Moshiach and Geulah

Following Saddam’s threats to attack the U.S. and Israel in what he called the “mother of all wars,” Israel prepared itself for the impending conflict. For the first time in its history, chemical warfare kits were given to the civilian population in Israel, and people were taught to be on the defensive, such as how to use the contents of the kits (which included gas masks and various antidotes), and how to prepare a sealed room in the event of an attack. Teams were prepared to deal with an unconventional attack and the emergency response teams were put on high alert. The U.S. and other countries sent Patriot missiles to Israel for the purpose of intercepting long-range missiles that might be sent from Iraq to Israel.

The Israeli government began preparing the nation for war. Nobody had any idea of what might happen, and security forces in consultation with politicians prepared for the worst.

Civilians stored water in their homes, bought plastic sheeting and tape, prepared rags and ammonia, collected their gas masks, and prepared injections and their sealed rooms.

Rabbi Yehosef Ralbag a’h, the rav of Kiryat Yovel, was the first to get an explicit answer from the Rebbe after he sent in a question about the unprecedented situation. The Rebbe’s answer was:

"Concerning gas masks: Every Jewish child who has learned Torah knows the verse, "The eyes of the Lord your G-d are upon the land from the beginning of the year to the end" (Deuteronomy) Ask any child what that means. There is no need to scare people.

"Concerning hoarding food: This is forbidden by halachah (Jewish law), as it drives up the price of essential needs."

The Rebbe’s answer was sharp, clear, and confident. It made waves and was publicized in the media. The newspaper “Davar” reported that the Rebbe promised that nothing would happen, and that there would be no gas attacks. The paper quoted Rabbi Ralbag as saying, “As far as I’m concerned, this was the most calming announcement to date. When all is said and done, all intelligence information, as important and precise as it might be, pales in comparison to the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s assessments. For those who are still doubtful, check out how precise he was before the Six Day War.” The Rebbe’s words gave encouragement and hope.

From then on, at every opportunity and in answer to every question asked by Jews, especially at “dollars,” as well as in Sichos and answers to questions, the Rebbe repeatedly promised that there was nothing to fear, and people should not sow fear. The Rebbe strongly negated the idea of leaving Eretz Yisrael. The Rebbe told a lecturer who was invited to leave the country for a speaking tour that it wasn’t the right time to leave the country.

August 2, 1990. Iraq walks into Kuwait. The U.S. and it's NATO allies rush troops to Saudi Arabia to deter a possible attack. Egypt and several other Arab nations join the "Operation Desert Shield." Hussein meanwhile builds up his occupying army in Kuwait to about 300,000 troops -- and announces that, if attacked, he will immediately turn his air force and guns toward Israel. Things aren't looking too miraculous yet.

The Rebbe spends unprecedented hours praying and meditating at the gravesite of his father-in-law. On August 18, the Rebbe addressed the public. He cited an ancient Midrash, the Yalkut Shimoni:

"The king of Persia will attack an Arab nation. The Arab king will go to Aram for advice. The king of Persia will bring destruction to the entire world, and all of the nations will be struck by panic and fear ... Israel will also be overtaken by panic and fear, and they will cry, 'Where shall we go? Where shall we go'?

"Moshiach will then tell them: 'My children, fear not. Everything I have done, I have done for you. Why are you afraid? Do not fear! The time of your redemption has arrived'."

Who is the Persian king? Who is Aram? Shortly afterward, the Rebbe explained:

At the times of the Midrash, the Persian empire was centered in Mesopotamia -- modern-day Iraq. The Arab nation can then be understood as Kuwait -- being on the Arabian peninsula. As for Aram, this means a superpower (ram means "exalted"), namely the United States of America, to whom Kuwait turned for assistance.

In summary, the Rebbe's message was: There is nothing to fear. All that is happening is in order to prepare the world for the messianic era.

That Sunday, a member of the Israeli Parliament, Eli Kulas, asked the Rebbe for his message to the people of Israel. The Rebbe responded:

"There is nothing to worry about. They only need to increase their confidence in G-d and then He will increase even more His blessings -- with serenity for the soul and body."

For whatever reasons, people take military experts more seriously than a Chassidic rabbi in Brooklyn. Israel was scared. They knew the kind of bio-chemical weapons Iraq had designed just for them. Weapons that could render the land uninhabitable for centuries. The feeble solution: Distribute gas masks to the populace.

Israeli radio interviewed Rabbi L. Groner, one of the Rebbe's secretaries, and asked for the Rebbe's opinion concerning gas masks. The response: The Rebbe feels there is no need to scare people.

Rabbi Yosef Ralbag asked on behalf of the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Should we accept the gas mask solution? And should we store up food, as the authorities and all the media is encouraging us to do? (The papers even suggested that water should not be stored in plastic containers, since these are gas-permeable.)

The Rebbe's response:

"Concerning gas masks: Every Jewish child who has learned Torah knows the verse, "The eyes of the Lord your G-d are upon the land from the beginning of the year to the end" (Deuteronomy) Ask any child what that means. There is no need to scare people.

"Concerning hoarding food: This is forbidden by halachah (Jewish law), as it drives up the price of essential needs."

As the situation heated up and fears grew, the Rebbe’s position became more and more firm. There were some who looked askance at what the Rebbe said and even waited to see whether or not they would be proven true.

On Wednesday, 23 Teves, when it became clear that all diplomatic attempts had failed in Geneva and that a war was about to start, the Rebbe was asked once again and he answered: “What I said is based on the force of the matter of ‘for the eyes of Hashem your G-d, are constantly upon it …’ and because the Makom Ha’Mikdash is there, and there is no change in this.”

The next day too, on Thursday, 24 Teves, the yahrtzeit of the Alter Rebbe, the Rebbe repeated that there was no change in his position. In another answer from that day the Rebbe said, “There’s nothing to worry about and soon they’ll see the wonders in the Holy Land, and transmit this to the residents of the Holy Land.” As far as taking gas masks, the Rebbe said that if the Civil Guard was asking people to take them, there was nothing wrong with taking them, and the Rebbe added that this posed no contradiction to his position regarding the situation. To the rav of Eilat, Rabbi Yosef Hecht, who requested a bracha for the residents of his city, the Rebbe responded: “there is absolutely no reason to fear.”

The Rebbe requested that no changes be made in any plans and that chalila, no fear should be displayed; just bitachon in Hashem.

Some N’shei Chabad received an unusual answer when some of them were fearful about traveling to the kinus set to take place in Minnesota, because of the situation. The Rebbe conveyed a message through Rabbi Groner: “If a goy from over there does what he does because he believes in his own idolatry, all the more so should Jews who believe in G-d, do everything they can to show their trust, and not do anything chas v’shalom to show lack of trust. Make sure that all those who were supposed to go, go, and they should make sure to bring others along.” The Rebbe said he would send dollars to all those who attended the kinus.

The Rebbe strongly negated canceling wedding plans or rescheduling them elsewhere. There was a story that was even publicized in the media in which a family wanted to change the location of a wedding from Bnei Brak to Beer Sheva because Beer Sheva was safer, and the Rebbe nixed that idea.

Chosid: I am travelling to Eretz Yisroel, I married off my son...

The Rebbe: [Gives a dollar] To give as tzedaka in the Holy Land, the trip should be successful. Blessings and success. [Gives another dollar] And this is for the wife.

Chosid: My wife is very afraid to return.

The Rebbe: She is afraid?

Chosid: My wife.

The Rebbe: Yes? Look, she has fear of the Almighty and as a consequence she doesn't have to be afraid in Eretz Yisroel.

Chosid: She's afraid to travel back.

The Rebbe: No, that's a big foolishness, since this is the land that the Almighty protects. If they will know that she doesn't believe in the Almighty--this is not desireable. If she believes in the Almighty, she needs to travel back to Eretz Yisroel. And all the Jews will see that Eretz Yisroel is the land that the Almighty protects. I don't wish to scare Jews but this is exactly the opposite of what she wants to understand.

Chosid: Chaim Yitzchak Cohen.

The Rebbe: Good tidings.

Chosid: I bring regards from the Sadigora Rebbe, he asked to send regards.

The Rebbe: The days of his leadership should be lengthened.

Chosid: He's now situated in Tel Aviv. The whole time he hasn't travelled (from there). He has an apartment in Yerushalayim, but he says that it is not proper to travel from Tel Aviv [away from the threat of SCUD missiles].

The Rebbe: Yes. That's correct. Yes. There should be good news. [Gives dollars] This is for you, this is for you, and this is for all the Jews there that the Almighty should protect them in the land that "the eyes of Hashem your G-d are on it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." There should be good news and great success.

Chosid: The truth is they are a little scared there.

The Rebbe: That's astonishing--this is a posuk that everyone knows about. In any event, what was, was in the past, and now it should be a year of abundance and a happy Purim. This is "from when Adar enters [we increase in simcha]"--we can't just fulfill the basic obligation of being b'simcha, but rather we need to increase simcha. There should be good news and great success.

Visitor: I'm travelling tomorrow, returning to Eretz Yisroel. Many people will ask me about the situation--what should I tell them?

The Rebbe: Tell them that it is written in the Torah that it was already written then "the land that the eyes of Hashem your G-d are upon it from the beginning of the year to the end of the year". They'll look inside [a chumash] and they will see that this is how it's written in the Torah! And therefore they are relying on the Almighty [and not the predictions of a tzaddik]. There should be good news. [Gives dollars] This is for all the activities here, and this is for all the activities in the Holy Land. And with simcha and gladness of heart.

The Rebbe: Blessings and success, and good tidings.

Visitor: Thank you. Kavod haRav the tourists have stopped travelling now in Shevat...

The Rebbe: I publicize at every opportunity that one must travel, and on the contrary this is the safest place since the Temple Mount is there, the place of the Beis Hamikdash is there. And the main thing is that there are two million or three million (may they increase) of bnei Yisroel found there.

Visitor: This is the livelihood of bnei Yisroel.

The Rebbe: Amen, good tiding.

Music sweetens the harsh decrees that come to the world. When you sing the words of the prayers in a clear voice, the Divine Presence is robed in radiant garments. This is how the harsh decrees are sweetened. (Lekutai Etzot: Neginah 7, Breslev)

Devash wrote:"One of the Israeli papers reported "

Which paper? Can you link to it? This is the first I've heard of it.