11 Name
of messiahs and angels
The messiah is not necessarily a king but the anointed of G-d, his servant.
Most often this applied to kings, but also high priests were anointed.
Text
11-1: Sanhedren 98b on the Names of Moshiach
The school of R. Shila said: The messiah's name is ‘Shiloh’,
as it is stated, Until Shiloh come (Gen. XLIX, 10), where the word is spelt
Shlh. The School of R. Hanina said: His name is 'Haninah’, as it is
stated, I will not give you Haninah (Jer. XVI, 13). The School of R. Jannai
said: His name is 'Yinnon’; for it is written, E'er the sun was, his name
is Yinnon (Ps. LXXII, 17). R. Biba of Sergunieh said: His name is
'Nehirah’, as it is stated, And the light (nehorah) dwelleth with Him
(Dan. II, 22), where the word is spelt nehirah.The Vilna Gaon says
that these four opinions are one since the initials of Menachem, Shilo, Yinnon,
and Haninah make up the word Moshiach. The Gemara tells us that Moshe Rabenu
and King Solomon had many names. Similarly the messiah has many
names.
Maimonides teaches that we are commanded to believe in the coming
of messiah, and though he might tarry, we wait and are prepared to follow. What
is certain is that the prophets did not believe in one and only one messiah. In
fact, Isaiah calls Cyrus the messiah when he beseeches him to let the Jews
return to
Israel.
[1135]In
addition, the prophets teach that only G-d is our redeemer and savior. In other
places, the prophets discuss leaders acting as agents to save the people. The
leaders at best are servants of G-d bringing the children of Israel back to God.
After the people betrayed G-d as their King in asking Samuel for a ‘king
like the other nations’, G-d said listen to the people. Why the sudden
acquiescence? We are permitted righteous leaders who will turn us back to our
True and only King.
Text
11-2: Redeemer and redeemer – Savior and
savior
Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be: Have you not redeemed us
already through Moses and Joshua and the judges and kings? Yet now are we to
return to be enslaved and be ashamed, as though we had never been
redeemed?
The Holy One, blessed be he, said to them: Seeing that your redemption
was at the hands of flesh and blood, and your leaders were men, here today,
tomorrow in the grave; therefore your redemption has been a redemption for a
space. But in the time to come I myself will redeem you; I, who am living and
enduring will redeem you with a redemption enduring forever; as it is said:
“O Israel, that art saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation”
(Isaiah
45:17)[1136]Genesis
teaches that G-d created us in His image. To love Him is to love our fellow man
since everyone is in the image of G-d. A Midrash teaches, “He who is
loved by others is loved by God.” Part of the role of a messiah is to be
a righteous leader, who will unify the hearts of people to serve God. To
believe in messiah is to raise our children as potential leaders helping others
with the twinkling light of God in their eyes. Each child is a potential
messiah, who will help another return to God.
Messiah or anointed is
one who is strong within, traveling from place to place spreading blessings, who
prays to G-d and G-d hears him, whose ‘shield’ G-d beholds.
Text
11-3: Psalm 84:6-13
Happy is the man whose strength is in you; in whose heart
are highways,
that passing through the valley of Baca make it a place
of springs;
the early rain also covers it with
blessings.
They go from strength to strength, every one of them
appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give
ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
Behold, O God our shield, and look
upon the face of your anointed (your messiah).
For a day in
your courts is better than a thousand.
I had rather be at the
threshold in the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of the
wicked.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord will
give loving kindness and glory;
no good thing will he withhold from
those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, happy is the man who trusts
in you.
We know that the messianic kingdom is in the physical world, this gift of
G-d for us, so precious that we believe—the resurrection of the dead into
the physical world is more then the World to Come:
Text
11-4: Messiah and the World to Come
Samuel said: “There is no difference between this world and the
days of the messiah except servitude to foreign kingdoms.” Rabbi Johanan
said: “All the prophets prophesied only for the days of messiah, but what
concerns the World to Come ‘no eye hath seen, oh God, beside Thee, what He
will do for him that waiteth for Him’ (Isaiah
64:3).”[1137]
Rav used to say: “Not like this world is the World to Come. In
the World to Come there is no eating nor drinking; no procreation of children or
business; no envy, or hatred, or competition; but the righteous sit, their
crowns on their heads, and enjoy the splendor of the Divine
Presence.”[1138]
But in this world we cling to the Tree of Life, for she is the length
of our days. What is the Tree of Life? She is the Torah, our story, and our
laws. She is the kabbalah, our spiritual tradition, and our inheritance. She
is the simple plant we hold in our hands to bring to a new land to nourish and
grow. She is G-d’s precious gift to us for our lives:
Text
11-5: Land and Plants
Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai used to say: “If there be a plant in
your hand when they say to you: ‘Behold the Messiah! —Go and plant
the plant, and afterward go out to greet
him.”[1139]
For the messianic kingdom is the physical world, the gift of G-d that
which we take care of while Hashem has loaned us bodies in this world. Moreover
each animal, each plant, each rock is precious to Hashem and His righteous
leader will teach so.
11.1 David
With the anointing of David, the following concept
grew.
[1140]Text
11-6: Light of the Messiah
Go and see under how many layers the light of David was concealed till
he was found worthy of sitting on his throne. This light was first revealed
through Avraham our first father. Then it was covered and again revealed. It
was again covered many times, until David became king. But in David too, the
light was not revealed in all its strength, for the generations were not yet
worthy. It is destined to appear in all its power in the End-of-Days, in the
Messiah — the son of David.
