It is a fundamental of Torah belief that there will be a final redemption of the Jewish people. At some point in time, someone from the dynasty of Dovid HaMelech will eventually rise up and herald the end of history as we know it, the return of the Jewish people from the lands of their exile to the Land of Israel, and the establishment of a Torah government on the land. It is not a question of if, but of when, and of how. So central is this belief to a Torah Jew, that it is associated with the first of the Ten Commandments: The Sefer Mitzvos HaKatan wrote in his explanation of the Positive Mitzvah of, “I am God, your God, Who took you out of Egypt,” that it means one must know that He Who created Heaven and Earth alone controls above and below. However, to this he added, “This is the basis for what the rabbis teach: At the time of a person’s judgment after death, they ask him, ‘Did you anticipate redemption?’ (Shabbos 31a). Where is this mitzvah written? Actually, it comes from here, for, just as, ‘I am God, your God, Who took you out of Egypt’ means that we are expected to believe that God redeemed us from Egypt, it also means: Just as I want you to believe that I took you out [from Egypt], I also want you to believe that I, God your God, will gather you in and redeem you in mercy a second time.” (Ohr Yechezkel, Emunas HaGeulah, 1960; p. 287) However, what a Jew has to know is that there are two possible ways in which the Final Redemption can come, peacefully, or after a great war, which is referred to by the prophets of Tanach as, the War of Gog and Magog: After Moshiach comes, a major war will be instigated against Israel, as mentioned in the Holy Zohar (Shemos 7b); see this at length until page 10. It is also in Parashas Vayaira (119a) and Parashas Toldos (139). This is the War of Gog and Magog spoken about in Yechezkel (Ch. 38; 39), and Zechariah (Ch. 14), as well as in Midrash Tehillim (Mizmor 118:9): Three times in the future Gog and Magog will war with Israel and go up against Jerusalem; they will assemble and anger the nations to go up to Jerusalem with him, as it explains there. Also see Vayikra Rabbah (27:11), and many other places. (Sha’arei Leshem, p. 491) Based upon the descriptions of this war in the books of the prophets, it is a war to be avoided at all costs. Avoiding it, according to the Talmud, is a function of the actions of the Jewish people at the time: Rav said, “All the dates of redemption have already passed, and now it depends upon repentance and good deeds.” Shmuel said, “It is enough that the mourner remains in mourning!” This is like an earlier disagreement: Rebi Eliezer said, “If Israel will repent then they will be redeemed, and if they will not, then they will not.” Rebi Yehoshua said to him, “If they do not repent they will not be redeemed?! Rather, The Holy One, Blessed is He, will cause a king to arise who will make decrees as difficult as Haman’s, and Israel will repent and return to the right path.” (Sanhedrin 97b) We know who Haman was, the second-in-command of Persia during the time of the Purim miracle. We recall each year the decrees of destruction he made against the Jewish people, and what would have resulted had Heaven not interceded on our behalf. We can read for ourselves how difficult life became for the Jewish people, until God finally ended his reign of tyranny. And, we can assume that we do not want another one to arise in order to remind us of what we would should be focusing on in advance of Moshiach’s arrival. Therefore, our mission is to empower all Jews to help bring the Final Redemption more safely. Our main means of accomplishing this goal is the creation of a booklet containing 60 short, yet powerful, daily study lessons, which will progressively focus people on the main goals of the Jewish People, and of history in general. Without doubt, as more Jews join the program and increase their commitment to the idea of redemption, the more mercy Heaven will show to Tzion. With history heading down a path that does not forebode well for the Jewish people, we are obligated to do whatever we can to mitigate any negative events that might be headed our way, Chas v’Shalom. In the past, the passive approach to redemption has never served us well. Based upon many crucial sources, and the direction of history at this time, there is no reason to assume that it will now. And, as this book will make clear, the main difference between a peaceful redemption and one that has been described in frightening detail in the Book of the Prophets, may simply be a change of heart.
Introduction