Messianic Times or Strange Times?

An oft repeated refrain these days is “it’s strange times”, or some variation thereof.  Indeed it is.  Everything we had become accustomed to in life, our routines, school, summer trips, grocery shopping for Heaven’s sake.  It’s all out of whack.

What’s become clear (although, maybe we had other notions back in April or May) is that it is unclear when things will go back to normal or in fact if they ever will.

So what is a Jew to make of this?  What is a believer to think or do?

***This Thursday a very unique event will take place across the world.  The completion of the 38th cycle of the study of Rambam/Maimonides magnum opes Sefer Hayad.  

The cycle of study was instituted by the Rebbe to encourage the study of the entire Torah as Maimonides writes in his introduction that his work covers the gamut of the entire Torah.

I myself have been fortunate to have studied the Rambam cycle many times during these years since the practice was instituted.

***In the final chapters of the Rambam he writes of Messianic times.  In conclusion, in the final law of his magnum opus, he writes; “in those days there will not be hunger nor war.. for good will be in abundance… the occupation of all humankind will be the knowledge of G-d, as the verse states and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea”.

These days as we see a world off kilter, off its axis, it seems like the furthest thing from Messianic times.  But, if we look carefully, perhaps we can see it differently.  

The world indeed is filled with abundance.  The ability to eliminate war and hunger is at our fingertips.  Granted, not everything is at our disposal and rests in the hands of others, but we have influence and we as a society are moving towards these realities.

What we surely do have power is our attitude towards the presence of G-d in the world.  We can choose to look at the seeming randomness of current Covid world events as just that, randomness.  Or, we can choose to see it as a form of G-d speaking to us.  Reminding us that life is not in our control.  That there is a master to this garden of a universe.  That something is expected of us.  That we can see the randomness as an orchestrated message from Hashem to us to plug in, to connect with Him and our Jewishness in ways we never have before.

Perhaps, just perhaps, we are living in Messianic times?! Perhaps, it is on us to respond to the craziness by making the next move and strengthening our relationship with the knowledge of G-d as the water covers the sea?!

I ask you.  What do you think?   

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