B"H

Torah Study for Men

Tiferes Menachem Home

A Human Messiah Vs. A Messianic Era

by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg

"Why do we have to believe in a human Messiah? What is wrong with simply believing in a Messianic age when the world will be a perfect G-dly world? Why can't we have a relationship with G-d without the intervention of a human being?"

This question can be answered, on several levels. For the individual who is simply ignorant of Jewish sources and would be convinced of the veracity of a human Moshiach had he known that it is a Jewish belief, one should simply point out, that it is indeed a Jewish belief. All intimations that it will be just a Messianic era is contrary to the Torah¹, Talmud² Rambam³ and all Jewish halachic sources. The illustrious nineteenth century halachic authority, Chasm Sofer⁴ states that anyone who claims that Moshiach will not be a person denies the whole Torah! There are some, even "Orthodox," who are confused by midrashic statements⁵ which suggest that this Redemption will be brought about by G-d Himself and not through a human messenger. Suffice it to say that the Talmud upon entertaining the thought that there will not be a human Moshiach, immediately and forcefully repudiates this contention. Maimonides, who has "distilled" all of the Talmudic and Midrashic statements on Moshiach, to give us the definitive and authoritative halachic description of the Geulah, rules unequivocally that there will be a human Moshiach. In fact, the very purpose of the Messianic Age, Maimonides⁶ writes, is to restore the Davidic dynasty, i.e., Moshiach. For those who are not satisfied with the fact that this is the Jewish belief, but wish to comprehend why it is so, the following thoughts might be useful:

All G-dly revelations have come through people. For example, the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai were affected through the leadership of Moses; the building of the Temple was accomplished by Kings David and Solomon. In fact, the Jewish people always believed in leaders, in people who were G-d's "spokesmen" and representatives to the Jewish nation and the world, even when they were in exile. The Exilarch, Nasi, Tzadik Hador, Gaon, Rosh Yeshivah and Rebbe are a few of the titles used for the Jewish leaders who guided the Jewish people and to whom the nation was beholden. Judaism without the notion of a leader is a total departure from tradition.

The rationale behind the human factor in bringing about G-d's plan is that the whole purpose of creation is to synthesize the physical and spiritual domains." This we do by asserting the domination of the soul over the body." The means to accomplish this is through the observance of Torah and mitzvos. Who are the people who are the prime examples of this synthesis?

The leaders of all generations of Jews who were the role models and the ones instrumental in generating this attitude to the rest of their community. They are the ones who demonstrate that a human being can become G-dly. A community without its tzadik remains hopelessly mired in its materiality and physical constraints. The tzadik serves as the bridge between the two worlds, or better put, he is the one who demonstrates that there is no dichotomy in the first place. ⁹

Golus, or exile, is not simply a geographic location or a historical era. Golus is a state of mind, in which there exists a barrier to the aforementioned synthesis. ¹⁰ To break out of Golus and to lead others out of this mindset, requires a person who is involved in the physical realm, acutely aware of world issues and problems, familiar with the human condition, and who, simultaneously, is in touch with the G-dly. In everything mundane he sees Divinity, everything physical, is to him, an expression of Divine purpose. This individual, who recognizes no duality, is Moshiach, the only one who can usher in the age wherein everyone can overcome the hurdle of Golus and experience this unity of existence.

To imagine that the world will precipitously change is incredible and unrealistic, while the suggestion that the world will evolve slowly but inexorably into a utopia is just plain naive. All we have to do is look at the Holocaust, or what is happening in the former Yugoslavia to put to rest once and for all, the belief that people will naturally evolve into more caring and decent people. As long as people don't change, there can be no utopia.

On the other hand, to believe that G-d will unilaterally change the world without human involvement is to deny our role in creation as G-d's partners. If G-d could and must do it Himself, why did He bother with us in the first place? Thus, the most rational approach to the emergence of a Messianic Age, is that G-d will change the world by way of his chosen human messenger Moshiach, who will lead the world to a Messianic Age, by tapping our latent positive and Divine energies. This approach posits that it is G-d, Moshiach and us, who collectively will bring about the desired changes in the world.

In the realm of evil conduct, individuals have changed the course of the world, with the acquiescence and assistance of other people. Evil, charismatic despots, have succeeded in bringing out the worst in people. On the other hand, scientists, with but a single discovery, have forever altered the world's landscape. Why, then, should it be so hard to accept the possibility of the emergence of an extremely good person who will elicit the best qualities of humankind, and thereby change the world?

(A follow up question concerning the human nature of Moshiach: "Why should we want a dictatorial monarchy and regard that as Utopia?" will be discussed, in the Chapter entitled "Philosophical Questions.")

Footnotes

¹  Bamidbar 24:17-18; Zecharya 9:7: Yesshayohu 11:1.

²  Sanhedrin 98b-99a, Rashi.

³  Hilchot Melachim 11:1.

⁴  Teshvos, Yoreh Deah 356.

⁵  Yalkut Shimoni, Yeshayohu 577. See Wolpo, Mevaser Tov, p. 184-185.

⁶  Hilchos Melachim, ibid.

⁷ See Tanchuma, Naso 7:1; Tanya, ch. 36.

⁸  Tanya, ch. 32.

⁹  See Schochet, The Mystical Dimension, vol. Ill, p. 85-124 for an extensive treatment of the role of the Tzadik in Judaism.

¹⁰  See Migolah LeGeulah, p. 7-54.

back