Rising Up Against All Odds
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
The entire America and the world woke up in shock on the 8th of Cheshvan, Tuesday November 9, 2016. For an entire year the vast majority assumed that one person would win the presidential election. When the opposite results arrived they were not what anyone had imagined. Protests broke out in the streets, people were burning cars and students of universities across the country were on the march. Even high schools emptied out with protestors taking to the street with signs and chants. The outcome touched a raw nerve, it shook the very foundations of their beliefs.
The Baal Shem Tov says that we need to learn a lesson from everything that we hear and see. The Jewish people have been waiting thousands of years for the arrival of Moshiach. We live in a world where Moshiach seems like a distant unrealistic dream. It looks like tomorrow be more of the same. In reality Hashem gives life to everything. Everything is connected to him and under his control; we just don't see. We are simple people but there are great Tzadikim who do see; the Rebbe sees.
The Rebbe said in a Sicha that we are going to go to sleep and tomorrow morning we will wake up to the news that Moshiach has arrived. Moshiach will greet us with a Shalom Aleichem and then at then ask what we have done to bring him a day sooner. What will we say? It will be a shock. The nations of the world will realize their mistake and how they have the lead the world in a false way. We should prepare so that when he arrives we will not be in shock. We can do our part so that when he arrives we will say that we were waiting and we did all that we could do to bring him a day earlier. This is our job.
We see in this weeks parsha we see that Avrohom dedicated himself to the proper education and shidduch of his son Yitzchok against all odds. Rivka was chosen because she fit into the home of Sarah and Avrohom. No one imagined that his plan would work. When Yitzchok grew up and followed in the ways of his father Avrohom and raised a family to do the same everyone was amazed. How could it be that one person and one family accomplish all that they did against all odds?
This week is the Kinus Hashluchim. When the Rebbe began his Nesius no one thought the Torah true Judaism stood a chance in America. No one could imagine that it would flourish as it is today from the heartland of America to the four corners of the earth. The Rebbe worked with the theme of Ufaratzta!, against all odds. The Rebbe continued with what Hashem promised Yaakov, "Ufaratzta", you will spread out to the four corners of the earth, you will change the world.
The lesson for each and everyone of us is clear. We are not bound by the constraints of world opinion. Because we are attached to Hashem, a Jew stands above it all and can break through all boundaries. Nothing can stand in the way from us for filling our mission, the mission of creation which is to fill the world with the knowledge of Hashem. We know that we will be successful against all odds with the revelation of Moshiach now!
A Good Shabbos, A Good Chodesh