Mashiach
By Hillel ben David (Greg Killian)
For the last several
months, my beloved teacher, Hakham Dr. Yoseph ben
Haggai, has been teaching about His Majesty King Yeshua.
In this paper I would like to explore a couple of the concept that he gave
over.
CONCEPTS
The first concept is
that:
Yeshua = Mashiach.
The Greek word “Mashiachos”
(which is translitterated as Mashiach) is used to translate the Hebrew word mashiach:
Matityahu 1:16 And Jacob begat Joseph the
husband of Mary, of whom was born Yeshua, who is called Mashiach.
Matityahu 16:20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was
Yeshua the Mashiach.
Now, most Mashiachians
understand this, never the less, the implications are profound. Mashiach means
that His majesty was annointed as a King, as a Prophet, and as a Priest. Further, we can substitute the word Mashiach
every time we encounter the word “Yeshua”.
The next concept is
that:
Yeshua = Mashiach = Torah.
Yochanan (John) 1:1
alludes to this:
Yochanan (John) 1:1-3 In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and
without him was not any thing made that was made.
We understand that
when someone is talking about the “Word of HaShem” that they are referring to
the Torah. In this pasuk, Yochanan is clearly calling Yeshua The Word of
HaShem, the Torah.
We see this same
concept in:
Mishlei (Proverbs 3:13-19)
Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth
understanding. For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of
silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. She [is] more precious than
rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her left hand riches and
honour. Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace. She
[is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one]
that retaineth her. HaShem by wisdom hath founded the
earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
We know from the
siddur that Wisdom is synonymous with Torah. We read in the siddur a paraphrase
of Mishlei 3:
Torah is a tree of
life to those who take hold of her …
We also know that
“The Word” is synonymous with Torah. Therefore we can understand that anytime
we see Torah we can substitute Yeshua or Mashiach.
This helps us to
understand why Orthodox Jews build their entire
lives around Torah:
Torah = Mashiach = Yeshua.
This also helps us
to understand why many Mashiachians are focused on Mashiach while Orthodox Jews have the same ferver towards Torah.
The next concept I
would like to explore is:
Yeshua = Mashiach = Torah = The
One of Mashiach's major accomplishments is the restoration
of the Beit HaMikdash (The Temple) in
Yehezekel
(Ezekiel) 37:26-28 "I shall
give My Sanctuary in their midst forever. My
dwelling-place shall be over them .. The nations shall know that I am G-d who
sanctifies Israel, when My Sanctuary shall be in the
midst of them forever."
Restoring the Beit HaMikdash, in effect establishes Mashiach
as "definitely Mashiach”, according to the Rambam in Hilchot Melachim
11:4. Since we know that it is not just a physical
building that is being talked about, but rather Mashiach Himself, then we can
understand how the Beit HaMikdash = Yeshua.
His Majesty King
Yeshua explicitly stated this relationship in:
Yochanan (John) 2:19-21 Yeshua
answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear
it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his
body.
Since we know that
Yochanan is written at the sod level, we know that not
only was Yeshua explicitly referring to His body, but he was also telling us
that He is the
Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple therein:
for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Here again, we have
Yeshua, also called the Lamb, directly equated with the
The pious Nazarean, if possible, would wake up at midnight to recite Tikkun Chazoth (Prayers, pleadings, and lamentations that are said in sadness for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash and Yerushalayim), as it is proper and correct for all that fear HaShem, that they preoccupy themselves and suffer for the destruction of the Holy House. With this in mind, lets look at a familiar passage:
Marqos (Mark) 14:30 And
Yeshua saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, [even] in this
night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice.
The Midrash tells us that the cock crows at midnight to
inform us that it is an auspicious time for prayer:
Midrash
Rabbah - Genesis XXXVI:1 In
Arabia a child is called ’awila. And their children dance (ib.)-like demons, as
you read, And satyrs shall dance there
(Isa. XIII, 21). When one of them gave birth by day she would say to her
son, ' Go and bring me a flint to cut your navel cord.’ If at night, she would
say to her son, ' Go and light a lamp to cut [burn] through your navel cord.’
