redemption

Redemption comes not from an altar,
but has to come le’altar, now!
Unfortunately, if you falter,
even God does not know how
to bring redemption, since He needs
cooperation. Not alone,
but helped by you and your good deeds,
He’ll bring you closer to His throne,
which is the kiseh hakavod,
the throne of glory He will leave
to give a helping hand, for God
redeems at once, if you believe.
What is the reason for delay?
Why does it look as though He schlepps?
He isn’t coming till the day
we do not falter in our steps.

Le’altar means immediately, and is the first part of the phrase le’altar liteshuvah le’altar li-ge’ullah, “immediately for repentance, immediately for redemption,” which the sixth Lubavitch Rebne, Yosef Yitshaq, instructed his followers to repeat in order to expedite a redemption following his release from prison on 12–13 Tammuz 5687 (July 12 –13, 1927). Schlepps is Yiddish for "drags." Unfortunately redemption did ot come for other Jews then, or at a later date (Elliot R. Wolfson, Postmessianic Messianism and the Mystical Revision of Menahem Mendel Schneerson (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009), 280–1.


1/30/10