"From the time I was a child attending Cheder", writes the Rebbe, "and even earlier than that, there began to take form in my mind a vision of the future Redemption. The redemption of Israel from its last exile, redemption such as would explicate the suffering, the decrees and the massacres of exile."
One of the principles of Judaism is faith in the fulfillment of G-d's promise for a peaceful and perfect world that will be ushered in with the arrival of Moshiach. Moshiach, according to Torah and the prophets, is a righteous person, a human being, whose personality and teaching will inspire the world to serve on G-d and to act in a peaceful and harmonious manner. Faith in the imminent coming of Moshiach is a constant. It has kept the Jewish spirit and hope alive in good times and bad - ever since we were exiled from our land some 2,000 years ago.
And this was the Rebbe's ultimate desire: to see the world perfected, to see the fruition of Creation's very purpose - that the world become an abode for the Divine. Hence, the Rebbe's overarching desire for the coming of Moshiach and the era of redemption.
In his own words, the Rebbe described himself "obsessed" with Moshiach.
The Rebbe yearned for Moshiach not only because it would bring an end to the world's pain and suffering, but moreover, because the era of Moshiach is the ultimate destiny of the world and the purpose for which it was created.
As one who was able to see things from a broader and higher perspective, the Rebbe saw all of Jewish history as a continuous path leading toward the ultimate goal of Creation.
So too, the Rebbe saw every positive action of each individual as a redemptive act in its own right, and a step on the road to global Redemption.
Thanks to the Rebbe, the idea of Moshiach is no longer an abstraction. The redemption is an outgrowth of our actions.
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