The Smell of Mashiach

It is told that in his later years, when Rav Menachem Mendel lived in Tzfas, he heard a commotion in the street one day and sent his attendant to find out what it was. The attendant returned with the news that Mashiach had arrived. Rav Menachem Mendel opened the window and breathed in. Then he shook his head and went back to what he had been doing.

The question is asked: what does Mashiach smell like, and if Rav Menachem Mendel knew the answer, why did he need to open the window? The explanation given is that he had reached a level of awareness close to the Godliness that Mashiach will reveal. He knew the scent of Mashiach because his own room was already in a messianic state. He opened the window because the world outside was not.