The Halachic Vs. the Mystic

Messiah

Rabbi Z Aviner

Welcome to our class.

In the following classes we will learn about the Messiah.

As you see from the headline of the course, the Messianic vision has two versions –

The Rabbinic Version based on the Torah, the prophets and encored in the Halacha,

and the Mystic version based on Kabala and mysticism.

The Rabbinic Messiah would come IN OUR TIME at the end of a defined process, as laid out in the daily Amida prayer. It is up to us to start that process with Hashem’s help, and we would recognize the Messiah only at the end. Those are the words of Maimonides.

And even when the Messiah comes, the world will continue its course as it is today, with no change either in nature or in Mankind. The Messiah would redeem Israel from the hands of pagan rulers, and lead humanity to know Hashem and observe the Seven Commandments.

With his leadership, Mankind can win our End of the Days Judgment when it comes.

In contrast, the Mystic Messiah would descend to the world along with “awesome and fearful events” – Malachi – associated with the End of the Days Judgment.

Although his arrival is unpredictable, it can be calculated from the prophets’ text by mystical techniques such as Gematria.

DIGRAM 2

–5—6—————————————-YH/VH–Sabbath

Adam

Rabbinic Messiah

End of Days Judgment

–5—6—————————————-YH/VH–Sabbath

Adam

Mistic Messiah

End of Days Judgment

While the Rabbinic vision has not changed over 2500 years, the Mystic one was once very popular, yet it has fallen out of favor ever since the Vilna Gaon in 1781, due to a long series of false Messiahs induced by the mystical teaching.

The purpose of our classes is to help you, as Noahides, to decipher the ample information about the Messiah that you might get and frame it into one of two categories.

Is this information about the Rabbinic Messiah, which is abiding,

or is it about the Mystic Messiah, which may be fascinating and entertaining, yet un-abiding?

Let us note that both views about the Messiah are within Judaism. We do not entertain here any reference to the Greek Roman idolatrous Messiah, which only borrows the Messianic name but does not concur with the Torah view.

Let’s begin with the Rabbinic, Halachic Messiah. Frist, let’s talk about – Beelaaam Messiah

Slide 2

Beelaam’s Messiah

The first prophet who foresaw the Messiah was Bilaam, in the Book of Numbers. His prophecy, therefore, carries the approval of Moses.

I hear your surprise – Bilaam? Who has heard about him, especially in connection to the Messiah? We’ve heard about Isaiah, Jehezkiel, Jeremia, never about Bilaam!

And yet the Rambam writes:

“The Messiah king will step up

to restore the kingship of David to its past

And his forthcoming was prophesized

in the Torah (by Bilaam)

and also by all the prophets…”

In fact, most gentiles and even most Jews, are completely unaware of Bilaam as a prophet who foresaw David and the Messiah.

The reason for that, I think, is the heavy poetic form of Bilaam’s prophecy, which obscures the content.

In fact, you need the input of the ORAL TORAH to highlight the meaning of Bilaam words. Is it a weakness?

No, since the Oral Torah plays a major role in David life and in the Messiah King. The written Torah prohibits a mix marriage between Moab and Israel. No Moabite should ever be accepted into the Jewish people, so decrees the Written Torah. And yet when Ruth the Moabite sought to marry Boaz, the prince of Judah, the local rabbis told them in the name of the Oral Torah that the prohibition pertains to male only. Ruth then was allowed to marry Boaz and from her came David. If you deny the validity of the Oral Torah you’ve also invalidated the Jewishness of David.

So the very believe in the Messiah is a part of the Oral Torah, which may be called also the Rabbinic view. The written Torah says nothing about the Messiah, and the prophecy of Bilaam is interpreted by the Oral Torah and the Rabbis. If you discredit the Rabbis as an authority, you will have no source for the Messiah in Moses’ Torah.

Now what’s the importance of taking Bilaam as a major source for the Messiah?

First, was we’ve said, Bilaam’s words are approved by Moses. He is the one who put Bilaam in his Torah.

Secondly, we follow the rule of thumb that says that wherever a concept appears first time in the Torah, there you’d find the essence of the concept and its meaning.

For instance, if you want to know about EeLoHiM., go to Genesis Chapter One where EeLoHiM appears the first time. There you see Him as a BUILDER and as a JUDGE, creating nature by Absolute Justice with no Mercy.

If you wish to know what Israel is all about, go to the story of Jacob wrestling with Esau angel. There the name Israel appears as a nation who stands for Justice and Order. It is also connected to holiness, similar to the angelic choir of nations in Heavens.

Thus here too, if you want to understand the Torah view about the Messiah, you need to pay attention to Bilaam and his words. Moses placed them in the Torah for a purpose, for us to understand THE PROCESS OF BRINGING THE MESSIAH KING TO THE WORLD.

So, who was Beelaam?

You remember him from Parshat Balak. He is the one who rode over a speaking she-donkey who saw better than him. So arrogant he was that God wished to humiliate him.

The Midrash depicts him as a money-lover magician, but endowed with great soul. He could have been as great prophet to the nations as Moses was for Israel, but his bad character held him back.

As we will soon see, his prophecy about the Messiah does also pertain to Noahides, meaning to the entire world. He was, indeed, a great messenger to the Nations.

What did Bilaam foresee?

As you recall, Beelaam was hired by the Moabite king Balak to curse Israel in the name of Hahem, as they were about to cross the Jordan river into the Holy Load.

Slide 3

3 accusations

Calling Bilaam for help, King Balak raised three argumentsagainst Israel entrance to the Holy Land.

First, these people out there are not what they claim to be, the descendants of the patriarchs. What they are, In fact, runaway Egyptian slaves, whose mothers had been molested by their Egyptian owners. They cannot claim the Holy Land in the name of the Patriarchs.

Secondly, these people have no faith in God, as they claim. Had they not worshipped the Golden Calf?

Thirdly, these people are but a huge mob of wild oxen. They have no structure, no tradition of government and no civil order. They can’t be counted among the civilized nations.

And since they are nameless, faithless and uncivilized people, King Balak argued the ears of the prophet, please come over and curse them for me, for I know that whoever you bless would be blessed, and whoever you curse would be cursed.

The prophet Beelaam agreed to come and curse Israel, for a house full of gold and silver.

Yet he was forced by Hashem to speak out only words that Hashem would place in his mouth, like the She-donkey, yet in his heart he may curse them. His lips would say one thing while his heart would say the opposite.

A strange situation – praising Israel by his lips, yet seeking in his heart to destroy them.

King Balak then took the prophets to three mountain heights, from each he could observe Israel and scrutinize them along the three Balak’s arguments – their roots, faith and society.

From the lowest level of the mountain, Billaam examined Israel’s origin. Are they what they claim- true descendants of the patriarchs?

His answer to the king was: Yes, unfortunately they are the true descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are Israel. Why – Because, he said, they keep well the purity of the family life, even in exile, even in Egypt

From the second, higher plateux of the mountain, Bilaam examined Israel’s faith. Yes, he told the angry king, their faith in Hashem is solid and unbreakable. They believe in Oneness, and they do not mix Man with God. (Numbers 23: 18)

Then, from the highest, third level of the Mountain, Bilaam examined Israel’s entire camp. Yes, he told the King, who was becoming angrier by the moment, Israel camp is a very organized, their tents are modest and private, and they have tents of learning Torah and prayers.

So far, he could not curse Israel. To do that, he would need to know why they are here.

So Bilaam looked harder. As he would later say, he was endowed at that moment with the talent to see the future in pictures, which we call Hoze, Seer. He mentioned it twice, referring to two such clear pictures – of David, and of David’s son, the Messiah. (Numbers ).

Seeing the future in picture means that the prophecy would certainly be fulfilled. So he sees the steps that would bring David and the Messiah to the world.

What are those steps?

The three components that he had just seen in Israel – their roots, faith and society – form a Tree to be planted in the Holy Land.

Slide 4 (israel tree)

To bring David and the Messiah,

The Tree of Israel would have to be planted in the ground of the Holy Land and develop strong roots, as described in Joshua time.

Then the Tree would have to develop a strung trunk, of solid faith in G-d, and Torah Courts and Judges, as told in the Book of Judges

And the third and final stage the Tree of Israel would have to develop a flourishing canopy, of a righteous society ready for the next step.

That next step is the appearance of David, his conquering Jerusalem, then establishing his kingship over the twelve tribes, as described in the Book of Samuel and the Book of King. Then King Solomon, David’s son, would build the Temple in Jerusalem, where the Shechinah would Dwell.

Then, after David, his descendant the Messiah King would come. Bilaam calls him the Star of Jacob.

Why then would the world need a Messiah, if the Kingship of David is already established?

Bilaam had the answer –

David would come to rule Israel and save Israel from its enemies,

The Messiah King would come to affect Mankind, all the Children of Sheth, where Sheth is Adam’s son who was born in the Image and form of Adam. If Adam was made in the form and image of G-d, then Sheth was also in the Image and form of God.

The Messiah, says Bilaam, would lead Mankind to know Hashem, the Torah, and to observe the Seven Commandments of Noah.

Again, a central point –

David would rule and save Israel from its enemies,

His descendant, the Messiah King, would save Mankind from Idolatry and lead humanity towards the End of Days Judgment.

He saw the whole process

Slide 4a

Bible books

KINGS (David)

SAMUEL (Jerusalem) Canopy, Society

JUDGES. Trunk, Faith

JOSHUA Roots, Patriarchs

As it turns out, the role of the Oral Torah in the coming of David was crucial.

Because his grandmother Ruth the Moabite would have never been accepted into Israel, had not the Oral Law said that the prohibition to marry a Moabite pertains to male Moabites only, not to female.

Maimonides explains Bilaam words about David and the Messiah King.

“The Messiah king will step up

to restore the kingship of David to its past

And his forthcoming was prophesized

in the Torah and by all the prophets…”

He continues –

“Beelaam prophesized about the coming

of (not one but) two Messiahs –

The first one is David, who saved Israel from its enemies; the second is the last Messiah, who would descend from

David’s sons, and (also) save Israel from its enemies.

Maimonides explains the verses:

“In the Torah, Beelaam says:

“I see him and not now”- that is David

“I envision him, and it is not near”- that’s Messiah King.

“A star shall rise from Jacob” – that is David,

“And a scepter from Israel” -that is the Messiah King.