After Avraham, this light — the light of the Messiah — was
divided in two. One half was hidden in the depths of the earth, in the seed of
Amon and Moab. The other half remained revealed, and passed to Itzchak, and
from him to Yaakov. In Yehudah, the son of Yaakov this light began to glow and
it became manifest that he was worthy of sovereignty. The light continued to
shine among the sons of Peretz, the son of Yehudah. But it was covered in
Egypt. It was again revealed in Nachshon, the son of Aminadav, who was among
those who came out of Egypt. It remained revealed among his sons; then it was
again covered till the days of Elmelech, the son of Nachshon. Of him, all had
at first said: This is the man for whom we have been waiting; he will sit on
Israel’s throne. But he was not worthy of the kingdom. He fled to Moab.
Then God revealed the light, which had been hidden in the field of Moab. And
God’s profound design was fulfilled: to ‘return’ Ruth to Beit
Lechem, so that the light of the Messiah might be revealed from both of its
parts at the same time. The Messiah would be born from the marriage of Boaz,
the son of Shalman, the son of Nachshon, to Ruth the daughter of ... Eglon, who
had ‘returned’ from the field of Moab to her origins:
Avraham’s Torah of loving kindness.
When Boaz died immediately after his marriage to Ruth, darkness
descended upon the world, and the light of the Messiah was covered. There were
many who said: It is not God’s desire that Moab’s seed should
mingle with the seed of the elect among Israel. Ruth, they said, had caused the
death of Boaz. And the son she would bear from him — if she were to bear
one — would perhaps be illegitimate.
For the Halachah, which allowed the women of Moab to marry into the
community of Israel, had not yet been firmly established in Israel, and there
were many who protested against
it.[1141] If you will
examine the Megilah of Ruth, you will find that from the time when Ruth’s
pregnancy is mentioned, till the end, the Elders, and all the others who were
mentioned earlier — at the time of Ruth’s marriage to Boaz —
‘vanish’ completely. Even Ruth, Oved’s mother, is no longer
mentioned. From now on only the neighboring women concern themselves with the
newborn child — who, out of compassion, as it were, sought to cover up
Ruth’s part in this child — ‘there is born a son to
Naomi...’ (not to Ruth). It is they who give the child a name, in an
effort to hearten Naomi. For the Halachah in the matter hung, as it were, on a
hair’s-breadth. None knew how to decide the Halachah with certainty
except for God Himself, Who alone knew that this Halachah was valid: that the
actions of Boaz and Ruth were for the sake of Heaven, and for the sake of
revealing the light of the Messiah.
Oved grew to adulthood and all saw him to be righteous. Their courage
revived, and they said: If he were illegitimate, Heaven forbid, it would not
have been possible for him to be as righteous and holy as he is.
This view was further strengthened after Ishai was born, and all saw
that he was completely pure, without the slightest taint of evil. Then they
said: The Divine Spirit spoke through Boaz and the Elders, who permitted Ruth
to enter into the congregation of the Lord. They did act in accord with the
Torah.
Subsequently, there was born to Ishai six sons — and in all Beit
Lechem none were as righteous and pure as they: Heroes in the strength of the
Torah, and possessed in full measure of every goodly portion found in the world.
There was now a triple cord: Oved, Ishai, Eliav and his brothers — this
cord would not snap.[1142]
Whoever was doubtful earlier said in his heart: one must never despair in the
face of calamity. Now that three generations were born in purity and holiness,
it was clear to all that the entire house of Ishai was pure and without blemish.
From him the anticipated light within Yehudah, would come forth.
Till ... David was born and ‘a cloud of darkness coved the
heaven,’ such as there never had been. And again no one knew where the
light was hidden, except for God alone.
This last ‘covering’ came before the great revelation.
Therefore it was a denser covering than all that had preceded it. God took the
light of the Messiah and covered it from every living eye. In deep darkness, He
hid the light.
There is a man who is hidden before all other men, but is not hidden
from his father and his mother. There are those who are hidden before their
fathers and mothers, but are revealed to others. There are even those who are
hidden from everybody. How can one be hidden from the greatest of the prophets
in his generation — from one in whose heart God had placed wisdom, and the
capacity to see from one end of the world to the other?
Indeed, David’s secret was hidden from his father and mother, from
all who dwelt in his generation and even from Shmuel the Seer, who did not know
him even after he saw him. Till God said to him: ‘Arise and anoint him,
for this is he.’
The Sages have said of Ishai, David’s father, that in his old age,
he became doubtful of his status — because of his great fear of the
slightest taint of sin. He thought: Heaven forbid, perhaps the decision of my
grandfather Boaz and his Beit Din did not correspond accurately to the true
Halachah. Perhaps I am illegitimate, and I am prohibited from entering the
congregation of the Lord. How can I dwell with my wife, who is a legitimate
daughter of Israel, While I — perhaps I am a Moabite?
Before this dreadful doubt rose in Ishai’s heart, six sons and two
daughters had already been born to him. What could avail to rectify the past?
But the way of the wicked is not the way of the righteous. The way of the
wicked is not to fear sin. And if they do fear it, it is the ensuing penalty
that they fear. If they see themselves excessively immersed in sin, they no
longer forsake sin out of fear of punishment. The righteous, however, are
different since their essential fear is of sin rather than of penalty.
Therefore, even when they see themselves as having committed transgression, and
they find that they can no longer rectify its past effects, they nevertheless do
not add in the slightest to their earlier misdeeds.
Ishai went and separated himself from his wife. He remained separated
from her for many years, and his sons knew...
