Could Moshiach be a Metzorah? (Just learned this idea)

[muman613]

I have heard from some of the Rabbis I have posted in the 'Video Study' thread, and from the Chabad Chumash that there is a teaching from the Talmud, and the Zohar, that the Moshiach will be a metzorah (one who is afflicted with Tzaarath)...

Until now I had never heard this, and it is strange that I was thinking about that and it appeared in the commentary in the Chabad Chumash we used during the Torah service today. So I decided to research the topic, and here are some of the things I have found...

From Chabad's sichos in English:

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/in-the-garden-of-the-torah/27.htm

Publisher's Foreword

The two parshiyos read this week focus on the subject of tzaraas, a bodily affliction related to leprosy. And as highlighted in the second essay, this malady is associated with Mashiach, to the extent that the Talmud calls him "the leper of the House of Rebbi."

The concept of Mashiach suffering is difficult for many of us to understand. We like to conceive of Mashiach as a spiritual superman, who is invulnerable to all afflictions. This is more than a dream; there's a measure of logic to it. For if Mashiach will suffer like we do, how is he better or different?

And yet, as explained in the present essay, our Sages speak about Mashiach's suffering; this is also part of the picture of the emergence of the Redemption. It is not a part that we enjoy thinking about, but seeing it should not cause us to turn away from the concept of Mashiach as whole.

Plainly put, seeing the suffering of Mashiach should not make the message of redemption any less real for us.

On the contrary, the message of redemption is a message, like all messages shared with us by the Rebbe Shlita, that is based on reality.

When the Rebbe said, "The time for your Redemption has arrived," he was not expressing a prayer or a blessing. He was sharing insight into the truth of our existence. And that truth is just as real today as it was a month ago, or 30 months ago.

Seeing the suffering is not pleasant, but it is only a temporary phase.

The essay cited also communicates the message given by the Rebbe to make the temporary nature of the suffering even more fleeting: study about Mashiach and Redemption.

For doing so:

a) makes Redemption a part of one's life, allowing one to see all the elements of the picture of Redemption, not merely the painful ones, and

b) on a spiritual level, draws the Redemption into this world, making vessels for its light to be positively expressed.

The Geula - redemption - is associated with renewal.

May the study of the Rebbe Shlita's teachings generate blessings of healing and renewal for all Jews, and in particular for the Rebbe Shlita himself. And may he lead us to the actual Redemption in the immediate future.

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/in-the-garden-of-the-torah/27.htm

Consummate Perfection and Superficial Flaws

Our Sages ask: [1] "What is Mashiach's name?" and reply "The leper of the House of Rebbi." [2]

This is very difficult to understand.

Mashiach will initiate the Redemption, and he is associated with the ultimate of life and vitality. Why then should his name be linked with leprosy (tzaraas) which, by contrast, is identified with death, [3] and exile? [4]

This difficulty can be resolved based on the statements of Likkutei Torah which explain that a person to be affected by leprosy will be: A man of great stature, of consummate perfection.... [5]

Although such a person's conduct is desirable, and he has corrected everything,... it is still possible that on the flesh of his skin, there will be lower levels on which evil has not been refined.

This will result in physical signs on his flesh, in a way which transcends the natural order.... [6]

Since the filth on the periphery of his garments has not been refined, therefore [blemishes] appear on his skin....

Moreover, these blemishes reflect very high levels as indicated by the fact that they are not considered impure until they have been designated as such by a priest.

The passage implies that there are sublime spiritual influences, that because of the lack of appropriate vessels, as evidenced by the "filth on the periphery," can produce negative effects.

For when powerful energy is released without being harnessed for positive purposes, it will create injurious effects. This is the reason for the tzaraas with which Mashiach is afflicted.

Mashiach's Burden

The Jewish people as a whole are described by the analogy of the human body.

This applies within every generation and also to the entire collective of our people as they have existed throughout history. [7] All Jews - those of the past, present, and future - are part of a single organic whole.

Since good is eternal, while evil is only temporary, [8] our people's spiritual level has been constantly advancing.