“And he will smite the outskirts of Moab” – that is David,

“he’ll demote all Shet’s sons” – that’s the Messiah King.

“And Edom will be conquered” – that is David,

“And Edom will be possessed” – that is the Messiah King.

“As it says, ‘And saviors will step up on Mount Zion to judge the Mountain of Esau.”

Here Maimonides recognizes Beelaam as

The only prophet in Mose’s Torah, who speaks about the Messiah.
A prophet who sees two Messiahs: first is David, then his descendant, the last Messiah King.

Hence Maimonides calls David a Messiah. Why?

Let’s pause here and ask –

What is the meaning of the term Messiah?

Messiah is, first of all, a technical term indicating that the king was anointed or smeared with the Holy Oil of the Temple.

In Hebrew, “to anoint with” – is Le -m-shoah. And one who is anointed is Maa-shi-aah. Messiah.

Thit oil of the Tempe had been prepared by Moses himself, to anoint the golden vessels in the Tabernacle, the High Priest and Kings of Israel.

Hence there was a Messiah High Priest, and a Messiah King.

That oil would endow the new king – and the high priest- with a touch of holiness, and with the wisdom and the talent to fulfill his task.

But the anointment did not guarantee that the person or the king would remain loyal to Hashem.

Technically, King Saul was the first King to be anointed, yet he messed up and the kingship was removed from him and given to David.

King David had many descendant Messiah Kings, most actually wicked and idol worshippers.

However, the integrity of David House should always come first before we recognize a Messiah King.

Take the prophet Isaiah for instance.

Isiah’s brother was King Hachaz, extremely wicked and idol worshiper as Isaiah described in chapter one. The entire David family was corrupt in his time, apart from few. Isiah own grandson, King Menashe, was so wicked that he killed Isaiah, his won grandfather.

No wonder that Isaiah was looking in pains for a change, for a son to be born to a royal lady who would restore the dignity of David House, and maybe would turn to be the one we are looking for – the Messiah King.

Let’s go back to Bilaam.

As he was observing the entire process of bringing David and David son, he was struck with awe. So much, that he fell on the ground and blessed Hashem as El Shadai, the one who nourishes history like from a breast, shaad.

For as he stood across the Moabite King, Balak, he recognized that Ruth the Moabite, the grandmother of David, actually would descent from Balak himself. And Balak came from Moab, who came from Sodom and Gomorrah, whose culture and faith the opposite of Abraham.

The Torah says about the people of Sodom that they were exceedingly evil, cruel, and rebellious against Hashem,

meaning they performed the opposite of the Seven Commandments on purpose, in open rebellion and with mockery.

But even in evil Sodom there was a tiny spark of holiness in Lot’s daughter who slept with her father

, an abomination, but thinking she was saving Mankind from extinction.

That tiny spark turned into a flame in King Balak, who offered oxen and prayers to Hashem, against Israel,

then it would grow to larger flame in Balak’s grandson King Eglon as told in the Book of Judges.

then into a huge flame of faith and compassion in Eglon’s granddaughter Ruth the Moabite

who joined Israel and brought David to the world.

David’s son, the Messiah King, would turned to all Nations and teach them TO DO THE OPPOSITE OF SODOM-

to join Abraham’s seeds and accept Hashem Kingship, His Torah, and observe the Seven Commandment.

If Hashem overturned Sodom upside down because they mocked Abraham and the Seven Commandments,

here comes the Messiah King and overturn Mankind heart to Hashem, join Abraham and observe the Seven Commandments,

As the prophet Zephania says –

Slide 6 zephania

For then I will OVERTURN unto the nations with a clear language, to call all of them in the name of Hashem to worship as one Shoulder” (Zephaniah 3: 9)

That verse is quoted by Maimonides to describe the task of the Messiah King.

The prophet Bilaam also laid down the eternal formula to bring the Messiah. It would ahold also after Israel is exiled and return to the Holy Land.

To bring the Messiah, Israel would have to plant itself in the land , like in Joshua time, build the Torah community and Judges s in the Book of Judges, build Jerusalem and retore David House, build the Temple, and then would recognize the Messiah King.

The Maimonides sums it up in the Book of the Halacha that he wrote, which says:

“If a king from David House would stand and

Indulges himself in Torah study,

Performs the commandments like his father,

follows the written and the oral Torah,

and enforces Israel to walk in the way of the Torah,

and fights the wars of Hashem,

he is assumed to be the Messiah.

“But if he has done all that successfully,

and has built the Holy Temple on it cite,

and gathered Israel’s exiles

he is the Messiah for sure.”

Maimonides adds about the role of the Messiah:

“And he would correct the entire world

to worship Hashem together,

as it says It is them that I shall overturn

all nations to a clear faith,

to call together in the name of Hashem (Enosh)

and to serve Him in In Oneness.”

(The laws of kings 11: 4)

LET’S note that you don’t see hin that Rabbinic vision any reference

to “awesome, fearful events”- like major wars of Gog and magog, or any other calamities and massive changes in Nature, associated with the End of the Days’ prophecies.

The Rabbinic view of the Messiah exclude all such references of the End of Days.

. This Rabbinic Messiah would come within our normal days and existence.

Maimonides states that the Messianic days will not differ from our days in any aspect, apart from one – Israel independence from the hands of pagan rulers.

The Talmud too says –

“The days of the Messiah will be no different

than our days, apart from Israel freedom

from the hands of pagan rulers…” (Sanhedrin).

In addition, Maimonides says that the End of Days prophecies are so obscure, and their meaning is so questionable, that no one knows for sure if they are only a metaphor or a new reality of the world.

Moreover, he advises against indulge in mystic calculation of the Messiah arrival, since no two such calculations concur, nor do they stand the scrutiny of the Hebrew meaning of the text they use from the prophets.

My son, he says, don’t waist your time.

Study Torah and observe the Commandments and leave the End of Days prophecies to the end of the days.

He and others say that those mystic calculations

Would encourage false Messiahs

With all the subsequent tragedies, as he himself

witnessed in his own generation.

His own brother perished trying to join

a false Messiah in Babylon.

***

About David, he says –

Slide 7 isaiah

2 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

²And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord‘s house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

³And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

⁴And he shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah Chapter 2)

Here Isaiah sees the Messiah as a spiritual leader of Mankind, leading all nations to know Hashem and pray to Him in Jerusalem. By this he fully concurs with Balaam.

But Isaiah knew well the reality pf his time.

His brother, king Ha-chaz, an anointed Messiah King in technical term, was a wicked idolater as Isaiah himself describes in chapter one. In contrast to Ha-chaz, then, Isaiah foresaw a righteous Messiah king that would rise one day, “at the End of the Days” as he calls it.

In Chapter 9: 5 he says:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given

And the government is upon his shoulders,

And his name is called Pele Yoetz, a wondrous councilor,

Avi-aad, eternal, Sar Shalom, an officer of peace,

To increase the office, and to peace with no end,

On the Throne of David and his Kingdom

To prepare (establish) it ,and support it

In justice and charity, henceforth and forever

The jealousness of Hashem will do that…” (9: 5)

In chapter 10 he says:

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
²The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
³and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,

the calf and the lion and the yearling^[^a^] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
⁷The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
⁹They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,

as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

Micha concurs

Israel in Isaiah time needed peace more than in any previous generation. The land was almost completely destroyed by the invading Assirian armies. In fact, all other nations suffered as well. A new reality was needed where the wolf would not prey on the lamb anymore and people would not learn the art of war anymore.

And in chapter 52, Isaiah repeats his vison, that behold, a young woman is giving birth to the House of David and he – Emanuel – would change Israel and the world.

In Isaiah time the House of David was still standing. What would happen to Israel and the world if the Land, the Temple and David Kingship are destroyed?

Who would bring the Messiah King?

What steps are needed?

According to Beelaam, restoring the Kingship of David should would always come first, followed by the Messiah King.

All the prophets concur-

‘slide 8

Hosea says:

For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. ⁵Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last day

Hosea, living close to Isaiah,

prophesizes about the Second Temple time – the End of Days as he calls them – when there would be no Kingship of David in Israel and not Shechinah

in the Temple. The Children of Israel would pray to Hashem to restore both.

Amos,

who also lived at that time frame, prophesizes about the end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel saying –

“In that day I will restore David’s fallen shelter— I will repair its broken walls and restore its ruins— and will rebuild it as it used to be, (9: 11-12)

Jeremiah says: (23: 5-6)

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for David^[^a^] a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
    and do what is just and right in the land.
⁶In his days Judah will be saved
    and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
     Hashem our Righteous Savior.

When the Temple was still standing and David House still ruling, all that was needed to heal Israel and the world was the birth of a new son of David, who would turn to be the Messiah King.

The prophets living at that time, therefore, focused their hopes and words on him. “Behold, a son is born to us,” says Isaiah.

But after the destruction of the First Temple and the first exile of Israel to Babylon, an entire new planting of Israel’s tree in the Holy Land was in order. That means that to see the Messiah, Israel must resuscitate itself, put life again in the despaired bodies and souls, return to Israel Land and restart the entire process that had brought David in the past.

So when they came back to Israel land around 510 B.C., the Rabbis and the last living prophets of that time – Hagai, Zechariah and Malachi – composed the Amida Prayer that expresses their wishes to go through all the stages yet faster –

In the prayer they ask:

Slide 9

Return us to you, Hashem
Return our captivity- redeem us from pagan rulers
Return our exiles to the land as in Joshua time
Return our judges, as in the Book of Judges
Return us to rebuild Jerusalem –
Return David House – like in the Book of Samuel,
Return the Holly Temple– as in the Book of Kings
Return your Shechinah to the Temple – as in Kings
Let the offshoot of David come
Return your service in your sanctuary

Maimonides says that they prayed that the stages of the past would be repeated faste

For the Torah promises at the end of Deuteronomy that when the exiles would return, Hashem would make :good to you more than to your fathers,” meaning the necessary stages would return faster

If it took 4000 years from Joshua to David,

It would be much shorter when the exiles return.

Of all the above stages, the Rabbis knew that stage 3, Redemption from Gentile rulers is the most difficult to obtain. They saw that although they can

Re-build the country,

rebuild the Torah judges,

re-build Jerusalem,

even re-build the Temple,

yet they can’t restore David’s house,

nor can they redeem Israel from Persia (or later from Greece and Rome).

Therefore they composed another prayer for Redemption to be recited coupled to the Amidah, where it focusses specifically on Redemption from Pharaoh as well as from all other pagan rulers.

