The Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidism, instituted a special meal on the last holiday of Pesach, after the Mincha prayer – the 'Messiah's Meal.' This is because "on this day the revelation of the illumination of the Messiah shines.".
A few generations later, the Rebbe of Lubavitch (Rabbi Shalom-Dover) added and prescribed that four cups of wine be drunk at this meal, as on Seder night.
The idea behind the meal is to connect to the illumination of Messiah not only through mental and spiritual tools, such as understanding and emotions, but also through the physical body.
When we eat the 'Messiah', the illumination of the Messiah is absorbed into our bodies. The matzah and wine become a part of us. Through this, faith in the coming of the Messiah is strengthened in our hearts and the anticipation of his imminent arrival intensifies.
Cultivate faith
Over the generations, this custom has spread and grown. In many synagogues, the meal is held with a large crowd. There are places where the gabai prepare matzah and wine for the entire congregation, and there are communities where each person brings matzah and wine from their home.
Of course, if a feast is not held in the synagogue, it can be held at home, in the family circle. This is an opportunity to strengthen the hearts of the household members in the belief in the coming redemption and the anticipation of it. We can tell about the fervent faith of the righteous of the generations in the coming of the Messiah, and how much they prepared for him and awaited him every day.
Belief in the coming of the Messiah is one of the tenets of faith. It is one of the central foundations upon which the Jewish religion stands. The Sages also say that one of the first questions asked of a person upon coming to the world of truth is: "Did you expect salvation?".
Therefore, it is important to cultivate this faith, strengthen it, and make it a central motivation in everyday life.
This faith requires constant rekindling, because day after day passes and we are still not saved. This difficulty is expressed in the phrase "I believe," which says: "And even though he may delay, with all this I will wait for him every day that he comes." It is mental work, to overcome disappointment and to rekindle the fire of faith.
But we know that God, God Almighty, will not break His promise, God forbid. He promised our ancestors to redeem them from Egypt, and He kept His word even after two hundred and ten years of exile had passed. He will also keep His promise to send us our righteous Messiah and redeem us with eternal redemption, even though so many days have passed and the Son of David has still not come.
Changes that herald
But it is precisely the events of recent generations that should strengthen in our hearts the expectation of redemption. Before our eyes, all the signs that Chazal gave about the period preceding the end are being fulfilled. The words of the great men of recent generations resonate in our ears, and especially the explicit words uttered by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, that these are the final days of exile.
The changes currently taking place in the world, in a completely unexpected way, also evoke a clear feeling that something big is happening here.
If so, this is the time to strengthen ourselves in anticipation of redemption and ask God, the Holy One, to shorten the chains of the Messiah and bring us, this Passover, the true and complete redemption through our righteous Messiah, and then we will be worthy to feast on the 'Messiah' with the Messiah himself.
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
