Failures During "Footsteps of Moshiach"

by Rabbi Dovid E. Eidensohn

The Talmud (Sota 49) tells that  the period before the arrival of Moshiach known as Footsteps of the Moshiach will feature destruction of the family. We see destruction of the family, divorces and broken children, but we don’t see Moshiach yet. But we recall the statement of the Talmud that in such a terrible period “We have nobody to rely on  other than our Father in Heaven.” If we turn to Him and get to work to solve things, we may get somewhere. Despair is not the solution.

During the First World War there was mighty suffering in Europe. The Chofetz Chaim, the saint of the generation would preach,  “A new war will come about that will make this look like childs play. “ We know now he was talking about the Second World War. But that was not the end. Today we are enduring the part of suffering taught in the Talmud, the destruction of family. We suffer from divorces and broken children. We have gender wars.

Going back about five hundred years, the great rabbis announced the beginning of the pre-Messianic Era, also known as the period of Footsteps of the Moshiach. This does not mean that Moshiach came five hundred years ago. It means that the world is preparing for the End of Days and the Messianic Era, with its tribulations and testing.

The gender war did not begin now. It began at creation. And the first one to suffer from it was G-d. In an incredible story in the Talmud (Chulin 60b) , the female Moon and the male Sun were equally bright. The Moon protested to G-d that “two kings cannot share the same crown.” She wanted to be the great light and she wanted the sun to be diminished. G-d refused and the Moon argued and argued. Finally G-d said to the Moon: “Go and diminish yourself.” The Moon replied, “Because I say something proper I must diminish myself?” G-d said, “I failed to satisfy the Moon. Therefore bring for Me a sacrifice on the New Moon.”  What does this mean?

The world was created with two forces, Justice and Mercy. The righteous live with the very strict rules of Justice and are punished for sinning in this world. Other people are allowed to sin and nobody bothers them. But in the other world, only the righteous will be honored and others will be punished. The Moon protested that she, the female, is the superior force of justice, and the sun was the inferior level of kindness. If the sun was equal to the moon, it meant that sinners and righteous people were equal. The Moon wanted the world to be for righteous people. She wanted sinners to be punished and the world to be cleansed constantly of evil. This would be a glory for the Torah. But G-d said He did not want a world of perfect people, but wanted penitence (Avoda Zora 4b).  Thus King David sinned and repented and was accepted. And the Jews at Sinai sinned with the Golden Calf and then repented and were accepted. But the Moon had a point that all of this sinning was a disgrace for G-d and holiness. So G-d brought a sacrifice on the New Moon, acknowledging the decline of the world without the Moon in charge with justice.

I spoke to some young women with children who are going through divorces. I explained that they should not feel guilty. These are living during the Footsteps of Moshiach with its terrors. And the Talmud concludes its comments about the Footsteps with the statement, “And we have nobody to turn to other than our Father in Heaven.” This means, say the rabbis, that even in such a hopeless time, we can turn to G-d and find solutions, if we are ready to pursue them properly.

The two ladies were comforted, at least somewhat. Our times are terrible tribulations. But despair is not the proper or only response.

We have posted many articles about the problems of our times. The most recent scandal was the woman who remarried without a GET, based upon the encouragement and participation of two of the major rabbis in America, Rabbis Kaminetsky and Greenblatt.  The remarriage was a terrible sin and children from the second man will be mamzerim.  And the great silence that greeted this outrage is in itself a greater outrage than the sin itself. Even if eventually some people will present some public opposition, it will come weeks after the event, much too late and too insignificant.

The structure of Torah is damaged, and is part of the reason we have so many divorces and broken families. Until we realize that we have no proper leadership in America, and that the leadership itself  is doing things that may be damaging, such as the rabbis of prominent positions who support gay rights and prominent gays for public office, we will not be able to escape from the darkness.

At this point, we have to look at the whole structure, and identify the problems. Those who want to stay with the mud, will stay with it, and sink in further. And others will escape it, if they are ready to accept the true Torah position that is now badly eroded.

We hope to elaborate on these matters in future posts.