Since Ishai was great in righteousness, he realized: God did not
create His world for naught, He fashioned it to be inhabited. And it is not
proper for a person to dwell without a wife. What did he do? After many years
of separation from his wife, he took a Canaanite maidservant who been part of
his household and he said to her: ‘You are conditionally freed: if I am
permitted to enter the congregation of the Lord, your liberation is valid, and
you are my wife in accord with the laws of Moshe and Israel. But if I am
prohibited from entering the congregation of the Lord, your liberation is not
valid, and you remain permitted to a Moabite.
Ishai’s wife, who was herself pure and righteous, suffered great
anguish over the fact that her righteous husband was separated from her, and she
was desirous of again bearing children from him. The maidservant saw her
anguish, and said to her: ‘Do with me as Leah did with her sister
Rachel,’ and Ishai’s wife came in the place of the maidservant. She
sanctified herself, and prayed to God. God answered her prayers: she conceived.
And it was of God, that Ishai should not know of the change. Within three
months his sons saw that their mother had conceived, and they said to their
father Ishai: ‘See, our mother is with child by harlotry. We wish to
slay her, together with the unborn one who is within her!’
At that time, Ishai felt terrible anguish, and his heart was as if dead
within him. And thus did he say to his sons: ‘Let her give birth. And do
not arouse slander against yourselves. Let the child be abhorred, and let him
be a servant to you.’ He wanted thereby to prevent David from mingling
with the people of Israel. (despite the failure to publicize the
‘illegitimacy’).
The child who was born from this conception was David. Of this David
said: ‘I was estranged from my brothers:’ — (they considered
me a bastard). ‘And I was alien to the sons of my mother:’ (they
suspected her of harlotry).
From here we learn that the marriage of
Boaz and Ruth were never fully accepted in the community. Moreover, there was
never an explicit conversion of Ruth for the law allowing a Moabite woman to be
accepted had not yet been established. Hence, the text states, ‘there is
born a son to Naomi...’
Also, we see that Ishai’s attempt at
polygamy was done out of righteousness, “God did not create His world for
naught, He fashioned it to be inhabited. And it is not proper for a person to
dwell without a wife.” Perhaps, it is a remnant of his Moabite past that
gave him the inclination for the Canaanite maidservant making him feel that he
was not of the House of Israel. If the messianic spirit can be born in a house
with such inclinations; then we must be even more careful not to judge
negatively our own house having far less scandal.
11.2 Haninah
who brings favor
The School of R. Hanina said: His name is 'Haninah’, as it is
stated, I will not give you Haninah (Jer. XVI, 13).
The yeshiva picks a name similar to its own rabbi, in recognition or
belief in its Tzaddik Emes – righteous true one, who currently leads them.
The lesson here is that one must believe in the righteous leader and this is the
striving for moshiach.
11.3 Go’al
the redeemer
And a redeemer shall come to Zion, and to those in Jacob who turn from
transgression, says the Lord.
But I think there is a better translation:
And a redeemer shall
come to Zion and Jacob shall turn from his errors, pleasing the
Lord.
But this is difficult since the phrase “and to
turn” and “with/in Jacob” are missing.
And a
redeemer shall come to Zion and with Jacob to turn from transgression pleasing
the Lord.
The turning is tshuvah – repentance of sins
‘in’ Jacob so this must be expressed:
And a redeemer shall
come to Zion and in Jacobs’ transgression to make tshuvah pleasing the
Lord.
The Bet that begins, ‘In Jacob’ seems to be the
key. Jacob does not appear to be entirely the subject but in some way partly
the object.
And a redeemer shall come to Zion and to turn away
transgression in Jacob says the Lord.
This is problematic as well
since one cannot turn away the transgression of another for each of us must
repent for his own sins. Does Isaiah 59:20 allude to Isaiah 53? If so the
redeemer is not the messiah for this is not the role of the messiah. Nor is
Isaiah 53 about the messiah. Instead, this is the “Son of Man” that
is spoken of throughout the prophets. Some call him, “Moshiach ben
Yosef”, but that is not correct since he is not an anointed
king.
To understand him is to under Joseph. Joseph was imprisoned in the
dungeons of Pharaoh and he suffered for the future redemption of his own people.
Joseph was the arm of Pharaoh, the bearer of his signet. He was an agent of G-d
as well. When their brothers saw Joseph weeping they were brought to tshuvah in
those tears for the sadness that they had all suffered over the years.
Judah represents the paradigm of moshiach, a natural ruler of his
brethren for the morality of G-d.
We have two
paradigms:
|
Son of Man
|
Anointed
|
|
Joseph
|
Judah
|
|
Isaiah Suffering Servant
|
|
I am beginning to favor an alternative translation entirely based
on the word, ‘Shavai’ meaning ‘captivity’ instead of
‘turn’ or ‘repentence’. In this context the sentence
becomes:
And a redeemer shall come to Zion and to the captive for the
sins in Jacob, says the Lord.
The redeemer comes not only to Zion but also to those in captivity.
During the time of Isaiah this would be those in Babylonia. Jacob is in exile
for his sins. Referring to the people as Jacob alludes to his state before he
merited to be called Israel. Nevertheless, the redeemer will come to both. The
servant is taken into captivity because of the sins of Jacob.
11.4 Meir
who spreads
light
11.5 Menachem
the comforter
The messiah’s name is Menachem, the comforter from the Book of
Lamentations,
Eichah.
[1143]Over these things I weep; my eyes run with water because a comforter to
revive my spirit is far from me... Because Menachem is far from me returner of
my soul.
Menachem –
מנחם is the
gematria of Tzemach –
צמח which means
the sprouting or blossoming of a victory, 138.
