Weekly Dvar Torah: Curses And Moshiach

It is fascinating that the only prophecy about Moshiach in the Torah, was prophesized not by a righteous prophet like Moses, but rather by Bilaam, the antisemitic prophet, as he came to curse the Jews, but instead of curses came the strongest message of hope, Moshiach and Utopia.

This highlights the fact that Moshiach is all about the culmination of creation which is to elevate the entire world to it’s perfect place.

When one tries to raise an entire building, there’s only one way it can be done, and that’s when you lift it from the bottommost part, if you attempt to raise it from the upper floors, the lower floors will remain behind.

Moshiach is meant to elevate the entire world and leave nothing behind, therefore he must dig as deep as possible, and reach the lowest in order to elevate the whole world without leaving anything behind.

That’s why many aspects relaying to Moshiach came in strange ways, starting with the pregnancy of the first ancestor from which king David and Moshiach came from, Lot and his daughters, which didn’t seem to be picture perfect.

The same is with the prophecy, had it come from a holier source, from a prophet like Moses, then it comes from a high level which may not reach down all the way to the bottom, and the lower levels perhaps wouldn’t manage to hold on for their elevation.

Therefore Bilaam who came with the intention to dive down to the lowest level, to the bottom of the pit, he came to curse, he came to destroy G-d’s chosen people, instead he ended up delivering the prophecy of redemption and Moshiach, and now when Moshiach comes, he elevates the entire world all the way from the bottom, all the way upwards to G-d and the promised Utopia.

Now that we have really reached bottom of bottom, there’s only one way up, and that’s for Moshiach to come and lift us all, and leave no one and nothing behind.

Brace for the uplifting ride.

Have an elevated Shabbos

Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Yosef Katzman