A great thing came from the evil done at Bondi. A Hanukka festival that was a silent witness, because of Jihad on the first day had the chance to witness to millions on the last day. Islam ought to be puzzled; Jihad against Islam results only in impotent anger, here it becomes a witness to the greatness of the spirit of Zionism. Light and dark, and the dark can't comprehend it. How did they do that? Moshiach proclaimed before all the leaders at Bondi!
Moshiach: (lit. “the anointed one”) the Messiah. One of the 13 principles of the Jewish faith is that G-d will send the Messiah to return the Jews to the land of Israel, rebuild the Holy Temple and usher in the utopian Messianic Era. Chabad summary.
(We might quibble with the word 'utopia', as it is loaded with a context that has nothing to do with the Tanakh. 'Edenic' or 'Paradisical' might be better, but my favourite is the 'Righteous Messianic Era'.)
There were about 20,000 directly there at Bondi, the Prime Minister, Premier and many, many more millions globally watching. It was live on two channels, and here at youtube
Cantor Rabbi Menachem Feldman of the Great Synagogue, featured two poignant selections: Ani Ma’amin, which expresses unwavering faith in the coming of the Moshiach despite all delays and is sung to a melody composed during the Holocaust; and Vehi She’amda, which speaks of G‑d’s salvation from those who seek to destroy the Jewish people in every generation. chabad.org
Ani Maamin, b'emunah shleima (I believe, with complete faith) B'geulat ha'Mashiach (In the coming of the Messiah) V'af al pi sheyitma'ma'a (And though he tarry) Im kol zot, achakeh lo (With all this, I will wait for him) B'chol yom, sheyavo (Every day, that he will come).
And this (HaShem’s blessings and the Torah) is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and HaShem saving us from their hands.
No pie in the sky. No 'looking down' from mythical ethereal heavens, out there somewhere, if only we knew in that vast infinite blackness. Rather here, now, we wait that he will come – here.
The Premier of NSW Chris Minns (whose name means, 'Carrier of Christ's Love') quoted Psalm 34,
in the book of Psalms (ed 34), we read, “Who is the person who desires life, who loves days to see goodness? Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. ” The Psalm teaches us a profound truth. Thoughts become words, words become actions. The danger we must confront is the deliberate incubation of hatred. theothercheek
Psalm 34 also is Messianic,
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. (Psalm 34:20)
Representing Chabad world headquarters, Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky declared that “when Jews show up for each other, when people show up for each other, the world feels it”.
“One week ago, terror came to this beach, a place of joy, place of light, a place where families were coming together to celebrate the festivities, the holiday of Chanukah,” he said. “They came to hurt us, and yet they realised what they were up against. Look at this response.
“The Jewish response to terror is never fear. It is never retreat, it is never silence, but our response is more light, more life, more goodness, more building, more doing, more mitzvahs. We are not going to say ‘never again’, we are going to do ‘never again’.” australianjewishnews
Then Australian Jewish news stopped - they missed the key – he concluded:
“We need to stand up and teach our children. Inspiration is not enough, we must translate inspiration into action, how to become better people, what is our next mitzvah, but that's not enough, there are children whose lives are changed forever. They will need us, next week, next month, next year. When terror comes to destroy us we respond by building bigger, loving harder, standing stronger… May the light of Menorah in full glory, in full capacity to day be inspiration and comfort to broken hearted, strength to the wounded, peace to a world that desperately needs it. As the Rebbe continues to teach us even one small act of kindness of giving can tip the scales and we can be ushered into the utopia, the Messianic Era with the coming of the Righteous Moshiach speedily in our days, and let us shout together Am Yisrael Chai”
Most
Christians, even as they speak of grace, likely believe they also
make the world better by their actions, James proclaiming,“I
will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18)
What fewer Christians understand, a point exhibited in the concept of a nation made righteous by works, is that the work of the God of Israel is a people of the Name (Deut 28:10, Dan 9:19), for the glory of the Name (Psa 29:2, 79:9), a name that lives, larger than the individual.
It would be a peculiarity of life, that the time of 'trouble such as never was' (Dan 12:1) is one where Jews more than any other, in a world forgetting to read the Bible, are seeking to be better at Christian love and grace than Christians – to bring in the Christian era – Christ also meaning Anointed.At that time will I bring you again, even in the time that I gather you: for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the LORD. (Zephania 3:20)
It can both be true that Jews bring Messiah by increased faith, while before Christ's return there would be a Christian falling away, apostacy and sloth.
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him. (Isaiah 43:7)
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3)
We mourn, but we also wonder that in a death he didn't seek, that Rabbi Eli did more than he did in life, as a Messianic figure.
“And therefore I want to say clearly and from the deepest place in my heart, this event is Eli’s dream come true. Thousands of Jews standing together as one, thousands of non-Jews showing up, standing shoulder to shoulder … a community in love and support and a community refusing to be broken. Eli, you did this, not just here, not just today, but over the past week around the world.”
Then we ask what else was done? There at Bondi that night, on the last night of Hanukka, there was an event was watched even by people in Israel. An opportunity that Rabbi Eli Schlanger never had. Not once, but twice they declare Moshiach. From the end of the world, almost as far from Israel as you can be, to the whole world they sang, “I believe, with complete faith, In the coming of the Messiah”, and it was proclaimed that all need to work for, “the coming of the Righteous Moshiach speedily in our days, and let us shout together Am Yisrael Chai.”
It, in part, fulfils,
Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, “Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” (Isaiah 62:11)