For there is a vast reservoir of good that has been filling up over the centuries. And thus when considering the entire scope of our national history, the Jewish people as they exist in ikvesa diMeshicha, the age when Mashiach's approaching footsteps can be heard, have attained the level of consummate perfection mentioned in Likkutei Torah.

Nevertheless, there are still blotches of evil on the periphery, for the world is still scarred by injustice and strife. And thus when the light of redemption cannot yet become manifest within the world, it is reflected in leprous blemishes which are visited on Mashiach itself.

For as the prophet states: [9] "He has borne our sicknesses and endured our pain... with blemishes, smitten of G-d, and afflicted."

Mashiach endures suffering, not for his own sake, but for the Jewish people as a whole.

Positive Import

There is still a difficulty.

Although the above resolution explains why Mashiach must endure suffering, it does not resolve why that suffering is identified with Mashiach.

Mashiach's name - who he is - should be positive.

Why is it connected with leprosy?

This difficulty can also be resolved on the basis of the passage from Likkutei Torah cited previously.

For that passage explains that leprous blemishes reflect "very high levels," their source being transcendent spiritual light. [10]

Nevertheless, for this light to be expressed in a positive manner, it requires appropriate vessels.

Mashiach's suffering brings about refinement in the world at large, making it a fit vessel for the revelation of this transcendent potential.

This - the revelation of transcendent G-dliness - is the heart of the Era of the Redemption, and therefore, it is associated with Mashiach's name.

The Name of the Torah Reading

The above concepts also clarify a difficulty with regard to the name of our Torah reading, Parshas Metzora.
Metzora means "leper."

One might think that the name of a Torah reading would be associated with a word(s) of more positive import.

This question is reinforced by the fact that in the works of the early Rabbinic sages: Rav Saadia Gaon, [11] Rashi, [12] and the Rambam, [13] a different name was in fact employed.

All of these authorities refer to the Torah reading with the name Zos Tihiyeh ("This shall be").

It is only in the later generations that the name Metzora became prevalent.

The explanation is that in these later generations, cracks and openings have appeared in the wall of exile, and through them, the light of Mashiach shines. And when the light of Mashiach shines, Metzora is not a negative factor, but, as explained above, an expression of transcendent G-dliness.
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[muman613]

https://ohrtmimim.org/global/print.asp?ID=2654&type=TO

The double Torah portion we read this week deals mostly with the impurity 'disease' of Tzoraat and its implications.

Tzoraat is one of the most severe impurities in the Torah. It manifests itself as discolorations of the skin or hair but it indicates spiritual blemishes in the souls of those who possess it.

But on the other hand we see that the Moshiach is called 'Metzora' (namely one who has Tzoraat) (Sanhedrin 98b) and so is the Holy Temple (Eicha Raba, petichta 21).

Does this make sense? Moshiach and the Holy Temple are the highlights and the goals of Judaism. They both are the fulfillment of what Abraham had in mind when he founded Judaism: that the entire world will realize that G-d alone creates, directs and provides for all being constantly. The Holy of Holies in the Holy Temple was a place that demonstrated that such a thing is possible and Moshiach will make it a world reality.

So why are they both called Metzora and Tzoraat?

[muman613]

https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=m272863leper
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In general, Gevurah (severity, holding back beneficence, judgment) in its root is actually the opposite of holding back. Indeed Gevurah also has the connotation of intensity, as in gevurot geshamim, “intense (i.e., abundant) rains” (Mishnah beginning of Taanis). It is, in its root, an influx of extraordinary intensity that is more than the recipient can handle. It therefore gives birth, ultimately, to Gevurah in the sense of holding back beneficence.

Similarly, in its original form, tzaraas is the embodiment of an intensity of holiness. From this intensity is born the harsh judgments as they exist in the realm of holiness, which can ultimately give birth to the impure symptoms.

In man’s Divine service, the concept of tzaraas is an intensity of holiness that transcends all limits and escapes all confinement. It is ratzo without shov (see Ezekiel 1:14)—a yearning and escape toward spiritual ecstasy that is not followed with a return to the physical world and the fulfillment of the mandate to make the physical world a dwelling place for the Divine (see Tanchuma, Nasso).

