Days of Mashiach and Beyond (eBook)

An Anthology from Biblical, Midrashic, Talmudic & Rabbinic Writings

Rabbi Reuven Chapman (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
300 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-3741-1 (ISBN)

Infos

Delve into the profound topics of prophecy, resurrection, and the arrival of the Mashiach in 'The Days of Mashiach and Beyond.' This enlightening work explores questions about the return of the Mashiach, the role of false messiahs, and the fate of humanity on the Ultimate Day of Judgment. Drawing from ancient Jewish texts and teachings, this book provides valuable insights into the spiritual journey that has spanned the ages.

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Explore the depths of prophecy, resurrection, and the eagerly awaited arrival of the Mashiach in "e;The Days of Mashiach and Beyond."e; This comprehensive and enlightening work delves into profound questions that have intrigued humanity for generations. Within the pages of this book, you'll embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of Jewish tradition and prophecy. It tackles intriguing topics such as the dual occurrences of the Resurrection of the Dead, the enigmatic appearance of false messiahs throughout history, and the compelling question of whether we can actively hasten the arrival of the Mashiach. One of the fascinating aspects explored is the concept of two King Mashiachs, shedding light on the intricate layers of this divine plan. The age-old debate of whether the Third Temple will descend from Heaven fully constructed or be built by human hands is examined, providing a glimpse into the profound spiritual significance of this event. The book offers detailed insights into the mechanics of the Resurrection of the Dead, a concept deeply rooted in Jewish theology. It addresses intricate questions, such as the status of a spouse who remarried after their first partner's death, and to whom they will be married after both return from the Resurrection of the Dead. As the narrative unfolds, you'll be transported through time, tracing the history of the Mashiach's spirit from before the world's creation to our present day, just before the Mashiach's anticipated arrival. The book documents what will transpire before the Mashiach's coming and what transformations will unfold afterward, including the prophesied War of Gog and Magog, the monumental task of rebuilding the Third Temple, and the awe-inspiring Resurrection of the Dead. Drawing extensively from the Talmud, Midrash, Biblical sources, and the wisdom of the Sages of Israel across generations, this work is meticulously researched and annotated, providing a valuable resource for those seeking a deeper understanding of these profound subjects. The book concludes with practical steps that readers can take to contribute to the hastening of the Mashiach's arrival, making it a call to action for all who long for the fulfillment of this ancient prophecy.

Textauszug

INTRODUCTION

Why investigate these matters when the Rambam tells us not to?

The Rambam1 writes, “And one should not engage in the stories relating to the End of Days nor spend much time delving into the many midrashim which discuss these matters, nor make them one’s primary focus because they bring one neither to fear nor to love of Hashem. And similarly, do not calculate when the end will come, for those who attempt it will be frustrated.”

Rabbi Yehoshua Hartman in the introduction to his Mechon Yerushalyim edition of the Maharal’s Netzach Yisrael asks the obvious question: based upon this quote from the Rambam that the study of these matters relating to the Mashiach do not bring one to fear or love of Hashem, why would the Maharal write his work Netzach Yisrael, focused on just this topic? And one cannot answer that the quote from the Rambam was focused on the calculations of the end specifically because as he writes, “also the calculations of the end,” implying that other matters are also included. So how can we reconcile the Maharal’s writing his Sefer Netzach Yisrael with this statement from the Rambam?

In addition, there have been many other great Torah scholars such as the Ramban, the Abarbanel and the Ramchal as well as others who have published major works on this topic! It does not seem logical that on such a fundamental matter, there should be such an extremely wide variety of opinions among Torah scholars on this matter, to the extent that on the one hand, the Rambam writes not to engage in these studies, while so many others write extensively on this topic.

However, when we investigate the words of the Rambam carefully we see that the matter becomes clear. The Rambam wrote that these references to the Mashiach do not bring one to fear or love of Hashem. Whereas the good in this world brings a person to the love and awe of Hashem, how much more so will the complete goodness that awaits one in the World to Come have even more of an impact on a person. So why then did the Rambam state that engaging in these studies does not lead one to increased love and awe of Hashem?

However, when we carefully investigate the words of the Rambam, the answer becomes clear. The Rambam says that these stories from the Talmud regarding the days of Mashiach do not bring one to fear or love of Hashem. One can wonder; doesn’t the mere anticipation of the great goodness that awaits the Jewish people in the future bring us to a state of love and fear of Him?

One must conclude that the words of the Rambam in Hilchos Melachim do not refer to learning that investigates the greatness of the world of Mashiach but rather something else. The Maharal has already developed the concept that the words of our Sages are focused upon the perceived and not the tangible. Even the Rambam himself in his Maamar Techias Hameisim warns us not to take the statements of our Sages at face value. Rather these statements are meant to teach a lesson that needs to be understood. In fact, the statements of our Sages can be understood from the perspective of 1) the many interpretations of specific Messianic matters per se or 2) the study of the general matter of Messianic affairs, which hides within it the many details.

