"The Great Redemption" (48)

"The Great Redemption" by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto

-- A Discourse on The End of the Exile and the Beginning of the Great Redemption

Translated by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman
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48.

It’s written, “He’ll cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon will (be made to) fall by a mighty one” (Isaiah 10:34). “Thickets” refers to the maze produced by the (mixing of the) branches. And that’s why the impure ones have to be cut off -- so that the pure ones can remain pure. But you have to understand (just) what will do that. It's (the) “iron” (cited above), which represents the power of mighty Judgment, that will cut them off.

When the prophet (Isaiah, cited above) first prophesied about this (which he did) before the Temple was destroyed, he said “Lebanon will fall by a mighty one” (Ibid.), he was referring to the destruction of the Temple which came about because of the (aforementioned) “thickets”. So since he mentioned “he’ll cut down the thickets of the forest with iron” he then said “Lebanon will fall by a mighty one” so that it would become known that Lebanon was destined to fall that way.

But those thickets will be utterly cut off in the end of days, and he referred to that when he said “A rod will come forth from the stem of Yishai and a branch will grow from his roots” (Isaiah 11:1). For since he’d said that “he’ll cut down the thickets of the forest with iron” in general terms, he went back to elaborate that first “Lebanon will fall by a mighty one” and then “a rod will come forth from the stem of Yishai”.

Let’s now finish off our explanation of the cutting off of impurity. For even though he’d first said “Behold, G-d, the L–rd of Hosts, will lop the bough with an ax” (Isaiah 10:33), it all refers to the same thing. (Just know that) I’ve explained the second verse (10:34) first, because it explains the first one (10:33).

It says that these boughs will be cut off first and that the trees will no longer be able to stand. Then its says that “the high ones of stature will be cut down” and that refers to the trees, which are the ministering angels of the idolatrous nations; and that “the haughty will be humbled” which refers to the idolatrous nations themselves who were haughty and dictatorial.

As such, the (other nations’) ministering angels themselves will be undone and they will perish with the falling away of the boughs. For the very limbs they use to attach to the interior (of the tree) will fall, and that’s what’s meant by “All the legions of Heaven will rot away” (Isaiah 34:4). For they’ll literally rot away. Understand this.

It’s said as well that “the Heavens will be rolled together like a scroll” (Isaiah 34:4), which is also a great mystery (but the solution comes to this.) When the husks rule, holiness disperses outward and the husks suckle from (and are sustained by) it. But when holiness gathers in its feet to return to its place above, the husks will no longer be able to suckle from it.

Now, understand how precise it will all be.

First the thicket and the combination that prevented the rectification (from coming about) would be removed, and impurity will no longer have any power. Holiness will then return and reassemble at home where it belongs. The Jewish Nation will garner strength from within, and the power of the husks will no longer be able to summon strength (from holiness) because it cannot be included in the great gathering together above, and they'll wither away. Hence it says, “their legions will wither”.

Understand the implications of “All the legions of Heaven ... will be rolled together like a scroll”. For it will be like the rolling up a (Torah) scroll after reading from it, where "reading' alludes to the revelation of light and "rolling" it up alludes to its being closed. For until then holiness radiated in all directions and the husks benefitted from it and were sustained (by it). But that will no longer be the case. Instead, “All the legions of Heaven ... (will be) rolled together like a scroll”, that is, the scroll will already have been rolled up, for the reading (from it) will be finished. Then “all the legions of Heaven ... (will) rot away” like a leaf that rots for lack of moisture and sustenance.

Now you can understand why converts will no longer be accepted in the days of the Moshiach. For it’s written, “All the legions of Heaven ... will be rolled together like a scroll” (to indicate that) the scroll will have been rolled up and closed, and that there’ll no longer be a place to enter into holiness. For whereas at first the Shechina spread out its wings to accept whomever came to seek refuge under them, now “All the legions of Heaven ... (are) rolled together like a scroll”. Only the good ones yet remaining will convert on their own, but not now -- only later, as you’ll hear later on, when it comes to (disclosing) the mystery of the trampling of the winepress.

(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

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