Text
11-9: Messiah of Arbel
Drive slowly on the road to Biq’at Arbel. After all, one of the
traditions connected with the place is that a Messiah, Menachem Ben-Amiel, will
appear here and meet the Prophet Elijah and the sages of Israel. There is a
hint at this tradition in the Jerusalem Talmud: “Once a farmer was
ploughing his field at Biq’at Arbel. Suddenly his ox brayed. A passing
Arab heard the braying and said: ‘Jew! Jew! Untie your ox and untie your
plough because the Temple is destroyed!’ After some time the ox brayed
again. The same Arab said: ‘Jew! Jew! Tie up your ox and tie up your
plough because Messiah the King is born!’ The Jew said: ‘What is
his name?’ The Arab replied: ‘Menachem...from the king’s
capital of Judean Bethlehem.’”...
The remains of the synagogue here were mentioned by travelers many years
ago. Shmuel Ben-Shimshon wrote in 1210: “And we went up to Arbel and
there is the big synagogue built by Nitai the Arbelite.” At one point the
graves of Jacob’s children, Dina, Levi, and Shimon, were said to be
located beside the synagogue. Adam’s son Seth was also said to be buried
here.
[1144] Shmuel Ben-Shimshon
refers to this: “and near to Arbel are three tribes of the sons of Jacob
and Dina their sister and beside the flock grows a beautiful myrtle and none may
take a branch from it, neither a Jew nor Ishmaelite, for fear of punishment.
And near there is another sage. And the water pipe passes over it and it is
covered with earth and the water falls in the spring in a kind of pit. And they
say this Seth, son of the first man.”
11.6 Nehirah
the light is with
him
11.7 Shiloh
of the time of paradise
The yeshiva of R. Shila said: The Messiah's name is
‘Shiloh’, as it is stated, Until Shiloh come (Gen. XLIX, 10), where
the word is spelt
שילה.The
Gematria of Shilo, 345 is Moshe
Rabenu.
[1145] Moshe Rabenu and
Moshiach are actually one. King and Nasi and the chief rabbi are the same. The
chief rabbi and president (nasi) are one in Judaism. This is implied by the
letter Aleph. The vav in the middle of an Aleph represents Zer Anpin or Moshe
Rabenu. The two yods on both sides are the two messiahs, moshiach ben Yosef and
moshiach ben David.
11.8 Yinnon
lest the Sun has waxed away
The yeshiva of R. Jannai said: His name is 'Yinnon’; for it is
written, E'er the sun was, his name is Yinnon (Ps. LXXII, 17).
In the
psalm, King David is praying for the next King of Israel and he hears his name
is Yinnon, which means to rule, malchut. The commentaries say in the alphabet
Akbash, we exchange the aleph for the tav. Exchanging Nun for Heh, we end up
with Yod Heh Vav Heh. Yannai has the gematria of 71 like the Sanhedren with the
crown of G-d above them. Each yeshiva chooses the messiah’s name after
itself.
Text
11-10: Pesachim 54a on the name of the Messiah
Seven things were created before the world was created, and these are
they: The Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the Throne of Glory,
the Temple, and the name of the Messiah...
The name of the Messiah, as it is written, His
[sc. the Messiah's] name shall endure forever, and has
(Yanun) exited before the
sun![1146]
There is some basis to question whether Psalm 72:17, which the Gemara
is quoting is messianic. A better translation is "May His
Name last forever before the Sun has waxed (Yinnon) away and blessed be His
Name, all the nations will praise Him." The subsequent passages 72:18-20
suggest that this is all praise to G-d:
Text
11-11: Psalm 72:17-20
17. May His Name last forever before the Sun has waxed (Yinnon) away and
blessed be His Name, all the nations shall praise Him.
18. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous
things.
19. And blessed be his glorious name forever; and let the whole earth be
filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
20. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.The
Soncino Talmud presents this commentary on the seven things created before the
world:
[1147]
Text
11-12: Talmud on Psalm 72:17
Ps. LXXII, 17. — Thus the Gehenna was created before the world.
— The general idea of this Baraitha is that these things are indispensable
pre-requisites for the orderly progress of mankind upon earth. The Torah, the
supreme source of instruction; the concept of repentance, in recognition that
‘to err is human’, and hence, if man falls, the opportunity to rise
again; the Garden of Eden and the Gehenna, symbolizing reward and punishment;
the Throne of Glory and the Temple, indicating that the goal of Creation is that
the Kingdom of God (represented by the Temple) shall be established on earth, as
it is in heaven; and finally, the name of the Messiah,
i.e., the assurance that God's purpose will
ultimately be achieved.
Hence, here the Messiah will ultimately help God’s purpose to be
achieved. To understand the name Yinnon is to understand Psalm 72:
Text
11-13: Tanach - Psalms Chapter 72
1. A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king your judgments, O God, and your
righteousness to the king’s son.
2. That he may judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with
judgment.
3. Let the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills, by
righteousness.
4. May he judge the poor of the people, may he save the children of the
needy, and may he break in pieces the oppressor.
5. May they fear you as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all
generations.
6. May he come down like rain that falls on the mown grass; like showers
that water the earth.
7. Let the righteous flourish in his days; and let there be abundance of
peace till the moon is no more.
8. May he have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river to the
ends of the earth.
9. Let those who dwell in the wilderness bow down before him; and let
his enemies lick the dust.
10. May the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents; may the
kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11. And may all kings fall down before him; may all nations serve
him.
12. For he shall save the needy when he calls; the poor also, and him
who has no helper.
13. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the
needy.
14. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence; and precious
shall their blood be in his sight.