It once happened that a woman who gave birth at night said to her son, ' Go and
light me a candle to cut through your navel cord.’ He went out, and the demon
Shimadon [lit. ‘Destruction’] met him and said to him, ' Go and inform your
mother that the cock has crowed, but if the cock had not crowed yet, I would
have smitten and killed you.’ ‘Go and inform your mother that my mother had not
yet cut my navel cord,’ he retorted, ‘but had my mother cut my navel cord, I
would have smitten and killed you.’
Here, His Majesty
King Yeshua, the
The next concept
that can be drawn from this is:
Yeshua = Mashiach = Torah =
This fantastic
concept is stated in:
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Mashiach is the head of the church:
and he is the saviour of the body.
We know that the
“Church” is another way of saying
II Luqas (Acts) 7:37-38
This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye
hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which
spake to him in the mount Sinai, and [with] our fathers:
who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Now, we know that the group of people at the foot of Sinai, in the days
of Moses, was called “
Shemot
(Exodus) 19:1-2 In the third month, when the children of
Romans
12:5 So we, [being] many,
are one body in Mashiach, and every one members one of another.
IMPLICATIONS
Mashiach and “the world”
We read in Yochanan an amazing statement:
Yochanan
(John) 3:16-17 For God so
loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved.
Now if one were to read this pasuk through the eye of an American in
the twenty-first century, one would consider that The Son died for everyone.
However, if one were to read this pasuk through the eyes of Torah, one
would come to a much different conclusion. The Torah says explicitly, and
repeatedly, that Israel and the Gentiles, the world, are to be separate and distinct:
Shemot
(Exodus) 19:5-6 Now therefore, if
ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,
then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the
earth [is] mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests,
and an holy (or separate) nation. These [are] the words which thou shalt speak
unto the children of
Shemot
(Exodus) 33:16 For wherein shall
it be known here that I and thy people have found grace
in thy sight? [is it] not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated,
I and thy people, from all the people that
[are] upon the face of the earth.
Vayikra
(Leviticus) 20:24 But I have said
unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will
give it unto you to possess it, a land that flowed with milk and honey: I [am] HaShem your G-d, which have separated you from [other] people.
Bamidbar
(Numbers) 23:9 For from the top
of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall
dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the Goyim
(Gentiles).
Devarim
(Deuteronomy) 33:28 Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain
of Jacob [shall be] upon a land of corn and wine; also
his heavens shall drop down dew.
Melachim
(1 Kings 8:53) For thou didst
separate them from among all the people of the earth, [to be] thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moshe thy
servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord HaShem.
"Moshe is the first redeemer and the last redeemer," states the Midrash. As noted in the Zohar, the numerical value of the Hebrew letters comprising "Moshe" is the same as that of "Shiloh" (the term in Genesis 49:10 denoting Mashiach): the soul of Mashiach is the "soul-of-the-soul" of Moshe, so that in effect Moshe will be the final redeemer.[1]
Yochanan (John) 15:19
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not
of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world
hateth you.
Yochanan (John) 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
So, whenever we see “world” or “nation”, we should see the Goyim, the Gentiles:
Bereshit
(Genesis) 10:5 By these were the
isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after
their families, in their nations.
In the above verse, both the word “Gentile” and the word “nation” come from the Hebrew word “Goyim”.
Now, consider the following verses:
1
Yochanan (John) 2:1-2 My little
children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin
not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yeshua Mashiach the righteous: And he is the kippurim, [the atonement,]
for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins
of] the all the Goyim.
Matityahu
(Matthew) 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the
Goyim for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the time
of the end come.
Matityahu
(Matthew) 28:19-20 Go ye
therefore, and Talmudise all the Goyim, immersing them into the authority of the Father [obeying the Torah], and of
the Son,[accepting the yoke of the kingdom] and of the Shechinah: Teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you
always, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
We will need to unpack this next verse because this verse contains the essence of zechut avot, the merit of our ancestors:
Yochanan
(John) 3:16 For G-d so loved the
Goyim, that he gave his only begotten Son [Mashiach (Psalm 2:7) /
I have added some information within the brackets that needs to be unpacked a bit. First, lets look at:
Tehillim
(Psalm) 2:7 I will declare the
decree: HaShem hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten
thee.