The Amida prayer has been recited twice daily ever since 500 B.C. and has become the Halachic base for our view of the Rabbinic Messiah, which is the only one abiding every Jew today.

2: Bilaam Messiah

3: King Balak Classic Accusations

They are not the real Israel
They don’t have the real faith
They are uncivilized, wild oxen

Israel’s Tree

Canopy (society) Samuel, King

Trunk (faith) Judges

Roots (Patriarchs). Joshua

Nourishment by El Shadai

Join Abraham!

Messiah King

King David

Ruth the Moabite

King Eglon

King Balak

Moab

Sodom against Abraham

Zephaniah (3: 9)

Concurs with Bilaam

For then I will OVERTURN

unto the nations with a clear language,

to call all of them in the name of Hashem

to worship as one Shoulder” (Zephaniah 3: 9)

7: Isaiah

Ch.2: Messiah the teacher

Ch.9: Messiah’s peace on Earth

Ch.10: Messiah the Judge

Messiah the peace giver

8: Pray to the restoration of David House

Hosea

Amos

Jeremiah

9: The 18

“And when it shall come to pass

When all these things have come to o you

The blessings and the curses

Which I have set before you

And you shal call them to your mind

among all the nations into which

HaSheM your EeLoHiM have deposed you,

And shall return to HaSheM your EeLoHiM

And shall obey His voice, according to all

That I have commanded you today,

You and your children with all your heart

And with all your soul,

That then HaSheM your EeLoHiM

Will return your captivity

And have compassion on you

And will return and gather you from all the nations

Among whom HasheM your EeLoHiM

Has scattered you,

If your outcasts be at the upmost part of Heavens,

From there will He fetch you,

And HasweheM your EeLoHiM will bring you into the land

Which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it,

And he will do to you good and multiply you more than your fathers..(Deut. 30: 5)

Here the Torah prescribes in detail the steps, which Israel would take at the time of redemption as they return to Zion.

The steps mention repentance, returning of the exiles to the land, and the last verse says that Hashem would do to you better than to your fathers, which the rabbis understood as taking the same steps of bringing back David House, as before, but faster.

If it took 400 years from Joshua to David,

This time it would take much shorter course to see the Messiah.

The rabbis then encoded their view and hopes in a special prayer, the Amida prayer, in which we prey to Hashem to resume all the stages that had brought up David.

We pray for the following –

In the next class we’ll focus on the Mystic vision of the Messiah, that differs so much from the Rabbinic, Halachic view.

We’ll discuss the Book of the Yetzirah, the Zohar,

the Lurianic Kabbalah and the Hassidic movement of the 18^thcentury.

And we’ll see how the mystic view has almost been banned from the public eyes today, replaced by the traditional, halachic vision.

The Rabbinic, Halachic Messiah

The Mystic, Kabbalist Messiah

Rabbi Zvi Aviner

Stages in Israel Life in the Holy Land

Entering the Land – Book of Joshua
Torah community – Book of Judges
Jerusalem – Book of Samuel
David Kingdom – Book of Kings
Building the Holly Temple – Book of Kings

The Amida Prayer for the Messiah

Return us to you, HaSheM,
Return our captivity from the hands of pagan rulers,
Return our exile, as in Joshua time
Return our judges, as in the Book of Judges
Let us rebuild Jerusalem – as in the Book of Samuel
Let us see David House – like in the Book of Kings,
Let us see the Holly Temple – as in the Book of Kings
Let us see your Shechinah return to the Temple
Let us see the offshoot of David – the Messiah

10: Let us see the return of your service in the Temple

What happened to the Rabbinic view of the Messiah?

After Ezrah, for the next 400 years, the only view about the Messiah was the rabbinic one. The Torah sages, called the Pe-roo-seem, meaning the pious ones, adhered to it. They followed the Amida prayer and were praying for the restoration of David House. They accomplished all the steps, building the Land, Jerusalem, and the Oral Torah Courts. One step was still missing – the redemption from pagan rulers such as the Greeks and the Romans of that time.

Their opponent party, the priesthood Tze -du- kim, rejected the Oral Torah, rejected also David and did not believe in a Messiah. They were the Jerusalem wealthy elite, and they opted for Rome.

When Jesus was brought on Passover night for a trila before a Tz-du-kim Court, he faced judges who did not believe in any Messiah.

Had he faced a Pe-roo-sheem court, they would have asked him to redeem Israel from Rome as the only way to validate his claim.

Yet, despite the RAMBAM words and warnings, a mystic view of the Messiah evolved in the Jewish masses under the oppression of Byzantin, from around 450 A.D. till the end of the Middle Ages. It has impacted Judaism tremendously and has produced major beautiful works like the Book of the Yetzirah, the Book of the Zohar, the Lurianic Kabbalah and the Hassidic movement of the 18^th century. In the next class we’ll focus on the Mystic Messiah and discuss the reasons why it is no longer taught in any mainstream Yeshiva in Israel and elsewhere.

in the saw the entire process that would bring David from Sodom, Moab, King Balak, Ruth and Boaz. It is a long process of combined (CULTIVATION) effort by G-d and Israel.

Bilaam had a vision. He saw David as a good fruit growing on the tree of Israel, planted in the Holy Land, whose strong trunk is Faith, its roots encored in the ancient Patriarchs.

Its canopy is Israel society in the Holy Land, studded with tents of Torah and synagogues. The Torah is both written and oral.Such a canopy of a good tree would produce David, the composer of Psalms. Without the Oral Torah approval, David would have been considered a Moabite man forbidden to join Israel forever.

Bilaam also foresaw the coming of David’s Son -the Messiah – whom he calls “The Star of Jacob.”

He would rule over Israel but also affect all Nations. Hence the Messiah starts from Sodom and Gomorrah,

Is seen by a Gentile, Noahide prophet

And his task is to affect the nations.

Bilaam does not specify the time of the arrival of David’s Son, leaving this to the prophets of Israel to decide.

Bilaam’s Steps of the Coming of

David And David Son

4-5-6——————————————————-YH/VH

Joshua (Land of Israel)

Judges (Torah Tents)

Samuel (Jerusalem)

Kings (David)

Star of Jacob (Messiah)

End of Days

Amidah Prayer for the Messiah

Seven Returning (Deuteronomy)

Return to Hashem
Return to the Land of Israel
Return the Judges
Return Jerusalem
Return the Temple
Return the Shechinah
Return David offshoot (Messiah)

What would the Messiah accomplish?

Joshua Prayer after the Amidah

The Messiah will eradicate IDOLATRY

Teach the Nations to know YHVH

Lead the Nations to the End of Times

Prophesized about David’s son

Isaiah 2, 9

Amos 9

Hosea 3

Micah

Yehezkel 37

Daniel

In short,

The Rabbinic Messiah is recognized only after a long historical process that has already taken place by Israel. That process ivolves several steps expressed in the Amida daily prayer, such as the return of the exiles to the Land, the restoration of the Torah courts, the building of Jerusalem, the restoration of David house and the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Once we’ve implemented those goals by ourselves, says the RAMBAM, we would recognize the Messiah.

Under that conception, no person may come out of the wood and claim: “I am the Messiah; follow me and we’ll begin these steps.” A Messiah is recognized only after all the steps have been accomplished – by us.

The Mystic Messiah is just the opposite. He is a Heavenly figure that sit by the Throne of God, as stated in Psalm 110:

“The words of Ha-She-M to my master, sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Hence, the Messiah is waiting in Heavens for the proper time to reveal himself to the word and begin redemption.

The time of his arrival was supposedly known to the prophets, but it can be calculated from the verses by mystical techniques such as gematria and other mystic ways. We can even enhance his coming by devout prayers and studying Torah, Kabala, the Zohar and by living ascetic life.

And there is one more profound difference between the two types of the Messiah. While the Rabbinic Messiah would be a Davidic King who would redeem Israel, the arrival of the Mystic Messiah is associated with drastic changes in Nature and in Mankind; as prophesized for the End of Time Judgment. Fearful events would take place, such as the war of Gog and Magog, split in mountains and other natural calamities, even resurrection of the dead. All that is missing in the Halachic, Rabbinic vision of the Messiah based on Isaiah chapter 2.

Let’s also note that

the task of the Messiah does also differ between those two opposing approaches.

The Rabbinic Messiah would come to redeem Israel then to teach humanity the knowledge of Ha-SheM and the Seven Commandments, as foreseen by Isaiah.

The Mountain of HaSheM’s House would be exalted above all other Mountains, and the nations would stream to it to worship Ha-SheM and pray to Him only.

In contrast, the Mystic Messiah coming is entangled with so much drastic changes in Nature and in Mankind, that the observance of the Seven Commandments is irrelevant and hardly mentioned.

Let’s point out that both Messiahs are within Judaism. Hence, you’d never pray to the Messiah, nor would you sing Haleluyah to him. You sing and pray and divert your passion only to the One God, Ha-SheM.

Historically, the rabbinic approached has been preserved for centuries by the daily Amida prayer, while the mystical approach has peaked and then declined.

Today it is no longer taught in any mainstream Yeshiva and no more End of Time calculations are accepted as valid. The classical Rabbinic approach, in contrast, has become the spiritual power behind Religious Zionism and is taught and practiced everywhere.

Next, let’s discuss important concepts associated with the End of the Days Judgment. A clear definition of those terms is needed in order to comprehend the vision of the Messiah and avoid misconceptions that might lead to false Messiahs coming in history time and again.

So, let’s discuss the following concepts –

The World to Come (Olam Habba)
This world (Olam Hazeh)
The Sabbath to Come
Our Sabbath day of our week
The End of Days’ Judgment
The resurrection of the dead
The Messianic days

Let’s discuss these topics one by one.

The World to Come

“The world to come” – Olam Habba – is a concept that appears in the Talmud, as well in Josephus, referring to the Afterlife.

That concept is very often confused with the Messianic era. It is a mistake, since you don’t need a Messiah in the Afterlife.

You might need, however, a Messiah as a teacher to prepare you for the Afterlife Judgment.

In the Second Temple time, between 200 B.C. and the destruction, the Jewish community was divided into two fractions – the Tsedukim and the Pharasees.

