How often do we roll our eyes when we hear a rabbi, or anyone for that matter, speak of the Messiah and the future redemption? It seems so fantastical, otherworldy, and downright impossible. Indeed, for thousands of years, believers were ridiculed by their rational peers for being so primitive and backward as to believe in such fairytales and nonsense.
The Torah foretells of the Jewish exodus from Egypt in our portion with four terms of redemption (the reason for which we have four cups and four sons at the Seder). He promises to take out the Children of Israel from Egypt, deliver them from their enslavement, redeem them, and acquire them as His own chosen people at Mount Sinai. But the verse adds a fifth expression of salvation, "And I shall bring them to the Promised Land", which refers to the Complete and Final Redemption with the Messiah. Since it is yet to happen, we have the fifth wine cup on the Seder Table, the Cup of Elijah, but don't actually drink it.
Our prophets speak of a Great Shofar that will sound across the world, herald his arrival to all peoples from far and near. They speak of "wings of eagles" upon which we will be magically transported to the Holy Land in fulfillment of the prophecy of the "wings of eagles." Sounds utterly ridiculous, doesn't it? A fairytale at best!
Not so fast.
You see, in our day and age, when an evil terrorist stabs someone in Tel Aviv, we know of it in Palm Beach in real time. Of course, I'm talking about the Internet. It took us a little while to learn about the Twin Towers on 9/11 on Cable News, but today, with the advent of the Internet on our smartphones, we'd know the news even before we'd see it on television! Could this be the Call of the Great Shofar?
Whilst we don't fly on the wings of eagles, we Floridians spend major portions of our lives on airplanes. A prophecy three thousand years ago would make no sense if it spoke of Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The metaphor mankind could relate to was the majestic wingspan of eagles.
Is it possible that modern science and technological advances in the form of the "information superhighway" and the airplane and drone technology could be the fulfillment of Biblical prophecies?
Even the notion of an All-Knowing Being was, and continues to be, dismissed as absurd. But with digital footprints in virtually everything we touch and everywhere we go, shouldn't this "absurdity" be re-evaluated as standard practice?
Could it be that those who rejected the Torah for millennia as primitive were in fact in the dark themselves?
If you are skeptical, what would it take for you to change your mind and, shocking as the proposition might sound, actually begin to accept the Messianic prophecies as factual? Surely, empirical evidence should make a powerful difference! All you need to learn Torah is humility and a truly open mind.
You be the judge, and let me know what you think.