Greater Than Anything Before
What is true peace? How can life, love and Holiness win in a world that has war, death, and evil? Human wisdom falls short attempting to answer questions that people have had since the beginning of time. In a ma’amer delivered in 1965, the Rebbe provides a fresh perspective from the lens of Torah.
Ma’amer Bila HaMovess LoNetzach
Part Two
Find Part One here.
| In the future, when Moshiach comes, evil (the source of spiritual and physical death) will be completely dissolved. Since G-dly light will be revealed in a greater way than ever before, all darkness will be consumed before it.
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ב) וְהִנֵה הַטַעֲם עֲל זֶה שֶׁדַוְקָא לְעָתִיד לָבֹא יִתְבַּטֵל הָרַע (מָוֶת הַרוּחֲנִי, וּבְּמֵילָא גַּם הַמָּוֶת כִּפְּשׁוּטוֹ) הוּא, כִּי אָז יִהְיֶה גִילוּי אוֹר נַעֲלָה בְּיוֹתֵר, שֶׁלְגַבֵּי אוֹר זֶה, מִתְבַּטְלִים בְּמֵילָא כָּל הַמְנַגְדִים.
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| In general, evil (klipa—negative energy) is analogous to darkness, being that it has no real substance to it because as soon as light, G-dliness, is illuminated, the darkness dissipates (see Tanya ch. 29). When Moshiach comes, we will have a more intimate relationship with G-d. This will automatically eradicate evil and therefore death, as the verse states, “…and I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land.” (Zecharia, 13:2). |
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| In his ma’amer, the Rebbe Maharash explained that the G-dly light that will pervade the world when Moshiach comes will be greater even than in the times of the Holy Temples. During the Second Holy Temple era and –especially when the First Holy Temple stood—such a G-dly light filled the world, there was peace. Especially during the First Holy Temple era, when King Solomon ruled, the loftiest of G-dly revelation filled the world. (Solomon, in Hebrew, Shlomo שְׁלֹמֹה, for there was peace, shalom שָׁלוֹם, in his days).
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וּמְבַאֵר בְּהַמַאֲמָר(13), דְהַגַם שֶׁגַם בִּזְמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִקְדָשׁ הָיָה קַייָם, וּבִּפְרַט בְּזְמַן בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן, וְעַל אַחַת כַּמָה וְכַּמָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה דְקִיְימָא סִיהֲרָא בְּאַשְׁלְמוּתָא(14), הָיָה גִילוּי אוֹר נַעֲלָה בְּיוֹתֵר, וּמְצַד גִילוּי זֶה, כָּל הַגוֹיִם נִתְבַּטְלוּ לְפָנָיו, שֶׁלֹא עֲל-יְדֵי מִלְחָמָה כְּלַל(15) [שֶׁלָכֵן נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם שְׁלֹמֹה, כִּי שָׁלוֹם הָיָה בְּיָמָיו(16)],
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| The Zohar states that in the days of King Solomon, “The moon was in its complete form,” as full and as bright as when it was created. This means that the G-dliness that filled the world then was so great that the other nations of the world acknowledged the Jewish kingdom without the need for war. | ||
Nevertheless, the G-dly revelation and thereby the peace during the days of King Solomon was incomplete. Although Holiness was the pervading lens of reality, evil still existed. In his day, evil still managed to “suckle” life-force from the side of holiness, albeit from the “hind-side” of holiness: evil had no hold on Holiness. |
מִכָּל-מָקוֹם, הַגִילוּי שֶׁהָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה הָיָה בְּאוֹפֶן שֶׁהָיָה עַדַיִין מָקוֹם לִינִיקַת הַחִיצוֹנִים, אֶלָא שֶׁיְנִיקָתָם אָז הָיְתָה רַק מֵאַחוֹרַיִים דְקְדוּשָׁה וְלֹא הָיָה לָהֶם אֲחִיזָה בְּפְּנִימִיוּת.
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| The “suckling” of evil can be explained as follows. Think of the bank that you normally frequent. The money that you’ve deposited and the fees that there may be, help fund the bank as a corporation. The bank uses that money to pay its employees, buy real estate, fund loans, etc. Let’s say the bank employs someone who you dislike. Your money has been redirected towards someone you would never support. That is the “suckling” of evil from the “hind-side.”
