Geulah גאולה

A shoot will come forth from the stem of Yishai. The spirit of Hashem rests on him; he judges with righteousness, and the wolf will dwell with the lamb. “The earth will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea.”

At the end of days the mountain of Hashem’s House will be established above the mountains, all nations will stream to it, and they will beat their swords into plowshares.

The Torah’s own promise: when Israel returns to Hashem, He will bring back the captivity, gather the exiles even from the ends of the heavens, and circumcise their hearts to love Him.

Hashem will gather the Children of Israel to their land as one nation, “My servant David” will be king over them, and His Sanctuary will be in their midst forever.

“Hashem will be King over all the earth; on that day Hashem will be One and His Name One.”

Hashem will send Eliyahu the prophet before the great day, and he will turn the hearts of parents to children and children to parents.

“All the days of your life”: the word “all” comes to include the days of Moshiach. Remembering the Exodus continues even then.

The famous description of the generation of Ikvesa d’Meshicha, the approach of Moshiach: impudence will increase and the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog. “Upon whom can we rely? Only upon our Father in Heaven.”

The generation in which the son of David comes. Tanna d’vei Eliyahu: the world stands six thousand years, two thousand of chaos, two thousand of Torah, and two thousand the period of Moshiach. Rabbi Zeira: do not delay his coming by calculating the end.

Rav: “All the calculated ends have passed, and the matter depends only on teshuvah and good deeds.” The debate between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua on whether redemption depends on teshuvah.

“In its time I will hasten it” (Yeshayahu 60:22): if they merit, I will hasten it; if not, in its time. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asks Moshiach when he will come: “Today!”, if you listen to His voice. Rabbi Yochanan: the son of David comes in a generation entirely meritorious or entirely guilty.

What should a person do to be spared the pains before Moshiach’s coming? Rabbi Elazar: engage in Torah study and acts of kindness.

Rabbi Yochanan: all the prophets prophesied only about the days of Moshiach, but of the World to Come, “No eye has seen it, Hashem, aside from You” (Yeshayahu 64:3). Rav Yosef rejects Rabbi Hillel’s claim that the prophecies of Moshiach were already fulfilled in Chizkiyahu’s days.

Shmuel: the only difference between this world and the days of Moshiach is freedom from subjugation to the nations.

Rava: one of the questions a person is asked at the heavenly judgment is “Did you await the salvation?” (צפית לישועה).

Melech HaMoshiach will arise, restore the kingdom of David, build the Beis HaMikdash and gather the dispersed of Israel. Whoever does not believe in him or does not await his coming denies the Torah and Moshe Rabbeinu.

How Moshiach is recognized: a king from the House of David, immersed in Torah and mitzvos, who leads Israel in its ways and fights the wars of Hashem. If he succeeds, builds the Mikdash in its place and gathers the dispersed, he is certainly Moshiach.

The world will continue in its natural order. “The wolf will dwell with the lamb” is a parable: Israel will dwell securely among nations once likened to wolves and leopards, who will turn to the true faith.

How the events will unfold is unknown until they happen and is not a fundamental of faith. Do not calculate the end. Rather, await and believe.

The Sages and prophets longed for the days of Moshiach not to rule the world, but to be free to engage in Torah and wisdom.

No famine, no war, no envy or competition. “The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know Hashem.”

Israel will be redeemed only through teshuvah, and the Torah has promised that at the end of the exile Israel will return, and will be redeemed immediately.

“Hashem will circumcise your heart”: in the days of Moshiach, choosing good will be natural to a person. The heart will not desire what is wrong, as it was before the sin of Adam HaRishon.