There is an instruction to publicize to all the people of the generation that the Holy One, blessed be He, chose and appointed an individual with free choice, who in and of himself is immeasurably higher than all the people of his generation, who will be … the Novi of the generation … who will give advice regarding the Divine service of the entire Jewish people and all the people of this generation, in all matters of Torah and Mitzvos, and as regards the general conduct of daily life … up until — the main prophecy — the prophecy of “immediately to Geuloh” and immediately “behold this one (Moshiach) comes”.

(Dvar Malchus, parshas Shoftim, section 11)

There is much to understand in this short excerpt from the sicha, but we wish to examine one small (or maybe not so small) point. We will focus on the words “the main prophecy — the prophecy of “immediately to Geuloh…”

The first thing to know is that in 5701 (1941) the Frierdicker Rebbe came out with the call of “L’alter L’teshuva L’alter L’Geuloh” — “immediately to repentance, immediately to Redemption.” First there is the Jew’s act of repentance, then comes the Redemption. The Rebbe repeated this message over the years, even after the “immediately” may have seemed to have expired due the length of years since it was said.

The first chiddush here is obvious and well known: that the “main prophecy” is not that of the Frierdicker Rebbe. Teshuva is not mentioned, only “immediately to Geuloh”. This is easily clarified by the Rebbe’s words in the month of Marcheshvan, two months after this sicha, when the Rebbe states that the Jewish people have already done Teshuva. Indeed a significant chiddush!

Since “L’alter L’teshuva” literally means “immediately to [do] teshuva”, it is self-understood that the amount of time this will take is dependent on the Yidden themselves — how long until they do teshuva? Thus, it is clear that this is both a promise/prophecy as well as a call to action (note that it was initially published in 5701 in a “Kol Koreh”, translated as a “call to action”). The prophecy is that when Teshuva will be done, then immediately begins the process of Geuloh. The call to action is: you must do teshuva! No one would mistakenly think that the Frierdicker Rebbe was giving a prophecy that in a few moments a spirit of repentance will come from Above and arouse everyone to Teshuva “immediately” and from there “immediately” to Geuloh. Quite obviously, the Teshuva is dependent on our action.

And this is the model for the “main prophecy” of the Novi of our generation, the Rebbe MH”M, in saying “L’alter L’Geuloh”, “immediately to Geuloh”. If the words of this nevuah were “immediately Geuloh”, then we could take it to be a forecast of the immediate future, a “heads-up” that the Geuloh is going to fall from the heavens any moment. After all, one of the tasks of a Novi is to tell the people what is going to be.

But a Novi is not just a G-dly future-teller. He tells what is going to happen in order to arouse the Jewish people to action. The prophecies of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash that Yirmiyahu said, for example, were not just glimpses into future events — they were for the purpose of warning and awakening the Jewish nation to do Teshuva and prevent his prophecies from materializing. As the Rebbe brings from the Yalkut Shimoni (Yirmiyahu remez 264; see maamar “Gadol Yihiyeh Kvod Habayis Hazeh…” note 26): Hear the words of Torah so you won’t need need to hear the words of the prophets. Hear the words of the prophets so you won’t need to hear words of rebuke…hear it while alive so you won’t need to hear it dead…” Prophecy is a call to action.

So, too, in this “main prophecy” of the Novi of our generation, which doesn’t mention repentance. What is the call to action here? As noted, the words are “immediately to Geuloh” (and not “immediately Geuloh”) — just as there is a path of individual and collective avoidah of repentance, there is also a path and avoidah of Geuloh! This explains why the Rebbe “wraps” this “main prophecy” in his description that the Novi gives advice and guidance regarding the Divine service of the entire Jewish people in all matters of Torah and Mitzvos, and the general conduct of daily life…up until the main prophecy (and main avoidah) of proceeding to Geuloh.

The Dvar Malchus sichos are filled with instructions. Instructions to us how to behave in a Geulohdike manner, how to think in a Geulohdike manner, how to respond to events in a Geulohdike manner. The Rebbe is giving us a Shulchan Aruch of the avoidah of Geuloh, of bringing Geuloh and internalizing Geuloh. Not “L’alter Geuloh” but rather “L’alter L‘Geuloh” — not “immediately Geuloh” but rather “immediately to Geuloh” by following the instructions of the Novi. By understanding this properly it accomplishes two things:

First, it removes any questions about an expiration date, chas v’sholom. This is a call to action, and depending on our actions we determine the amount of time of this word “immediately”.

Secondly, it gives us the proper recallibration: once there was avoidas habirurim, once there was avoidas haTeshuva, now there is avoidas HaGeuloh. Just as there were no shortcuts and no free-lunches in the earlier avoidos, nor any time limit other than our own diligence in performing the avoidah — same thing now with avoidas HaGeuloh. Geuloh is “standing on the doorstep”, waiting for us to shlep it into our lives in accordance with the instructions and guidance and prophecies of the Novi of our generation, the Rebbe, Melech haMoshiach, whose main prophecy is calling us to action!

יחי אדוננו מורנו ורבינו מלך המשיח לעולם ועד!