18. Six Days, Six Thousand Years

Man towards Heaven: “Master of the Universe! is it not true that one of your days is like a thousand years?”
Voice from Above: “That’s right.”
Man: “So wouldn’t one of Your pennies be like a million dollars?”
Voice: “Pretty much.”
Man: “So could I please have a penny?”
Voice: “Sure.. ..tomorrow.”In the Jewish concept of time, patterns of time repeat at different scales. Among these timeless patterns in time, sevens figure prominently. Thus the seventh day is a special day of rest, and similarly, the seventh year is observed by resting from agriculture and allowing fields to lie fallow. So too at the scale of millennia.

The Sages say, “the world is to exist six thousand years: 2000 of chaos, 2000 of Torah, and 2000 of the days of Moshiach.” Following this is the seventh millennium, a time beyond time during which the world will achieve its ultimate perfection and G d will be openly revealed to all.

During the first 2000 years, mankind suffered original sin, murder, robbery, and idolatry. The flood took place in this period, and ethnic conflicts multiplied. during the second 2000 years, the Patriarchs lived, and the exodus and the stand at Sinai took place. The written Torah developed and expanded to include the entire 24 books of the Hebrew Bible. During the third period of 2000 years, the Jews were exiled from their land and dispersed throughout the world. Through their suffering and Divine service over this period, they have spiritually prepared the world for the true and complete redemption by Moshiach.

How can these latter 2000 years be called “the days of Moshiach” if the world is in such a sorry state? The Sages explain that before the third 2000-year period, Moshiach could not have come even if the world would have merited it. However during the third 2000, Moshiach will certainly come, whether or not the world is deserving. if so, why don’t we just sit back and wait because by doing more goodness and kindness during this period we can cause Moshiach and the ultimate redemption to come earlier, even today!

Let’s say that it’s within your grasp to accelerate the redemption by one minute. accelerating the redemption by one minute will relieve over 5 billion people of one minute’s suffering. That’s 10,000 man- years of trouble that you can save the world for every minute you bring the redemption closer! Bringing the redemption before its latest scheduled time is comparable to the Jewish custom of welcoming the Shabbos on Friday afternoon, before the seventh day actually starts.

Each millennium is comparable to one of the days of the week. as the Jewish year at the time of writing is 5759, we are in the latter part of the sixth millennium, comparable to Friday afternoon, when the radiance of the Shabbos starts to shine. This period is called the footsteps of Moshiach, because just as you can hear the approaching footsteps of a person when he is very close but not yet in sight, so too can we notice unmistakable signs that Moshiach is very near.

One of these signs is the modern convergence of science and faith. The Torah, while describing the Noahide Flood, is simultaneously referring to something else entirely: It's posting a prophecy and pegging a date for its fulfillment.

The Zohar, some 1900 years ago, predicts a downpour of higher wisdom and an upwelling of lower wisdom starting around 5600 (1840 CE). The Rebbe explains that the higher wisdom is Chabad Chassidus, and the lower wisdom is science. He shows how both prepare the world for the seventh millenium, the sabbath of creation.

Judaism does not reject scientific discovery. It celebrates it as both a harbinger and essential component of the ultimate revelation of the Creator, the soul, and the significance of human life.