We Can Bring Mashiach
At the Pesach Seder, we recall our miraculous redemption from Egypt and also look forward to the future redemption, when we will be redeemed from our present exile. The Haggadah contains many hints to this future redemption, including the words of Hallel, the singing of “Next Year in Jerusalem” at the end of the Seder, and the allusions in the songs found in the back of the Haggadah.
Once someone asked Reb Noson: Seeing that the Mashiach hasn’t yet come, despite all the efforts of all the very great Tzaddikim in all the previous generations, how will he come in these few remaining and much weaker generations?
Reb Noson answered with a parable:
There was once a city that was well fortified. It was enclosed by a thick stone wall, thought to be impenetrable. A wise king decided to conquer this fortified city. After inspecting the fortifications, he sent his mightiest soldiers to bring down the wall and attack the city. These soldiers fell.
He next sent a second wave of less mighty soldiers, then a third wave, and so on. Before long he had depleted his entire army, and the wall had not come down. But the king did not give up. Once again he circled the city, inspecting its walls. “How can you expect to capture this city if all your mighty soldiers are gone?” he was asked. The wise king smiled.
“If you look closely, you will see that though the soldiers could not breach the wall, they did succeed in cracking it,” he replied. “It is no longer strong and impenetrable. Now, with even the weak and wounded, I can bring down the wall.” The king then sent his few remaining and weakest soldiers into battle and conquered the city.
Reb Noson explains that though they did not succeed in bringing the Mashiach, all the great Tzaddikim of the previous generations did succeed in cracking all of the obstacles that stood in the way. Now, though we are weak and don’t have the strength or the power, if we would but make a concerted effort, we could bring the wall down and bring the Mashiach.
From The Breslov Haggadah