The beloved Gadol Hador, Reb Moshe Feinstein, would emit a krechtz — deep sigh, at the onset of the month of Iyar. When asked what the problem was, he would sadly say, "The auspicious month of Nissan has passed and the month of Iyar has arrived, yet, Mashiach still hasn't come!"
We are taught that this month is the connector between the month of redemption from Egypt and the month of the giving of the Torah at Sinai.
It is also referred to as the חודש זיו — the month of 'radiance', not only because of it heralding the sunny months of summer, but of our continuing hope that in these days of Sefira and introspection, we will yet merit the coming of the Mashiach who will restore the lost radiance of Adam due his sin, as the verse describes the Mashiach as one who will embody the verse, 'They that love Him [should be] as the sun when he goes forth in his might!' (שופטים ה לא)
There is also a tradition that this month is most propitious for healing from our illnesses. This is inferred from the name of this month, אייר which is an acronym for the phrase in the Torah, אני י-י רופאך — I am Hashem, your healer. (שמות טו כו)
In most years the portions of the Torah we read on the first Shabbos of this month is Tazria and Metzora.
These portions devote most of their verses to the intricate laws of צרעת — leprosy, a physical manifestation of a spiritual deficiency. Most often the sin of slander is associated with this affliction, as well as the character flaw of צרות עין — selfishness, and a general stingy eye towards others.
This is indicated in the very root of the word for this malady: צרע, which is a contraction of, צר — narrow, and ע[ין] — eye.
Intriguingly, the Talmud in identifying the Mashiach refers to him as 'the leper of the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi!' (סנהדרין צח:)
The Talmud supports this by quoting the prophet Yeshayahu, “Indeed our illnesses he did bear and our pains he endured; yet we did esteem him injured, stricken by God, and afflicted.” (ישעיהו נג ד)
The 'illness' he bears are the sins of the people that he suffers until such time as he will be summoned to redeem them. The disease is leprosy.
The Maharal explains that the notion of Mashiach as a leper accentuates the isolation he experiences like the shunned leper who must sequester himself from others.
The sinner leper who with his selfish attitude slandered others viewing the world him from a very limited and narrow perception of others' worth, must now take a step back and contemplate his distorted view of himself and come to better appreciate others.
The Mashiach who has elevated himself through exquisite self-refinement is described by the Maharal as possessing. מעלה השכלית — a virtue of intellect. From his elevated stature he has no commonality or connection with the world. Rather he is separated from it. And since that which the Messiah is separated is due to his being כולו שכלי — completely of the intellect whereas this world is material, that is why he has the categorization of one with צרעת — leprosy, sitting among the poor who suffer from illnesses. (נצח ישראל פרק מא)
The Shelah HaKadosh teaches that Adam before his sin was enveloped in כתנות אור — garments of light. Man's pure soul fused with his material body illuminating its outer shell with the radiance of his neshamah. After his sin, that fusion diminished. G-d provided for Adam and his wife instead, כתנות עור — garments of skin. His physical layer became 'thickened' and not as easily penetrated by the inner light of his soul.
Our physical shell can only thrive by the warmth of our spiritual light. When man in his narcissistic journey 'detaches' himself from enlightening his external self, it crumbles and deteriorates with the affliction of leprosy.
The Mashiach who has perfected his inner light, and through his exquisite connection to his people seeks to illuminate a very physical world by infusing it with meaning and purpose, is encumbered by the weight of their physicality. His supernal light is frustrated in its inability to pierce that hardened selfish materialism and thus suffers similarly from this affliction of tzaraas.
It now, all comes together.
In our frustration of not having merited the coming of Mashiach, we rev up our engines in the climb up the ladder of self-perfection in these days of Sefira, seeking to overpower our material shell with light.
We seek to restore that זיו — radiance, that diminished after the sin of Adam, inspired by our hopes of Mashiach's impending arrival, in the month of אני י-י רופאך — I am Hashem, your healer.
The appellation of צר עין — narrow eye, can have two opposite connotations.
In the sense of the slanderer who in his lust for recognition and stature belittles those who stand in his way, it is precisely his 'narrow' perception of reality. He gazes at his own image with wide-eyed hunger but only permits himself to squint and see a small image of others.
The Mashiach has a stingy eye when contemplating his own personal physical needs but opens his eyes wide to perceive others with positivity, validating their inherent greatness, seeking to assist them in restoring their 'shine'.
Mashiach is depicted as constantly 'changing his bandages', never losing faith in affecting a cure for our illnesses.
It is up to us to repair our thick skins by reducing our indulgent ways that prevent the light of his hope to pierce through and inspire us.
My dear friend Rabbi Akiva Fox, who writes a weekly column, in the HaModia newspaper, entitled An American in Yerushalayim, shared a poignant message from his Rebbe, who is evidently one of the 'holy angels' that quietly walk the sanctified streets of Yerushalayim
He posed an intriguing question to his Rebbe that was niggling at him.
We beseech of G-d on Rosh Chodesh in the prayer of Yaaleh V'Yavo to remember 'the remembrance of our forefathers; the remembrance of Mashiach, son of David, Your servant; the remembrance of Yerushalayim, the City of Your Holiness…'.
"Why are we calling Moshiach a 'zichron' — a remembrance if he hasn't arrived yet?", my friend asked.
The Rebbe suddenly let out a painful sigh and cried out, "oy oy"!
With tears he continued, "Don't you understand? Moshiach is already here. He is waiting, longing for the Ribbono shel Olam to summon him and tell him to go. We are begging Hashem to remember that Moshiach is in this world, desperately waiting for the call. We want Hashem to utter those two words: "Gei Shoin" — Go Already!"
May I humbly add that perhaps what is necessary for G-d to finally express those two precious words, "Gei Shoin!", is for us to also "Gei Shine', to open our eyes to seeing others and their needs, minimizing our own self-interests and permit the radiance of Mashiach to illuminate our 'garments of skin' transforming them into 'garments of light'!
קומי אורי — Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has shone upon you. (ישעיהו ס א)
שבת שלום וחודש טוב!
באהבה,
צבי יהודה טייכמאן
