Shana SheHaMelech HaMashiach Nigleh Bah

"Shana SheHaMelech HaMashiach Nigleh Bah" is a term from the Midrash referring to the year in which the King Messiah begins to reveal himself, and events unfold as part of preparing the world for the redemption. According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the year 5751 (1991) is the year in which the revelation of Mashiach as described in the Midrash began.

Source of the Statement

Rabbi Yitzchak said: The year that the King Messiah will be revealed, all the kings of the nations will provoke one another. The king of Persia will provoke the Arab king, and the Arab king will go to Aram to seek advice from them... And all the nations of the world will be in turmoil and panic, and will fall on their faces, and they will be seized with pains like the pains of childbirth. And Israel will be in turmoil and panic, saying: "Where shall we come and go? Where shall we come and go?" And Hashem says to them [to Israel]: "My children, do not fear, everything that I have done, I have done only for your sake. Why are you afraid? Do not fear, the time of your redemption has arrived." — Yalkut Shimoni Isaiah, Remez 499

The Rebbe's Prophecy

On the 16th of Av 5750, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Kazen hung a note on the wall of the Beis Medrash at 770, containing a photocopy of the above Midrash passage. When the Rebbe left the Beis Medrash, he stopped by the notice and looked at it for several seconds. That evening, the Rebbe's secretariat contacted him and requested that he add the concluding portion of the Midrash: "Our Rabbis taught: When the King Messiah comes, he stands on the roof of the Beis HaMikdash and announces to Israel, saying: 'Humble ones, the time of your redemption has arrived!'"

During that period, tension began in the world following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces. A few days before this talk, Operation Desert Shield began, in which 34 countries joined forces against Iraq, which later led to the outbreak of the Gulf War.

On Shabbos Parshas Re'eh, the 27th of Av 5750, the Rebbe first cited the words of the Midrash and calmed tensions by saying that this war is the fulfillment of the words of the Midrash, and these are some of the signs that we are on the threshold of the redemption.

Over the weeks and months that followed, the Rebbe compared how we see the events corresponding between what is stated in the Midrash and what was happening in those days, and how we are now in the year that the King Messiah reveals himself:

"The events in the Persian Gulf are among the signs of redemption, as our Sages said regarding 'kingdoms provoking each other,' and more specifically - 'the king of Persia (which plainly refers to the area that includes Iraq) provokes the Arab king... and all the nations of the world are in turmoil and panic...' and Hashem says to them (to Israel)... 'Do not fear, the time of your redemption has arrived,'" and continues to conclude, "When the King Messiah comes, he stands on the roof of the Beis HaMikdash and announces to Israel, saying, 'Humble ones, the time of your redemption has arrived!'" — Talk of Shabbos Parshas Bereishis 5751

The Rebbe explained that the Midrash's words about Moshiach's announcement from the roof of the Beis Hamikdash refer to the current period. The meaning of "the roof of the Beis Hamikdash" is the primary "mini sanctuary" of exile - the study hall of Moshiach, which is called a "roof" because just as the roof of the Mikdash in relation to the Mikdash itself is not sanctified, so too the "mini sanctuary" of exile in relation to the Beis Hamikdash in Jerusalem. From this mini sanctuary, Moshiach announces that the time of redemption has arrived.

"King Moshiach stands (already) on the roof of the Beis Hamikdash and he announces to Israel, saying, 'Humble ones, the time of your redemption has arrived,'" and as known, roofs were not sanctified, which is comparable to outside of the Land of Israel which was not sanctified (at least not like Eretz Yisrael). And for this comes the announcement (as was also announced at previous farbrengens) - "The time of your redemption has arrived" immediately and literally, literally, literally, literally... — Sicha of Shabbos Parshas Chayei Sarah 5751

On Shabbos Parshas Balak, the Rebbe definitively defines this year as the year in which Melech HaMoshiach is revealed:

This year is "(It shall be) a year of wonders I will show," the year in which the prophecy "As in the days of your exodus from Egypt, I will show wonders" will be fulfilled, and "wonders" have already been seen in actuality that testify that this is the "year in which Melech HaMoshiach is revealed," and even to the "hour when Melech HaMoshiach comes... and he announces to Israel, 'Humble ones, the time of your redemption has arrived'" (as stated in Yalkut Shimoni) and even to the announcement that "Behold, (Melech HaMoshiach) is coming" has already come, meaning that we already stand on the threshold of the beginning of Yemos HaMoshiach, on the threshold of the beginning of the Geulah, and immediately its continuation and completion.

For this year, the Rebbe gave the acronym "This shall be a year of 'I will show wonders'" - the wonders of the complete Geulah. And he also connected this with the verse "and his kingdom will be exalted," which speaks about the kingdom of David and Solomon until Melech HaMoshiach, who is revealed in the year 5751 (1991).

See also

• The announcement of the Geulah
• A taste of Geulah in our generation