We Want Moshiach Now

The tune is from an old Chabad Simchas Torah niggun. The words were first set to this tune in 5740 by Reb Dovid Kantor in Gan Yisroel Morristown.

The song was originally their color war song: “Campers, campers have no fear, there will be color war this year. We want color war, we don’t want to wait!”

He switched the words to: “Campers, campers have no fear, Moshiach will be here this year. We want Moshiach now, we don’t want to wait!”

The song became very popular and soon the word “campers” was replaced with “Am Yisroel”.

A few short months later, Tzivos Hashem was founded, and at the first Tzivos Hashem rally on 28 Tishrei 5741, the children introduced this song to the Rebbe. The Rebbe strongly encouraged this song and it became the unofficial anthem of Hashem’s army. Childrens’ simple, pure request for Moshiach is so powerful!

The lyrics of this niggun are pretty unusual; they are in English! It is in the language of the land rather than the usual Hebrew or Yiddish. This is so that even the Goyim around us should hear and know about our longing for Moshiach. Also, instead of waiting until all of us learn Hebrew or Yiddish, we express our desire for Moshiach immediately, in the language we already feel comfortable in.

“Want” means that we need it desperately and that we are lacking something without it. And we don’t just think about this yearning, we talk about it. What’s more, we sing about it with passion! The joy and energy in our song is what brings the Geulah.

“Now” in Hebrew is spelled “נאו”, which shares the gematria of ״א-ל״ + ״י-ה-ו-ה״ (57). Those two names represent Hashem’s unbounded kindness being drawn into world. That is the state the world will be when Moshiach comes. Singing and imploring while yet in Golus rouses Hashem to make it happen immediately!