B"H
AUDIO AND VISUAL JUDAISM
Are you an audio or a visual person? Judaism is a composite of both.
In the Shema, the Torah exhorts us to listen to the fact that G‑d is our G‑d and that He is one. Listening has always been the way Torah was transmitted from one generation to the other.
In this week's parsha, Moses introduces the Jewish people to the visual medium when he states: "Re'ei-See ..." instead of the conventional term Shema-listen.
Chassidic thought reveal that Moses wanted to introduce the Jewish people to a more sublime way of learning; through the visual medium.
The advantage of the visual over the audio is that the things that we see leave no doubt as to their veracity. Moreover, the visual leaves an indelible mark on us.   .
Indeed, the visual medium will be the one that Moshiach will use to teach Torah to the entire Jewish nation. which will foster greater unity. In a visual setting everyone sees the same picture. 
 
R’EI
MOSHIACH THE DESTITUTE
 
“One of Your Brethren”: The Singular One
One of the sources for the Mitzvah of Tzedakah can be found in this week’s parsha, R’ei.
The Torah states:
“If there shall be a destitute person among you, one of your brethren in any of your cities in the Land that G‑d, your G‑d, gives you, you shall not harden your heart or close your hand against your destitute brother. Rather you shall open your hand to him; you shall lend him his requirement, whatever is lacking to him.”
The work Or HaChaim (by the great 18th Century Sephardic commentator, Rabbi Chaim Ben Atar), provides an allegorical explanation for this verse:
The words “one of your brothers” refers, allegorically, to Moshiach who is a “one and only,” a singularly important person in our nation, for whom we hope and await for the day he will arrive.
Why is Moshiach described here as a destitute person?
The Or Hachaim refers us to the Talmud’s (Sanhedrin 98a) understanding of the Biblical verse in Zecharya (9:9) where Moshiach is described as “a pauper riding on a donkey.”
Why is Moshiach represented as destitute?
The word “among you” in this verse provides the cause for Moshiach’s poverty. He is destitute because of “you”. He is destitute because of our sins, which have prolonged the exile.
Moshiach is also destitute for our sake, for he pines for the day when he will come to redeem us.
 
How should we react to Moshiach’s longing to redeem us and his feeling of destitution as long as he is prevented from doing so?
The verse continues, saying that we should not “harden our hearts” or “close our hands.” This means that it is our actions, particularly the giving of Tzedakah, that will help Moshiach fulfill his desire to redeem us. Indeed, the Or Hachaim concludes, when we give Tzedakah it should be with the intention of bringing Moshiach.
 
Poor and Destitute
The Torah is precise in its choice of language. The Midrash tells us that there are 10 words in Hebrew for a poor person. In the book of Zecharya, the word used to describe Moshiach is ahni, the most common word used to describe a poor person. Why then does the Torah refer to Moshiach specifically by the word evyon-destitute in our parsha? What is the difference between an ahni and an evyon?
The word ahni has the connotation of humility. It emphasizes Moshiach’s virtue as a humble person. In addition, it implies that Moshiach will arrive in a humble setting, even if, as the Talmud states, we are not worthy. [If, however, we are worthy, Moshiach will come riding on a heavenly cloud, i.e., in a rich and majestic fashion.]
The word evyon has a completely different connotation. Our Sages teach us that an evyon is one who desires everything because he has nothing. Many people may be rich in many ways, despite being financially strapped. Indeed, they may even be satisfied with their lot and feel like a million dollars. Our Sages teach us that a rich person is one who is satisfied with his lot. So, being an ahni does not make one destitute in spirit.
So, now the question is how can Moshiach be described as evyon; a person who possesses nothing! Moshiach must have the greatest virtues to be qualified as Moshiach. Maimonides lists his minimal qualifications.  Among them: he must be steeped in Torah knowledge; totally committed to the observance of the commandments; a consummate spiritual leader, etc. How can a person with such a prodigious resume have nothing and therefore crave everything?
 
Craves Everything
The simple answer lies in the fact that every Jewish leader worthy of that title must possess an acute measure of sensitivity. He must feel the pain of others and rejoice with their celebrations. If Moshiach is the ultimate leader, then Moshiach can be deemed to be the most sensitive person to have ever lived; sensitive to G‑d and to the needs of others.
Moshiach, more than anyone else, feels the pain of Galus-exile.  He cannot be content nor can he be comforted by the myriad of positive things that we already have as a foretaste of the Messianic Age. While Moshiach certainly appreciates every bit of goodness and light that G‑d shines in this world, he cannot ever find solace knowing that there is at least one person suffering in some remote corner of the world.  
Moreover, Moshiach’s singular mission and goal is to get us out of Galus and usher in the Messianic Age and Final Redemption. While other great leaders were commissioned to move us along our journey towards that goal, Moshiach’s role is to finish the job. Anything short of that is, to him, total failure no matter how much he accomplishes even if that would make everyone else feel fulfilled.
Furthermore, in the Messianic Age we will inhabit a world that will experience G‑dly light, exclusively. As a result, all the negativity, evil, hatred, selfishness, etc., that we have today will disappear. Thus, whatever good we experience today will pale in comparison with the good of the future. What we have today in relation to what we will have in the future is like a candle brought into broad daylight.
 
Seven Vanities
This premise, that the Messianic Age will overwhelm all that has come before, sheds light on the words of King Solomon in the Book of Ecclesiastes-Koheles where he speaks of “seven vanities.” Rashi, citing the Midrash, explains that they refer to the seven days of the week, which are all vanity and vacuous.
But one of those seven days is the holy day of Shabbos. How can Koheles refer to Shabbos as empty?
The answer is that when compared to the Messianic Era, everything that has preceded it, even the most radiant day of Shabbos, is as if it were nothing.
One may compare this to a child who reaches the top of his or her class in elementary school, and is heralded as reaching a significant milestone. But when we compare that milestone with the abstract ideas of an Einstein type of genius, the achievements of grade school are as if they don’t exist; they become a nullity.
Moshiach, therefore, is an evyon because in the incandescent sphere of his consciousness he lacks everything; whatever he possesses is like nothing. Moshiach sees into and senses the future. He then contrasts that idyllic world out of the dark, fragmented and very limited world of today. So, he feels that he has nothing, because all that he has, he realizes, is nothing compared to what he can see in the future.
 
Galus, the Ultimate Evyon
The Rebbe once referred to the Mitzvah of giving gifts to evyonim-the poor on Purim, and applied it specifically to prisoners. He explained that a prisoner is a true evyon because he or she truly has nothing.
Galus is the ultimate prison.  One who feels that he or she is in Galus and clamors for Redemption is evyon and is therefore closest to Moshiach, the ultimate evyon. Giving to the evyon, by opening our hearts to Moshiach, and opening our hands to giving to others who are in need, is our way of empowering the Ultimate Evyon to fulfill his mandate and take us out of Galus, once and for all!