The Jewish Meshiach (Part 2)

B"H

In the first Part, I listed the different opinions about when and how the Meshiach is coming. And, as I said, there is no precise answer but only interpretations.

In the course of the centuries, many Meshiach expectations have changed. Rabbi Akiva saw the Meshiach in Bar Kochba and his war against the Roman occupation. An opinion, Rabbi Akiva later on revoked. Bar Kochba died and this was the end of the story. No Meshiach, so far.

During the Middle Ages, many ideas started to become apocalyptic due to the Inquisition. The Jews became desperate to receive Meshiach who would end all their sufferings. And those sufferings from the Inquisition and early anti - Semitism were seen as the footsteps of Meshiach. Apocalyptic ideas became an extremely important component in kabbalistic literature. History simply couldn't go on like this and Meshiach had to show up. And these Messianic ideas also gave new hope to the Jews themselves (Gershom Sholem).

And how should Meshiach be ? What does he have to do in order to get accepted as such ?

Especially the Rambam (Maimonides) and the Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin give a detailed list of conditions:

1. The Meshiach is going to reintroduce the Kingdom of King David. Old traditions will be reintroduced without bringing in any innovations.

2. Meshiach is going to build the Third Temple. Korbanot (sacrifices) will be reintroduced and the Levi'im (Levites) as well as the Cohanim (Priests) are going to be on duty again. Additionally, Shemittah (7th year) and the Yovel (50th year) will be counted again.

3. ALL PEOPLE are going to accept the Meshiach and no one will have any doubt nor start a discussion.

4. ALL PEOPLE are then going to believe in ONE G - d and no further religions will continue to exist. And, there won't be any conversions to Judaism anymore.
There won't be any more wars, hunger, crime, jealousy etc. We all will be on such a high spiritual level not allowing us to have any further negative thoughts.
There will be peace all over the world.

5. According to Midrashic literature the Meshiach will have a special sense of smell which whom he is able to identify Jews and Gentiles. Means, that by the smell Meshiach can say who is Jewish and who is not. Some Jews might be surprised to find out that they are not Jewish and some Gentiles might be surprised that they are Jewish.

The sense of smell stems from Adam and Chava in Gan Eden (Paradise). This sense is the only sense not being involved in the sin with the apple. Talmudic literature makes clear that both ate from the apple or whatever it was. According to some opinions it wasn't an apple but a fig, wheat, etc. However, both looked at it and ate it. But they never smelled it.

6. After Meshiach's arrival, all Jews are coming back to Israel and are going to live there. I have heard different opinions to this claim. Some commentators say that not all the Jews are coming back and some say that all Jews.

7. Everyone will follow the rules of Torah.

It says in the Midrash Tanchuma that there will be a "new Torah". However, this shouldn't be taken literally. The meaning here is that some of the holidays won't continue to exist anymore. There are two opinions; one claims that only Purim is going to continue to exist and another claim is that only Chanukkah is being celebrated in the future. Yom Kippur and Tisha Be' Av will stop to exist. Instead, the former fast days are going to turn into festive days with festive meals.
It says in Talmud Sanhedrin 97a and Avodah Zarah 9a that the world is only existing for 6000 years. I have already mentioned this in the first part.

The Vilna Gaon wrote many commentaries on the Messianic times, and in his commentary on the kabbalistic book and part of the ZOHAR (Sifra D'Zniuta - chapter 5) he states that if Meshiach is not showing up for whatever reasons, our world will return to TOHU, the Chaos before the physical creation of the world. A rather shocking statement.

Within the last 2000 years before the year 6000 (the present Jewish year is 5768), it is our task to decode the secrets of the Torah and thus bring Meshiach. The Rambam (Maimonides) and the Ramban (Nachmanides) argue about the changes in "Ma'aseh Bereshit - the creation process and in nature). The Rambam as well as the Talmud claims that there won't be any changes in nature and everything will basically be the same. We humans will also eat and drink. The Ramban, on the other hand, said that there will be severe changes and everything is going to be more spiritual. According to him we will have a different sky and we won't eat and drink anymore. Just like in a spiritual world.

Rambam's "13 Priciples of Faith" include the believe in the Ge'ulah (Redemption), the Resurrection of the Dead, the Day of Judgment and Olam Habah (the World to Come). People who deny the Resurrection of the Dead have, according to a Mishna in Sanhedrin 90a no place in the World to Come. The same with people denying that G - d Himself gave the Torah or those pronouncing G - d's names.
Judaism is not like any other religions and anybody is able to get a place in the World to Come. It doesn't matter if Jewish or not Jewish, no one is excluded. Everyone according to his personal behaviour.

Right after Meshiach's arrival, the Tesurrection of the Dead is going to take place. There is a discussion about who really is going to be resurrected. Everybody or only the Zaddikim (righteous). Of course, we don't have a precise answer to this. Part of Jewish Kabbalah is the believe in reincarnations and if so, which reincarnation of a person (which personality) is resurrected ? The one with the most Torah Mitzwot.

The talmudic commentator Yad Ramah said that there a second resurrection is taking place right after Judgment Day. The regular resurrection will be followed by Judgment Day. Everyone is going to be judged but, as usual, we also find different opinions here because our souls (Neshamot) had been already judged after we died. Judgment Day will be followed by the World to Come (Olam HaBah). But be aware that here we have to differentiate between two concepts. The world of souls after we die and the world to come when people will be resurrected and judged.

Ramban and Ramah commentate that the second World to Come" is going to exist forever. Other commentators as well as Talmud Sanhedrin consider the World to Come as temporarily and discuss for how much longer our world is going to exist after Meshiach has come. The Hebrew word "OLAM - WORLD" consists of the letter roots "NE'ELAM - DISAPPEAR". From there we learn that the world won't exist forever.

It goes without saying that no one can predict what is going to happen and when. Everything is up to G - d. However, studying Torah and doing Torah Mitzwot gives us a slight chance of bringing the Meshiach ourselves. Rashi (in Sanhedrin 98b) wrote that Meshiach is coming on a donkey as well as on a cloud. Note that both ideas are metaphors. Riding on a donkey could also stand for a slow process of Meshiach's arrival and riding on a cloud could stand for a speedy redemption.