The Tsedukim did not believe in the Afterlife, in the resurrection, in God’s personal providence, in the Oral Torah, in David’s House and in the Messiah. One of the Hasmonean rulers in 100 B.C., a sworn Tsedukit, enthroned himself as a King, raising a tremendous rage in the population and a fierce objection by the Torah sages. The opposition claimed that the title of s King should be preserved only for David House and the Messiah. A bloody civil war that erupted, lasted many years till the death of the king. The outcome was devastating. The war brought Rome to Judea. Thousands were crucified and their bodies hang on crosses set up for miles – from Jafa to Jerusalem.

The majority of the population, according to Plavius, opted for the Torah sages, called Pe- ru- shim, after their piety. They did believe in the afterlife, in reward and punishment, in the resurrection at the End of Time, in David house and the Messiah.

For them, the envision of the Messiah was based on Isaiah chapter 2, and on the Amida prayer they recited twice daily in the Temple.

They believed that the Messiah would come to redeem Israel from the hands of idolater nations, and would redeem the idolater nations from idolatry.

A third but weak voice about the Messiah was heard the first time in a small sect living near the Dead Sea at Cameroon. Among their scrolls we find a Mystic Messiah who fits Isiah’s suffering servant. That teaching is against the prophet Y Ezekiel who lived closer to Isaiah. Ezekiel taught that each person dies for his own sin, never for another one’s sins. Hence the Cameroon’s posture was outside Judaism.

The identity of the Cameroon sect is still debatable since they kept a different calendar, they celebrated Passover and Yom Kippur on different days than all Jews, and their Torah texts show many deviations from the traditional version. Yet, their liturgy is beautiful and passionate, probably impacting their generation’s imagination. However, they did not pray to the Messiah, nor did they envision him as a combination of God and Man.

The Cameroon scrolls are carbon dated at 100 B.C., about two generations before Jesus. We’ll return to them in our second class when we discuss the evolution of Mystic Messiah within Judaism.

The second term we need to identify is –

Olam Hazeh

The opposite of Olam Habba is the Olam Hazeh which refers to “This world”, our lifetime.

The RAMBAM emphasizes that the Messianic era would take place within Olam Hazeh, this world, before any drastic changes of the End of Time would take place. He warns not to confuse the End of Time drastic changes with the Messianic time. Nothing will change in Nature at the Messianic era. He also quats the Talmud statement saying that “in the days of the Messiah, Nature will continue to operate as it is now. The only difference will be that Israel will be redeemed from pagan rulers.”

Now we’ve arrived at the third concept that is too often confused with the Messianic era, namely –

The Sabbath to Come

The term “Sabbath to Come” is used in the Talmud

to designate the next stage of our world, the next Day of CREATION as described in Genesis chapter One.

It should not be confused with the Afterlife,

Nor should it be confused with the Messianic era which will take place in Olam Hazeh, our current world.

And nor should it be confused with the Garden of Eden that was formed, according to Genesis Chapter 2, in this world.

So, what is it, the Sabbath to Come?

It is a new reality of our world, the Kingdom of MERCY, that would be under the sole reign of the Attribute of MERCY Y-H-V-H.

It is a Day which is not known or not recognized by Christianity or Islam, out of simple ignorance, yet is essential for the understanding of the End of Days Judgment based on Genesis Chapter One.

So, what is the Eternal Sabbath to come?

On that awesome Day, there will be no more trials and tribulations, no more judgment, no punishment and no rewards, no birth and no death. For, by definition, EeLoHiM the Attribute of Justice that created our Six Days, will abstain from more work and more Judgment. The world will rest in joy and bath itself in the holiness of the Attribute Y-H-V-H.

How will it arrive, and what exactly is the End of Days Judgment?

Diagram 2 shows the “Sabbath to Come” as detached from our Six Days of CREATION.

According to Rashi, this was the situation before creating Adam. For Six Long Days, EeLoHiM created the World Day by Day, moving upwards by introducing increasingly more sophisticated creatures. He used His Wisdom, Art and Beauty, so-called the Spirit of EeLoHiM, to make our Universe a fascinating place.

All that was dome with Absolute Justice, with efficiency, yet with no MERCY.

Thus, at the End of each Day, each Floor of the Six Floor Building called Nature, EeLoHiM assessed the passing Day and eliminated all the creatures that were no more needed for the next Floor. Creatures that could not fit into the next Day, next Floor, He eliminated right there and then with no MERCY.

This way he eliminated all the pre-historic creatures that once ruled the Earth and were no more needed. This fate faces also Adam, born at the end of the Sixth Day. If Adam would not fit into the Sabbath, if he does not adapt the Value of the Sabbath ruled by the Attribute of MERCY, Y-H-V-H, he would be eliminated like all the pre-historic creatures. That Judgment is the so called “End of Days Judgment” which is presented at the end of Genesis Chapter One.

What exactly does this Judgment entail?

Again, the concept is borrowed by other religions, yet without the knowledge of its source or its meaning. Therefore they have replaced it with either Sunday of Friday.

As we’ve just said, before making Adam, the Sabbath Day was “detached” from our Six Days.

Each Attribute ruled over its own Domain.

EeLoHiM ruled alone over the Six Days,

Y-H-V-H ruled alone over the Sabbath.

That primordial stage is called in Kabbalah “To-hoo and Vo-hoo” meaning no communication, no interplay, no dialogue between the Attributes of the nameless Infinite CREATOR.

Thus, for Six long Days, EeLoHiM created the world alone, and He was pleased. On each Day He said, at the End of the Day, that it was good, ready to enter the next Day. And all those Days He ruled the world like an Absolute Dictator, giving orders that no one dared to object nor to refuse.

But when He came to plan the creation of Adam, a creature endowed with Free Will and Bad Inclinations, EeLoHiM knew that Adam would certainly fail to withstand His harsh scrutiny and would therefore be terminated. In His Fairness, EeLoHiM decided to give Adam a chance to win His scrutiny and merit living in the next Day.

Hence, says Rashi, EeLoHiM turned to the Attribute of MERCY, COMPASSION and FORGIVENESS, the Y-H-V-H, who rules over the Sabbath, and invited Her to join Him in forming the Heavenly Court. Together they would rule over the World and create Adam.

Her presence in the Court would offer Adam a chance to repent, ask forgiveness and receive a chance to start all over again. This way Adam would have a chance to win his Judgment.

Thus, there is an “End of the day judgment” for each individual, after death, before entering the Afterlife,

and there is an “End of Days Judgment” for Mankind, before entering the Eternal Sabbath to Come.

Diagram 3 shows what happened next according to the text.

Following EeLoHiM’s invitation, so to speak,

Y-H-V-H, Ha-Shem, agreed and entered our Sixth Day from her Sabbath.

The Diagram exhibits the text at the end of Chapter One.

It shows the Attribute Y-H-V-H entering our Sixth Day from Her Sabbath.

Here, Y-H-V-H, which is an acronym, appears in the text as an acronym.

Half of Her Name – Y-H – lies inside our Sith Day,

the other half – V-H – lies still in the Sabbath.

The YaH represents the presence of Ha-SheM in our world. She is the Shechinah.

Her presence in the Court, we’ve said, protects Adam.

But Her presence in the Heavenly Court is on contingency,-

pending on whether or not She can rest – or Dwell- in Adam’s heart. Adam should host Her, adapt to Her Values, and keep Her in his heart so that She would stay in the Heavenly Court and not revert back to Her Sabbath.

In Her Sabbath, She never create nor work nor Judge; She Rests.

But in our world, She seeks a Place or a heart to Rest, to put Her Wing, and She also seeks a Sabbath day to rest in it too.

No other heart of any other creature of this world is capable of offering its heart to host Her, but Adam, since only Adam was created by the two Attributes, EeLoHiM and Y-H-V-H.

But knowing the values of Y-H-V-H would never be given to Adam as a natural reflexes, as a part of the Evolution. Since Nature was created by EeLoHiM only.

Hence by definition, the values of MERCY, COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS and HOLINESS should be taught to Adam, by a guidance given from the outside.

For that, the Heavenly Court of Ha-SheM EeLoHiM would give Adam its guidance- the Torah of Sinai.

The Torah would mold Adam’s heart and prompt it to host the Shechinah in it.

As long She is hosted there, She would protect us in the Heavenly Court, and would allow our world to enter Her Domain, the Sabbath Day to Come.

Hence Adam future depends on whether or not he has learned to adapt himself to Y-H-V-H ways, beside observing EeLoHiM natural moral code given as Noah’s Seven Commandments.

Indeed, Genesis Chapter One says that at the End of our Sixth Day, at the junction between our Day and the Sabbath , EeLoHiM the All Mighty JUDGE would pass a major judgment on Adam, to see whether or not he is qualified to enter the Sabbath. That awesome, comprehensive Judgment is the so called End of Days Judgment. It should not be confused with the Messianic arrival or the Messianic era.

The outcome oof that judgment is crucial –

If Adam has accomplished hosting Y-H-V-H, he would win his judgment and merit entering the Sabbath.

If Adam has failed, he would be terminated.

Let’s see what Genesis says about the End of Days Judgment. It should not be confused with the Messianic arrival.

End of the Days Judgment

The text says that at the End of the Days, before the Sabbath, EeLoHiM would pass a Judgment on “everything that He has done,” as it says:

“And EeLoHiM saw everything that He had done

And behold, it was Very Good,

And there was evening, and there was morning

Day Six (was over)”

That Judgment would be comprehensive – including not only our Sixth Day, but rather – “Everything that He has created” -from the Beginning to the End of Days, meaning the entire Six Days, the whole Building called Nature.

Moreover, whereas before He was pleased with a ‘good’ verdict,

This time He would be pleased only with a Very Good verdict.

Just before making Adam, early on the Sixth Day,

EeLoHiM paused and passed a judgment on the creatures of the Sixth Day, and He said that it was good.

After creating Adam, at the End of the Day, He would be pleased only with a Very Good verdict.

Hence the only one who could raise CREATION from good to very Good in EeLoHiM’s eyes is Adam alone. No other creature can accomplish that.

it means that Adam must elevate himself

from being ‘good’ in EeLoHiM’s eyes, like all animals,

to being “Very Good” in the Heavenly Court’s eyes.

He needs to elevate himself from being a mere product of the Evolution, another creature on the long line,

To be a creature that hosts Y-H-V-H values, coming to him from the outside of this world, given to him in the Torah.

In other words – to be Very Good he must please the Two Attributes of the Heavenly Court –

He must find face in Y-H-V-H eyes,

and be righteous in EeLoHiM eyes.

