Timeless Torah

If last week’s Torah portion has its villains, this week’s story has its hero. Pinchas, grandson of Aaron the High Priest, single-handedly turned away G-d’s wrath and stopped the plague that has already killed thousands of his fellow Jews. In reward of his supreme bravery, Pinchas was granted immunity from death. And so hundreds of years later, and who knows how many generations, our fearless champion makes his second appearance using another name. This time he’s operating under the alias Elijah the Prophet, who traditionally symbolizes the person who comes to the rescue at the last minute. According to our Sages, this character trait will figure prominently in Pinchas’ last and most important role. It is Elijah who will be the harbinger of ultimate redemption. He - and he alone - will blow the great shofar heralding the coming of Moshiach.
This obsession with saving Jews or bringing Moshiach makes sense for the Pinchas/Elijah figure. If you always see your fellow Jews living under conditions of oppression, poverty and physical danger, you would also want to rescue them. But today for the most part, our people are safe, well fed and free to pursue whatever life-style and direction they wish. Even in those countries that make life difficult for the Jew the option of relocating is available. Why the clamor then for a Messianic redemption?
Paradoxically, this bewilderment regarding the need for Moshiach is itself the most emphatic indication of how desperately essential the true Redemption is. In fact, the most distressing aspect of this bitter exile is that we are unaware that we are in exile.
In the teachings of Chassidus, the state of exile is often compared to a dream, which itself can be categorized as a grossly distorted mélange. In the dream world, inanities seem real and even natural; one can imagine himself flying or being super strong, and all the usual restrictions of time and space are meaningless.
The lunacy of contemporary society should jolt us awake from this dream. (Or is it a nightmare?) The fact that many are comfortable with the craziness of modern life is only because our present exile is a dreamlike existence where the abnormal seems normal. How else can you explain the millions of people who enjoy watching television and movies glorifying cannibalism, sadism, murder, and rape?
In discussing the question, “Why are we content with exile?” the dream metaphor raises a perplexing paradox. If we are all products of the dream of exile, how can we objectively assess our circumstances? How can we tell what is real and what is not? Most importantly, how can a world blind to its own madness yearn for redemption?
The answer is Pinchas. In each generation there is someone who is out of step with the rest of humanity. He recognizes our present state for what it truly is. His role as Jewish leader, mixed with parts of chutzpah, vision, and plan of action is not for those who like committees and endless studies.
The world at large, not just the Jewish people, also requires such a visionary. This someone has always been the Jew. It is he who preached absolute morality, when might was the only arbiter of right. It was he (through the laws of the Torah) who first advocated religious freedom, fair working conditions, education for the young, and common decency.
All of these issues and more were eventually brought to the rest of the civilized world. Our responsibility as a, “Light unto the nations” continues today. If need be, we will do it alone like the ancient prophet of old who, “Zealously took up My [G-d’s] cause” and defied the establishment. We must save the world and bring Moshiach. Not just for ourselves, but for all humanity.