15. Long may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him; may
prayer be made for him continually; and may he daily be blessed.
16. May there be abundance of grain in the land, may it wave on the tops
of the mountains; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may the men of the city
flourish like grass of the earth.
17. (K) May his name endure for ever; may his name be continued as
long as the sun; may men be blessed in him; may all nations call him
happy.
18. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous
things.
19. And blessed be his glorious name forever; and let the whole earth be
filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.
20. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
The
verse containing the messianic name is 72:17:
יהי
שמו לעולם
לפני שמש ינין
[ינון]
שמו
ויתברכו בו
כל-גוים
יאשרוהו
And let
his name be forever before the Sun has ‘Ionized’
away
And all the nations shall rejoice and be blessed in his
name
The key meaning of the name Yanun is ionized or evaporated away. It
alludes to the Moon, which is Lavana waxing and waning away. Yanun as
‘ionization’ alludes to lightning and even the electrum that Ezekiel
saw in the image of man on the throne of G-d. Before the sun has ionized away
is before the end of the Sun’s life where it will become a planetary nova
and finally a white dwarf.
The messiah here is like the tzaddik who
absorbs the light of G-d. The light is ever emanating like the Sun, and the
messiah or people in general are like the Moon receiving the light when we are
good. However if we are not good, has vshalom, we are like the ‘dark side
of the moon’ unable to receive the
light.
[1148] This is the
relationship between Hochmah and Malchut where the wisdom of G-d, when our
leaders are righteous, flows to the people. However if the leaders are bad than
the people will not receive the light and there is only materialism, this is the
kingdom of Rome, has vshalom.
In the analogy above the Shemesh –
Sun, is the light of G-d and Yanun is the receptacle of the light. This is also
alluded to by ‘favor’ –
חן. Het is
Hochmah and Nun is Malchut by the word nofel – ‘fallen’ nature
of the world. When the leaders have wisdom, this is the messiah quality in the
world. When there is no wisdom there is only the fallen
state.
[1149] The unity of the
physical and spiritual brings grace to the world.
The name Yanun by
ionizing the Sun is an aspect of nothingness, which is precisely how we receive
the favor of
G-d.
[1150]Text
11-14: Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev on G-d’s Continuous
Sustenance
The most important thing to realize is that God created all and that He
is all. God’s influence never ceases. At every instant, He gives
existence to His creation, to all the universes, to the heavenly chambers, and
to all the angels....
We therefore say [in the prayer before the Sh’ma], “He forms
light and creates darkness” [in the present tense], and not “He
formed light and created darkness” [in the past tense]. We say that God
“creates” in the present tense because every second he creates and
gives existence to all that is. Everything comes from God. He is perfect and
He includes all things.
When a person attains the attribute of Nothingness, he realizes that he
is nothing, and that God is giving him existence. He can then say that God
“creates” – in the present tense. This means that God is
creating, even at this very moment. When a person looks at himself and not at
Nothingness, then he is on a level of “somethingness” [and
independent existence]. He then says that God “created” – in
the past tense. This means that God created him earlier [but that he now has
independent existence].
We therefore say the blessing, “[Blessed are You, O God...] who
created man with wisdom.” [We use the past tense,] since Wisdom is on a
level of “somethingness.” We therefore find in the writings of the
Ari that the expression, “God is King,” is an aspect of Nothingness.
For when we say that “God is King” [in the present tense] it means
that He is presently giving us existence. This is the aspect of Nothingness
– we are nothing, and it is God who is giving us the power [to
exist.].
On the level of Nothingness, everything is above the laws of nature. On
the level of “somethingness,” on the other hand, all things are
bound by nature. The way in which we bind “somethingness” to
Nothingness is through the Torah and commandments. This is the meaning of the
verse, “The Living Angels ran and returned” (Ezekiel 1:14) –
[that is, from a level of Nothingness to one of
“somethingness.”]...
Here Yanun is the
messianic/nothingness aspect of Malchuts that attaches to the
shefa/somethingness aspect of Hochmah. This is when the daughter -
בת is with her
father -
אבא. From
this connection grace flows.
Yanun means to rule, malchuts. In the
alphabet Akbash, Aleph for Tets, Bets for the Hes and so on. With the nun and
heh interchanged, yod nun vav nun becomes yod heh vav heh.
11.9 Isaiah’s
Cyrus
Isaiah calls Cyrus the messiah when he sees that Cyrus may act as the agent
of God permitting the return of the Israelites to their
homeland.
[1151]
11.10 Messiah
ben Joseph
Hazal teaches that there are two types of leaders or messianic qualities.
Joseph who was Pharaoh’s assistant displayed intelligence, patience,
careful planning and quiet fortitude. Judah, on the other hand, took Tamar in a
rash moment while possessing the strength and respect of his brethren. The
reconciliation of these two brothers is the reconciliation of the house of
Israel and repeats itself throughout Jewish
history.
[1152]Judah to David – Joseph to
Jonathon
David is of the spiritual lineage of Judah while Jonathon is of the
spiritual lineage of Joseph. Jonathon loved David because he saw how David
united the people and was beloved by them. This was the love of messiah son of
Joseph for messiah son of Judah, who wished only to spiritually prepare the
world for the righteous warrior king, who will fight G-d’s battles and
return the people to the holy land of Israel.
Yet, from Ovadiah we learn
that Messiah ben Joseph will wage the war of Armageddon and that he will die in
this war. Similarly, Jonathon died in battle against the Philistines. Messiah
ben David will inherit the kingdom after the war and rule in
peace.
