Moshiach Must Comfort Us

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Moshiach Must Comfort Us

“After everything that has befallen the whole Jewish people in our generation, we cannot fathom the tragedies… The only thing that can be said is that it must reinforce our demand for Moshiach, who must answer all the questions.”

Topics:

Pain, Suffering & Tragedy, Comforting the Mourner, Infertility, Health, Illness and Healing, Stillbirth, Miscarriage, Lubavitcher Rebbe

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7 Comments

Richard Appelbaum Ft. Lauderdale, FL April 6, 2012

Moshiac I truly thank you, Rabbi Brownstein, for your answer. My hope is that if we humans treat others as we would have them treat us, we will hasten the day of enlightenment.
With a great deal of passion, I look forward to the day when my essence can be reunited with my beloved one, who died too young to see her infant grandchildren grow to toddlers. I do hope there is a connection after physical death, but I am not so sure of that either. We humans must live with right actions and hope. Reply

Rabbi Shmary Brownstein chabad.org April 6, 2012

To Richard Applebaum Your question is the kind of question the Rebbe would have asked, and is asking here. The hope for Moshiach is exactly the anticipation of a resolution to these kind of questions, which are decidedly not available today. We don't believe in order to gain control, but to gain perspective. We realize that there is a bigger picture, of which we see only a sliver. In a way, if we knew the reasons for tragedies now, it would minimize and even trivialize them, which is not the response we should have. Our response should be only horror and sadness. In fact, this response comes from belief; those who don't believe are content to say "these things happen," feeling that they have adequately explained events. One who believes there is a higher reason remains with the open question you express here. Thus we await Moshiach to resolve these questions. The fact that he hasn't arrived yet is the same kind of question. But we believe there is an answer, and so some day we will know it. Reply

Richard Appelbaum Ft. Lauderdale, Florida March 25, 2012

A higher power Are we humans deluding ourselves by believing in a higher power since we can't seem to be in control of tragedies that befall us? We want a power to be in control, but that means rectifying bad situations. This is not the case since tragic events keep happening year after year since time immemorial.
How long have we awaited a messiah? All we have in the face of human tragedy is a silence.
Obviously, it would benefit humankind if we, ourselves, could destroy those who cause evilness in our world, but we seem unable to do so;therefore, where is the All-knowing one who should do this? Why were evil ones and things created in the first place? The answer we are given is that we can't comprehend the doings of our Creator and that all things the Blessed One created are good. That doesn't help solve our tragedies. It merely puts a bandaid on them.
All religions have beautiful sayings and practices, but what are we to make of our world that never seems to change for the good. Is all false? Reply

Yvonne Bilgeri Johannesburh, South Africa March 24, 2012

Moshiach Yes, I know it is a bitter pill for us Jewish people to swallow, but as Zechariah said, one day soon "we will gaze on Him who we have pierced and mourn for Him as an only son". But don't worry, he is not coming back to condemn, but to forgive and save the Jewish people when the World turns against them. And he will fight on our side and those nations are going to be real sorry...Then the Torah will go forth from Jerusalem to the whole world, and they will have to come up to the feast of Succot every year and bring provisions. Reply

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