Like Noah.

On Noah it is said that –

To be eligible to enter the Ark, which was the Kingdom of MERCY ruled by Y-H-H-V, where there was no birth and no death, Noah had to please the Heavenly Court of the Two Attributes, as it explicitly says:

Noah found face in Y-H-V-H eyes,

Noah was a righteous Man,

with EeLoHiM, Noah walked.

Noah met the requirements of the two Attributes of the Heavenly Court.

Only then he passed the scrutiny of EeLoHiM at the Ark’s door and merited to enter the Ark, which was under

Y-H-V-H rule, tantamount to the Sabbath.

Similarly, at the End of the Six Days, of all Days,

EeLoHiM would pass His Judgment.

If Adam has met the demands of both Attributes,

Adam would be deemed Very Good and be allowed

To enter the Sabbath Day, along with the Universe.

Hence, the Rabbinic Messiah – following Isaiah chapter 2 – would lead Mankind towards that End oof Days Judgment.

He would bring all Nations to know HaSehM, know the Torah, know and adapt the values of Y-H-V-H,

Become aware of the Sabbath of Genesis and prepare themselves for her Domain, , while living in our Olam Hazeh, our Sixth Day.

If Adam fails the End of Days Judgment, if he is just good and has not adapted Y-H-V-H to be Very Good,

he would not fit living in the “Sabbath to Come”

and therefore, be terminated.

Again, as the RAMBAM emphasizes, this final Judgement should not be confused

with the Messianic era, which would happen

within our world as it is, Olam Hazeh, without any change in Nature.

We’ve seen, so far, the Torah view of the End of the Days Judgment. What do the prophets say about it?

As it turns out, they refer to another day of Judgment that precedes it, happening completely within our world. The prophets call it The Awesome and Fearful Day of HaSheM, or the Day of the LORD.

What is it? According to the prophets,

it is a Day in which HaSheM Himself would come out and burn the evil people like grass. It is also a Day full of major wars and natural catastrophes, around Jerusalem but also around the world.

It means that HaSheM would not wait for the End of the Days to execute Judgment on evil people. She would eliminate evilness while we still live here on the Sixth Day, moving in history towards the Sabbath.

A clue for that early Judgment by the Attribute of MERCY, Y-H-V-H, is already given in Genesis Chapter One.

The Day of HaSheM, Y-H-V-H,

or the Day of the LORD

And the Demise of Evil

At the end of Genesis Chapter One it is said –

“And EeLoHiM saw everything that He had done

And behold, it was Very Good.

And it was evening, and it was morning,

Day Six (was over)”

You may not see it in English, but in Hebrew the word Very Good, Tov Me-od, can be read as Tov

Maa-ved, Very Bad, or evil. Hence, the last obstacle of Mankind to win and enter the Sabbath is Maa-ved, Evil.

As HaSheM came from the Sabbath into our Sixth Day to protect us in the Heavenly Court, Her advent came with a price –

She would not tolerate Evil people for too long. She would not wait for the End of Time to get rid of them. She would rather burn them like grass right here and now, to make our world a better place.

Let’s recall that Evil in Y-H-V-H eyes are people who perform the opposite of Her values.

For instance, the people of Sodom were exceedingly evil in Y-H-V-H eyes, says Rshi, because they knew HaSheM and yet rebelled against Her. They were exceedingly cruel and indifferent to people suffering , and they performed the opposite of MERCY and COMPASSION with mockery. They had to turned over by HaSheM and Her Court- so to speak.

That diagram shows the acronym Y-H-V-H entering our Sixth Day, assessing us while we live on the Sixth Day of CREATION. She would not wait for the end of our day to assess us. She would do that now, by Herself, even without the JUDGE EeLoHiM.

The prophets of Israel foresee that Awesome and Fearful Day of Her sole Judgment. And they call it the Day of HaSheM, the Day of the LORD.

Thus,

David in Psalms 142 says:

“And YHVH would be exalted alone”. (Psalms 142)

Then David says in Psalm 97 that before the Sabbath, all the evil people would burn like grass, so that the righteous ones could dwell in HaShem’s House.

Isaiah says (13:6)

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near, as destruction from the Almighty it will come!

Ezekiel concurs (30:3)

For the day is near, the day of the Lord is near; it will be a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations.

Joel says (2:1)

Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand.”

And he adds:

The great day of the Lord is near— near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry!

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision”

Amos says (5; 18)

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord! Why would you have the day of the Lord? It is darkness, and not light,

Obadiah says (1:15)

For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head.

Zecheriah says (14:1):

A day of the Lord is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls.

Malachi says (4:5)

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and fearful day of the Lord comes.

Ezekiel says (13:5)

You have not gone up into the breaches or built up a wall for the house of Israel, that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord.

Zephaniah says: (1:7).

“Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near”

Zechariah 14:2

For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Isaiah 22:3

All your leaders have fled together; without the bow they were captured. All of you who were found were captured, though they had fled far away.

At the End of the Days

Micha says that at the End of Days Man would beat swords to ploughs and learn no longer the art of war.

Malachi says:

He says: :Behold here comes the Day of HaSheM that burns like oven” (3:19)

Zacharia sees

says that on the “Day of Hashem” – He will Judge all the nations, all humanity, and this will be accompanied by drastic changes in nature. Such as:

Mount Olive would split into two, then four, while water would stream out from the break to run into the Great Sea. One Leg of YHVH would stand on each split as He would judge the nations.

In all of these many prophecies the name oof David or the Son of David is not mentioned. The events are manifestation of HaShem’s judgment on Israel and the nations,

End of the Days

Evil Demise

The Day of YHVH

ELKM 5—6^th—————————————–YH/VH

“Good” Sabbat

Adam

End-of- Day’s Judgment

Very Good

Evil Demise

Day of YHVH

The wolf would not prey on the lamb anymore

And a child would play safely on the snake’s pit

People will beat their swords to ploughs

And they will no longer learn the art of wars.

The prophets call that awesome day of YHVH Judgment as the

This Day of HaSheM (the Lord) – Yom HaSheM

It should not be confused with the Messianic time.

For example:

End of Times prophets

The End of Time Judgment in the prophets

The term “End of the Days” is loosely used by the prophets to designate “far away events” in an unspecified future. It is usually connected to the Messianic era, both the Rabbinic and the Mystic ones.

THUS,

Jacob at the end of Genesis, summons his sons to his deathbed saying:

“Come, and I shall tell you about the End of the Days,” (49: 1) probably referring to the end of the Egyptian exile. As such, the term is connected to the Messianic era.

Moses at the end of Deuteronomy says: “when you are in distress and all these things have come to you, in the End of the Days, you should return up to Ha-SheM” (DEUT. 4: 30). Here the term End of Days refers to unspecific time in the future.

Since the return to the Land is a part of Redemption, the term used by Moses may refer to the Messianic era.

The prophet Bilaam in the Book of Numbers says to the king of Moab , Balak: Let me tell you what will happen to you and your nation at the End of Times. Then he says about the Messiah –

“I behold him, but it is not near, I see him but not now.” (Numbers 23: 17)

Isaiah says: “and it shall pass that in the End of the Days the Mountain of the House of Ha-SheM shall be established on top of the mountains and exalted above the hills and all nations will flow to it” (2: 2)

Here Isaiah lays out the task of the Rabbinic Messiah. It lacks any reference to End of Days events or to the resurrection of the dead or to any supernatural event. That section of Isaiah is never mentioned in any of the 23 gospels f the church.

Micha concurs with Isaiah word by word.

Hosea mentions it specifically to the return of Israel to Ha-Shem along with the return of David’s kingdom (3:5)

Jeremiah repeatedly mentions the End of the Days as connected to Israel’s redemption.

Daniel mentions the End of the Days in connection to the end of the Persian Empire (10: 14)

In all these prophecies, the Messiah is not explicitly mentioned. The only thing that is mentioned is a better world under the restoration of David’s House, heralding a better future for Israel and Mankind.

In some prophecies, the message is on a re-union between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and David’s House in the south. In other prophecies the emphasis is on the prominence of David Offshoot – The mountain of Ha-SheM would be revered by all nations, and he would teach them the knowledge of HaSheM and His Commandments.

In none of these prophecies, the fearful events of the End of Time’s Judgement are mentioned.

And here we come to another concept associated with the End of the Days Judgment – the so called fearful and awesome Day of the LORD, or Day of Y-H-V-H.

It is often mentioned by the prophets and is has been confused with the coming of the Mystic Messiah.

What exactly is it, the Day of the LORD?

Let’s look again at the end of Genesis Chapter One.

Hence, one step before the Final Judgment, Ha-SheM would execute Her own judgment on Mankind, eliminating the evil ones whom She hates, and help the good ones whom She likes to Her Sabbath.

And here we’ve come to the most quoted and most misunderstood concept – the Fearful Day of the LORD, or Ha-SheM’s Day.

So far we’ve discussed the loose term End of Days, which is a non-specific date in the far future.

In contrast, the term End of Days Judgment refers to a specific time date presented by Genesis Chapter One. It is the End of History, or the End of the Sixth Day, and is associated with major changes both in nature and in Mankind.

Unfortunately, this term has been confused with the Messianic era and has inspired the concept of a Mystical, Cosmic Messiah who comes along with major wars and calamities.

Let’s discuss the important term Sabbath to Come.

The End of Days Judgment

HLKM– 1–2–3–4–5–6– —YH/VH

Eternal Sabbath

Adam

End of Days Judgment

The Sixth Day’s Judgement

From Good to Very Good

Cattle

Beasts

ELKM5—–6^th———————————————YH/VH

“Good”

Sabbat.

Adam

End-of Day’s Judgment

“Very Good”

David in the Song for the Sabbath

Micha – beat their swords….

Ovadia – judgment upon all nations

Plagues and decay of flesh

Zechariah – Mt Moriah will split

Malachi – Elijah will be sent before the

coming of the dreadful Day of YHVH …

Ezekiel – Resurrection

Gog and Magog

Joel – Day of YHVH followed by peace

More on the “End of Days”

Sometimes the term “End-of- Days” is used more looselyreferring to unspecified far away days in history; not always associated with destruction and wars.

Thus, Jacob on his deathbed calls his sons to tell them about the End-of-Time, referring to the End of Exiles.

