Moshiach Times

It has become almost a cliche to say that our society is undergoing a transition of enormous scope as radical, discontinuous changes are causing the existing frameworks of technology, economics, education, and politics to give way to new definitions.

As we survey the changing horizons of contemporary life, it is possible to recognize certain patterns in process.

These patterns, it can be argued, parallel and are precursors of the trends that will characterize the era of Moshiach. By no means, is our world Messianic at present. On the other hand, many of the motifs, that will distinguish the era of the Redemption, can already be recognized in our contemporary society.

What will the era of the Redemption be like? At the conclusion of his description of that era, the Maimonides writes:

In that age, there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor competition, for good things will flow in abundance and all the delights will be as freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d....

"The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean bed" (Isaiah 11:9; Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 12:5).

Let’s look at these prophecies, one by one:
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"There will be no famine."

In 1900, one third of all Americans worked on farms. By and large, there was no shortage of food, but there was little left over for export. Today, the American population has grown several fold, and only 3 % work in agriculture.

Nevertheless, this 3 % produce enough food, not only to feed the entire population, but to export throughout the world.
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"Nor war"

There is a major paradigm shift. In previous eras, there have been times of peace and detente, but the fundamental climate was one of conflict.

Each country was concerned primarily, with its own nationalistic objectives. It operated on the premise, that what another country received, was to its own detriment.

Today, nations operate under the conception that, their futures are intertwined, and progress by one, benefits another.

Moreover, the momentum to peace, is being propelled by other factors besides economics. As our contemporary media shows us, the real horror war wrecks, we are losing our tolerance, even for the mini-wars mentioned above. This trend began in Vietnam, the first of the "the living-room wars."

Many have suggested, that it was seeing the violence on TV, that turned many Americans against the war.

To prevent a recurrence of that phenomenon, in subsequent conflicts, the military has worked with the media, to present an image of war, that people can stomach.

People are becoming sensitized to the message, that war is horrible. In Kosovo, we were so revolted by the atrocities, that we felt we had to do something to stop them.

The only times our resolve was daunted, was when we realized, that we were also killing and the victims of our attacks, had blood that was as red as our own.

As a result, we are "beating swords into plowshares," and using the intellectual and material resources, previously devoted to war, to benefit mankind.

The clearest illustration of this, is the Internet. First conceived as part of Reagan’s Star Wars initiative, it is now the information super-highway, fueling growth in education, technology, and commerce.

Nor is this the only example, as governments are cutting defense budgets, and devoting the freed resources, to agriculture and social reform.
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"Neither envy nor competition

The industrial revolution, altered the predatory mode of life, that had prevailed for centuries; and spawned a new economic system, that gave men a way of producing wealth, in which the good fortune of others, multiplied their own.

Through collaboration and the division of labor, it became evident, that when society as a whole grew and profited, the share of every individual increased.

This motif has been expanded and enhanced, as the industrial society gave way to the information, and post-information, societies.
Thus when describing the culture at IBM, Thomas J. Watson Jr. states: "I want to begin with what I think is most important: our respect for the individual...

In IBM, it occupies a major portion of management time. We devote more effort to it, than anything else."

And Thomas Peters and Robert Waterman, Jr., state: "There is hardly a more pervasive theme in excellent companies, than respect for the individual....

These companies give people control over their destinies; they make meaning for people."

This shift in focus is a by-product, of the transition from an industrial, to an information society. For when wealth comes from materials, it is hard to deviate from the fundamental conception, that the pie is small; and when a piece is given to somebody else, your share is less.

Today, by contrast, it is evident, that it is knowledge and creativity, not materials, that produce wealth. Statistics bear this out.

The weight in tons of U.S. gross domestic product has dropped 25%, in the past two decades, while its value has more than doubled.

Material resources are clearly, not the primary producers of wealth. The concepts are plainly evident, on the personal level. Today’s millionaires are people with ideas, that have benefited others; not yesterday’s gold miners, oil tycoons, or factory owners.

Now, for knowledge to produce growth and tangible benefit, it must flow freely.

And this flow of knowledge that crosses peer networks, has tumbled the hierarchies and corporate ladders, that used to dominate corporations. CEO’s were forced to acknowledge--and amply compensate--the superior knowledge of their subordinates.

But it is not only that the profits of a corporation are being shared, the fundamental point is, that shared efforts, and think tanks, have become the life-blood of these companies.

As opposed to the emphasis, on individual effort and personal entrepreneurship, that dominated the past; today’s innovations, are products of pooled efforts, and synergistic environments.

