When Will Moshiach Come, According to Chabad-Lubavitch?
A prominent song associated with Chabad-Lubavitch Chasidim is set to words proclaiming that Moshiach will come when "wellsprings of Chasidus" (a vague and undefined term) spread outward (אימתי קאתי מר? לכשיפוצו מעינותיך חוצה). This song has been associated with Chabad-Lubavitch in particular, as opposed to Chasidism in general, although the Neo-Chasidus movement, led by people like Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, R. Yussie Zakutinsky, and others, who are heavily influenced by Lubavitch, has also incorporated it into their repertoire. More recently, the Neo-Chasidic TYH nation group has released a different version of it. Given the increased likelihood of non-Chasidim coming in contact with it, and perhaps mistakenly singing it, in view of the above, it is important that its acceptability or lack thereof be examined and addressed. With the help of הקב"ה, we will attempt to do that here.
The Real Story - What Chabad-Lubavitch Doesn't Tell You
Although purportedly sourced from a letter of ר' ישראל בעש"ט, considered the founder of the modern Chasidic movement, to his brother-in-law, over two hundred and fifty years ago, in actuality, the lyrics of the song represent only a partial, amputated version of it, which omits important context, leading to misunderstanding.
In actuality the letter goes on to explain what it means, beyond those few words. And that is, not when people learn and print Tanyas all over, but rather when they have/make yichudim and aliyos neshama like you (the בעש"ט). This is in accord with the kabbalistic doctrines discussed in his circle. As the plain, kabbalistic meaning is quite remote from people in our generation generally, Chabad-Lubavitch, excising the additional words from the story, promote(d) a different, new meaning to it, as referring to the spread of Chasidism of the type of modern Chabad-Lubavitch, that they were promoting (similar to that expressed in another well-known Lubavitch song from around the same time, ופרצת). Other Chasidim, however, did not go along with this new, abridged, changed version and meaning of it, so the song remained Chabad-Lubavitch, not adopted by other Hasidic groups.
The Misnagdic View
Firstly, it should be noted that the tune that Lubavitch uses to אימתי קאתי מר was taken from an old Yerushalmi song, מתי יבנה המקדש (When will the Beis Hamikdash be rebuilt?). Secondly, of course, Misnagdim don't accept the entire matter, as they don't accept Hasidism in general.
While to those of us born after the song was put together, it has always been around all of our earthly lives, for those who lived when it was new, it engendered a strong reaction. So much so, that it is told that when it was sung in Telshe, Rav Ruderman, the Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Yisrael (NIRC), who was visiting there at the time, said to stop it, as it was in conflict with Chazal, as different answer(s) to this question appear in the gemara (e.g. Chazal say that Moshiach will come היום אם בקולו תשמעון) (h/t).
Anyway, the bottom line is that the song should not be sung by non-Chasidim, and even not by non-Lubavitcher Chasidim, as it represents questionable theology.
In the זכות of being careful with our musical selections, may we be zoche to ביאת גואל צדק, בב"א.
כתיבה וחתימה טובה
