The Feast of

MOSHIACH
The Festival of the Future

A mystical Moshiach experience with

suggested readings in which we explore
the notion of world peace as a reality that
is already manifest in our world
 ‫ב"ה‬

As the final hours of Passover slip away, Jews in every

part of the world celebrate the Feast of Moshiach
(Moshiach’s Seudah in Yiddish), a custom of the Baal
Shem Tov and his students. Just as we enter Passover
with a celebration of the liberation from Egypt, so we
sign off with a celebration of a much greater liberation
yet to come.

This rich and multifaceted custom was vigorously

encouraged by the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M.
Schneerson, of righteous memory, who would
personally expound each year at great length about
the messianic spark inside each of us and how tapping
into our unlimited potential to do but one more act of
goodness holds the potential of global transformation.

This year’s readings focus on the theme of world

peace, as expressed in Isaiah’s famous prophecy that
“the wolf shall live with the lamb.”

Here’s a suggested program, comprising four readings

related to our theme, each of which may be followed
by a cup of wine or grape juice.

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 What You
Will Need
to Prepare
in Advance
• Enough wine or grape juice for each
participant to drink four cups.
• Wine glasses.
• Matzah (ideally shmurah matzah).
• Kosher for Passover refreshments.
• Reading material (such as this
booklet), printed before the onset of
the holiday.
• (Since it is customary to sing the Hopp
Cossack melody at this meal, you may
want to practice in advance as well.)
The Program
Pray the afternoon service on the final day
of Passover earlier than usual, so you have
enough time to set the table and wash for
matzah well before sunset. The program
is flexible, but we suggest you sing your
favorite niggunim (Chassidic melodies)
and read the following four articles, each
one followed by a l'chaim over another
(small) glass of wine or grape juice.
As you sip your l'chaims, bless all with
whatever they need, accept mitzvah
resolutions upon yourself, and pray for the
arrival of the era Moshiach.
After night has fallen, don't forget to
include the Passover inserts in Grace
After Meals (and give the rabbi some
time to repurchase your chametz before
defrosting those bagels in the freezer).
Next Year In Jerusalem!
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 Cup 1:
How to Create Peace Between Cultures
• By Rabbi Yossi Jacobson •
Once, a salesman approached a home and
heard a big commotion inside. When the door
was opened by a man, the salesman asked if
he could speak to the master of the home.
"Well, sir," came the reply, "you will have to wait
around a bit; we are deciding just that right at
this moment."
THE TRIO
The first three months of the Jewish calendar—
Nissan, Iyar and Sivan (usually around April, May
and June)—constitute a trio. The first month
commemorates the birth of an independent
and free Jewish nation. For the entire second
month, we eagerly count the days. And in the
third month, we celebrate the giving of the
Torah at Sinai.
What is the significance of this trio in the
calendar and history of Judaism?
The zodiac of these three months are Aries
(sheep), Taurus (bull), and Gemini (twins).
HAMMERS AND NAILS
Generally speaking, there are three types of
human beings: sheep, bulls and twins. As a
result, we usually encounter three forms of
relationships among humans.
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Sheep are meek, timid, docile and submissive.
Bulls, on the other hand, are resistant,
individualistic and aggressive.
Bulls are leaders; sheep are followers. Some
people would rather be hammers; others have
taken on the role of nails.
As is usual the case, marriage can serve as a
relevant example. Marriages can come in one
of two varieties: the singular, or Aries, marriage,
and the twosome, or Taurus, marriage.
In the singular marriage, one individual is
utterly consumed by the dominant other. The
wife or the husband turns into the docile and
gentle "sheep," allowing him or herself to be
swallowed by the other partner's ego, identity
and whims.
Then there is the twosome marriage, or the
bull-like marriage. In this scenario, both parties
refuse to give up anything of their individual
patterns, habits and desires. They are so full
of their own presence all the time that they
cannot compromise their identities for the
sake of the greater whole.
This generates strife and turmoil, as each
attempts to bully the other to win the
competition.
The numbers one and two represent these two
conflicting traits. In the sheep model, there is
only one person, for the other one has become
nullified; in the bull model, there are two distinct
humans competing over the same space.
THE THREESOME MARRIAGE
Neither of the above marriage patterns works
very well. Judaism's perspective of marriage is
the threesome marriage, or the Gemini model
of marriage. That's why G-d chose to marry
the Jewish people, as it were, during the third
month, as He wished to give us a model for our
own marriages and relationships.
Gemini, twins, are a unique phenomenon. When
I look at my twin, I am gazing at somebody
who is a distinct individual, independent of me.
Yet, on the other hand, when I gaze at him, I
encounter (a replica of) myself.
I discover myself in the face of the other.
And this is the Torah vision of marriage, the
recognition of two individuals that the otherness
of their spouse is not a reason for discomfort or
annoyance, but rather an opportunity for each
of them to grow beyond their egos and touch
the truth to be found in the human other.
I can encounter a far deeper part of myself—
my divine self—by embracing the self of the
other.
Marriage, in the Jewish understanding, is
the discovery that to find the G-d within my
individuality, I must connect to the G-d within
your individuality. Because all of us have a
little piece of G-d, and none of us have it all;
only together can we recreate the complete
presence of G-d in our world (2).
Thus, a true marriage houses not a single, all-
negating being nor two dichotomized beings,
but rather a threesome - a third element, the
element of spirituality, within whose context
two distinct beings translate into a harmonious
whole.
HOW TO CREATE WORLD PEACE
This approach is the secret to creating genuine
peace between nations, cultures, tribes, and
civilizations. Differences between people are
not a reason for animosity and conflict; on the
contrary, through these very differences each
of us is given the opportunity to expand our
own horizons and discover sparks of truths we
lack within ourselves.
There are absolute universal standards of
morality and ethics that bind us all. We cannot
tolerate behavior that undermines the lives of
innocent people. But within that framework,
authentic religion must welcome, not fear,
diversity and individualistic expression. When
you truly cultivate a relationship with G-d, you
know that in the presence of otherness, you can
encounter a fragment of truth that you could
never access within your own framework. As
in the model of twins, you will encounter the
depth of your own image in otherness.
This essay is based on Shem Mishmuel,
Kedoshim; and Likkutei Sichot, vol. 21, Yitro.
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 Cup 2:
Pause and Consider
• By Rabbi Tzvi Freeman • Read the following thoughts aloud. Contemplate them, feel them,
discuss them, and internalize them along with the matzah in front of you.

