Midreshet Amit

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Everyone Matters

By: Rav Eytan Goldstein

 
Yaakov Avinu calls for his children to gather around him so that he can reveal what will happen at the end of days. Yaakov than blesses each of his children. But what happened to revealing the end of the days? When will the Messiah come? What will be with his children?
There is a beautiful way of understanding this seemingly unanswered cliffhanger. Rav Mordechai Machlis Shlita explains that when Yaakov told his children “ האספו ” “ gather around me”, he was reveling the secret of the end of days! The ushering in of Moshiach will be when all the different types of Jews gather together. When regardless of our differences and pasts we  can stand together, that will without a doubt usher in the redemption.
 
There are holy men and women who are constantly trying to gather Jewish people together in  the way of Yaakov Avinu. One such Tzaddik was Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook. Rav Kook, The Chief Rabbi of Yaffa at the time, decided to leave shul on Yom Kippur, before the loftiest time of the year, Ne’ilah. Everyone was asking, “Where is the Tzaddik going? Is he running to the mikvah? To say Tehillim?” Sure enough a few people followed him out of shul.
They saw Rav Kook preparing for Ne’ilah by walking the streets of Tel Aviv speaking with those  individuals who decid3d that shul, even on Yom Kippur, wasn’t for them. Rav Kook went out to  schmooze with them. To remind them they’re relevant and cared about, even if they don’t wish  to go to shul.
 
This is the secret of redemption. To show everyone they matter, that they’re counted. Hashem  should bless us to gather together with our fellow yidden, and to care for them even if we don’t agree with them or approve of their external actions!