In this verse, HaShem is declaring that He has a Son. This Son is Yeshua HaMashiach.
Now lets look at another “Son”:
Shemot
(Exodus) 4:22 And thou shalt say
unto Pharaoh, Thus saith HaShem,
In this verse,
Yochanan
(John) 3:16 For G-d so loved the
Goyim, that he gave his only begotten Son [Mashiach], that whosoever believeth
in Him (in G-d) should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
This tells us that the Goyim will gain everlasting life because of Mashiach. But since this verse allows us to use both “Sons”, we need to look at this perspective:
Yochanan
(John) 3:16 For G-d so loved the
Goyim, that he gave his only begotten Son [
Now, hopefully, we can see that there is more to this verse than meets the eye. This verse clearly indicates that the Jews are the key, along with Mashiach, to the everlasting life of the Goyim.
Lets examine one more verse in the Nazarean Codicil:
Yochanan
(John) 4:40-42 So when the
Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them:
and he abode there two days. And many more believed
because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because
of thy saying: for we have heard [him] ourselves, and know that this is indeed
the Mashiach, the Saviour of the Goyim.
* * *
In the parasha commentary for Nisan 21, 5761, His Eminence Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai made the
following comments:
In the Midrash on Psalm 107 we read:
“R.
Huna the Priest bar Abin said that at the end of
forty years Mosheh admonished Yisrael: “Know therefore this day, that HaShem
your G-d is He that goes over before you … Not for your righteousness, or for
the uprightness of your heart, do you go in to possess their land, etc.
(Deut. 9:3,5); in saying “Not for your righteousness or for the uprightness
of your heart, dos you go in to possess their land; nor for the wickedness of these nations, Mosheh meant that not
for these three reasons did G-d permit Israel to
possess the land. The holy One, blessed be He, said further: Nor have I done
this for the sake of Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For whose sake then? For My great name’s sake.
David said: Seeing what G-d does for His great name’s sake, O give thanks
unto HaShem, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.
Now the next paragraph in the Midrash on this Psalm states:
R.
Berechiah said in the name of R. Chelbo who taught in the name of R. Samuel:
Who are meant by the redeemed in Let
the redeemed of HaShem say (Psalm 107:2)? The people of
Now this statement needs
some digestion and concordance. Some may ask, what about the Goyim, have they
not been redeemed by Mashiach ben Yosef? And what
about those verses in the Nazarean Codicil which state that Jews and Gentiles
were “being redeemed through the precious life (blood) of Mashiach? How do we
reconcile these apparent contradictory statements?
Perhaps, to better
understand these two apparent contradictory statements
we need to look into Sefer Ruth which is our reading
for the next festival of Shabuot, as well as the
angel whom G-d set before the Israelites to guide them through the Midbar
(wilderness).
In Midrash
Rabba (Vol. 3, pp. 412-413) we read:
“BEHOLD, I SEND AN ANGEL. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to
Moses: 'He who guarded the patriarchs will also guard the children'; for so you
find in the case of Abraham that when he blessed his son Isaac,
he said: The L-rd, the G-d of heaven ... He will send
His angel before thee (Gen. xxiv, 7). And what did Jacob
say to his children? 'The angel who hath redeemed
me from all evil, etc. (ibid. xlviii, 16). He hath redeemed me from the hand of
Esau, from Laban, and he it was who fed and sustained
me during the years of famine' (referring all this to
an angel – one sent by G-d for that particular purpose). G-d said to Moses:
'Now also, He who guarded the fathers will protect
the children,' as it says, BEHOLD, I SEND AN ANGEL. Wherever the angel
appeared, the Shechinah appeared, as it says, And the angel of the L-rd
appeared unto him in aflame of fire. (Ex. iii, 2), and
immediately after, it says, G-d called unto him (ibid., 4). Moreover, salvation cometh to Israel wherever they cry unto Him
(whenever Israel cries unto G-d and the angel appears, he is a herald of
salvation); at the thorn-bush – Behold, the cry of the children of Israel is
come unto Me (ibid. 9); in the case of Gideon – And the angel of the L-rd came
... and the angel of the L-rd appeared … and the L-rd … said: Go in this thy
might, and save Israel (Judg. vi, 11-14). In the millennium, likewise, when he
(the angel; he will be the herald announcing the coming of the L-rd and of true
salvation) will reveal himself, salvation will come to Israel, as it says,
Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall clear the way before Me (Mal. iii,
i).”
