Rav Avigdor Miller on The Lubavitcher Was Moshiach

Q:
If our generation is the עקבתא דמשיחא, the generation of the footsteps of Moshiach, why should our generation be the lowest of all generations?
A:
Now, I don’t know if this is the generation of עקבתא דמשיחא, that I can’t tell you, but let’s say it is. The answer is — you know what it says:  כי יראה כי אזלת יד — When Hakodosh Boruch Hu will see that all the power is gone from us, ואפס עצור ועזוב, that there is nothing left, ואמר אי אלקימו, and we will see there is nobody to help us, so that’s when Hakodosh Boruch Hu will come to help.

That’s what the Chofetz Chaim said; he said, “Please Ribono Shel Olam. It’s getting late and we’re going lost.” He said, “Please come quickly and help us.” That’s a reason why Moshiach should come — just because we’re the lowest of all generations. Of course, it would much better if Moshiach should come because we’re so good. However, nobody knows what can happen yet — don’t be so sure that this is the end; it can chalilah get much worse.
I want to tell you a word from the old Lubavitcher Rebbe — I’m not a Lubavitcher, but the old Lubavitcher Rebbe said something. In his time, they published a newspaper called הקריאה והקדושה — it was the old Lubavitcher Rebbe. And there was a certain year when they said Moshiach is going to come this year. He put himself out on a limb. “Moshiach will come this year,” he said. It was years ago – the old Rebbe, not this one. And the Lubavitcher? They were organizing, making pronouncements: “This year! This year!” Everyone else was ridiculing it.

And the year passed by and nothing happened. So I offered him a consolation; my little cheap consolation I offered to them. I said, “The Lubavitcher Rebbe is right; he was right. He himself redeemed many Jews from going lost; he was a Moshiach for many Jews.”

Who says your job is to worry about the Moshiach for the whole Klal Yisroel? What about yourself? You’re living only once in this world, and your job is to be a Moshiach to rescue  at least yourself. And if somebody comes and rescues you like the old Lubavitcher Rebbe did, he’s also a Moshiach. The old Lubavitcher Rebbe founded a yeshiva in Rochester, a yeshiva in Buffalo, a yeshiva in Boston. He founded yeshivos wherever he went. In those days they didn’t have such a thing. It was before Torah U’Mesorah.

How many children, how many Jewish boys and girls was he a Moshiach for? And therefore Moshiach came; in a certain sense it came. You have to worry only about the whole Klal Yisroel?! You have to worry about each one of us! So Moshiach did come!

And therefore, although it’s a virtue: אחכה לו בכל יום שיבוא – Everybody should hope every day that Moshiach should come, but in the meantime get busy and redeem yourself. You hear that? Don’t wait. There’s a lot to accomplish.