The past few days, I’ve been pinching myself repeatedly to make sure I’m not dreaming. Today, the whole world is recognizing the Rebbe. Now it’s our turn to wake up to this reality.

By Levi Y. Levine

The past few days I’ve been pinching myself repeatedly to make sure I’m not dreaming – that this is real.

What we’ve been witnessing over the past few months is so surreal, so out of the ordinary – that we’ve almost become numb to it. We’re starting to treat it like routine, even though it’s anything but. We’ve somehow gotten used to it, as if it’s “business as usual.”

Chassidim have always worked hard to “bring” the Rebbe and the Rebbe’s message to the world – especially to influencers, public figures, and government officials. It usually involved years of building connections with high-level people, tireless work from askonim and shluchim, and sometimes large sums of money.

But what we’re seeing now, in recent weeks and months, is something completely different. Not just in the scale and reach – which are unprecedented – but in the fact that the world itself is coming to the Rebbe. The world is talking about the Rebbe, engaging with his message, and being directly influenced by it – almost entirely on its own.

The President of Argentina brings Prime Minister Netanyahu a gift – and what does he choose to give? A photo of Netanyahu with the Rebbe. The two of them then begin a conversation about the Rebbe’s personal impact on their lives – which in turn leads the Speaker of the Knesset and the President of Israel to publicly speak about the Rebbe. And all of this is happening just hours before Bibi orders the historic strike on Iran – a moment that effectively changed the course of the Middle East.

The U.S. Ambassador reveals that before his Senate confirmation hearing, the President of the United States and leader of the free world gave him some friendly advice… go pray at the Rebbe’s Ohel.

The Prime Minister travels for a highly critical meeting with the U.S. President, and what gift does he choose to present to him? A dollar from the Rebbe.

This is all besides the official White House proclamations in honor of Yud Alef Nissan and (for the first time) Gimmel Tammuz – statements that were much more expressive and accurate than in previous years.

All of this, follows the President’s personal visit to the Rebbe’s Ohel shortly before the elections – a visit that, according to people close to the situation, was intentional and fully understood for what it was – not just a political move.

We have senior advisors to Prime Minister Netanyahu who’ve said that the Rebbe influences the Prime Minister in ways no one else fully understands – something Bibi himself confirmed when he publicly shared an 8-minute video of the Rebbe with millions.

And then there’s the Mayor of New York, who keeps visiting the Rebbe’s Ohel – sometimes late at night, without security or media coverage.

And there’s so much more – too much to even list.

All of this, of course, is besides what’s happening in the rest of the frum world – which is also turning more and more toward the Rebbe and the Rebbe’s mission of bringing Moshiach. Just look at the expanded edition of a well-known publication that came out for Gimmel Tammuz –  all focused on the Rebbe and his call to action – to bring Moshiach.

Just today, a group of Aish HaTorah students announced they’ll be using their Bein Hazmanim to go wrap tefillin with other Yidden. And there are literally hundreds more examples – all pointing to the same thing: the world is waking up and turning to the true, ultimate reality of the Rebbe of our generation.

On the lesson we can learn from Yud Beis Tammuz, the Rebbe explains that when a Yid stands strong and recognizes that all obstacles to spreading Yiddishkeit are nothing, even someone who was once completely opposed ends up recognizing it – and called out instinctively: “Rebbe!” Today, we’re seeing that happen – the world is calling out instinctively: Rebbe.

(Incidentally, or not, the day the dollar of the Rebbe was presented by the Israeli Prime Minister to the American President was Yud Beis Tammuz).

31 years after Gimmel Tammuz, the Rebbe isn’t just continuing his work — he’s becoming “more alive, stronger, and more active every year.” He’s guiding the world toward the geulah in an open and tangible way.

It’s time for us – the Rebbe’s Chassidim and Shluchim – to wake up to this reality and start working too. There are no more excuses. We can – and must – bring the Rebbe to our friends, families, associates, communities, social media… and the world at large.

It’s time to complete the mission the Rebbe gave us – and bring Moshiach now.