The same Midrash (ibid.
pp. 408-9) states:
“The Holy One, blessed be He, told Israel: 'Take
heed of the messenger, for he cannot retract aught of My mission; BE NOT
REBELLIOUS AGAINST HIM (ibid.), for he represents strict justice (the
messenger, unlike the sender, cannot make allowances, but must faithfully
fulfil his errand, therefore if he is sent to punish he cannot forgive).
Heretofore one could say, Ye have been rebellious against the L-rd (Deut. ix,
24), yet I could accept [penitence] from you, but now BE NOT REBELLIOUS AGAINST
HIM, FOR HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR TRANSGRESSION.' Another interpretation of BE
NOT REBELLIOUS (TAMMER) AGAINST HIM. Do not exchange (temirani) Me for him, nor
treat Me as his substitute (by ranking him as His substitute). Do not say:
'Since he is our guardian angel, we will worship him and he will forgive our sins,' FOR HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS. He is
not like Me, of whom it is written, That pardoneth the iniquity, and passeth by
the transgression, etc. (Micah vii, 18), FOR HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR
TRANSGRESSIONS. Moreover, you will be the cause of My Name being removed from
within him, for it says, FOR MY NAME IS IN HIM (xxiii, 2I) [for his greatness
and glory lie in the fact that he is My Messenger, but if you worship him, you
desecrate My Name and thereby deprive him of his true glory]. Another
interpretation of FOR MY NAME IS IN HIM. The angels are
sustained only by the splendour of the Shechinah (that is, their only source of
existence), as it says, And Thou preservest them all, and the host of heaven worshipped Thee (Neh. ix, 6). Why is this
expression used? Because, said R. Haggai, 'Thou art their means of sustenance.'
Moreover, he will ever be held guilty on their account (for not only is the
worshipper punished, but even the thing worshipped is held guilty – Sanh. 93a).
BUT IF THOU SHALT INDEED HEARKEN UNTO HIS VOICE, AND DO ALL THAT I SPEAK
(xxiii, 22). It does not say 'that he speaks', but THAT I SPEAK, implying that
if you receive his words it will be like listening to Me. If you will do this,
THEN I WILL BE AN ENEMY UNTO THINE ENEMIES (ibid.). Hence, BEHOLD, I SEND AN
ANGEL.”
The answer therefore, to
our apparent contradiction is to be found in the statement of the Midrash: “FOR MY NAME IS IN HIM
(xxiii, 2I) [for his greatness and glory lie in the fact that he is My
Messenger, but if you worship him, you desecrate My Name and thereby deprive
him of his true glory].” Thus, then whilst Mashiach, the angel of HaShem can in fact effect redemption
as we read above – “The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
etc.” (Gen. xlviii, 16), the glory
and honour of that redemptive act belongs to HaShem, Most Blessed be He – “for his (the angel of HaShem’s) greatness and
glory lie in the fact that he is My Messenger, but if you worship him, you
desecrate My Name and thereby deprive him of his true glory.”
Therefore the statement
made in the Midrash Tehillim: “This Isaiah made explicit in saying And the
ransomed of HaShem will return and come with singing unto Tsiyon (Isa.
35:10). He did not say “the ransomed of Eliyahu,” nor “the ransomed of King
Mashiach,” but the ransomed of Ha.Shem. Even so, the Psalm speaks of The
redeemed of HaShem.” is not at odds with the teachings of Hakham Shaul in
the Nazarean Codicil.
