Editing Toras HaChassidus (section)

== The Dawn of Redemption ==
our Sages say "The world will exist for six thousand years." The six thousand years correspond to the six days of creation, as it says "For a thousand years in Your eyes are like yesterday," - to Hashem, one thousand years are considered like one day, and the seventh millennium - the World to Come - is compared to Shabbos, "a day that is entirely Shabbos and rest for eternal life."

The last two millennia of the six "days" are called by our Sages "the days of Moshiach," meaning their essence is the revelation of Moshiach's light. Just as in creation specifically at the end of the sixth day man was created - the purpose of creation, similarly in the sixth millennium (at its end) Moshiach will come, and all Torah prophecies about the days of Moshiach are within this time (within the six thousand years that the world exists).

It is taught that from the period of the sixth millennium corresponding to Erev Shabbos, especially in its second half (since the first half is comparable to Thursday night) - from the year 5500 onwards, the dawn of redemption began to break and Moshiach's light began to sparkle in the world. As the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh states: "The sparks of redemption's revelation will begin at the start of the five hundreds coming in peace." And as we get closer to its end, this sparkling intensifies.

This follows what is written in the verse "And it shall be on the sixth day, they shall prepare," that preparation is needed for Shabbos. According to halacha, it is a mitzvah to taste from each food cooked for Shabbos, as it says "those who taste it merit life." The allusion in this according to Chassidus is that in the world's general scheme, the seventh millennium is called "a day that is entirely Shabbos," and then there will be the feast of Leviathan and Wild Ox.

The Chassidic interpretation is known that the inner dimension of Torah will be revealed through Moshiach who will come speedily in our days. This is called the feast of tzaddikim from souls called "fish of the sea," which are called Leviathan from their Torah and mitzvos, and all souls from the revealed world from their Torah and mitzvos are called Wild Ox. Therefore, since the sixth day began in the year 5500, there was the merit and mitzvah to taste from Shabbos foods, and thus the Baal Shem Tov was sent to this world to reveal the inner dimension of Torah.

Whatever inner Torah will be revealed through tzaddikim until Moshiach comes is called merely a taste, and the main feast will be in the future. But before this, souls in bodies were not able to taste from the Tree of Life.

This sparkling came through the revelation of Chassidus, which is the deepest level in Torah, called the level of Yechida. This is a revelation from Moshiach's Torah, whose essence is the general Yechida of Jewish souls.

The holy Zohar states that as Moshiach's days approach, Torah secrets will be revealed to all. This revelation is essential preparation for redemption, and through this "they will leave exile with mercy." There is also revelation of the aspect of Moshiach, as explained by the Alter Rebbe, author of Tanya, "through supreme holy tzaddikim who were at the beginning of the 500th year of the sixth millennium, as is known.