[1153]Text
11-15: Samuel 2:1:23: David’s
lamentation
Saul and Jonathan were beloved and pleasant in their
lives,
and not parted in their deaths,
neither by swift
eagles, nor by fierce lions.
11.11 Peretz
and Zerach
Judah had two sons via Tamar who were twins. The name of the first is
Peretz from the idea of bursting forth. The second’s name Zerach means to
continuously shine.
[1154]
Together they allude to the light of moshiach that breaks through all
obstacles.
[1155]Text
11-16: Genesis 38 on the sons of Judah and
Tamar
26. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She has been more righteous
than I; because I did not give her to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no
more.
27. And it came to pass in the time of her labor, that, behold,
twins were in her womb.
28. And it came to pass, when she labored,
that one put out his hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a
scarlet thread, saying, “This came out first.”
29. And it
came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that, behold, his brother came out; and
she said, What a breach you have made for yourself. Therefore his name was
called Perez.
30. And afterward came out his brother, who had the
scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name was called Zarah.
Peretz
is the ancestor of David and thus, clearly identified with messiah leadership.
Zerach too alludes to the light of messiah.
Is the yearning for messiah
the yearning for the ubermensch, the overman, or great person who serves the
welfare of mankind? The longing to have a child who overcomes the burdens of
today is almost a universal desire. The modern idea of the messiah seems to be
this mental archetype engrained in the human psyche. To believe in messiah
today resembles believing in the potential of a child to grow up and save the
world in some manner. Is this the principle of the First Man – Adam
Kadmon, that all are connected to? Is this an original idea in the Torah?
11.12 Messiah
ben David
Messiah ben David bears the scepter and kingship of the house of
Israel. He acquires this role from messiah ben Joseph as David acquired his
position with the permission of Jonathon. The earliest messianic text showing
the duality of messiah is in Numbers. Here we find that the star possesses the
qualities of Joseph while the scepter is that of Judah. Both are essential in
leadership. The Star prepares the way for the
Scepter.
[1156]Text
11-17: Two types of messiah
I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near; there
shall come a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel, and
shall strike the corners of Moab, and destroy all the sons of
Seth.Ovadiah explains that Jacob represents Joseph
here.
[1157] The scepter refers
to the rulership of Judah.
11.13 Raising
Moshiach
There is the mitzvah to await the messiah in each generation. The
Chofetz Chayim kept a packed suitcase next to his bed with anticipation of
returning to Israel under the leadership of messiah.
The command goes
further. We should look for the spark of moshiach even in our own children and
prepare them with the education that they will need.
The spark of
moshiach could only enter the Jewish people through a Ger – a convert (see
14.14.2). Even in successive
generations one should view the marriage of a Ger as hastening the arrival of
moshiach, the raising of great Jewish leadership. Because great leadership
inspires the Jewish people, raising moshiach is an important
principle.
11.14 Euphoria
and Spiritual Similarity
Some feel the spirit when hearing their national anthem, Taps, or
Amazing Grace. Some feel the spirit when contemplating the sacrifice of
another, or learning a pervasive teaching devoid of selfishness. Some feel the
spirit when watching a flag being raised (nasi). What is its source? What is
its reality?
And a wind from God moved upon the face of the
waters.
A midrash teaches the first wind passing over the waters was the
messianic spirit that existed at the beginning of time, even in the thought of
God. This spirit is the saving agent of G-d, his Right Hand, rescuing us from
harm. Key to the sense of spirit is humility to recognize the wonder of life.
A song pulls the soul outside itself. A sermon raises the consciousness to a
higher being. Suffering and regret, has vshalom, return us to a sense of right
and wrong.
A mystical principle teaches that a small physical movement
while sleeping can move thousands of miles in a
dream.
[1158] Similarly, a
movement of only a hair’s breadth in a dream can traverse thousands of
miles in the physical
realm.
[1159] True distance is
spiritual similarity. While the Torah forbids placing our faith in
men,
[1160] each of us possesses
a messianic spark that unites us by spiritual
similarity.
[1161] This is the
spiritual chill of the messianic spirit.
Spiritual similarity
crosses religious bounds, as one can feel the
spirit while listening to
the songs of others. The
spiritual chill that one feels while hearing
references to a savior are not theological, but a sense of the first wind or
spirit over the waters. Similarity of spirit unifies folks regardless of
theology. Sometimes an opening of love or caring is its
source.
[1162] Rabbi
Nachman of Breslov taught the principle that distance is based on spirit not
space or time. Furthermore, by spiritually resembling a tzaddik
emet,
[1163] one can unite
others. Hence, while we should only have faith in G-d, we can believe in
the coming of his salvation, and by spiritual similarity experience messianic
euphoria. For example, for Breslov Hasidim, the Saba Letter song (
My fire
shall burn until the coming of mashiach) reminds a hasid of his closeness
with his rebbe,
[1164] by
similarity in spirit and love. “The basic theme is that if any two
objects have the same quality, they are at their root the *same
object*.”
[1165] This is
also the principle of Adam Kadmon, the First Man who embodied all souls and
“HaShem created Man, and before the fall in the Garden of Eden, he was
referred to as the Perfect Man (or Primordial Man). Moshiach either is, or is
an aspect of this Perfect
Man.”
[1166] Hence, all
souls can attach to moshiach and by resemblance become closer still. That man
is created in the image of G-d alludes to the tzaddik whose behavior should
resemble G-d’s attributes. One of those qualities was the descent of the
tzaddik to help raise the souls of others back to Hashem. The tzaddik was like
the faithful shepherd of the flock, epitomized by Moshe rabbenu, more concerned
about Israel than his own status or
well-being.