(For example, if after intense and fervent prayer the worshipper fails to engage in Torah study, this fervor can give rise to “severities” in the form of anger, which in turn creates ego and arrogance. Torah study, which is Tiferes (harmony; beauty),[2] forms the balance between Chessed and Gevurah—ratzo and shov (Sefer Hasichos 5751 citing Likutei Torah).

The great kabbalist Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson points out that the word hamitzora (“the metzora”) is numerically equivalent to “Tohu,” the world of Chaos, where the sefiros are fierce and intemperate.

Tzaraas and the Messianic Age

Thus the Talmud calls Moshiach a metzora (Sanhedrin 98b, citing Isaiah 53:4). For in the Messianic era the world of Tohu will be refined [through the elevation of its shattered sparks that were scattered throughout the physical realm] and intensity and Gevurah will reign supreme.

[The ultimate goal of creation is the integration Tohu and Tikkun, where the intense and lights of Tohu are contained in the structured vessels of Tikkun. So while we currently conduct ourselves in the manner of Tikkun, we will follow the rules of Tohu in the Messianic era.

For example, Jewish law currently follows the opinion of the Mishnaic sage Hillel, whose root is Chessed, kindness (Tikkun). In the Messianic age, Jewish law will follow Shammai, whose root is Gevurah (Tohu).

Similarly, intellect must precede and rule emotions in the pre-messianic world. This is because emotion is intemperate and must be controlled by the intellect. In the Messianic era, however, when the intensity of emotion will only lead to good things, emotion will reign supreme because of its greater intensity.

Thus we find that Yaakov and Esav differed in their arrangement of men and women. In Yaakov’s camp the men preceded the women; in Esav’s camp, women preceded the men. For Yaakov and Esav are Tikkun and Tohu respectively. In Tikkun, the current world, men (“intellect”) must precede women (“emotion”). In the Messianic era, the world of Tohu, women will precede men. See our essay on Vayishlach.] 

In the redemption we will experience the exodus from all boundaries and limits, a revelation of Divinity that transcends all constraints.

The Maharal similarly states that Moshiach is called a metzora because just as tzaraas is an otherworldly phenomenon so too Moshiach and the Messianic reality transcends nature and temporal conditions. And just as the metzora is “separated” from the camp, so is Moshiach “separated” from the mundane reality.

(The kabbalist Rabbi Chaim ibn Attar in his Ohr Hachaim also points to a connection between metzora and the Messianic era stating that the two birds that the metzora uses in his purification process correspond to the two Moshiachs: Moshiach son of Yosef and Moshiach son of David.)

May we indeed merit the fulfillment of the prophecy that “your Master will no longer be cloaked and your eyes will see your Master” (Isaiah 30:20) through the true and complete redemption.

—Likutei Sichos 37:33ff.

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

First website are Messihists!

" And may he (Schnerson) lead us to the actual Redemption in the immediate future."
 
 PUKE!

[muman613]

First website are Messihists!

" And may he (Schnerson) lead us to the actual Redemption in the immediate future."
 
 PUKE!

If you were truly concerned you would notice this was published while he was still alive. There was nothing wrong with believing he may have been Moshiach at that time.

Sichos in English is a site which contains many of the Chabad writings by those who listened to the Rebbe, and there is nothing Meshichist (according to my knowlege) about it.

And the concept comes from the Talmud, so by attacking the Chabad site you have not proven or disproven anything, except for your lashon hara.

[muman613]

This concept has nothing to do with Chabad Rebbe or anything else except for the statement of the Talmud that the Moshiach will be a Metzorah, as derived from the passage in Issiah...

[muman613]

Talmud Sanhedrin 98a

http://halakhah.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_98.html#98a_42

