who would lead all of the children?

When a delegation posed this question to the Chofetz Chaim, he answered, “But R’ Elchonon is still remaining with you.” R’ Elchonon Wasserman was a Torah giant, a prolific author, master maggid shiur, and a powerful orator. His middos, refined personality and character traits, were a living example to all who stood in awe of him.

During the dark years preceding the Shoa he had many opportunities to flee to safety. However, he would not and could not desert his talmidim. The entire Jewish world looked to R’ Elchonon for a Torah perspective on every matter.

In Ikvesa D’Moshicha, R’ Elchonon gives a Torah response to the challenges of our times. In the final moments before R’ Elchonon and his talmidim were murdered al kiddush Hashem, R’ Elchonon gave a shmuess, an inspirational discourse. He said, “…. We were chosen to atone for Klal Yisroel with our very lives … we must do teshuvah (repent)… thereby saving the lives of our brothers and sisters in America.” Ikvesa D’Moshicha – The Footsteps of Moshiach is unique in its nature – a response to some of the most difficult questions presented by the challenges of our times.

It’s interesting to note that R’ Elchonon came to America to fundraise for the Baronovicher Yeshiva. Then the sage came for hatzoloh rescue efforts on behalf of world Jewry. However, when such a personage as R’ Elchonon came to the United States, people were so taken with him – they saw the gadlus (greatness) in him; a person that came from a different generation, one of the closest and greatest talmidim of the Chofetz Chaim – that everyone was awe-inspired. What started out as a Torah personality visiting the United States developed into an important chapter in Jewish history. R’ Elchonon analyzed the American scene. He brilliantly put it into perspective as to what was happening in the international Jewish community. People would line up to ask him personal eitzos (advice) He would answer the simple and the learned, addressing the trivial as well as matters of world import. (To Be Continued…)

May we be zoche that Moshiach’s arrival is a windfall for Klal Yisroel, the anticipated answer to generations of heartfelt tefillos.