Moshiach Finally Comes! - Now What? (With Rabbi Manis Friedman)

Summary

Rabbi Manis Friedman explores what the world will be like when Moshiach arrives and how we should understand the purpose of mitzvos (commandments) in that future era. He explains that in the messianic age, goodness will become natural and effortless rather than a struggle, as evil will be eliminated through three thousand years of spiritual refinement. The world will return to a state similar to the Garden of Eden, but with the fundamental problem (represented by the forbidden tree) resolved. Friedman uses the metaphor of a marriage evolving from newlyweds performing acts to win points, to an older couple whose kindness becomes self-justifying and intrinsic rather than instrumental.

The rabbi addresses a central paradox: mitzvos are not designed as tools to fix the world, yet they function perfectly as tools for that purpose in our current fallen state. In the messianic age, we will continue performing mitzvos, but for a completely different reason—not to repair or improve the world, but simply because God desires them. This represents a fundamental shift in perception and consciousness rather than a change in the actual actions themselves. Friedman suggests that this transition won’t happen suddenly but gradually, as humanity prepares itself spiritually to understand mitzvos as ends in themselves rather than means to an end.

Key Takeaways

• In the messianic age, goodness will be natural and effortless; evil will be eliminated not through miraculous intervention but through humanity outgrowing it over three thousand years
• Mitzvos are intrinsically valuable (not designed as tools), yet they function powerfully as tools for repairing the world in our current fallen state
• The coming of Moshiach represents a fundamental change in human consciousness and perception rather than a sudden external transformation
• We will continue performing the same mitzvos after Moshiach arrives, but with an entirely different motivation—for their own sake rather than as means to fix the world
• Preparation is essential for Moshiach’s arrival because we must undergo internal transformation to understand mitzvos at a deeper level

Key Questions Addressed

• What will life be like when Moshiach comes and everything is already good?
• Why do we need Moshiach if we’ve been performing mitzvos for thousands of years to perfect the world?
• How can the same physical action (like bringing flowers) have completely different meaning depending on one’s internal intention and motivation?
• If mitzvos aren’t designed as tools, why do they work so effectively as tools for spiritual repair and world transformation?
• Will there be new Torah commandments in the messianic age, or just a new perception of existing ones?

Keywords

Moshiach, Messianic age, Mitzvos, Redemption, Garden of Eden, Torah, Goodness and evil, Spiritual preparation, Self-justifying action, Consciousness transformation, Gula, World perfection, Intent and motivation, Divine purpose