Moshiach — Redemption in Chassidic Thought
Hebrew: משיח (Moshiach/Mashiach) — “The Anointed One”
The Foundation
The belief in Moshiach — a human leader of Davidic descent who will redeem Israel from exile, rebuild the Temple, and usher in an era of universal divine knowledge and peace — is the 12th of the Rambam’s 13 Principles of Faith. “I believe with complete faith in the coming of Moshiach, and even though he may tarry, I await him every day.” This is not optional theology; it is a core article of Jewish belief.
But in Chassidus, the belief in Moshiach is not merely doctrinal — it is operational. It changes how one lives today.
The Rebbe’s Campaign: Bringing Moshiach Now
No dimension of Chabad thought is more associated with the Rebbe than the inyan hageulah — the matter of redemption. From the early 5750s/1990s onward, the Rebbe spoke about Moshiach with increasing urgency and specificity. Key teachings:
- The time has come: The Rebbe declared repeatedly that we are at the very threshold of Geulah — that all the divine “work” of exile has been completed and nothing stands in the way except the Jewish people’s recognition that the time has come.
- Moshiach consciousness: Living with the awareness that Moshiach is imminent changes one’s avodah. It is not passive waiting but active preparation — both personal (refining character, intensifying Torah study and mitzvos) and communal (spreading Chassidus, doing outreach, adding in tzedakah and chesed).
- Limud pnimiyut haTorah: The Rebbe taught that the study of Chassidus is the primary vehicle for bringing Moshiach, based on the letter the Baal Shem Tov received on Rosh Hashanah: “When your wellsprings spread outward” — then Moshiach will come.
Moshiach in Likkutei Sichos and Hisvaaduyos
The Rebbe dedicated an extraordinary number of sichos and ma’amarim to the subject of Geulah. Key themes:
- The Rambam’s Laws of Kings: The final chapters of Mishneh Torah describe Moshiach in entirely natural, non-miraculous terms — a king who will fight G-d’s wars, interpret Torah, rebuild the Temple. The Rebbe used these halachos to present Moshiach as a real person, with real characteristics, who can be recognized and anticipated.
- The paradox of concealment: Why hasn’t Moshiach come? The Rebbe taught that the klipah (shell of concealment) that delays Moshiach is precisely the attitude that says “not yet, not now, not really possible.” The antidote is bitachon — confident trust.
- Each Jew’s role: Every mitzvah, every act of Torah study, every mezuzah checked, every tefillin put on — these are the cumulative acts that tip the scale. The Rebbe would say: one more mitzvah, one more Jew reached, and the scale tips.
Moshiach Consciousness as Daily Life
The Rebbe transformed the messianic idea from an eschatological event “out there” to an inner orientation “right now.” The Chassid who truly anticipates Moshiach:
- Studies the laws of the Temple (hilchos beis habechirah)
- Learns the halachos that apply in Eretz Yisrael
- Gives charity as if the poor person before him might be the vehicle for redemption
- Treats every Jew as a potential chelek (portion) of the Moshiach mission