ON THE THIRD DAY
THERE WAS PEACE
First there was One. There was no peace,
because there was nothing with which to make
this is the beginning of all diversity, the place
where G‑d’s oneness shines most intensely
from within His precious world.
Likkutei Sichot, vol. 18, Korach 3.

peace. There was only One.

Then there was Two. There was diversity. From PEACE WITHIN
this point on, an infinite cacophony of conflict
It is the greatest of struggles, but one who
extended in all directions and forever.
makes peace between his ego and his mission
And on the third day G‑d created peace. in life, he can make peace between the world
and its purpose of creation.
Peace is not homogeneity. Peace does not
mean that everyone thinks the same way. Between woman and man.
Peace is when there is diversity that finds a
Between earth and heaven.
higher Oneness.

A DIFFERENT PEACE LASTING PEACE

Lasting peace is not created by intellectuals.
True peace is not a forced truce, not a
Even the most powerful intellect can be bribed
homogenization of differences, not a common
from within and from without.
ground that abandons our home territories.
Nor is it made by those who follow their faith
True peace is the oneness that sprouts from
blindly. Blindness wreaks havoc; a viable peace
diversity, the beauty that emerges from a
requires vision.
panorama of colors, strokes and textures,
from the harmony of many instruments each Lasting peace is the achievement of those who
playing a unique part, not one overlapping the have made peace between the rigor of their
other’s domain by even the breadth of a hair. mind and the simplicity of their vision. Their vision
is secured far beyond the whims of this world,
Those who attempt to blur those borders,
yet their minds see clearly what is happening
whatever be their motives—they
down here
are unwittingly destroying the
on earth.
world.