Isaiah (2:2) foresees that when the “End of the Days” comes, the Mountain of HaSheM will be exalted over all other mountains and people from all over the world would flock to it to pray to HaSheM. Isaiah does not specify when it would happen, nor does he mention the Messiah in that vision.

Micha, Jeremiah, Yehezqel and Daniel (10: 14) concur in defining the “End of Days” as far away age, associated with REDEMPTION of Israel and world Judgment, not necessarily associated with natural changes.

Yeskel adds resurrection of the dead to HaSheM’s Day. (He mentions David’s son sitting already before that happens.)

The Messiah Extraordinary

Personality

Isaiah

Micha

Nahum

Zephaniah

Zechariah

Ezekiel

The Messiah in the Torah

We’ve discussed several term associated with the end of Genesis Chapter One –

Afterlife

Eternal Sabbath

End of Days Judgment

Day of YHVH and the Demise of Evil

All the above can be seen as a concession of YHVH towards us, Mankind

She agreed to couple Her Sabbath to the Sixth Day

She entered – as YH – from the Sabbath into our Sixth

Day

She participated in the Heavenly Court to re-create our world and Adam

She takes a part in the End of Days’ Judgment, calling Adam to become Very Good

She offers Adam a chance to repent and ask forgivness

She steps more deeply into the Sixth Day to decimate Evil

increasing Man’s chance to win his judgment then enter Her Domain

To guide Man successfully forwards, She and ELKM would give Israel the Torah on Sinai. The Torah would change Mankind’s heart so that he would be deemed Very Good

She would raise a Messiah in Israel, who would teach Mankind to know YHVH – thereby avoiding the awesome and fearful Day of YHVH.

The Messiah will lead Adam to

Avoid

The Fearful Day of HaSheM

ELKM 5—6^th—————————————–YH/VH

“Good” Sabbat

Adam Messiah

End-of- Day’s Judgment

Very Good

Evil Demise

Who is Messiah? How and when would he come in the eyes of Moses?

The Messiah – David’s offshoot –

will arise

From Israel’s Tree

ELKM-4-5-6—————————————–YH/VH

Adam

Israel Tree

Evil Demise

Messiah Day of YHVH

End of Days

Sabbath

MYSTICAL MESSIAH

PART OF THE END OF TIME EVENTS

ELKM-4-5-6——————————————-YH/VH

Adam

Torah

Evil Demise

Day of YHVH

End of Days

Sabbath

Messiah

Sefer Yezirah (900 AD)

Zohar (1300)

Kabbalah

Lurianic (1550)

Calculations of…

Shabtai Zvi (1648)

1777 tragedies

Bilaam’s Messiah

The Messiah was first foreseen by the Torah through the words of the gentile prophet Bilaam.

Bilaam had a vision. Standing on the Jordan River banks, just before Israel entering the Holly Land, he foresaw the outcome of that entrance. He foresaw the coming of David as a good fruit growing on the tree of Israel, planted in the Holy Land, whose strong trunk is solid Faith, its roots encored in the ancient Patriarchs without being tainted by sexual immorality.

The canopy of the tree he saw is Israel society living in the Holy Land, blessed with multiple tents of Torah and prayer synagogues. The Torah they learn is both written and oral. It is, a society full of justice and compassion , Hessed, as set up by the Torah guidance. It fulfills Noah’s Noah’s Fifth Commandment – denim- which Jacob had fought so much to implement. Since Dinim is a positive Commandment, It endows Israel’s society with holiness.

That blessed society of Israel in the Holy Land would bring – produce – David, and David’s offshoot – the Messiah, whom Bilaam rightfully calls the Star of Jacob. .

But the Messiah he saw is not a goal for himself. He would bring all Mankind to recognize YHVH, accept Her values, and win our End of Days’ Judgment.

The Messiah’s task would be accomplished not by the sword or armies, but only by teaching Torah. You can’t teach Mercy, Compassion, Forgiveness by beheading people ot forcing them to accept your values.

Or by forcing them to follow your ways.

Without the Oral Torah approval, David would have been considered a Moabite man forbidden to join Israel forever.

Bilaam also arose above that vision of Israel Tree and could see the entire historical process, lead by HaSheM, that started with Sodom and Gomorah, the evil enemies of Abraham and HaSheM, with only a tiny spark of holiness in it, that grew to a larger one in King Balak, his descendant Ruth who was David’s grandmother. David offshoot would affect Mankind. Hence it is a process starting with gentile, seen be a gentile prophet and would change the gentile nations. Bilaam was so impressed by that vision that he fell on the ground with awe.

Bilaam presents the step which Moses foresaw as necessary for the growing of David and his offshoot on the Land of Israel

Those steps are:

Bilaam’s Steps for the Messiah

Planting Israel Tree in the Holy Land

4-5-6——————————————————-YH/VH

Joshua (Land of Israel)

Judges (Torah Tents)

Samuel (Jerusalem)

Kings (David)

Star of Jacob (Messiah)

Day of YHVH

End of Days

The Halachic, rabbinic perception of the Messiah

What is then the “official” stance of Judaism towards the Messiah?

This is encoded in the Amida daily prayer, which we recite twice daily. It was composed in 450 BC by the rabbis who were contemporary to the last prophets, Hagai, Zecharia and Malachi. They knew the prophets first hand, and they separated in their minds the vision of the Messiah from the dreadful visions of the End of Days Judgment and the Day of the LORD.

As they were returning to Zion after 70 years of Exile in Babylon, the rabbis coined a prayer for the coming of he Messiah.

In that prayer they followed the Torah that says that the redemption would always follow the footsteps of the first one, just more rapidly – even in one or several generations. Thus they prayed for:

Amidah Prayer for the Messiah

Seven Returning (Deuteronomy)

Return us to you, Hashem
Return our freedom (redemption)
Return us to the Land of Israel
Return for us the Judges
Return Jerusalem
Return the Temple and the Shechinah
Return David offshoot (Messiah)

Hence the Messiah would always grow on Israsel’s Tree planted on the Land of Israel.

That halachic vision of the Messiah held through 2,500 years, through the Second Temple, the Mishnah and the Talmud times.

In Jesus times, all the steps seen by the rabbis had been fulfilled – the Land was inhabited by Israel, Jerusalem was a great city, the Temple stood, but one step was still missing – redemption from the hands of evil pagan rulers. As the yoke of that rulers became unbearable, a wave of false Messiahs arose, promising independence for the Jewish people. That was against the Torah, since one is recognized as a Messiah only after the case, after delivering independence.

But after the Talmud time, close to the year 1,000 AD, a major change in the perception of the Messiah took place. That happened mainly among the severely persecuted Jewish communities under Bizantine, and Muslim rulers. Since it was impossible to return to zion and start a Jewish community there, the hope turned into a MYSTICAL MESSIAH sent by G-d who would start the process by himself. That Messiah took a shape of unnatural personality, associated with the prophecies about the End of Day’s Judgment

The Mystical Messiah

ELKM5—6————————————–YH/VH

Adam

Mystical

Messiah

Day of YHVH

Demise of Evil

At that time, an large literature was written such as

Sefer Yezirah, the Books of the Heavenly Places and finally Kabbala and the Book of the Zohar in the 13^th Century. Their mythology was to calculate the time of the arrival of Messiah, using gematria and other esoteric meaning to explain the prophets. Mythical techniques were developed in an attempt to please G-d and advance the Messiah arrival.

That trend became so strong that the RMBM, the staunch defendant of the Halachic Judaism, reiterated in rhe code of laws the rules about the Messiah coming, based on the Torah and the Amidah prayer.

He also strongly advised against the Mythical Messiah and the calculations of his arrival, stating that (a) no one knows fior sure how to explain the visions of the end of times (b) since each wise kabalistic scholar has its own perceptions and calculations, they are all invalid (c) these esoteric calculations might lead false Messiahs, some of which the RMBM saw rising in his own lifetime.

Despite of the RMBM warning, the trend of belieiving in a mythical Messiah who would be sent from Heavens only increased in the following centuries, entering mainstream Judaism. It was associated with many legends, songs and new Jewish folklore. It calminated with the Kabalistic giants in Zefat, such as the Lurianic Kabbalah with its new perception of the Heavenly Court and the Exile of the Shechinah.

As predicted by the RTMBM, this trend resulted with many tragedies and disappointments, two of which should be noted:

One is the tragic events of Shabtai Zvi, in 1548

The other, closer to us, is the year 1781. Let’s talk about that tragic event.

The year 1781 was chosen by most kabalistic scholars as the time of the Messiah’s arrival. It would arrive – so they preached – along with Wars, Gog and Magog, even resurrection, first in the Land of Israel then around the world

As the year came close, a craze of zeal took over the population. Many packed and left home to welcome the Messiah in the Holly Land. Traveling was unsafe those days and at least 20 ships full of pilgrims dawned in the Black Sea. Those who came to the Holy Land found it barren, with small poor villages of Arabs and Beduins. No palesinain naion existed, of course. The land was plagued by swamps – artificially introduced by the Muslims to stop the crusaders and later by the Mamluks in the 14^th Century to stop the advancing Mongols. The diseses decimarted the newcomers children as well as the adults.

But the pilgrims did not come to build a country but rather to enhance and assure the arrival of the Messiah. They hopped to achieve that by special prayers, and by studying Torah and the Book of Zohar around the clock

In 1777, a major Chassidic group emigrated to the Holy Land, settling in Tiberiah and Jerusalem. Their opponent, the Vilna Gaon, also planned to emigrsate , in order to write the “final, most trusted halachic code of law” prior to the Messiah arrival.

As the year 1781 came, the entire Jewish world was on hold, and yet, nothing happened.

The scholar Arie Morganstein describes the pursuing impact. Silence took over. As if cut out by a knife, all mythical calculations were stopped, never to come back.

The Hassidic community almost erased the teaching of national redemption by a Messiah and began to focuse only on individual redemption. They developed a visceral negative reaction to the study of the prophets, which are not covered anymore in their Yeshivot.

Since personal redemption is important, it can be achieved anywhere around the globe. Jewish communities should therefore be established in easrt, west, north and south as the song says.

Exile was seen as a blessing, a way to spread the knowledge of HaShjeM and collect the fallen holy sparks, as the Lurianic Kabbalah preaches. So whne Herzel came, they opposed Zionism fiercely.

