What Really Happens When Prophecy Fails: The Case of Lubavitch

Sociology of Religion, Fall, 2001 by Simon Dein

THE MESSIAH CAMPAIGN

The issue of moshiach is a longstanding topic of discussion among Lubavitchers. Over the past few years, there has been an escalating interest in the advent of moshiach (the messiah) in the Stamford 1-lilt community. In the early 1980s Lubavitch began a "We-want-Moshiach" campaign to popularize the belief that the arrival of the messiah was imminent. The campaign increased in momentum over the next few years, with frequent advertisements appearing in Jewish newspapers across Europe, Israel and America about the topic of moshiach. One popular advertisement entitled "Draw your own conclusion" stated:

These are amazing times. The Iron Curtain has crumbled. Iraq is humbled. The people of Israel emerge from under a rainstorm of murderous missiles. An entire beleaguered population is airlifted to safety overnight. A tidal wave of Russian Jews reaches Israel. Nations around the world turn to democracy. Plus countless other amazing developments that are taking place in front of our eyes. Any of these phenomena by itself is enough to boggle the mind. Connect them all together and a pattern emerges that cannot be ignored. The Lubavitcher Rebbe emphasizes that these remarkable events are merely a prelude to the final redemption. The era of Moshiach is upon us. Learn about it. Be part of it. All you have to do is to open your eyes. Inevitably, you will draw your own conclusion.

Although the Rebbe never openly encouraged messianic expectation, nor ever publicly admitted to his messianic status, he did little to condemn it. A number of public statements were made by the Rebbe in relation to moshiach. Although moshiach was always a favourite topic of discourse for the Rebbe, on April 11, 1991, the contents of his discourse changed from his usual thoughts to an injunction: "What more can I do to motivate the entire Jewish people to actually bring about the coming of Moshiach? All that I can possibly do is to give the matter over to you now, immediately. I have done whatever I can: from now on you must do whatever you can."

Lubavitchers were stunned by this injunction and thus began new initiatives, such as organizing teachings and directives about the messianic redemption. As well, the Rebbe's talks on moshiach were published, classes were organized to teach messianic topics, moshiach became a major topic of discussion, and there was an escalation of messianic excitement in Lubavitcher communities in Europe and America.

Shortly afterwards, the Rebbe spoke not only about yearning for the coming of moshiach, but also about his imminent arrival: "Moshiach's coming is no longer a dream of a distant future, but an imminent reality which will very shortly become manifest" (April 1991).

In September 1991 me Rebbe stated that only if Jews believed with absolute certainty that the messiah would come as redeemer, would such an event occur. When the Jewish New Year was approaching, he said, "When the divine service of the Jewish people over the centuries is considered as a whole, everything that is necessary to bring about redemption has been accomplished. There is no valid explanation for the continuance of the exile."