(Or Mashiach Is On The Way)

“What do you say about the WikiLeaks affair?”

“What do you want me to say?”

“It’s terrible isn’t it?”

“Well it could really be a great development.”

“What are you talking about? This crazy Australian Julian Assange does the world the big favor of exposing secret documents and as a result the chances of continued diplomatic relations between a number of nations is practically nil. National leaders and diplomats will now be extremely cautious about the remarks they make at least in writing and they will be unable to express their candid opinion on the latest developments in world events. Surely you’ve read some of the comments state leaders have made about each other in the leaked documents. It’s terrible. It’s a threat to public life all over the globe.”

“Sorry but I see things from a different perspective. True the exposure of these documents has brought down the level of trust in international diplomacy especially the diplomacy of the United States which still rules the world. But who says that is all bad? Everyone was shaking with fear as the publication date approached. The world leaders implicated in the documents knew that they were about to be cut down to size in the eyes of the public. These renowned figures blown up out of proportion with their self-importance are suddenly held up to scrutiny and now appear rather small engaged in petty gossip and intrigue behind the scenes. They’ve been put to shame in public and in my humble opinion that is good.”

“Good you call it? It’s terrifying!”

“How right you are. It ought to scare us into a little more fear of G-d. Look at the Maharal as explained by Rav Dessler in Michtav MeEliyahu on the discussion in the Gemara about ‘the Mashiach sitting at the gate of Rome.’ ‘Rome’ is the kingdom of Edom which still dominates the world today otherwise known as Western culture. The ‘gate’ denotes the end as in the exit gate of a city. ‘The Mashiach sits at the gate of Rome ’ then means that he sits waiting at the end of Rome. Rav Dessler explains that when we see the foundations of civilization collapsing when social and political structures fail and people no longer have faith in these systems this is a sign that the Mashiach’s arrival is imminent. The true kingdom of Mashiach G-d’s kingdom can only be revealed on the ruins of civilization as we know it. So whether he knows it or not Julian Assange has made a major contribution to this development. Don’t you agree?”

“I’m pretty confused by now. I don’t know what to think.”

“Well look at the positive side of it. Just think you can no longer rely on any of these people who believe themselves to be world leaders. They’ve been displayed in all their smallness before the whole world. Look at how Secretary of State Clinton’s face clouded over when she learned that these documents might be publicly exposed. You saw how her image was tarnished when it was discovered that she sent agents to spy on the secretary-general of the UN or that she wanted to know exactly what psychiatric medications the president of Argentina was taking. It’s beyond embarrassing. And what about the names these distinguished leaders have been calling each other behind their backs even leaders of friendly nations revealing all their human foibles. Despite the silence and the restraint being shown between nations in the wake of these revelations it is hard to believe that the trust between leaders of nations will be restored to what it formerly was (or wasn’t). Something has been destroyed here.”

“And you find that encouraging?”

“Yes! It’s not that I just like to make bold statements that deviate from the sentiments of the majority who are in mass shock over these revelations. The encouraging part is that it fits so well with what the Maharal taught us about the stages of Redemption. Amid all this chaos we can discern the footsteps of Mashiach who is at the gate as social institutions collapse all around us. The economy collapsed three years ago and faith in that god is gone. The political system is next. Does anyone still have trust in it?

A Slap in Society’s Face

“… and I’m telling you that Australian fellow ought to get a Nobel Prize. He certainly doesn’t deserve to be chased by the FBI and Interpol and to be locked up in prison for the rest of his life.

“You don’t get my point? Let me explain further. What this man did was take the most sacred value of Western civilization and stretch it to its furthest limit. ‘Freedom of speech’ and ‘the people’s right to know’ are the Western gods of worship. What hasn’t been said in praise of this ‘enlightenment’? What hasn’t been done to stifle all criticism of it all calls to put restraints on this destructive unbridled force to place some limits on the press on radio and television on the cinema and on literature?

Many of our best and brightest thinkers have already concluded that this absolute freedom with every barrier removed where every form of obscenity and perversion is legitimate and every form of moral decay runs rampant in the streets has caused severe deterioration of private and public morality and has withered all chances of raising the young generation to adhere to any moral standard. Yet the criticism is stifled. But the free flow of information no matter for what reason is never stifled; this remains an untouchable principle.

“WikiLeaks just served to sharpen the principle. Who says the sacred doctrine of freedom of information stops at a certain point? Why should we be barred from knowing what diplomats say about each other? Or exactly what Obama thought of the chancellor of Germany or the prime minister of England? WikiLeaks has simply brought us the next chapter of ‘the people’s right to know.’ Mr. Assange has certainly been faithful to the ideal of freedom of expression and it isn’t fair to punish him for it.

“True they claim he has harmed international security and that is a transgression of the limits of free speech. But what about the massive harm done on a daily basis to public morality — that is permissible? Doesn’t holding up every sort of deviation from decent behavior for public viewing regardless of its harmful influence on youth and adults alike as all the vehicles of free speech do every day also compromise the security of a nation?

“Julian Assange has slapped society in the face. He has shown what a warped value unbridled and elevated above all else can lead to. If society were wise it would use the WikiLeaks affair as a lesson in the necessity of restraint and moral self-control.

“But no. They’re out to get him. A distinguished senator even proclaimed that he must be physically liquidated — without the effort of bringing him to trial. WikiLeaks must be silenced at all costs the senator naturally feels. Because nobody likes having the truth thrown in his face.”

Food for Thought

Learn how to be silent —

so that you’ll know how to speak

(Rebbe Mendel of Vorki)