Another interesting explanation is to be found in the figures of the two potential redeemers in the Book of Ruth. On the one hand we have “Ploni Almoni (Ploni = hidden, Almoni = nameless) which is another name for Tov the brother of Elimelech [To be noted here is the fact concerning Mashiach ben Yosef, that nowhere in the Written Law, the Writings or the Prophets do we have such a concept as Mashiach ben Yosef, one which remains “hidden” yet “revealed” in the realm of the “hidden” Oral Torah.]. He was the nearest kin and potential redeemer of Ruth. He was the first (nearest) of the two (2) Kinsman-Redeemers. He represents Mashiach ben Yosef in the story. And on the other hand we have Boaz ben Salmon the second in line of the two possible redeemers. Boaz represents Messiah ben David who in the final account is the actual redeemer.
Mashiach ben Yosef brings the Gentiles near to
This knowledge, of course, leads us back inevitably to the wisdom that comes from HaShem, and one which the Psalmist states: “Whosever is wise let him note these things, and they will comprehend the kindness of HaShem.” A wise person realises therefore, that there is no redemption outside the commonwealth of Yisrael, or K’lal Yisrael (the community of Yisrael) for as the Prophet Yeshayahu notes: “And the ransomed of HaShem will return and come with singing unto Tsiyon” (Isa. 35:10).
Thus, Pesach is not only a festival by which we celebrate freedom from Egypt in its literal sense, but also for countless of Jews by choice, Pesach symbolises their redemption and joining with K’lal Yisrael as members of His people. It is therefore, as Hakham Shaul puts it the season of the grafting of the wild olive branches into the good and wholesome Jewish olive tree. On this festival season of our freedom let us come with joy and singing before HaShem in gratitude and with every fibre of our being let us say: “ Hodu LaAdonai Ki Tov, Ki L’Olam Chasdo – O give thanks unto HaShem for He is beneficent, for His merciful kindness endures forever.”
* * *
Our Sages (Megillah 15b) tell us that when Queen Esther was to confront King Achashverosh, she cried,
"My God, my God, why have You abandoned me?" To this day, the
designated Psalm of Purim (according to the Vilna
Gaon) is the one in which this outcry appears; and, as our Sages explain, the
Psalm refers to the darkest hour of the night. Thus, while Shavuot marks the cognizance of HaShem
through revelation, Purim celebrates the cognizance of
HaShem that follows a desperate search in the darkness. Now compare that to:
Matityahu
(Matthew) 27:46 And about
the ninth hour Yeshua cried with a loud voice,
saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast
thou forsaken me?
Marqos
(Mark) 15:34 And at the
ninth hour Yeshua cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama
sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?
* * *
The Laws Concerning Mashiach
Chapters 11 & 12 of Hilchot Melachim from the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam
Published by: Sichos In English
PUBLISHER'S FOREWORD
Since the time of the Rambam (1135-1204), it has been impossible to discuss the subject of Mashiach and the Era of the Redemption without direct reference to the last two chapters of his monumental halachic code, the Mishneh Torah. For example, it is these two chapters that form the basis of the whole of the next publication of Sichos In English - I Await His Coming Every Day: Studies by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson (shlita) on the Rambam's Conception of Mashiach and the Ultimate Redemption.
These chapters conclude the final section (Hilchos Melachim - "The Laws Concerning Kings") of the final book (Sefer Shoftim - "The Book of Judges") of the Mishneh Torah, and are sometimes referred to separately as Hilchot Melech HaMashiach - "The Laws Concerning King Mashiach."
The translation of this classic text which Sichos In English presents herewith is not only new, but - unlike almost all of the extant printed editions, even in the Hebrew original - unexpurgated. All the passages suppressed by various medieval Christian censors have been translated in full. They appear here in the footnotes that are keyed to the exact positions from which they were deleted.
It is hoped that this publication will give more and more readers access to one of the major primary sources on the subject of the coming of Mashiach.
- 24 Sivan, 5751 [June 6, 1991]
CHAPTER ELEVEN
1. In future time, the King Mashiach[2]
will arise and renew the Davidic dynasty, restoring it to its initial
sovereignty. He will rebuild the Beit HaMikdash and gather in the dispersed remnant of
Whoever does not believe in him, or does not await his coming, denies not only [the statements of] the other prophets, but also [those of] the Torah and of Moshe, our teacher, for the Torah attests to his coming, stating: [Devarim 30:3-5]
And the Lord your G-d will bring back your captivity and have compassion upon you. He will return and gather you [from among all the nations].... Even if your dispersed ones are in the furthest reaches of the heavens, [from there will G-d gather you in].... G-d will bring you [to the land]....
