Judaism teaches that history is not random. It has a beginning, "In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth," and it has a destination: "On that day, G-d will be One and His Name One."
The world is moving from chaos to order, from fragmentation to unity. There is a Divine Author guiding history toward redemption.
This does not erase pain or tragedy. But it means we never give up. We refuse both despair and false hope. We are not searching for temporary fixes or fashionable ideologies that eventually collapse. We are searching for truth, nothing but the truth.
That truth is Torah.
The Torah is not merely an ancient book; it is G-d's blueprint for healing the human soul and, ultimately, the world. Real peace will come when humanity recognizes the Divine image within every person and lives by G-d's moral vision.
That is our mission as Jews.
This is the essence of our belief in Moshiach. Moshiach is not simply a dream about a better tomorrow. Every mitzvah, every act of kindness, every moment of Torah study, every stand for truth, every refusal to surrender to falsehood brings that future closer.
The greatest revolution is not political—it is spiritual.
There is something profoundly liberating about living the truth without apology. No fake news. No fake morality. No empty promises. Only Torah. Only truth. Only holiness.
When enough people choose truth over falsehood, holiness over cynicism, and G-d over ego, the world itself will change.
The Chassidic master Rabbi Dov Ber once spent the night at a roadside inn. The next morning, he eagerly asked the innkeeper:
"Where did you get the clock that hangs in my room?"
The innkeeper was puzzled.
"It's just an ordinary clock. There are hundreds like it."
"No," replied the Rabbi. "This is no ordinary clock. Please find out where it came from."
After making inquiries, the innkeeper discovered that the clock had once belonged to the great Seer of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz. Through a series of circumstances, it eventually found its way to the inn.
"Of course!" exclaimed Rabbi Dov Ber. "Only the Seer of Lublin could own such a clock."
He explained:
"An ordinary clock says, 'Another hour of your life has passed. You are one hour closer to the grave.' But this clock says, 'Another hour of exile has passed. You are one hour closer to Moshiach and the Redemption.'"
"All through the night," Rabbi Dov Ber concluded, "every time the clock struck the hour, I jumped out of bed and danced for joy."
What an extraordinary perspective. Most people hear time slipping away. A Jew hears redemption drawing nearer.
Every hour is not one hour less to live; it is one hour closer to the fulfillment of G-d's promise and the coming of Moshiach.
This week's Torah portion, Re'eh, teaches us that bringing that day closer is not only our hope, it is also our responsibility.
"If there will be among you a needy person, one of your brothers, in one of your cities, in the land that Hashem your G-d gives you, do not harden your heart or close your hand against your needy brother." (Devarim 15:7)
On its simplest level, Moses is commanding us to open our hearts and our hands to those in need.
But, as always, the Torah speaks on many levels.
The great Ohr HaChaim, who lived in Jerusalem in the eighteenth century, reveals a remarkable, deeper meaning hidden within these words.
He explains that this verse is not speaking only about financial charity. It is also alluding to the ultimate purpose of Jewish history and to our responsibility to bring the Redemption closer.
Every Jew can hasten the coming of Moshiach. By opening our hearts to one another and caring for our "destitute brother," we become partners with G-d in ending the spiritual exile and ushering in the final Redemption.
In other words, charity is not merely an act of kindness; it is an act that transforms history.
The Ohr HaChaim offers a remarkable interpretation.
The "destitute person" in this verse is not only the poor individual before us. It also refers to Moshiach, whom the prophet describes as "a poor man riding on a donkey."
Why is Moshiach called poor?
Because the Hebrew word evyon means not only poor, but one who constantly yearns. Moshiach's deepest longing is to end exile, suffering, hatred, and war, and reveal G-d's presence throughout the world.
The Torah is telling us:
"If there is a poor man among you... do not harden your heart."
Never become numb. Never accept evil as normal. Never stop yearning for redemption.
Open your heart to the cry of Moshiach.
The Ohr HaChaim explains that every phrase points to him: "your brother", the chosen redeemer; "within your gates", the ultimate judge of justice; "in your land", his longing for the complete redemption of Eretz Yisrael.
Then comes the command:
"Do not harden your heart or close your hand."
Every mitzvah, especially charity, is far more than an act of kindness. It is a declaration that evil will not have the final word. Every mitzvah is a protest against darkness and a vote for redemption.
This week we lost Samuel Gutman, Colombia's last Holocaust survivor, at the age of one hundred.
He survived the Warsaw Ghetto, lost nearly his entire family to the Nazis, fought with the Allied forces, and then rebuilt his life from the ashes.
His generation rebuilt the Jewish people.
Our generation must complete their work.
Every mitzvah, every act of kindness, every moment of Torah brings us one step closer to the fulfillment of Moshiach's deepest yearning, and our own.
May we merit to witness that day speedily in our time. Amen.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky
Graham wrote...