R. Joshua b. Levi met Elijah standing by the entrance of R. Simeon b. Yohai's tomb. He asked him: 'Have I a portion in the world to come?' He replied, 'if this Master desires it.'39  R. Joshua b. Levi said, 'I saw two, but heard the voice of a third.'40  He then asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' — 'Go and ask him himself,' was his reply. 'Where is he sitting?' — 'At the entrance.'41  And by what sign may I recognise him?' — 'He is sitting among the poor lepers: all of them untie [them]42  all at once, and rebandage them together,43  whereas he unties and rebandages each separately, [before treating the next], thinking, should I be wanted, [it being time for my appearance as the Messiah] I must not be delayed [through having to bandage a number of sores].' So he went to him and greeted him, saying, 'peace upon thee, Master and Teacher.' 'peace upon thee, O son of Levi,' he replied. 'When wilt thou come Master?' asked he, 'To-day', was his answer. On his returning to Elijah, the latter enquired, 'What did he say to thee?' — 'peace Upon thee, O son of Levi,' he answered. Thereupon he [Elijah] observed, 'He thereby assured thee and thy father of [a portion in] the world to come.' 'He spoke falsely to me,' he rejoined, 'stating that he would come to-day, but has not.' He [Elijah] answered him, 'This is what he said to thee, To-day, if ye will hear his voice.'44

The disciples of R. Jose b. Kisma asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' — He answered, 'I fear lest ye demand a sign of me [that my answer is correct].' They assured him, 'We will demand no sign of you.' So he answered them, 'When this gate45  falls down, is rebuilt, falls again, and is again rebuilt, and then falls a third time, before it can be rebuilt the son of David will come.' They said to him, 'Master, give us a sign.' He protested, 'Did ye not assure me that ye would not demand a sign?' They replied, 'Even so, [we desire one].' He said to them. 'if so, let the waters of the grotto of Paneas turn into blood;' and they turned into blood. When he lay dying he said to them, 'place my coffin deep [in the earth],
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Talmud Sanhedrin 98b

http://halakhah.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_98.html#PARTb
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Rab said: The world was created only on David's account .24  Samuel said: On Moses account;25  R. Johanan said: For the sake of the Messiah. What is his [the Messiah's] name? — The School of R. Shila said: His name is Shiloh, for it is written, until Shiloh come.26  The School of R. Yannai said: His name is Yinnon, for it is written, His name shall endure for ever:27  e'er the sun was, his name is Yinnon.28  The School of R. Haninah maintained: His name is Haninah, as it is written, Where I will not give you Haninah.29  Others say: His name is Menahem the son of Hezekiah, for it is written, Because Menahem ['the comforter'], that would relieve my soul, is far.30  The Rabbis said: His name is 'the leper scholar,' as it is written, Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him a leper, smitten of God, and afflicted.31

R. Nahman said: if he [the Messiah] is of those living [to day], it might be one like myself, as it is written, And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governors shall proceed from the midst of them.32  Rab said: if he is of the living, it would be our holy Master;33  if of the dead, it would have been Daniel the most desirable man.34  Rab Judah said in Rab's name: The Holy One, blessed be He, will raise up another David for us,35  as it is written, But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them:36  not 'I raised up', but 'I will raise up' is said. R. Papa said to Abaye: But it is written, And my servant David shall be their prince [nasi] for ever?37  — E.g., an emperor and a viceroy.38
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31 Isa. LIII, 4.

[muman613]

From a non-Chabad source (I believe)...

http://www.torah.org/learning/olas-shabbos/5762/tazria.html

Parshas Tazria-Metzora
Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann

Living for the Moment

It is said that Mashiach lives in every generation, waiting patiently for the message that the time has come to reveal himself. Now this may sound like a silly question, but where exactly does he reside in the meantime?

In fact, the Gemara (Sanhedrin 98a) describes an encounter between Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and Eliyahu HaNavi, during which Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked Eliyahu this exact question:

Said Rabbi Yehoshua to Eliyahu: "When will Mashiach come [i.e. reveal himself]?" Said he: "Why don't you go and ask him?" "And where is he to be found?" "He sits among the lepers at the gates to the city of Rome." "How will I know which one is him?" "You will see," said Eliyahu, "that the other lepers remove their bandages and clean their wounds all at once, while Mashiach removes them one at a time."

Rabbi Yehoshua went. He said, "Shalom Aleicha - Peace to you my teacher, my mentor." "Peace to you, son of Levi." "When are you coming?" asked R' Yehoshua. Mashiach said: "Today."

