During the holiday of Simchat Torah in 5745 (1984), the Rebbe strongly opposed the publication of a book by one of the Chassidim, which claimed that the Rebbe was Moshiach.
Exactly one year later, on the night of Simchat Torah in 5746 (1985), the Rebbe said, “The leader of the generation is Moshiach. This should be understood in the plain sense of the word: Moshiach is the anointed one of G-d, as he was chosen by the Almighty to be the leader of the Jews. And similarly, I will not object if this is understood literally — our righteous Moshiach.”
What had happened? Why was such a change possible?
At this time, the Rebbe began to speak for the first time about every Jew being his emissary. As for the Chassidim who heard the Rebbe’s address, this is quite understandable. But what about the rest of the Jews?
It turns out that the connection between the Rebbe and the Jews can exist on different levels. The deepest connection relates to the essence of the soul itself and is called the “spark of Moshiach” in every Jew. Thus, the Rebbe’s designation of every Jew as his emissary implies the dissemination of information by the Chassidim that the Rebbe is Moshiach. Only in this way does every Jew have the opportunity to connect with the Rebbe on the innermost level of their soul and act as his emissary.