The Vina Gaon too went a metamorphosis, but in the opposite direction. For the next 18 years of his life, he reverted to the classical RMBM teaching and guided his students to emigrate to the Holy Land in order to start the process of the Amidah prayer. They should settle the land by agricultural villages, build cities and factories, re-build Jerusalem and hope to bring the Messiah. He is credited as the first modern Zionist.

In both camps, the Hassidic and the Gaon’s followers, the concept of mythical Messiah and all calculations were abandoned. Since 1781, the term Messiah has been replaced with more appropriate halachic term REDEMPTION. Modern Zionism, headed by Rabbi Kook ZTL, has built the country, as well as Yeshivot and the army. They focus on the next step of restoring the Judges, then the Temple – with God help, if possible. Theydo not include the End of Time prophecies in their teaching and aspirations.

Prophesized about David’s son

Isaiah 2, 9

Amos 9

Hosea 3

Micah

Yehezkel 37

Daniel

Defining Messiah

All the prophets follow Bilaam and foresee the Son of David in a dual task –

Towards Israel

Towards the Nations.

Some emphasize his role as the one who would unite the Northern Kingdom of Israel with David house in the south.

Isaiah, sees him as an extraordinary king of strong character and faith who would elevate Israel’s faith along with the nation spiritual faith.

Micah foresees him bringing peace on Earth. Man would beat their swords to ploughs and the wolf would live peacefully by the sheep. This should be taken allegorically for international peace.

Zechariah foresees him as an offshoot of David who would re-build Jerusalem, restore the glory of David throne, install inner peace, cause the nations to join the building of the Temple and worship HaSheM.

Zephaniah emphasizes the return of Israel’s exiles. And so is Nahum. They both lived at the returning of the first exile to Zion at Ezra time.

None see the Messiah associated with unnatural events. To the contrary, he would lead the nations towards the final judgment so that Man would win. He would inspire them to abide by the Seven Laws and Torah, know HaSheM and accept Her into their hearts.

ways

The Rabbi’s perception of the Messiah

The Rabbis, in Ezra time, clearly separated the Messiah from the Day of HaSHeM and the End of Time’s prophecies.

As you know, they were returning to Zion after 70 years of Exile in Babylon. In their wisdom, they coined for us a prayer by which they expressed their idea of the forthcoming of the Messiah. That prayer is the core of the Amidah prayer – the 18 – which we recite twice daily till today.

How do they foresee the Messiah?

Affecting Mankind

From Sodom to the Messiah

6——————————————————–YH/VH

Adam

Sodom

Moab

Balak

Ruth

David

Messiah

End of Days

Sabbath

Adam Journey

towards the Sabbath

ELKM-4-5-6————————————–YH/VH

Adam

Torah

Evil Demise

Day of YHVH

End of Days

Sabbath

After Life

THE AMIDAH PRAYER

Repentance (as in Egypt)
Settling the Land of Israel (as in Joshua)
Judges (as in the book of Judges)
Re-Building Jerusalem (as was in David time)
Re-building the Holy Temple (as by King Solomon)
Return of the Shechinah (as in the First Temple)
Growing David’s Offshoot, the Messiah (Bilaam)

In the Amidah prayer, the Rabbis removed any reference to the far away supernatural events of the End of Days or the Day of the LORD.

Instead, they follow Bilaam’s vision of the Messiah as an offshoot of Israel’s tree re-planted in the Holy Land.

All the events of the past that had brought David would repeat – but faster, as the Torah says about the returning to Zion – “And he shall make good for you more than He had made for your fathers.” (Deuteronomy.)

In that official stance of Judaism, recited twice a day in public, the Messiah is a final product of joined effort by Israel and G-d.

Moreover, the Messiah is not an end for himself. When he comes, Israel is already on the land, Jerusalem and the Temple are built. The purpose of his coming is to remove idolatry from the Earth and lead all nations forwards to recognize HaShem, and pray only to Him. The Mount of HaSheM would be exalted over all mountains and people would flock from all over the world to Jerusalem to offer prayer to HaShem.

Posture in History

That posture was carefully maintained for 1500 years (!) through the Second Temple time, the Mishnah time and the Talmud time.

The Talmud actually states

that states that in the Messianic era nothing would change in nature and that the only new thing would be Israel independence from the yoke of pagan rulers.

Mystical Messiah

In the Middle Ages, a trend developed among persecuted Jewish communities to see the Messiah in a mystical way, closer to the calamities and wars with Evil associated with the End of Time and the dreadful Day of HaSheM – such as Gog and Magog, the resurrection of the Dead and more.

Moreover, he would be sent by Heavens to start the process of redemption, gather Israel, and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.

This trend was enhanced by the rise of Kabbalah in Italy and Spain, with the appearance of the the Book of Yezirah and other so called the Books of the Heavenly Palaces (Heichalot).

Maimonides, RMBM, noticed that trend and rejected it wholeheartedly, even forbidding it teaching in public. His arguments were: First, that it negates the ancient posture of the Torah and the Talmud, secondly – that its teaching might lead to false Messiahs (whom he witnessed rising and falling in his own time.)

The Zohar and Lurianic Kabbalah

But in the pursuing centuries, the influence of Kabbalah grew with the discovery of the Book of Zohar in Spain in the Fourteenth Century. The Messiah was framed completely within the mystical End of Time vision. It peaked in the 16, 17 and 18 centuries , engulfing mainstream Judaism. Generations of Kabbalists calculated the time of the Messiah arrival from the scriptures, using mystical techniques such as Gematria, esoteric explanations of prophetic texts such as Daniel, Obadiah, Malachi Zechariah and more. Many dates for the Messiah coming were offered, only to be followed by disappointments and tragedies. Two such major historical events are important to our discussion. One is the tragedy of Shabtai Zvi, in 1565, the other closer to us in 1781. Let me focus on that one.

Ever since the beginning of the 18^th Century, in 1700, the kabbalists calculated the Messiah coming either in 1777 or 1781.

As the prospect date came close, many pious people left home for the Holy Land, attempting to assure his coming by mystical ways, such as special prayers, focusing on special Torah study and living ascetic life.

Needless to say, traveling from Europe was risky on those days. About 20 ships full of pilgrims drowned in the Blacksea, in addition to many more in the Mediterranean. Hundreds or even thousands perished.

Then, when they finally arrived at the Holy Land they found it poor and barren, with only scattered villages here and there. Diseases, Malaria, and other Plagues decimated their number, killing young and old.

Over the years from 1700 to 1777 they did manage to establish some important Yeshivot, excelling in Kabbalah study as a preparation for the Messiah.

The pilgrims came from both Hassidic circles as well as from the Vilna Gaon students. I would like to focus on the Gaon himself to show the impact of the following events.

The Gaon himself planned in 1778 to join the crowd and travel to the Holy Land in order to write a final “Pure Code of Laws” that would surpass even the writing of the RMBM. Such a code, he believed, would enhance the expected coming of the Messiah 3 years later. This shows the amount of the excitement that engulfed the entire Jewish communities everywhere.

The Gaon did not manage to go but was watching the enfolding scene from a far. Lo and behold, the date passed and the Messiah did not come.

The author of the book Mystical Messiah, Arie Morganstein, describes in details the impact of that disappointment.

Suddenly, as if in shock, all mystical calculations of the forthcoming of the Messiah were stopped, never to return. People returned to the RMBM teaching and the Amidah prayer.

The Gaon himself underwent a metamorphosis. For the next 18 years he taught his students to follow the Amidah, to settle in the Holly Land, build agricultural communities and cities, build Yeshivot, build Jerusalem, and lay out the foundations for the Messiah to come. During 1803 some 513 families of rhew Gaon’s students emigrated to the Land oof Israel, this time to build and settle it.

His opponents, the Hassidic movement, responded to the disappointment differently. They abandoned for now the expectations to a National Messiah, and focused on personal redemption. Each individual, each small or large community anywhere and everywhere should cleave to HaSheM for its own redemption.

The Exile seemed a necessary step for the spreading the Torah to the Four Corners of Earth, affecting all Nations, exactly as the Messiah would do.

So when Zionism came about at the dawn of the 20^th Century, calling for the establishing of a Jewish state on the Land of Israel, the Hassidic movement opposed it, while the Gaon followers and the Religious Zionists of Rabbi Kook saw themselves fulfilling the Amida steps and bringing the offshoot of David Son when G-d decides that it is the time.

Defining Messiah (2)

The Messiah

Cattle Torah Evil demise

Beasts. David

5—6^thD————————————————-YH/VH

“Good”

Sabbat. Let us make Adam

End-of Day’s Judgment

“Very Good”

events such as great Wars, Gog and Magog, resurrection of the dead and the like. For them, the prophecy about the wolf living with the sheep are literally truth that might happen any minute.

In that chaos of interpretations, what is the official Rabbinical posture that abide all halachic jews ?

The Halachic posture about Redemptionfollows the Torah.

Moses, at the end of Deuteronomy (Nizavim) promises Israel that at the “end of times,” when the generations will find itself deposed and dispersed among the nations, just minute before final assimilation, a miracle would happen and HaSheM would cause them to RETURN and restore their greatness. The Hebrew word for RETURN, Teshuvah, is repeated in the section 7 times, each in different meaning.

Thus

RETURN refers to ANSERING A QUESTION, such as what has happened to me, that I am so deposed?
RETURN means REPENTANCE,
RETURN means REDEEMING FROM BONDAGE,
RETURN means coming back to the Land of Israel
RETURN means repeating the past
RETURN means building the sitting place – of the Shechinah in the Temple
RETURN means RESORING such as the Glory of David House.

Based on that Torah section of REDEMPTION, the Rabbis in Ezrah time (500 BC) saw themselves RETURNING TO ZION, Shivat Zion, fulfilling Jeremiah prophecy. They did not see themselves living inMessianic time. Instead, they composed the Amidah Prayer (of Eighteen blessings to be said twice daily) where we pray that all the stepsleading to the arrival of David, as Bilaam had foresaw, will be repeated “quickly” so that David offshoot will arrive, build the Temple and restore the Dwelling of the Shechinah in it AS IT WAS IN DAVID AND SOLOMON TIME. Nothing is mentioned about changing in Nature or terrible international wars.

That posture towards Redemption and the Messiah prevailed in Judaism for 1500 years, through the Mishnah and the Talmud times. The Talmud states that in the Messianic time the world is expected to continue as it is now, with only one difference – the Redemption of Israel from the yoke of Pagan Rulers.