Later, R' Yehoshua once again met Eliyahu. "Nu - Did you find Mashiach?" "Yes. He lied to me. I asked him when he was coming, and he told me, 'Today,' [yet he never came!]." Said Eliyahu, "Today - if you will heed My voice (Tehillim/Psalms 95:7)"

Obviously there is more to this story than meets the eye. Why is Mashiach depicted as a leper? And why, while the other lepers cleanse their wounds all at once, does he clean his individually? And why did he "trick" R' Yehoshua ben Levi by telling him he was coming "Today?"

The Gemara (ibid.) describes two possibilities as to when Mashiach will come: If we will merit his revelation through good deeds and repentance, he could come at any moment. Otherwise, we must wait until the appointed time. It's kind of disheartening: If Hashem awaits the day that we will attain perfection, what chance do we stand? If earlier generations, who dwarf us with their Torah, their mitzvos, their purity, and their fear of Heaven, did not succeed in achieving "Today - if you listen to my voice," then what hope is their for a generation such as ours? As someone once quipped: "If that's the case - we might as well make ourselves comfortable, because it's going to be a long ride..."

A great tzaddik once mused: Every Jew, given the choice, would in a heartbeat do teshuva (repent) right now, today. What is it, then, that prevents him? Yesterday and tomorrow. He worries about yesterday's mistakes and blunders, and frets over what tomorrow will bring. Were it that he would focus only on today, on this very moment, nothing could stop him.

"Living for the moment" is a term that carries with it a negative connotation. In fact, living for the moment is the key to success in serving Hashem and overcoming our faults and deficiencies. Taken as a whole, life is a daunting proposition. There are children to raise, careers to advance, mitzvos to do, weddings, bar mitzvahs, simchos, learning, davening, flossing our teeth... Give life too much thought and you'll never get out of bed in the morning.

The trick is to live for the moment. While it is true that there are thousands of things to do - hills to climb, valleys to conquer - the only thing we truly control is this very moment. There is a famous saying (which has become a song): "The past is gone; the future not yet; the present like the blink of an eye."

Perhaps what Mashiach meant by "Today" was that blink of an eye; the fleeting moment we call the present. Hashem does not ask that we build Him great castles. Just simply give Hashem your now - your today. Do not worry about what has been - it is of no significance now. What tomorrow will bring - you will see then. Give me your today, says Mashiach, and I will come.

Now this does not mean that we should recklessly lunge through life, with complete disregard for past deeds and no concern for our future welfare. What it does mean is that we internalize the reality that with all our planning and ambitions, all we really are capable of controlling is what we are doing right now. If you are assessing your past, do it with the realization that you can't change anything that has already been done. What you can do is change your present, with an awareness of past blunders. Plan for the future, but don't let anxiety about tomorrow - which is ultimately beyond your control - detract from what you can do today.

Mashiach as a leper is symbolic: Just as a leper must live in quarantine, removed from his home and his family, so too, as a result of our sins, we are in exile from our homeland, and have had the Holy Temple removed from our midst. While others think that it is necessary to care for all their wounds at once, Mashiach dresses one wound at a time. This is his message: "Hayom - Today, if you listen to My voice." Do not attempt to address all life's difficulties at once, for you will falter. Address issues as they arise, live each moment to its fullest, and do the best you can right now. Tomorrow is another day; there will be other battles to wage, other territories to conquer.

While we are no doubt (at best) dwarfs relative to our ancestors, perhaps in this one regard we stand a better chance than them. Everyone bemoans the fact that we live today in the "generation of the disposables," where everything in life is throw-away (tableware, diapers, relationships...), and precious little remains of permanence and substance. While we must take care not to "live for the moment" in the sense of caring only about satisfying momentary whims and desires, perhaps living in such a society makes us uniquely suited to follow Mashiach's advice to concentrate on giving Hashem our "Today," and not getting bogged down by yesterday and tomorrow.

Deep within the recesses of every Jewish soul burns a flame, yet sometimes the light of that flame becomes obstructed by the oppressive concerns and worries of life. By "living for the now," we can remove those obstructions, and allow the flame of the neshama to warm our lives and the lives of those around us. Have a good Shabbos.

[kyel]

I found this very interesting to read. I was thinking about Mosiach today and wondered why Christians believe that Mosiach has to be sinless. Similar to how Muslims view Muhammad to be sinless. I think that much of the authenticity of Judaism shows that even great figures had human errors (Moses,Solomon, etc.) something that is not present in most world religions.

