The Last Stand

Unique Capabilities in the Final Moments of Exile

דור האחרון של גלות

In recent decades, long-distance running has become increasingly popular. There are over 800 annual marathons worldwide, with an estimated 1.1 million runners participating. Whether running for a cause or to set a personal record, each runner must train for the multi-mile trek by building stamina and endurance. However, as runners will say, the last mile is always the hardest. When the energy tank is depleted and their legs are giving way, the runner has to dig deep and find the willpower and perseverance to cross the elusive finish line.

פסיקתא רבתי לא:ב
באוֹתָהּ הַשָּׁעָה אָמְרוּ אוֹיְבָיו וְשָׂרֵי הָאֻמּוֹת: בּוֹאוּ וְנָשִׁיתֵן עַל דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ שֶׁלֹּא יִבָּרְאוּ לָעוֹלָם. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: אֵיךְ אַתֶּם מַשִּׁיתִין עַל הַהוּא שֶׁהוּא חָמוּד וְנָאֶה, וַאֲנִי שָׂמֵחַ בּוֹ, וַאֲנִי חָפֵץ בּוֹ, וַאֲנִי אֶתְמֹךְ בּוֹ, וַאֲנִי אֵרֵב בַּפֻּעַל מָשְׁ

From Pesikta Rabbasi, Chapter 36 section 1, a collection of Midrashic teachings anonymously compiled between the 7th and 8th centuries CE.

At that auspicious hour when the generation of Moshiach is to be ushered into the world, the angels representing the enemies of the Jews and the supernal ministers of the nations say, “Come let us join together in casting aspersions against the generation of Moshiach to ensure that they never be created.” In response to their plans, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, “How do you dare cast aspersions against that generation who are precious and pleasant in My eyes? I rejoice with them and I desire them. I support them and I want them and refuse to accept your prosecution against them.”

One of a Kind

The Jewish people’s experience is a story of resilience in the face of persecution. The first Jew, Avraham, defied the idolatrous norms of his generation and charted a course of serving one Hashem. With unrelenting strength and conviction, Jews throughout the ages followed in the footsteps of their forefather and heroically overcame unimaginable challenges to their faith and identity. They have outlasted their adversaries against all odds. Torah giants and masters of good deeds form the landscape of a two-thousand-year exile and lay the groundwork for the era of Moshiach. But there is one group of Jews who will bear witness to both the suffering and the miraculous onset of revealed G-dliness on earth, and they are the last generation of exile. Does the final generation simply signify an inevitable end to the grueling journey or does it possess a unique quality enabling it to cross the finish line?

The text above offers a behind-the-scenes look in a dialogue between Hashem and the heavenly representatives of the Jewish nation’s foes. In response to the prosecution against the impending birth of this final generation, Hashem issues His unequivocal verdict: they are the apple of My eye. This emphatic reaction by Hashem demonstrates that the final generation holds great esteem in His eyes. They are not the straggling souls pushed to the back of exile’s march. They are the orchestra perfecting the Divine symphony, The Alef of creation.

The Torah’s description of Moshe as the most humble person on earth is explained thus by the Chassidic masters: Moshe was given a preview of all generations leading up to the final redemption. He was overcome with awe and humility upon observing the commitment and perseverance of the last generation of exile. Despite being spiritually inferior to their predecessors, lacking G-dly awareness and challenged by the breakdown of traditional values, they never quit. When Moshe saw a generation operating on unshakable, simple faith, he joined Hashem in admiring their extraordinary status.

ספר השיחות התשנ”א פרשת קרח
כְּשֵׁם שֶׁזֶּה בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְהָעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל כָּל יָחִיד לְעַצְמוֹ, כָּךְ גַּם בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְהָעֲבוֹדָה וְהַכְלָלוּת דְּדוֹרֵנוּ זֶה — שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לָדַעַת אֶת מַעֲלַת הַדּוֹר (כְּנוֹגֵעַ עַל גַּבֵּי עָנָק), דּוֹר הָאַחֲרוֹן דְּגָלוּת וְהָרִאשׁוֹן דְּהַגְאֻלָּה, בְּכָךְ שֶׁנִּשְׁעֲנוּ עַל הָעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת שֶׁקָּדְמוּ אֶת הַכֹּחוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרוּ אֶצְלָם כְּדֵי לְסַיֵּם אֶת הַפִּעֻלּוֹת קָטְנִים וְ”שְׂרַיִים” שֶׁל הָעֲבוֹדָה, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה — לְהָבִיא אֶת הַגְּאֻלָּה בְּפֹעַל מַמָּשׁ.

From Sefer Hasichos 5750 (1990), a collection of public talks delivered and edited by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. In Parshas Korach, the Rebbe addresses the imperative of every individual to recognize their positive attributes in order to maximize their potential, and adds:

Just as this is true for the Divine service of every individual on his own, so too with regard to the Divine service of this generation as a whole—that they must know the specific virtue of this generation (like a dwarf standing on a giant’s shoulders), that they are the final generation of exile and the first generation of redemption. This knowledge empowers people to utilize their unique capabilities to conclude collecting the “last of the small vessels” and the “leftovers” of Divine service that are still unrefined and unfinished through the millennia of exile. And through this service, bring the redemption into reality.

The Transitional Generation

From the beginning of the 20th century, notable Jewish authorities have declared that we are in the period preceding the Geulah (final redemption). Some of these luminaries include the Chofetz Chaim (Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, author of the Mishnah Berurah) and the Satmar Rebbe (Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum).

From the time he assumed the mantle of leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch in 1951, the Lubavitcher Rebbe declared that the current generation is the last of exile and the first of redemption. This classification of a dual identity, straddling the fence between two worlds, defines the uniqueness of the current age. With feet firmly planted in the reality of exile’s challenges, and the mind able to visualize the euphoric redemption, we are like soldiers triumphantly marching the last hill.

At the crossroads of exile and redemption are people who carry more information in their pockets than exists in the entire Library of Congress, yet only a few clicks separate the holy from the profane. Though living in the most prosperous time in history, more people suffer from depression and anxiety than ever before. This inherent duality is evident in personal highs and lows as the speed at which we receive and absorb information creates moments of clarity and purpose followed by confusion and dismay.

The Rebbe, as a visionary leader, teaches the Jewish people of this final era how to navigate the narrow bridge leading out of exile. Even as the challenges of exile surmount, the final generation can access hidden powers. In the grand scheme of history, they understand the position of being in the final stretch, with the compound value of past generations empowering them. Hashem’s defense of this last generation is not merely a comfort, but a call to action for individuals to persevere in their commitment to Torah and mitzvot. Additionally, if one encounters feelings of hopelessness, Moshe’s humility in the face of those in the transitional generation serves as a reminder that each person is capable, and responsible, of taking initiative and making their unique, irreplaceable contribution.