The RMBM follows the Rabbis’ approach. All the “End of the Days” prophecies should not be discussed in public since no one understand them – till the day they will be fulfilled. Then we’ll know.

For the RMBM, a Jewish leader who has managed to The RMBM follows the Rabbis’ approach. All the End of Days prophecies should not be discussed in public since no one understand them – till the day they will be fulfilled.

For the RMBM, a Jewish leader who has managed to

bring the heart of the Jewish people back to Hashem,
managed to assemble Israel into the Holy Land (like in Joshua time)
restore the Torah academies and Judges such as the Sanhedrin (as in the Book of Judges)
Build Jerusalem (as in the Book of Samuel)
Build the Holy Temple (as in the Book of KINGS) –

is “assumed” to be a Messiah

Nowadays, as we live in the second historical era ofRETURNING TO ZION, we pray that we also live in the Beginning of REDEMPTION , leading this time to the arrival of the offshoot of David. As Bilaam said, this can happen when Israel build a Torah society on the Land of Israel. Like a good fruit grown on a tree, a true Messiah needs a tree with solid trunk of faith, roots in the Patriarchs, and a canopy of TORAH to support its growing.

RMBM

In the days of the Messiah

nothing shall be abolished

from the custom of the world

and no novelty in the act of Genesis.

But the world will be as it is customary…”

Laws of Kings and Their Wars 12:1),

“There is nothing between this world

and the days of the Messiah

but only the bondage of kingdoms.”

“The prophet saythat there will be

a war of Gog and Magog.

And that before the war of Gog and Magog,

a prophet will stand up to straighten Israel

and prepare their hearts.

It is said,

‘Here I send you Elia the prophet

Before the coming of the day of HaSheM

The awesome and dreadful”

“And all these things, and so forth,

no man will know how they will be

until they happen.”

“Things are obscure among the prophets,

even the wise have no acceptance in these things,

and therefore, they have a dispute in these things,

and in any case, there is neither the arrangement

of the existence of these things nor their grammar in religion

foreword

[עריכה]

Maimonides chose to end his great book “Mishneh Torah” with two chapters dealing with the Messiah and the days of the Messiah. Maimonides in these laws ruled (Laws of Kings 51:31)the description of King Messiah, who would redeem Israel in their future redemption. Maimonides said:

“TheMessiah King is destined to stand and restore David’s kingdom to its former state to the first government, build the Temple and collect the exiles of Israel, restore the (Torah) judgments as before…

… And anyone who does not believe in Him or who does not wait for His coming, he is not only disbelieve in the prophets but in the Torah and Moses….

And if a king from the house of David stands, thinks of the Torah and practices the commandments like David his father, according to the written and oral Torah, and forces all Israel to walk in it and strengthen it in the minute, and fights the wars of God, it is presumed that he is the Messiah. If he did and succeeded and built a temple in his place and gathered the rejected Israelites, then this is certainly the Messiah

of rejected Israelites and repeat all the judgments of his day as before… And anyone who does not believe in Him or who does not wait for His coming. It is not only in the other prophets that he is an infidel. but in the Torah and Moses…. D. And if a king from the house of David stands, thinks of the Torah and practices the commandments like David his father, according to the written and oral Torah, and forces all Israel to walk in it and strengthen it in the minute, and fights the wars of God, it is presumed that he is the Messiah. If he did and succeeded and built a temple in his place and gathered the rejected Israelites, then this is certainly the Messiah…”.

Later, Maimonides ruled in his rulings regarding the Messiah’s death at the time of the future redemption, saying: “At the beginning of the Messiah’s days there will be a war of Gog and Magog. And that before the war of Gog and Magog, a prophet will stand up to straighten Israel and prepare their hearts. It is said, ‘Here I send you Elia and Go.’ … And some of the wise men say that before the coming of the Messiah Elijah will come. And all these things, and so forth, no man will know how they will be until they happen, that things are obscure among the prophets, even the wise have no acceptance in these things, but according to the verdict of the verses, and therefore they have a dispute in these things, and in any case there is no arrangement of the existence of these things, nor their grammar is the main thing in religion.”

On the other hand, Maimonides ruled (Halachot Teshuva 87:5) regarding the precondition for the future redemption, saying: “All the prophets all commanded repentance, and Israel is redeemed only by repentance. And already the Torah promised that the end of Israel would be repentance at the end of their exile, and immediately they would be redeemed. It is said: And if they come upon you and G-d and Shabbat until the Lord your God, and the return of the Lord your Godand Go.

‘” (דברים ל א–ב).

הקדמה

[עריכה]

הרמב”ם בחר לסיים את סיפרו הגדול “משנה תורה” בשני פרקים העוסקים במשיח ובימות המשיח. הרמב”ם בהלכותיו אלה פסק(הלכות מלכים פי”א, הל’ א’) את תאורו של המלך המשיח, העתיד לגאול את ישראל בגאולתם העתידית. וכה אמר הרמב”ם: “א. המלך המשיח עתיד לעמוד ולהחזיר מלכות דוד ליושנה לממשלה הראשונה, ובונה המקדש ומקבץ נדחי ישראל וחוזרין כל המשפטים בימיו כשהיו מקודם…וכל מי שאינו מאמין בו או מי שאינו מחכה לביאתו. לא בשאר הנביאים בלבד הוא כופר. אלא בתורה ובמשה רבינו…. ד. ואם יעמוד מלך מבית דוד, הוגה בתורה ועוסק במצוות כדוד אביו, כפי תורה שבכתב ושבעל פה, ויכוף כל ישראל לילך בה ולחזק בדקה, וילחם מלחמות ה’, הרי זה בחזקת שהוא משיח. אם עשה והצליח ובנה מקדש במקומו וקבץ נדחי ישראל הרי זה משיח בודאי…”.

בהמשך פסק הרמב”ם (הלכות מלכים פי”ב, הל’ ב’) בהלכותיו בענין ימות המשיח בזמן הגאולה העתידית, ואמר: “שבתחילת ימות המשיח תהיה מלחמת גוג ומגוג. ושקודם מלחמת גוג ומגוג יעמוד נביא לישר ישראל ולהכין לבם. שנאמר הנה אנכי שולח לכם את אליה וגו’. …ויש מן החכמים שאומרים שקודם ביאת המשיח יבוא אליהו. וכל אלו הדברים וכיוצא בהן לא ידע אדם איך יהיו עד שיהיו, שדברים סתומים הן אצל הנביאים, גם החכמים אין להם קבלה בדברים אלו, אלא לפי הכרע הפסוקים, ולפיכך יש להם מחלוקת בדברים אלו, ועל כל פנים אין סידור הויית דברים אלו ולא דיקדוקיהן עיקר בדת”.

מאידך פסק הרמב”ם (הלכות תשובה פ”ז, הל’ ה’) בענין התנאי המקדים לגאולה העתידית, ואמר: “כל הנביאים כולן ציוו על התשובה, ואין ישראל נגאלין אלא בתשובה. וכבר הבטיחה תורה שסוף ישראל לעשות תשובה בסוף גלותן, ומיד הן נגאלין. שנאמר: והיה כי יבואו עליך וגו’ ושבת עד ה’ אלהיך ושב ה’ אלהיך וגו'” (דברים ל א–ב).

הכל יודעים את גישתו של הרמב”ם לעניין ימות המשיח באמרו: “אל יעלה על הלב שבימות המשיח בטל דבר ממנהגו של עולם או יהיה שם חידוש במעשה בראשית, אלא עולם כמנהגו נוהג” (הלכות מלכים ומלחמותיהם יב, א) ובקיצור רמז על זה במקום נוסף: “אבל ימות המשיח הוא העולם הזה ועולם כמנהגו הולך” (הלכות תשובה ט, ב). ובשני המקומות הביא את דברי שמואל: “אין בין עולם הזה לימות המשיח אלא שעבוד מלכויות בלבד”. אולם מה שאינו ברור: עצם הרעיון של גאולת המשיח אצל הרמב”ם – מה מקומו במערכת היהדות? בטרמינולוגיה של עניין זה מצויים ארבעה מונחים: עולם הזה, עולם הבא, ימות המשיח ותחיית המתים. אצל הרבה הוגי דעות שלנו אנו מוצאים קשרי מושגים בין המונחים הללו, לפעמים עד כדי טשטוש תחומים. ביחס להשקפת הרמב”ם התחיל הפולמוס הידוע עוד בחיי הרמב”ם בעניין עולם הבא ותחיית המתים. בכל אופן לפי שיטתו של הרמב”ם אין קשר רעיוני בין עולם הבא ותחיית המתים מצד אחד וימות המשיח מן הצד השני והוא קבע הלכה פסוקה, שימות המשיח הם מן העולם הזה. ולפיכך אתרכז רק בעניין ימות המשיח בלא שום קשר לעניינים אחרים. ועלינו לקבוע את המקום המיוחד של רעיון הגאולה ביהדות.

Everyone knows Maimonides’ approach to the Messiah’s days when he said: “It should not occur to the heart that in the days of the Messiah nothing shall be abolished from the custom of the world, or there shall be a novelty in the act of Genesis, but a world as it is customary” (Laws of Kings and Their Wars 12:1), and in brief alluded to this in another place: “But the days of the Messiah are this world, and the world as it is

customary goes” (Laws of Teshuva 9:2). And in both places he brought Samuel’s words:

“There is nothing between this world and the days of Christ but only the bondage of kingdoms.” But what is not clear: Maimonides’ very idea of the Messiah’s redemption – what is its place in the Jewish system? In the terminology of this matter there are four terms: this world, the world to come, the time of the Messiah, and the resurrection. In many of our thinkers, we find conceptual connections between these terms, sometimes to the point of blurring areas. In relation to Maimonides’ view, the well-known polemic began during Maimonides’ lifetime regarding the World to Come and the resurrection of the dead. However, according to Maimonides’ method, there is no conceptual connection between the world to come and the resurrection of the dead on the one hand and the death of the Messiah on the other, and he established halacha (Jewish law) that the death of the Messiah is from this world. Therefore, I will concentrate only on the matter of the Messiah’s death, regardless of other matters. And we must determine the special place of the idea of redemption in Judaism.

Halachic Vs Mystic Messiah 1: Isaiah? Daniel? Bilaam?

Ezekiel concurs (30:3)

Obadiah says (1:15)

Malachi says (4:5)

Ezekiel says (13:5)

Zechariah 14:2

Isaiah 22:3

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