Beginning with the crucial border

between man and woman. For

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 Cup 3:
Dream On!
• By Rabbi Shneor Ashkenazi •
There are two psalms in the Book of Psalms that
stand in stark contrast. Both of them concern
the exile and subsequent redemption. One
is said after meals on ordinary days, and the
other is said on Shabbat and holidays.
On ordinary days, we chant "By the Rivers
of Babylon," which describes the harrowing
experience of marching from Jerusalem to
Babylon, shackled hand and foot, with our
captors tauntingly demanding that we "sing
[them] the song of Zion."
But on holidays, we sing the "Song of ascents,
upon G-d's return of the exiles of Zion, we were
like dreamers." This depicts the triumphant
trip back to Jerusalem and the ingathering of
exiles.
Now, Psalms was composed long before the
exiles and redemptions. So why did King David
write it in the past tense, as if he is already
looking back at the dream of exile?
Rabbi Menachem Meiri, one of the great sages
of Provence about 700 years ago, sees a deep
message here: We can already sing about the
dream now! This is a song for dreamers, about
the powerful faith of the people of Israel who
are not ashamed to dream of Redemption in
the depths of exile.
Already in exile we can recognize that negativity
is but a dream.
There is seemingly nothing further from our
lives than Redemption, it is difficult to find
sparks of good news these days. And yet, a Jew
is a dreamer. A Jew is not ashamed to stare
down reality and dream of what’s coming next.
Rabbi Avraham Hirsch Cohen was a great
scholar and the leader of the Chabad
community in Israel. He once developed an
acute infection in his leg and the doctors
told him that surgery was necessary. To their
surprise, he burst into tears and they had
difficulty calming him down. The doctors were
very surprised, an elderly Jew who’d lived
through the Holocaust was afraid of a minor
surgery?!
He explained: “I am a Kohen, and all my life
I dreamed of the day when the Temple will
be built and I will be able to serve there. But I
am afraid that because of the operation, I will
become unfit and will not be able to serve G-d
in his House."
In the end, Rabbi Avraham Hirsh wrote to the
Rebbe about his condition and the Rebbe
recommended avoiding surgery and treating
the infection with antibiotics. And so it was.
The rabbi recovered and soon hosted a grand
celebration in Kfar Chabad to thank G-d for His
kindness.
A Jew is the one who daydreams with his eyes
open.
It sometimes feels as if Moshiach is a faraway
dream. But this is exactly the "song for ascents"
tells us. A Jew does not take reality too seriously
and knows that it can turn upside down in an
instant.
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 What is really the basis of the Jewish dream?
What makes us believe and expect a different
reality, infinitely better than our current life?
On the final day of Passover 1962, the Rebbe
explained.
In countries outside Israel, on this day we read
in the Hafarah about the vision of the future
Redemption in the words of Isaiah, chapters 11-
12.
And a shoot shall spring forth from the
stem of Jesse … And a wolf shall live with
a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid;
and a calf and a lion cub and a fatling
[shall lie] together, and a small child shall
lead them. And the thickets of the forests
shall be cut off with iron, and the Lebanon
shall fall through a mighty one.
However, before these verses, the haftarah
starts with three verses from Isaiah chapter 10:
Still today, [he intends] to stand in Nob;
he waves his hand toward the mount of
the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
Behold the Master, the L-rd of Hosts cuts
off the branches with a saw, and those of
lofty height are hewn down, and the tall
one shall be humbled.
Why are these verses included in what is
otherwise a vision of peace and coexistence?
What's more: the Talmud explains that these
verses do not refer to the future Redemption,
but speak of a period from the past. They
describe the battle of Sennacherib, king of
Assyria, who came upon Jerusalem, and when
he saw how small the city was, he arrogantly
said: Why have I bothered my many soldiers
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to conquer this small city?! With a wave of a
finger, I will wipe her off the face of the earth.”
In the end, G-d overwhelmed his army and “cut
down the high branches.”
What is the connection, then, of the story of
Sennacherib, and the description of the wonders
that will occur in the future Redemption?
In evoking the events surrounding
Sennacherib’s disastrous march on Jerusalem,
the prophet conveys a great message: It is
possible, absolutely possible for the lion to
well with the kid — G-d has already created
miracles greater than these. We are not hiding
our heads in the sand, but addressing the
issue directly and saying: A Jew is not fazed by
reality; our situation has already changed from
one end to the other in an instant, and it can
happen again.
Sennacherib fell before G-d, and so can
the many barriers nature places before the
materialization of a harmonious and peaceful
world.
This is the foundation of the dream of
Redemption. We are not great, the world we
live in is not great, but G-d is great.
It is not possible that the G-d, who is good,
created the world only for the cruelty and
suffering of the days of exile when the wolf tears
the lamb to shreds. Even logic dictates that the
exile is only temporary and will soon pass into
a better future — a time of peace, brotherhood,
and love will prevail.
May the dream become a reality today!
 Cup 4:
The Clock (a Moshiach Story)
In one of his travels, chassidic master Rabbi
Yisachar Dov Ber of Radoshitz occasioned to
stay the night at a wayside inn. In the morning,
he sought out the innkeeper.
"The clock," he asked excitedly, "the clock you
have hanging in my room — where is it from?
Where did you get that wonderful clock?"
"Why," said the surprised innkeeper, "it's quite
an ordinary clock. There are hundreds like it
hanging in homes throughout the country."
"No, no," insisted Rabbi Yisachar Dov. "This is no
ordinary clock. You must find out for me where
this clock comes from."
If only to humor his guest, the innkeeper made
some inquiries, which yielded the information
that this clock once belonged to the famed
"Seer of Lublin," Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz.
An heir of the "Seer" had been forced by poverty
to sell all his possessions, and so the clock
passed from owner to owner until it came to
hang in one of the guestrooms of the inn.
"Of course!" exclaimed Rabbi Yisachar Dov
upon hearing the clock's history. "This clock
could only have belonged to the 'Seer of Lublin.'
Only the Seer's clock could mark time in such a
manner!
"Your standard clock," he explained to his host,
"strikes such a mournful tone. 'Another hour of
your life has passed you by,' it says. 'You are
now one hour closer to the grave.' But this clock
proclaims: 'Another hour of galut (exile) has
gone by. You are now one hour closer to the
coming of Moshiach and the Redemption...'
"All through the night," concluded Rabbi
Yisachar Dov, "whenever this clock sounded
the hour, I leapt from my bed and danced for
joy."
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Compiled by: Menachem Posner
Art by: Sefira Ross & Rivka Korf
Design & Layout by: Shneor Cortez
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