Similarly, on a larger scale, the nature of the relationships between corporations has also changed. Instead of slugging it out, in the dog-eat-dog competition, that prevailed in previous eras; today, we see an emphasis, on finding a market niche, that enables coexistence.

Competitors are sharing technologies, and cooperating on projects, in the awareness, that the advance of all involved parties is the surest way, for them to push their own positions forward.

This approach has lead to a "virtuous cycle" of continued and growing prosperity, benefiting all members of society.

We have discovered that, the pie is ever-expanding; and the people who receive the largest pieces, are the ones who enable others to partake of it.
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"Good things will flow in abundance, and all the delights will be as freely available as dust"

If Maimonides was alive today, he’d certainly say, that this prophecy has been fulfilled. The average man is living better than ever.

Think about things we take for granted: running water and plumbing, electricity, telephones, central heating and air-conditioning. A hundred years ago, in most places in the world, these conditions did not exist, or were the province of aristocrats alone.

And beyond our living conditions, other fruits of the industrial revolution: including automobiles, air-travel, modern communication, have transformed the quality of our lives indescribably.

These changes will be multiplied ten-fold, in the coming years, as the micro-chip and interactive networks, transform the nature of our homes and cars.
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The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d"
There are two implications of this prophecy, and both are already at work within our society:

1. First of all, there will be a minimal need for physical work. Man will not have to spend his time and energy, working like he does today. Industrial efficiency, smart machines, and robots, are already reducing our reliance on human labor.

Because of the sociological effects, this development is being deliberately restrained. When--and that when is approaching faster and faster--these restraints are lifted, many of the tasks presently performed by men, will be carried out by machines.

And we need not go far into the future, even now, the primary aspect of our work is intellectual, not physical. Throughout contemporary society, the trend is working with or heads, and not our hands.

2. The second point is, that the free time will be used to "know G-d." Again, this is not merely a prophecy for the future, but a dynamic already active in our society.

The search for G-d, is considered one of the major trends, of the present decade. Approximately, one tenth of America’s population, professes to be involved in New Age spirituality.

When this number is combined, with the growth in traditional religious movements, it is obvious, that significant portions of our population, are seeking spiritual awareness.
People want to know G-d.
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These series of events are not accidental, the Zohar, the fundamental text of Kabbalah, contains a stirring prophecy:

"In the 600th year of the sixth millennium, the gates of sublime wisdom will open, and the wellsprings of lower wisdom [will burst forth, to] prepare the world to enter the seventh millennium" (Zohar I:117a).

The 600th year of the sixth millennium, began in 1839. The sublime wisdom refers to the teachings of the Torah; and in particular, to the mystic knowledge of the Kabbalah.

"Lower wisdom," refers to secular knowledge. And "the seventh millennium" to the era of the Redemption, which like the Sabbath, that follows the six ordinary days of the week; will be characterized by rest, comfort, and spiritual activity.

There is no need to spell out the details of how the Zohar’s prophecy is being fulfilled.

We are all aware of the sweeping changes that have occurred since 1839; as advances in science and technology, “the bursting forth of lower wisdom,” produced the Industrial Revolution, the Information Revolution, and the post-information societies of today.
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These advances, were not self-contained goals. Instead, as mentioned before, they are building the backdrop for the Redemption.

Nachmanides, in his Commentary on the opening verses of the Book of Genesis, explains, that chronology is not accidental, but part of a pattern, paralleling the way the seven days of creation, lead to the Sabbath.

In that scheme, each day of creation represents a millennium.

The Ramban demonstrates, how the events of every millennium, parallel the contributions of the corresponding days of creation. According to that conception, in the present age, it’s Friday afternoon, past midday.

Now in every good Jewish home, at that time, the house begins to look a little Shabbosdik. Similarly, at this time, G-d’s home, the world, is beginning to prepare for the era of the Redemption.
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Once a noted Rabbi came to the Rebbe, and asked him what his purpose was in the Moshiach campaign.

The Rebbe did not reply, and shifted the conversation to other issues, among them, a free-loan fund, which the other Rabbi managed.

The Rebbe asked: "Do you know so-and-so?" "Would you give him a loan?"

The other Rabbi answered: "Of course, I didn’t know that he was suffering difficulty. I’d be happy to help him."

The Rebbe said: "Would you extend the loan, until Moshiach comes?’
The other Rabbi hesitated.

The Rebbe continued: "My goal in the Moshiach campaign, is to eliminate this hesitation."
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By opening our eyes, to the Moshiach dynamics now in our lives, our anticipation of Moshiach can be energized, with the power of reality.