[nessuno]

I found this very interesting to read. I was thinking about Mosiach today and wondered why Christians believe that Mosiach has to be sinless. Similar to how Muslims view Muhammad to be sinless. I think that much of the authenticity of Judaism shows that even great figures had human errors (Moses,Solomon, etc.) something that is not present in most world religions.

Is that what we believe?  I thought we believed in the forgiveness of sins.

[muman613]

I found this very interesting to read. I was thinking about Mosiach today and wondered why Christians believe that Mosiach has to be sinless. Similar to how Muslims view Muhammad to be sinless. I think that much of the authenticity of Judaism shows that even great figures had human errors (Moses,Solomon, etc.) something that is not present in most world religions.

Shalom Kyel,

I am glad you found this interesting, I too find it very intriguing. But I do not completely understand the implications of these verses in Talmud and Isaiah. We know that there is much in Isaiah which is misunderstood by other religions, and as my Rabbi explained yesterday this very teaching became one of the other religions main point (that Moshiach will suffer from the sins of the Jewish people).

Let me add that the Chabad Chumash which I discovered this pointed out that Moshiach, according to virtually all prophets, will be a completely righteous man, who observes the Torahs commandments, and fulfills them with proper intention. Thus he is either a complete Ba'al Teshuva (Master of repentance), or he did not ever sin and only bore the brunt of the 'collective punishment' of Israel by the nations. He may be completely righteous and just suffered because Am Yisroel has fallen to such a low level, and he suffers from anti-semitism.

I am searching for more material on this topic and hope to better understand the teaching of the Talmud concerning Moshiach.

 

[muman613]

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/145598/jewish/Living-with-Moshiach-Tazria-Metzora.htm

The parshiyot of Tazri’a and Metzora deal with the laws of tzara’at (conventionally translated as “leprosy”): the diagnosis of the symptoms of this disease which incurs a state of ritual impurity; how to deal with those afflicted by it; and the procedures of purification following its cure.

The Talmud states that Moshiach is called “chivara-the leper”(Sanhedrin 98b). This is rather astonishing and seems to contradict the Biblical description of Moshiach: “My servant shall be wise, exalted and lofty, and shall be very high” (Isaiah 52:13). From this verse we know that he will be the wisest of men, an extraordinary prophet, second only to Moses (and in many respects more exalted than Moses), greater than the patriarchs, and of a stature exceeding that of all kings before him. Thus, we must conclude that there is a deeper meaning to his being called chivara.

First of all, tzara’at is a disease of the skin. It is not an internal ailment, nor is the body per se affected. It is an external malady, indicated by a change of color in the skin.

Now, throughout the course of our lengthy galut (exile), the Jewish people have been involved with Torah-study and mitzvot. Every effort has been made to have good triumph over evil, and to bring light into the darkness of the galut. Thus we have already succeeded in healing the “internal malady” of the galut. At present, with the conclusion of the galut, there remains but a minor and strictly external disease-“on the skin of his body” (Tazri’a 13:2ff.). It is up to the generation which merits the very end of the galut and the beginning of the redemption to bring about the correction and healing of this final stage.

Moshiach, the redeemer, suffers the agonies and pains of these last days of the galut, the “disease of tzara’at.” For Moshiach waits anxiously and impatiently to redeem his generation the moment it completes the cure for the minor affliction that remains. As long as he is unable to do so and the galut continues, Moshiach personally suffers the pains of this tzara’at, the agony of the last days of the galut.

In this context, the second parshah begins: “This is the teaching concerning the one afflicted with tzara’at on the day of his purification...” (Metzora 14:2). This refers to the day of the redemption:

For as long as the galut persists, Moshiach is called chivara (afflicted with tzara’at). He himself is essentially pure and perfect, and his affliction merely reflects the condition of galut. The very moment of the redemption, when Moshiach will be revealed and his real being and righteousness will become manifest to all, that is “the day of his purification.”

The redemption will demonstrate how in Moshiach is fulfilled the verse, “the leprous mark has healed in the one afflicted by it” (Metzora 14:3).