Now let’s say the bank has been robbed and your money (thank G-d for insurance) has landed in the hands of criminals. That is the “suckling” of evil which has a hold on goodness. In this example, “evil” has taken direct control over goodness. In the days of King Solomon, evil still existed, and other kingdoms still existed. All existence receives its life from G-d, the Source of life. The fact that evil can exist altogether means it takes its vitality somehow from Holiness. |
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| We said that although there was peace in the days of King Solomon, evil still “suckled” life from Holiness. This is apparent in the manner in which the other nations deferred to King Solomon. The Queen of Sheba, while still in her homeland, was compelled to travel to King Solomon from simply hearing of him.
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[וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְזֶה שֶׁבִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה הָיָה עַדַיִין מָקוֹם לִינִיקַת הַחִיצוֹנִים, נִיכָּר גַּם בְּאוֹפֶן הַבִּיטוּל דְהַגוֹיִם שֶׁנִתְבַּטְלוּ לְפָנָיו. וּכְּמוֹ מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא, דְעִם הֱיוֹת שֶׁגַם בְּהְיוֹתָה בְּאַרְצָהּ וְרַק שָׁמְעָה אֶת-שֵׁמַע שְׁלֹמֹה נַעֲשָׂה בָּה בִּיטוּל (קְצַת), שֶׁמִצַד זֶה(17) בָּאָה אֶל שְׁלֹמֹה(18),
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| After seeing King Solomon, witnessing his wisdom, the palace which he built, the food on his table, etc., she was overwhelmed. Nevertheless, she remained a queen on her right—and even King Solomon himself showed her honor.
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וּבִּפְרַט לְאַחֲרֵי שֶׁבָאָה אֵלָיו וְרָאֲתָה אֶת חָכְמָתוֹ וְכוּלְהוּ שֶׁעֲל-יְדֵי-זֶה נִתְבַּטְלָה לְפָנָיו בְּאוֹפֶן שְׁלֹא הָיָה בָּה עוֹד רוּחַ(19), מִכָּל-מָקוֹם, גַּם אָז הָיְתָה מַלְכָּה, וִיתֵירָה מִזוּ, שְׁגַם שְׁלֹמֹה כִּיבֵּד אוֹתָהּ בְּכָבוֹד גָדוֹל(20)].
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| Since the revelation of G-d’s presence was not in its totality, there was still room for evil to exist. This was expressed in the fact that The Queen of Sheba remained a queen, despite her submission to King Solomon. | ||
When Moshiach comes, however, nothing other than Holiness will exist. The G-dly light which will illuminate then will completely outshine unholy existence. Evil will cease to be and “death will be gone forever.” |
מַה-שְׁאֵין-כֵּן הַגִילוּי דְלְעָתִיד לָבֹא (21) יִהְיֶה בְּאוֹפֶן שְׁלֹא תִּהְיֶה יְנִיקָה לְחִיצוֹנִים כְּלַל (גַּם לֹא מְבְּחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים) וְיִתְבַּטֵל הָרַע לְגַמְרֵי, בִּלַע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח. | |
Summary
As mentioned earlier, death comes as a result of the existence of evil. When Moshiach comes, G-dliness will pervade the world more than ever before. Just as light dispels darkness, evil will ultimately disappear in the Light of Holiness.
14. זהר ח”א קנ, א. רכה, ב. רמג, סע”א. ח”ב פה, א. ח”ג מ, ב. מו, א. וראה שמו”ר פט”ו, כו.
15. ראה בארוכה המשך פדה בשלום תרנ”ט (ע’ קסב. שם ע’ קסד) ותש”ד (סי”ט וסכ”א – ע’ 107 וע’ 11-110), וראה גם תו”א שם (ו, א), שהבירור שהי’ בימי שלמה הוא בירור בדרך מנוחה ובתו”א שם שזהו בדוגמת אדה”ר קודם החטא.
16. כמ”ש (דברי הימים-א כב, ט) שלמה יהי’ שמו ושלום ושקט אתן על ישראל בימיו.
17. דזהו שנתעורר בה רצון לבוא לשלמה הוא מצד הביטול שנעשה בה (בהיותה עדיין בארצה) ע”י ששמעה את שמעו – ראה המשך הנ”ל תרנ”ט (ע’ קסב) ותש”ד (ע’ 107) “דמצד גדולת שמו שנשמע למרחוק גם באיים הרחוקים מתבטלים כולם אליו ונמשכים אליו”.
18. מלכים-א יו”ד, א-ב.
19. שם, ד-ה.
20. ראה שם, יג.
21. ראה גם ד”ה פדה בשלום תשמ”א (לעיל ח”ב ע’ מה ואילך) בתחלתו ובסעיף ו. וראה בהנסמן שם הערה 5.