Steg wrote, in response to a post of mine, that "M. M. Schneersohn wasn't mashiahh ben Yoseif! Mashiahh ben Yoseif was, obviously, a certain Palestinian Jew during the British Mandate who was executed by the British for illegally having weapons to defend himself. Or something like that. His name was [Something] Ben-Yoseif. "
Steg, I'm going to have to get back to you with sources, please be patient.
And I wish to clarify, just to be on the safe side, that my doubts over Messianic matters have utterly clobbered, in my mind, any and all consideration of the idea that Rav Schneerson was the Moshiach. Nor do I believe, in even the slightest particle, that anybody else, ever, has been Messianic, whether Ibn Yusuf OR Ibn Daud.
But the idea is interesting, and many exceedingly odd candidates have been proposed - it's better than a Philippino election in that regard.
I would also, meantime, like to direct your attention to a column that appeared in Arutz Sheva a while back:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/article.php3?id=5163
[The Footsteps of the Moshiach, by Moshe Lerman, June 01, 2005 ]
Mr. Lerman opines, that "the study of Kabbala by saintly Jews is the greatest cause of human progress."
Which is a remarkable statement, and presupposes a very particular and limited definition of human progress. But I digress.
Moshe goes on to write:
"....... a horrendous tragedy happened: Rabbi Meir Kahane was murdered. It was 434 years after the Arizal started his study of the Zohar. Could it be that more words of Daniel were fulfilled in 5751? We read: "And after 62 weeks a Moshiach will be cut off, and none will be left to him (Daniel 9:26)." Seven times 62 equals 434. Could there be a more appropriate description of the rejected prophet Rabbi Meir Kahane than "none will be left to him?"
He then suggests that Rabbi Kahane was Moshiach ben Yosef, "because of his unique labor for a truly Jewish state, and because of what happened to him."
The rest of the article is a confusing jumble of mathematics and number-symbolism, which is a bit more than I'm willing to whack my way through - though I would love to see what others (hello Steg, Mar Gabriel, Dov Bear!) think about it.
I am of two minds regarding the Mosiach: While we wait, there is hope. Once he comes, hope ends. It is the promise that he will come that is important, but the realization of that promise, on the other hand, would leave us with precisely what?
I will be patient, even though he may tarry. I prefer that He tarry a lot longer - I would rather not have faith and discourse destroyed by certainty and finality, much preferring instead to have the promise and the hope.
Perhaps the concept of the moshiach is merely a way for the malchus beis Dovid to redeem itself, or a hope that it will actually do so. King David, while a magnificent culture-hero in the David and Goliyas mi Gas tale, turns into the frat-boy from hell later on (as I'm sure Uriah the Hittite would agree).
Thoughts? Feedback?
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There is nothing more disconcerting, or appealing, than the fantasy of the "Messiah in our days." The notion has enticed and seduced generations of believers of many faiths.
It is linked to an apparent semi-universal theme of history culminating in "our" time -- an almost mirror image of "history being written by the victors." But the messianic aspiration of all peoples, great and small, is a more democratic notion, sort of a "blog" versus the "history written by the victors," which is a well bound encyclopedia.
Having said that, the notion of Meyer Kahane as Moshiach Ben Yoseph is silly for several reasons. In addition to his unrealistic and fascist ideology, he was also a hypocritical womanizer (seducing a woman under the false last name of "King"). Oh, one other thing -- he was a Cohain, so anybody who would attribute him to the tribe of Yoseph should have his head examined.
I have immense trouble accepting the concept of a Messiah - it so blatantly contradicts everything else.
I suspect that the Messiah is an innovation, influenced by Persian beliefs - the human or humane agent of good, a corollary of Satan (the agent of evil).
Man must hope. And hope is often insane.
I did't know about this article. But then I read the preceding one about 5765. And that is a classic! It is also numbers everywhere, but they absolutely work out! The Jewish year has nothing to do with Creation! On the basis of Jewish texts!
And in the one before that he warns Bush not to press Israel (about Gaza, I presume). It seem funny but he warns that Bush is on his way to bring disaster to America "immediately".
I got itchy. I am not so sure it didn't happen...
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