The Rebbe’s View on the War of Gog and Magog

“The war of Gog and Magog does not affect the Jewish people”

“The war of Gog and Magog…it seems like a terrible tragedy for the Jews…but it says in Sanhedrin¹ that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai comments on the verse² ‘Why have nations gathered and [why do] kingdoms speak futility?’–not ‘troubles’ but ‘futility’.  It has no meaning for the Jews. Goyim are fighting between themselves, gathering and talking, but it’s all ineffective, because ‘the One Who sits in Heaven laughs and mocks them'”

“This is what Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is saying about the seventh year³, he’s talking about the year of the coming of Moshiach.  Right at the end of the seven years of wars, Moshiach comes.  Which wars?  The ones where the nations gather and speak futily.  A case like Egypt, a case like Afghanistan⁴, another case, this fight, that fight.  But in the case of the Jews…the war of Gog and Magog is not affecting the Jewish people.”

“Gog is fighting with Magog, and it says in Tanach⁵, that it will be in Jerusalem, but that has nothing to do with the Jewishness of Jerusalem, and not in the city of Jerusalem, rather its around Jerusalem…the name ‘Jeruslaem’ comes from the words meaning ‘complete fear of G-d’…and the city of Jerusalem will stay untouched.”

From the Rebbe’s public talk (“sicha”) given 14 Iyar, 5740 (April 30, 1980)

1. Tractate of the Talmud.
2. Psalms 2:1.
3. Seventh year of the shemitta cycle.
4. At the start of 1980 the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
5. The 24 books of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings.