So far, this year, Passover has certainly been different than all other years. While on all other years, the Seder is boisterously celebrated amid family and friends, this year, it was celebrated in private, each family in their own home. Thanks to the efforts of countless online classes given by Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries and others around the world, as well as the robust suite of resources on web sites like Chabad.org, ranging from DIY video tutorials to printable checklists, the Seder tradition was still kept very much alive.

As we approach the closing days of the holiday in a world reeling from the coronavirus, there is yet another tradition that many Jewish people all over the world will celebrate for the first time in isolation and quarantine: “Moshiach’s Meal.”

Held during the final hours of the holiday, this rich and multifaceted custom was vigorously encouraged by the Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—who would personally expound each year at great length about the messianic spark inside each person and how tapping into one’s unlimited potential to do but one more act of goodness holds the potential of global transformation.

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Every year, an increasing number of Moshiach meals have been hosted all over the world with people of all backgrounds gathering together in synagogue or in the home of a rabbi, community leader or friend as they revel in the messianic spirit of the day. In recent years, women would also gather for a festive communal celebration of Moshiach’s Meal. Like the Seder that kicks off the holiday, this festive meal also features four cups of wine, the eating of matzah and a whole lot of singing, shared words of inspiration and collective hope for the final redemption.

With people around the world staying at home at this year, efforts have been ramping up to bring this tradition to Jews in the comfort of their own homes. To this end, Chabad.org has created a printable (before the holiday begins) guide to making a Moshiach’s Meal with customs and insights.

Singular Efforts Around the Globe

In this spirit, multiple Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries have taken the initiative to ensure that their communities not miss out on this tradition simply because of the pandemic. Rabbi Yisroel Goldberg and his wife, Shoshana, direct the Chabad center in the neighborhood of Rechavia, Jerusalem. On an average Passover, their Moshiach’s Meal is a lively event, attracting Jews of every background who live in the city. This year, the rabbi turned to Facebook Live before the start of the holiday as a means of explaining in both Hebrew and English the customs associated with the meal. More importantly, he provided food for thought to digest (along with the matzah and wine) for this day about the imminence and importance of Moshiach’s arrival.

After signing off, Goldberg’s phone buzzed with a message from Moshe: “Hi Rabbi, thank you for your wonderful talk tonight. I’m ready. I want to learn all about Moshiach!”

Rabbi Mendel Kaplan, executive director of Chabad Flamingo in Thornhill, Ontario, regularly teaches live on Facebook to thousands worldwide. (And more than 1,000 talks on Chabad.org/Video.) He, too, has joined the effort to bring the Moshiach Meal to the masses, and as he talked from behind a mound of books, he explained that he is preparing an hour-long lecture to dive deep into the tradition and equip people with the necessary information and inspiration to ignite the fervor of the Messianic spirit right in their own dining rooms.

And in a delightful conversation on Chabad.org’s Facebook page that is drawing thousands of viewers, Chabad.org senior editor Rabbi Tzvi Freeman and Jay Gutovitch explained the deeper meanings of the final day of Passover and Moshiach’s Meal.

“Ultimately, the more you know, the more you can feel,” emphasized Kaplan.

And as the hours of the holiday rapidly approach, the staff at Chabad.org, along with numerous instructors worldwide, are doing just that—rolling out content in a readily available and relatable way so that everyone can celebrate and be inspired by this tradition.

The Moshiach’s Meal is held on the afternoon of Thursday, April 16, after Minchah services. See here for more details on how to conduct a Moshiach Meal at home.