סנהדרין צח

There was a custom in Europe to end a דרשה with the words ובא לציון גואל.  The מגיד of Dubna, רבי יעקב קראנץ, once gave a דרשה but didn’t end with ובא לציון גואל.  His listeners were surprised but none, except for one poor young man, had the nerve to ask him why.  The מגיד explained: “The גמרא teaches in Sanhedrin: אין דוד בא עד שתכלה פרוטה מן הכיס.   It also teaches in Sotah בעיקבתא דמשיחא חוצפא יסגי.  This gives rise to a מחלוקת between the poor and the rich as to why משיח hasn’t come.  The rich cite משלי יח, כג, which states עשיר יענה עזות, and argue that they enable משיח to come.  It is the poor who hold him back because as משלי says: בתחנונים ידבר רש.  The poor respond that משיח would already have come on their account since the last פרוטה is already gone from our pockets.  It’s the wealthy who are delaying the גאולה.”  The מגיד turned to the young man and said:  “You have resolved the מחלוקת. You have עזות and are poor.  Therefore, ובא לציון גואל במהרה בימנו אמן.”

06/10/2021