[1167] Rabbi
Nachman’s Azamra, “I will sing” teaches that even the wicked
have a modicum of good that one can recognize. When one sees this good point,
the wickedness is no more.
[1168]
For Christians, Jesus is another example where those praying to God,
close the prayer in his name. They believe he suffered and died so that they
may live. Their contriteness leads to self-sacrifice, encouraging them in
similar good deeds and reinforcing close feelings to a savior.
11.15 Tzaddik
Emet
In Hasidism, this is the belief that the soul of Moshe is the soul of
the messiah and that she reincarnates for up to seven
generations.
[1169] This does
not imply a faith in a semi-divine messiah as Moses was not perfect and so the
messiah will be imperfect. Nevertheless, there is a belief that this soul can
help correct the fallen soul of
man.
[1170]Text
11-19: Tzaddik HaDor - The Tzaddik of the Generation
By R. Nati:
There is confusion regarding the idea of the Tzaddik Hador, the righteous
leader of the generation. There are many tzaddikim, many righteous men, rabbis,
teachers, and hidden ones. But there is only one Tzaddik Hador, and if we merit
he becomes the Tzaddik Emet.
Tzaddik Emet is the soul of “Moshe – Moshiach”, the
redeemer. Throughout history there have been and only will be seven times, 7
gigulim of the neshomah (7 re-entries into this world of the essence of the
soul) of Moshe Rebbaynu (Moses our Teacher), the soul of the Moshe Moshiach
(Zohar Parshat Mishpatim and Ari Zal - Sha'arei Gigulim). These times have been:
Moshe Rebbaynu (Moses our Teacher), some count Dovid HaMelech (King David),
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (Rashbi), the Ari HaKodesh, the Baal Shem Tov, some
count Rebbe Nachman of Breslev, some count the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rebbe Menachem
Mendel Schneerson of Chabad. We are presently waiting for the last manifestation
- in Moshiach.
(According to Breslev, Rebbe Nachman was 5th in this line. His Torah is the
Torah of this, the last generation. He said his fire would burn until the
Moshiach, and that Moshiach would be a descendant of his. See Chai Morahran, in
English the books Tzaddik and Until Moshiach by Breslev Research
Institute.)
But we were discussing the Tzaddik Hador. The last know widely accepted (by
the majority of Jews) Tzaddik Hador was the Rebbe of Chabad.
Mordechai was the Tzaddik Hador in the time of the Purim story. Reb Nosson
of Breslev teaches us some awesome details about this in Likutey Chalchot,
Hilchos Purim... The tzaddik hador is the most spiritually awake person alive.
He not only has the ability to find and wake up the souls of Am Israel, he can
if we help him wake up the Divine presence. The Purim story is not just a story
of Mordechai and Ester, but the story of the tzaddik HaDor and the Shechina, the
Divine Presence. (More on this in a future post, Hashem willing.)
As the Zohar teaches us – everyone is against or afraid of the idea
of there having to be a tzaddik. HaTzaddik, "THE" Tzaddik, HaDor - namely the
Tzaddik of "THIS" generation. The Holy Zohar teaches (Zohar I, 28a): "Woe to the
world for they do not provide help for the Shechina (Divine Presence) during the
exile, or for Moshe (i.e. the Tzaddik), who is always with Her and never moves
from Her... Moshe did not die. He is called Adam. Of Adam it is written
(Bereishit 2:20), 'And Adam had no helpmate'. This applies to the last exile:
Adam – the Tzaddik – has no helpmate. Everyone is against the
Tzaddik".
May we all sincerely and wholeheartedly turn to Hashem in prayer and seek
out, support and reveal the Shechina hidden within the exile along with Her
helpmate 'HaTZaDDiK HaDoR' Amen.
Reb Nosson of Breslev wrote, “and the Tzadik HaEmet this is Rebbenu
Nachman ben Simcha ben Feiga. The Tzaddik is gadol v'yoteir efilu more so than
the kohen gadol who is the one who is in front and inside. Like it is brought in
Sotah perek chaf daled 24 ‘lefney and bifnim penimi, me li? Who is this,
who is in front and inside? me he? penimim? Who is this inside? He is more
precious than the kohen gadol because he can repair averot that Yom Kippur can
not fix.’ It says in tractate Yoma, ‘the sins between man and Hashem
are repaired on Yom Kippur.’ The Tzaddik HaEmet can repair sins between
man and his fellow. This is higher than the kodesh hakodeshim!
Gevalt!”
The talmid chochom, the Tzaddik HaEmet, like it is brought in Yoma daf peh
vav that Yom Kippur fixes these sins but not those. The Tzaddik HaEmet can go in
further and higher than the kodosh hakodoshim and to a place where the kohen
gadol cannot reach. The Tzaddik HaEmet can reach a place more holy and closer to
Hashem, to repair what cannot be repaired on Yom Kippur. Like it says in
Mishlei, perek tet zain, 16:14 “The Kings wrath is like the angels of
death, but the wise man, the talmid chochom/Tzaddik HaEmet will appease
it.” Reb Nosson explains the pasuk like this: there are sins that enter
even unto Hashem, has v'shalom, and even Yom Kippur does not appease, but the
Tzaddik HaEmet knows how to appease them. That’s why he is higher than the
kohen gadol.
The Beis Hamikdash repairs only those things that are between man and
Hashem. But the Tzaddik HaEmet knows how to Kippur/appease the sins between man
and his fellow man. The soul of the Tzaddik HaEmet comes from a place higher
than this so he is able to make wonderful repairs!
