Wellsprings

28 Tishrei 5782

“In the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life … all the fountains of the great deep broke open, and the windows of heaven were opened” (Bereishit 7:11)

“[This hints that] in the sixth century of the sixth millennium [from creation — 1740–1840 in the secular calendar], the gates of supernal wisdom will be opened, as will the springs of earthly wisdom, preparing the world to be elevated in the seventh millennium.” (Zohar)

We can clearly see that this prophecy came into reality through the revealing of the Holy Baal Shem Tov in 1734 and with it the bursting open of the wellsprings of Chassidus.

“Even darkness will not obscure [anything] from You, and the night will light up like day; as darkness so is the light.” (Tehillim 139:12)

Chassidus is the flame that lights up the darkness of our exile like day. It contains the foretaste of the time of Moshiach, in which the deepest secrets of Torah will be revealed to all. Like delicious food tasted just before Shabbos, so is Chassidus studied before the imminent Redemption.

“Until the time of the “end,” until the time of the imminent Redemption, when death and the sitra achara (i.e., the “other side,” the unholy aspect of the universe) will be swallowed up.” (Lessons in Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh, middle of Epistle 25)

At that time the Shechinah will be raised up from its exile and the world will be suffused by such intense light that all unholiness will be nullified before it, and the sitra achara will be cut off from its divine source. Of this time, G-d promises, “Then shall I make the nations [pure of speech] so that they will all call upon the Name of G-d.” (Tanya, as above)