Q:
What is meant by מצמיח ישועה?
A:
It says צמח דוד עבדך – the sprout. Tzemach means something that comes out of the earth suddenly. The time will come when Moshiach will come. It was described as follows:
Rabbi Chaim Brisker said, I’ll be sitting in my house and looking in the Gemara. His wife would say, “Chaim, there’s a noise outside.”
So he’ll say, “Go out and see what it’s all about.”
She goes out in the street, she says, “Chaim, you know what they’re saying? Moshiach is coming.”
He said, “Please,” he’ll say, “don’t bother me now. Don’t waste my time.”
She walks out again, “Chaim!” she says, “Moshiach is coming, they’re saying.”
He said, “Please,” he’ll say, “rebbetzin, don’t bother me. I have to learn.”
And she comes in again, she says, “Chaim! Everybody is saying Moshiach is here.”
He puts on his kapote and goes out to meet Moshiach. That’s how it’s going to be. It’ll be a surprise. You’ll be surprised. מהרה תצמיח – it’ll sprout out.
So that’s why אחכה לו בכל יום שיבוא. Every day I’m waiting for him.
Now the emunah in Moshiach has to be built on this idea that we’re every day getting ready for him because it’s going to be a surprise. It won’t be announced a month beforehand and you’ll have ways and times to prepare, you better get ready now because people who are not ready might be rejected. Moshiach will take them all together and say, “Let’s go.” They’ll have great airplanes, on kanfei nesharim, they’ll fly in great, huge airplanes to Eretz Yisroel all together.
So be ready for it. Every day, אחכה לו – I’m going to wait for him, שיבוא, and the element of surprise that’s going to be in bias haMoshiach.
(October 15, 1998)