We can now understand that in his Hilchos Melachim, the Rambam was referring to interpreting the various statements of our Sages from the point of view of specific issues. The Rambam never intended to block one from analyzing these statements from the general aspects. Therefore, since the teachings of the Maharal are entirely built upon the principle of understanding the statements of our Sages along these lines, there is no contradiction between the Rambam and the writings of the Maharal in his work Netzach Yisrael.

The Malbim2 explains that was only in the distant past when the End was hidden from the public. But as we approach the era of the End, the secrecy and doubt will diminish, and the certainty of its imminence will increase. The story is told of the Malbim that in his youth, he would travel with his father to a trade fair in a distant town. When he would ask his father, “when will we get there?” His father replied, “Don’t ask foolish questions because we still have much further to travel.”

Several weeks later, the Malbim heard his father ask the wagon driver, “How much further?” The Malbim then asked his father why he replied that his was a silly question, when now the father was asking the wagon driver the same question? The father replied that at the outset of the trip, when there were still weeks of travel ahead of them, it was silly to ask such a question, but now that they were close to arriving at their destination it was appropriate to ask when they would arrive. The Malbim explains that the same applies to awaiting the arrival of Mashiach. Previously, the Torah sages knew that there would still be centuries until Mashiach would arrive, so they said not to calculate the End. But now that the End is near, certainly one can look forward to Mashiach’s imminent arrival.

Rabbi Refuel HaLevi Eizenberg in the introduction to his Chevlei Mashiach B’zmaneinu writes that when one notes what has happened recently in our days, we see that the words of the prophets and sages regarding Chevlei Mashiach have in fact come to pass. Therefore, it seems correct, in my humble opinion, for this generation to clarify these words to strengthen our faith and love for our Father in Heaven.

As Rabbi Moshe Eisemann observes; “We will understand the exact meaning of the many obscure passages in Scripture with the occurrence of the events which they describe. In the meantime, we need to know no more than the general picture which the sources yield. The details are in no way principles of faith.” 3

How to Relate to Aggados Regarding the Future

The Rambam4 explains how to relate to the many aggados about the future eras like the Messianic era, the Resurrection of the Dead, and the World to Come. The Rambam identifies three groups of people regarding how they understand and interpret the aggados in the Torah: 1) The first group takes the statements of Aggadah literally. They do not assume that the story should be taken as an allegory to mean something else. They feel that by taking it literally, they are showing the utmost respect to the Torah even though this may result in absurd conclusions and in some cases lead to physical impossibilities. 2) The second group also takes the Aggadah literally, but instead of showing utmost respect for the Torah, they deride the Sages as primitive and ignorant. The Rambam writes that this group is more foolish than the first group since they thoughtlessly downgrade the Sages who have already been accepted by men of real intelligence. 3) The third group consists of those who have come to appreciate the greatness of the Sages and their viewpoints. This is because the few insights of the Sages which this group comprehends indicate the depth of their wisdom. They recognize that the Sages do not speak nonsense and that much of what they said is to be understood as an allegory for the real message. This last approach, the Rambam says, is the only approach to understanding some otherwise incomprehensible aggados. Even so, one may not come to a complete understanding of the inner meaning of these statements. The Rambam remarks5 that for many of the statements made in the context of the days of the Mashiach, a clear understanding will have to wait until we experience them firsthand.

It seems appropriate to present a review of the many references found in the many Biblical, Midrashic, Talmudic and Rabbinic writings on this and related subjects. The reader can then appreciate additional dimensions in current events and begin to piece together how these fit into the framework of the imminent arrival of the Mashiach.

Much of the material in the Rabbinic writings refer to different time periods. The focus will be to gather the many topics which are discussed in the writings regarding the End of Days, the Mashiach and beyond, and present a summary of what is discussed, grouped by the period in which it is discussed when possible, so that the interested reader can pursue further research in these areas.

I have included a Glossary of Terms at the end of this sefer to assist those unfamiliar with the anglicized Hebrew terms as well as a thumbnail biography of the names of some of the Rabbis and other published works mentioned here.

The material presented is organized in the following sections:

•Chapter One: Two of the Rambam’s Fundamental Principles

•Chapter Two: The Mashiach: A Historical Perspective

•Chapter Three: Events Leading Up to His Arrival

•Chapter Four: Upon the Mashiach’s Arrival

•Chapter Five: In the Future to Come

•Chapter...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 18.12.2023
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Judentum
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-3741-1 / 9798350937411