“FOOTSTEPS OF MOSHIACH”

In Tanach, the final period in Jewish history is called acharis haymim – the end of days. This refers to both the period before the geulah (redemption) and after the geulah.

In Mesechta Sotah 49b, it’s called ikvesa d’Meshicha – footsteps of Moshiach. This refers only to the last days of golus, the exile.

In Kesubos 111a it’s called chevlei Moshiach – birth pains.

The Rambam Hilchos Melochim 11:2 – the Books of Nevi’im are full of prophesies concerning the coming of Moshiach. Our current condition in Klal Yisroel, both in the spiritual sense and the mundane – ruchniyus and gashmiyus – is outlined several places in Tanach.

For instance, in the 12th perek of Daniel, and the 13th perek of Yirmiyahu where we read that conditions will grow worse than we have ever known them worse, chas v’shalom, worse than they have been since we became a nation. Foreseeing the terror of the era that precedes the coming of Moshiach, Ulah and Rabba cried out:

Let Moshiach come, but let me not see him. (Sanhedrin 98b)

The Vilna Gaon wrote that geulah is called rebirth. It says in Yeshaya 66:8 “Has a nation ever been born at one time as Zion went through her labor and gave birth to her children?” The Jewish people will be reborn, and, just as by a woman the birth pains intensify as the moment of birth approaches, so will the agony grow stronger before the coming of Moshiach.

The Chofetz Chaim quotes a Raavad at the end of Idius: “Before the coming of Moshiach, Jewish families will be scattered in every direction. The parents will be in one country, and every child in a different country, until Moshiach comes when he will bring back the hearts of the fathers to the children.(Malachi 3:24)

The Gemara says in Sotah 49 in ikvesa d’Meshicha, the chutzpah will increase. The Gemara continues that in the days before Moshiach, nobody will be able to reprove others. In earlier times there were “mochichim” – those who could give ethical reproach: such as the Dubno Maggid and the Maggid of Kelm, and from the teshuvos of the Rishonim we see that every town had people who were in charge of being mochiach and speaking about the sins of the times. R’ Elchonon says that today we have many speakers, but few mochichim. The Gemara in Horiyus says that it is doubtful that a person exists today who knows how to reproach someone properly.

The great tzaddik, R’ Aryeh Levine was once walking on Shabbos. His gabbai was accompanying him. All of a sudden the gabbai spotted two people a short distance ahead who were smoking on Shabbos. The gabbai, knowing that Rabbi Levine would want to say something to these people about smoking on Shabbos, cautioned R’ Aryeh that both individuals have a reputation for being rough. Therefore, he suggested that perhaps it would be better if the Rabbi would not correct their actions. As the two men were walking past R’ Aryeh Levine, he called out to them “Gut Shabbos! I am sure that you must not know that it is prohibited to smoke on Shabbos. One of the men answered Rabbi Levine in a gruff manner. He said, “Rabbi, there is an expression that you should know: ‘Mind you own business’”. R’ Aryeh, undaunted, answered them, “Let me ask you a question. If you saw somebody who was involved in an accident, and they were lying on the ground bleeding profusely, would you ignore him or would you try to save his life?” The men looked at Rabbi Levine and said, “Of course, we would try to save his life!” Rabbi Levine continued, “When I saw you just now, I saw that your neshomos were bleeding to death. Should I not try and save you?”

In the generation of Moshiach’s coming, perhaps because of the lack of understanding of true da’as Torah, each individual will have to strive and work hard to know the special message that Hashem sends us.