Dear Friends,
Could it be that I am the Mashiach? I’m not joking; I’m really trying to understand. The most famous Passuk (verse) about the Mashiach in the Torah is “A star has issued from Yaakov and a scepter-bearer from Yisrael.” It is Bilam who says this in his prophecy in this week’s Parasha, when speaking about the End of Days. The commentators, including, notably the great Rambam, understood this as Bilam prophesying about the Melech HaMashiach – the (anointed) king who will be Mashiach, about whom it says, “A star has issued from Yaakov”, and it is he who will come and redeem the people. But, on the other hand, Rabbi Yishmael in the Jerusalem Talmud learned from this same verse that we are all stars. According to him, about each one of Yaakov’s descendants it is said that “A star has issued from Yaakov.”
And it is not only Rabbi Yishmael; we say this about ourselves. In many Siddurim there is a special prayer to be said when the Ark is opened on holidays. It is a very moving prayer in which every person prays for himself and for his family. “May we have the merit to do Your will wholeheartedly… and may we have our part in Your Torah, and may we merit having Your Presence will rest in us.” And then, all of a sudden, we ask: “And may the following scripture come true with us, as it says, “The spirit of Hashem will rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of Hashem.” But, wait a minute – this verse “The spirit of Hashem will rest upon him” is from a prophecy of Yeshayahu, in which the prophet is defining the Mashiach’s personality – the spirit of Hashem will rest upon him, which will include counsel and strength etc. So why are we asking for ourselves, for each and every one of us, what is said in prophecy about the Mashiach, the Anointed One? Could it be that I am the Mashiach?
The answer is: Yes. That is, to a certain extent.
But before you get all excited or uptight, I wish to bring a wonderful, sharp and special quote, which is completely fitting for the person who said it, the Kotzker Rebbe: “When I was young, I wanted to change the whole world. When I grew older I discovered that it is hard to change the world, so I tried to change my people. When I saw I couldn’t change the people I tried to at least change my city. I failed in that too and decided to focus on changing my family. Today, when I am old already, I understand that the only thing I can change is myself. And suddenly I understand that if, a long time ago, I would have changed myself, it would have influenced my family, a change would have occurred in my city and in my people, and then I really would have changed the world.”
Well, the Baal Shem Tov said that in every Jew there is a little Mashiach. In every soul there is a spark from the Mashiach’s soul, as it says in Masechet Shabbat about the verse from Tehillim, “Do not touch Meshichai - My anointed”, and Chazal say, “Do not touch My anointed – those are the children. “ The practical significance of this Mashiach within us is very simple: Before we come to fix the whole world, we must fix ourselves, or, rather, as the Kotzker said, the way to change the world is through making a personal, internal change.
Be your own Mashiach, and that way you will speed up the coming of the Mashiach to the entire world.
And if you say, It’s hard for me, I can’t – remember that Rabbi Yishmael declared that it is about you that it is said, “A star has issued from Yaakov.”
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zalmen Wishedski