Mashiach: When and How

by Rabbi Mordechai Willig

I

Bilam prophesied, "אראנו ולא עתה אשורנו ולא קרוב דרך כוכב מיעקב וקם שבט מישראל ומחץ פאתי מואב וקרקר כל בני שת - I see it, but not now. I view it, but it is not near. A star shot forth from Yaakov, and a tribe has risen from Yisrael, and he will strike down the extremities of Moav and undermine all the children of Sheis" (Bamidbar 24:17)

The Or Hachaim notes the seemingly repetitive phraseology, and associates it with the two different scenarios of mashiach described in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98a). The phrase (Yeshayahu 60:22) "אני ה' בעתה אחישנה - I, Hashem, in its time I will hasten it" is self-contradictory. Will the ultimate redemption occur at a preordained time, or will Hashem hasten it?

The Gemara answers: If they [Am Yisrael] merit it [zachu] I will hasten it. If not [lo zachu], it will come in its time. "I will see it but not now" implies not now but any time, even soon, just beyond my sight. This, says the Or Hachaim, is the scenario of zachu, I will hasten it. "I view it but it is not near" means it is far beyond one's view, not even close, describing the scenario of lo zachu, in its time.

The Gemara raises an additional contradiction, not about the time of the messianic redemption but about its nature. Daniel (7:13) saw a vision of mashiach coming with the cloud of Heaven, i.e. of a swift, miraculous nature. However, Zecharya (9:9) describes him as humble and riding on a donkey, i.e. slowly and gradually, not miraculously.

Once again, the Gemara answers: If they merit it, zachu, it will be with the cloud of Heaven, swiftly and miraculously. This, says the Or Hachaim, is the shooting star from Heaven in Bilam's prophecy, a supernatural redemption. If not, lo zachu, it will be as a humble man riding on a donkey, slowly and gradually, not miraculously. This refers to a tribe from Yisrael arising as others in the world, naturally [b'derech hateva], as it says (Daniel 4:14) "ושפל אנשים יקים עליה - Hashem will appoint the lowest of men over the kingdom". This tribe will reign and do what the pasuk states, namely be militarily victorious over its neighbors.

II

The Rambam (Hilchos Melachim 12:2) describes the messianic era based on the words of the prophets. He concludes: No one knows what will happen until it will happen. There are disputes among the Sages. Neither the order nor the details are fundamentals of religion. Lengthy discussions of these matters lead neither to love or fear of Hashem. Rather one should wait and believe, in general terms, in Mashiach.

Attitudes towards, and developments in, Eretz Yisrael in the last one hundred and forty years have engendered protracted and bitter controversies in Am Yisrael. The seventy years of the Zionist movement featured widespread support of, and fiery opposition to, the establishment of a Jewish state. Since 1948 the wars, policies and leaders of the State of Israel are a constant source of controversy extending well beyond its changing borders. In the religious community, it is viewed positively as proto-messianic, neutrally as a necessary development, or negatively as Satanic.

While, as the Rambam taught, the details are, and will remain, unknown, the words of the Or Hachaim may be a prescient description of our time. The slow and gradual process of redemption may refer to the Zionist movement, self-described as non-religious. Its achievements included the agricultural renewal of Eretz Yisrael after 1800 years of near desolation. The Gemara (ibid.) states: There is no clearer indication of the End, i.e. the signs of Mashiach, than this, as it says (Yechezkel 36:8), "ואתם הרי ישראל ענפכם תתנו ופריכם תשאו לעמי ישראל - Mountains of Yisrael you shall give your branches and bear your fruit for my nation Yisrael".

The State of Israel, led primarily by non-observant Jews, including some atheists and anti-religious ones, has, as the Or Hachaim predicted, done what the pasuk says. With divine assistance, recognized even by some otherwise non-believers, the Israel Defense Force has prevailed against overwhelming odds, and has been consistently victorious over its neighbors. Taken together, these developments may indeed be a partial fulfillment of Bilam's prophecy of the slow and gradual process described in the Gemara and the Or Hachaim.

III

The Rambam describes speculation about the details of the messianic era as essentially futile, as they will remain unknown until Mashiach comes. Argumentation over these matters, which often descends into vitriolic and even violent controversies, is counterproductive. It leads to baseless hatred, sinas chinam, which caused the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. Every generation in which the Mikdash is not built, it is as if it was destroyed in its days (Yerushalmi Yoma 1:1). This means that the underlying cause, namely sinas chinam, still exists in that generation, preventing the messianic era, about which people and communities argue to the point of hatred, from arriving. These arguments, like the speculation described in the Rambam, will be resolved only by the Mashiach himself.

This Shabbos, Parshas Balak, is Shiva Asar B'tamuz, the beginning of the three weeks of mourning over the churban, which culminate with Tisha B'av, its anniversary. We must recall the cause of the churban, and studiously avoid repeating sinas chinam and, thereby, extending the churban.

Differing opinions about the theological approaches to eschatology are unavoidable, as the Rambam taught. Political arguments about the practical approaches to the intractable problems facing the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael and throughout the world are, likewise, unresolvable. Yet every Jew, by exhibiting the humility attributed by Zecharya to the Mashiach himself, can hasten his arrival by avoiding the acrimony and the hatred which result from absolute assuredness of the correctness of one's opinion and approach.

The application of the Or Hachaim's interpretation of Bilam's prophecy to our time does not predict the future. The details of the timing and nature of the messianic era will, as the Rambam wrote, remain unknown until they actually transpire. With appropriate humility and uncertainty, we can foster greater mutual love among Jews of different opinions and communities, which can actually hasten the redemption we all crave and pray for daily.

As the Rambam ruled, we must wait and believe, in general terms, in Mashiach. As the famous formulation of the Rambam's twelfth fundamental of faith says, "I believe with complete faith in the coming of Mashiach, and even though he may tarry, nevertheless I wait for him every day that he will come".