Let's be straight here. Tachlis b'shetach, we are ALL very very far away
from the truth! There is a gap between us and Hashem. What is our avodah (divine
service)? Klum shum davar (nothing)! Our merits are nothing! We cannot even
focus in this generation for a moment on our prayers. Or guard our eyes from
looking at the most putrid of things in this lowly world! There is not one of us
who has not fallen very far from the truth! The idea of kedushah atzmei,
'personal holiness' is far far from almost all of us! Which one of us has not
once in this year had even a parve thought that has not taken us away from
Hashem for just a second, not to mention all the evil thoughts that come upon
us. What kind of pagamim (defects) we have created every minute in this coma we
call life???
But don't worry, Hashem has not left us without hope. Every generation He
sends us tzaddikim to help show us the way, and every so many generations a very
special neshama (soul), the neshama of Moshiach, the exact same neshama as Moshe
rabaynu, the exact same neshama as Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the exact same
neshama as the Baal Shem Tov...
▪ Nice article but Mashiach ben David’s soul the Rebbe of
Chabad! is a neshamah klali encompassing soul of all Israel this is slightly
different then how you described. As well Mashiach ben Yosef’s soul is of
Gevurah and the shoresh of Pinchas according to the GRA, the Zohar says
Mashiach ben Yosef’s soul has to do with the transmigration of the wicked
king Yeruvum ben Nevat. The Ariz”l taught mainly Chaim Vital because his
soul was of Rabbi Akiva who was judgment of Kain and of Mashiach ben Yosef
.
By Anonymous, at May 28, 2009 4:23 AM
11.16 Unity
God said to Samuel that the people betrayed Him and not the prophet in
requesting a king to be like the other nations. Yet, God relents and tells
Samuel to grant the people’s wish. Still, there is a midrash that says
the name of the Messiah was conceived before the creation of the world. There
seems to be a contradiction here for why would God plan to appoint a messiah if
only He is the true Redeemer.
The role of the messiah is to turn the
people back to G-d. This is similar to the Tzaddik Emet, described above, or a
righteous leader who steers his people back to Hashem. The various yeshivas of
Europe named the messiah after their own leaders, for example, Meir, Haninah,
and Menachem. Though this seems to be self-centered, the point is that the
people are striving for a leader and this is a striving for unity.
The
key messianic principle is unity. The messiah unifies the Jewish people to work
together and grow together and in this manner turns them back to God. The
reason God told Samuel to grant them a king was for the sake of unity, so that
the Jewish people will be united in their battles against their enemies and
united to build the Kingdom of G-d in this world.
[1135] Isaiah
45:1
[1136] Talmudic Aggadah,
trans. by Nahum N. Glatzer, Judaic Tradition,
p.238
[1137] Shabbat
63a
[1138] Berachot
17a
[1139] Ibid,
p.239
[1140] Book of the
Heritage, vol. 2, pp. 137-142. Also see
Figure 14-2: Cain and Abel
p.540.
[1141] See
2.5.2 Deuteronomy 23 and
2.34 Ezra. Was there a prohibition against
marrying a Moabite then, since it is not mentioned in the story of David?
Samuel would have
known.
[1142] Text 2-248: Ecclesiastes 12:14,
p.197
[1143] Lamentations
1:16
[1144] Off the Beaten
Track in Israel a guide to beautiful places, Ori Devir, Adama Books, New York,
1989, pp.78-79.
[1145] Rabbi
Aryeh Rosenfeld, Eyn Yaacov - Sanhedrin #25, 98,
http://www.breslov.com/Rosenfeld
[1146] Soncino Talmud
Pesachim 54a on Psalm
72:17.
[1147] Soncino Talmud
Pesachim 54a:n31
[1148]
Lekutey Moharan, Rabbi Nachman
of
Breslov
[1149] Ibid. Yakov
Newman of Salt Lake City taught this text during his
Shavuot
5763 all night
learning.
[1150] Levi Yitzhak
of Berditchev, Meditation and Kabbalah, trans. Aryeh Kaplan pp.
303-304.
[1151] See
2.10.6 Isaiah 56
p.159
[1152] See
30.1.10 Atonement story
p.1039
[1153] See
2.16 Ovadiah[1154]
Bahir
197
[1155] Living with
Moshiach, Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet, p.
40.
[1156] Numbers
24:17
[1157] See
2.16 Ovadiah
1:18
[1158] Close objects in
the physical world can be far away in spiritual
content.
[1159] Similar
spiritual entities or beings may be far away in the physical
world.
[1160] See
Text 26-20: Numbers 23:19; See
2.25.16 Psalm
146:3[1161] See
3.2.2.1 Emunah
Hochamim[1162]
Cultic
[1163] True righteous
person, i.e. Moses, Shimon Bar Yohai, Rabbi Nachman of
Breslov
[1164] Substitute for
the name of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov used by his
followers.
[1165] See
30.1.2.1 Nachal Novea Makor Hochmah last
post
[1166]See
30.1.2.1 Nachal Novea Makor
Hochmah[1167] See
3.2.2.1.2.1 Belief in the
Tzaddikim[1168] See
Psalm 37 and
16 To Hell and Back and
2.25.2 Psalm
2[1169] See
3.2.2.1.2.1 Belief in the
Tzaddikim[1170] http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:xk8GTBDp3xcJ:mysticalpaths.blogspot.com/2009/01/tzaddik-hador.html+Tzaddik+Emet&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:iY_W-AeuXXwJ:mysticalpaths.blogspot.com/2009/05/tzadik-emet-part-2.html+%22Tzadik+Emet%22&cd=4&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
Also see
Text 3-9: Faith in the
tzaddikim