The Secret of Humility and the Awakening in the End of Days

Wednesday, Parashas Toldos, 30 Cheshvan, First Day of Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5759 (Continued on track 164, side B)

How is it possible that Moshe Rabbeinu, who performed the greatest miracles in history, was the humblest of all men? A profound discourse on the realization that everything is a free gift from Above, and on the tremendous spiritual awakening that will descend to the world specifically out of the darkness of the final generations.

It is written, "And Israel encamped there opposite the mountain" (Exodus 19:2) — each person saw that the other was better than him, that the other was more of a tzaddik and holier than him. This is the secret of Moshe Rabbeinu, about whom the Torah testifies:

"Now the man Moshe was exceedingly humble, more than any person on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3).

The question arises: How could Moshe be the humblest of all men? After all, this is a man who ascended to Heaven for forty days and then another forty days, brought down the Tablets, split the sea, brought the Ten Plagues, subdued Pharaoh, and drowned all of Egypt in the sea. How could such a person be humble?

Rather, Moshe Rabbeinu said to himself: "This is how I was born. I have not yet done a single thing in my life. I was not a person with special virtues or a pure soul of my own accord; rather, this is simply how I was born." Moshe Rabbeinu never felt that he had accomplished a single thing by his own power.

Regarding this, Rebbe Nachman (Likutey Moharan, Part II, Torah 2) teaches on the verse, "I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before" (Exodus 4:10) — this is the absolute truth. When a person looks within himself, examining his 248 limbs and 365 sinews and all his spiritual faculties, he can see that he still has not accomplished anything in life.

Awakening from On High

Today, thank Hashem, the teshuvah (repentance) movement is growing day by day. We see that it is only expanding; everyone is doing teshuvah. But can a person say, "I did teshuvah"? After all, a spirit descended from On High, a supernal spirit, and through this, people are doing teshuvah. A person must understand: "I did not do anything; it is a supernal spirit that awakened upon me." And this was exactly the level of Moshe Rabbeinu.

Rebbe Nachman explains there that the speech of truth is when a person recognizes this truth. In contrast, the essence of arrogance stems from a blemish in the blood, from turbid blood. Regarding the arrogant, it is said, "Men of blood hate the pure one" (Proverbs 29:10), because arrogance is a blemish of the blood.

Spiritual Wars in the End of Days

In the book Galei Razia, it is brought down that until the year 5760 (2000 CE), there will be a tikkun (rectification) for the 974 generations. From 5760 until the end of the sixth millennium, these are the years characterized by the verse, "And the tall of stature will be cut down" (Isaiah 10:33). He explains that the wicked who will exist during this period will be infinitely worse than those who came before. We see this in the political and social systems, how a clear separation of forces is being created — people are forced to choose a side, either to be completely wicked or completely righteous tzaddikim.

A terrible separation of forces is beginning to take place in the world. These are the spiritual wars about which it is said, "Men of blood hate the pure one." People will come with turbid blood who will literally hate holiness, and they will want to uproot, destroy, and annihilate. These will be horrific wars over the very existence of Emunah (faith).

A Spirit of Purity from On High

But at the same time, the teshuvah (repentance) movement will continue to grow. Why? Because in the book Galei Razia, it is brought down that there will be a tremendous awakening from Above (isarusa d'le'eila). Specifically in the face of all the darkness, such a spirit will descend from On High that everyone will easily be able to do teshuvah.

When a person returns in teshuvah, he must recognize that this is an illumination and an awakening from Above. He must say: "Behold, I have returned in teshuvah, but this was a supernal spirit, a spirit from On High that illuminated within me." This was the trait of Moshe Rabbeinu, who said, "I am not a man of words, neither yesterday nor the day before" — Moshe felt that he had never accomplished a thing by his own power, but rather that everything was a free gift and supernal loving-kindness.

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