"The Great Redemption" (The Remembrance, Ch. 12)

Ma'amar HaGeulah

-- "The Great Redemption", a reworking of Ramchal's "Ma'amar HaGeulah"

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman's series on www.torah.org

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"The Great Redemption"

The Remembrance: Ch. 12

Our enemies will somehow be emboldened once again then, despite the terrible battles they will have lost, but Moshiach Ben Yoseph will indeed defeat them in the end. And G-d will then “raise the horns of his anointed one” (1 Samuel 2:10), Moshiach Ben David, and the two redeemers will work in tandem from then on (see para's 50 and 51), though Moshiach Ben David's role will be far more dominant.

It would do us well to step aside from Ramchal's depiction of things for now and focus upon Moshiach Ben David some more, in order to fill in the background.

First off, it's important to know that the promise of redemption was granted us long, long ago, when our people were assured that "G-d your L-rd will (eventually) bring back your returnees and be merciful toward you; and He will return and gather you from all the peoples that G-d your L-rd has dispersed you to. If your exiled one will be at the edge of the heavens, from there will G-d your L-rd gather you and ... take you. G-d your L-rd will bring you to the land that your forefathers inherited and you will inherit it; and He will benefit you and multiply you more than your forefathers (had been)" (Deuteronomy 30:3-5), and that He would do that because He's a "merciful G-d who will not fail you nor destroy you" (Deuteronomy 4:31). And therein lies the drama of the redemption and the appearance of Moshiach Ben David.

For one thing, Moshiach Ben David will be a normal human being (M.T. Malachim 11:3) and quite mortal (Rambam on Sanhedin 10:1), but he will be decidedly brilliant, wise, charismatic, and devout (see M.T. Hilchot Teshuva 9:2, Isaiah 11:2).

Here's the role he'll play. Moshiach Ben David will gather many people around him and bring them all to Jerusalem where he'll "bring good tidings to the humble ... gather together the brokenhearted, and declare liberty" (Isaiah 61:1-2). He'll bring us all back to Israel for good (M.T. Malachim 11:1), re-establish the Sanhedrin (M.T. Malachim 11:11), restore the sacrificial service (M.T. Malachim 11:1), encourage the other nations to worship G-d Almighty and be righteous (see Rambam on Sanhedin 10:1), and he'll establish Jerusalem as the center of worship and wisdom (see Zachariah 8:3) where G-d's Oneness will be attested to by all (see Zachariah 14:9). But Moshiach Ben David will most especially concentrate on bringing our people closer to G-d (see Hosea 3:4-5).

The dead will then be brought back to life, the third Holy Temple will be built in comfority with Ezekiel's depictions of it; the Land of Israel will be resettled in full; G-d's presence will shine forth from the Holy Temple; prophecy will become widespread among our people; we'll be free of all illness, deformity and sadness; and we'll worship G-d in full faith from then on and forever (Emunot V'deot, sect. 8).

But know as well that the only reason "the Jewish Nation, her prophets and sages have yearned for the days of the Messiah is so that they would be free of any goverments that do not let them occupy themselves suitably with Torah and mitzvot" rather than for political clout or power -- and so that we "will have peace and will be able to increase in (our) knowledge in order to merit life in the World To Come" (M.T. Hilchot Teshuva 9:2).

(c) 2006 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman and Torah.org

(Feel free to contact me at feldman@torah.org )

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