These explicit words of the Torah include all that was said [on the subject] by all the prophets.
There is also a reference [to Mashiach] in the passage concerning Bilaam, who prophesies about the two anointed [kings]: the first anointed [king][3], David, who saved Israel from her oppressors, and the final anointed [king] who will arise from among his descendants and save Israel [at the End of Days][4]. The following [quoted] phrases are from that passage: [Bamidbar 24:17-18]
"I see it, but not now" - This refers to David; "I perceive it, but not in the near future" - This refers to King Mashiach.
"A star shall go forth from Yaakov" - This refers to David; "and a staff
shall arise in
"He shall crush all of
"
2. Similarly, in regard to the cities of refuge, it is stated [Devarim 19:8-9], "When G-d will expand your borders... you shall add three more cities." This command has never been fulfilled. [Surely,] G-d did not give this command in vain, [and thus the intent was that it be fulfilled after the coming of Mashiach]. There is no need to cite proof texts on the concept [of the Mashiach] from the words of the prophets, for all [their] books are filled with it.
3. One should not entertain the notion that the King Mashiach must work miracles and wonders, bring about new phenomena within the world, resurrect the dead, or perform other similar deeds. This is [definitely] not true.
[A proof can be brought from the fact that] that Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest Sages of the Mishna, was one of the supporters of King Ben Koziva, and would describe him as the King Mashiach. He and all the Sages of his generation considered him to be the King Mashiach until he was killed because of [his] sins. Once he was killed, they realized that he was not [the Mashiach]. The Sages did not ask him for any signs or wonders.
[Rather,] this is the main thrust of the matter: This Torah, with its statutes and laws, is everlasting. We may neither add to them nor detract from them.[5]
4. If a king will arise from the House of David who delves deeply into the study of the Torah and, like David his ancestor, observes its mitzvot as prescribed by the Written Law and the Oral Law; if he will compel all of Israel to walk in [the way of the Torah] and repair the breaches [in its observance]; and if he will fight the wars of G-d; - we may, with assurance, consider him Mashiach.
If he succeeds in the above, builds the Beit
HaMikdash on its site, and gathers in the dispersed remnant of
He will then perfect the entire world, [motivating all the nations] to serve G-d together, as it is written [Zephaniah, 3:9], "I will make the peoples pure of speech so that they will all call upon the Name of G-d and serve Him with one purpose."
CHAPTER TWELVE
1. One should not entertain the notion that in the Era of Mashiach any element of the natural order will be nullified, or that there will be any innovation in the work of creation. Rather, the world will continue according to its pattern.
Although Yeshayahu [Yeshayahu 11:6]
states, "The wolf will dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the young goat," these [words] are an
allegory and a riddle. They mean that
Similarly, other prophecies of this nature concerning Mashiach are analogies. In the Era of the King Mashiach, everyone will realize what was implied by these metaphors and allusions.
2. Our Sages taught: [Berachot 34b] "There will be no difference between the current age and the Era of Mashiach except [our emancipation from] subjugation to the [gentile] kingdoms."
The simple meaning of the words of the prophets appears to
imply that the war of Gog and Magog [Yechezkal ch. 38]
will take place at the beginning of the Messianic age. Before the war of Gog
and Magog, a prophet will arise to rectify
He will not come [in order] to declare the pure, impure, nor to declare the impure, pure; nor [will he come in order] to disqualify the lineage of those presumed to be of flawless descent, nor to validate lineage which is presumed to be blemished. Rather, [he will come in order] to establish peace in the world; as [the above prophecy] continues [Malachi 3:24], "He will bring back the hearts of the fathers to the children."
Some of the Sages say that Eliyahu will appear [immediately] before the coming of Mashiach.
All these and similar matters cannot be [clearly] known by man until they occur, for they are undefined in the words of the prophets. Even the Sages have no established tradition regarding these matters, beyond what is implied by the verses; hence there is a divergence of opinion among them.
In any case, neither the sequence of these events nor their precise details are among the fundamental principles of the faith. One should not occupy himself at length with the aggadot and midrashim that deal with these and similar matters, nor should he deem them of prime importance, for they bring one to neither the awe nor the love [of G-d].
Similarly, one should not try to calculate the appointed time [for the coming of Mashiach]. Our Sages declared: [Sanhedrin 97b] "May the spirits of those who attempt to calculate the final time [of Mashiach's coming] expire!" Rather, one should await [his coming] and believe in the general conception of the matter, as we have explained.
3. During the Era of the King Mashiach,
once his kingdom has been established and all of
He will purify the lineage of the Levites first, stating that "This one is a priest of defined lineage" and "This one is a Levite of defined lineage." Those whose lineage he does not recognize will be relegated to the status of Israelites. This is implied by the following verse: [Ezra 2:63] "The governor said to them, '[They shall not eat of the most holy things] until a priest arises [who will wear] the Urim and Tumim.'" From this verse one can infer that the genealogy of those presumed to be of unquestioned [priestly and levitical] lineage will be traced by means of the prophetic spirit, and those found to be of such lineage will be made known.
He will define the lineage of the Israelites according to their tribe alone; i.e., he will make known each person's tribal origin, stating that "This one is from this tribe" and "This one is from another tribe." However, concerning a person who is presumed to be of unblemished lineage, he will not state that "He is illegitimate," or "He is of slave lineage," for the law rules that once a family has become intermingled [within the entire Jewish people], they may remain intermingled.
4. The Sages and prophets did not yearn for the Messianic Era in order that [the Jewish people] rule over the entire world, nor in order that they have dominion over the gentiles, nor that they be exalted by them, nor in order that they eat, drink and celebrate. Rather, their aspiration was that [the Jewish people] be free Ito involve themselves] in Torah and its wisdom, without anyone to oppress or disturb them, and thus be found worthy of life in the World to Come, as we explained in Hilchot Teshuvah.
5. In that Era there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor competition, for good things will flow in abundance and all the delights will be as freely available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d. The Jews will therefore be great sages and know the hidden matters, and will attain an understanding of their Creator to the [full] extent of human potential; as it is written [Yeshayahu 11:9], "For the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the ocean bed."
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Messiah ben Yoseph
Midrash Rabbah -
Genesis XCV AND HE SENT
Iron sharpeneth iron, etc. (Prov. XXVII, 17). This alludes to Judah and Joseph. And a man was together with the face of his Friend (ib.) implies that the Shechinah attached itself peculiarly to him: hence, AND HE SENT JUDAH BEFORE HIM, etc.[10]
What precedes this passage? All the souls belonging to Jacob that came into Egypt etc. (Gen. XLVI, 26). And
then you read, AND HE SENT
BEFORE HIM: to him [Joseph] who will receive the kingdom
before him [Judah].[13]
Now when an ox attacks, a lion can come and rescue; but if a lion attacks, an
ox cannot come and rescue. Thus of Judah and Joseph, let Joseph receive [power
first], because his is temporary; and then Judah, because his is for ever.[14]
If a wolf attacks, a lion can come and rescue; but if a lion attacks, a wolf cannot
come and rescue. Hence of Judah and Benjamin, let
Benjamin receive [power first], for his is temporary,[15]
and then
TO SHOW THE WAY BEFORE HIM. R. Hanina the son of R. Aha and
R. Hama the son of R. Hanina discussed this. One maintained: [He sent him on
ahead] to prepare a habitation for him; while the other said: In order to
prepare a meeting place [for scholars], [this being the meaning of], TO SHOW
[lit. ‘INSTRUCT’] THE WAY BEFORE HIM. UNTO
Midrash
Rabbah - Numbers XIV:1 1. ON THE SEVENTH DAY ELISHAMA THE SON OF
AMMIHUD, PRINCE OF THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM (VII, 48). This bears on the text,
Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the defence of my head;