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Lesson 3 Approaching Moshiach בס"ד APPROACHING MOSHIACH By Rabbi Pinchas Taylor LESSON 3 GLOSSARY PROFILE A brief biographical account of the author noted in the body text EXORDIUM A brief characterization of the noted book בס"ד APPROACHING MOSHIACH | LESSON 3 TEXT 1 אמר ליה שלום עליך רבי ומורי אמר ליה שלום He greeted [Moshiach], saying, “Peace עליך בר ליואי א"ל לאימת אתי מר א"ל היום ”.The 63 tractates of the Talmud upon you, Master and Teacher are arranged in six sections, or אתא לגבי אליהו א"ל מאי אמר לך א"ל שלום Peace upon you, son of Levi,” he“ “Orders,” wherein each tractate עליך בר ליואי א"ל אבטחך לך ולאבוך לעלמא ”?replied. “When will you come, Master deals with a subset of laws דאתי א"ל שקורי קא שקר בי דאמר לי היום .pertaining to a common theme. he asked. “Today,” was his answer אתינא ולא אתא א"ל הכי אמר לך )תהלים צה,ז( On [Rabbi Joshua’s] returning to Elijah היום אם בקולו תשמעו ,Tractate Sanhedrin belongs to the [the prophet], the latter enquired גמרא, מסכת סנהדרין דף צח. ”?Order of Nezikin (lit., Damages), “What did he say to you the section of the Talmud that “Peace upon you, son of Levi,” he discusses Jewish civil and answered. Thereupon [Elijah] observed, criminal law. Tractate Sanhedrin “He thereby assured you and your father details the laws applicable to the of [a portion in] the world to come.” hierarchal Jewish judicial system, as well as the various penalties— “He spoke falsely to me,” he rejoined, monetary, corporal and capital—at “stating that he would come today, but its disposal. The last chapter has not.” [Elijah] answered him, “This is discusses the world to come, i.e., what he said to you, ‘Today, if you will the messianic era. listen to His voice.’” Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 98a TEXT 2 ת״ר שבעה דברים מכוסים מבני אדם… ומלכות Our rabbis taught: Seven things are בית דוד מתי תחזור Tractate Pesachim belongs to the hidden from man… and when the Order of Moed (lit., Holidays), the גמרא, מסכת פסחים, דף נד: .Davidic dynasty will return section of the Talmud that contains the laws relevant to the Sabbath, Talmud, Tractate Pesachim 54b the festivals, fast days and other significant holidays. Pesachim is the Talmudic tractate that deals chiefly with the festival of Pesach (Passover), its rituals and sacrificial service, and the leavened substances that are forbidden during the festival. TEXT 3 ודע והבן כי שבעת ימי בראשית אלה מבארים לנו You must appreciate that the seven מה שעבר ורומזים לנו על העתיד והנה הם כנגד days (including the Sabbath) of שיתא אלפי שני וחד חריב Rabbi Bachya ben Asher (1255– creation are intended to acquaint 1340), known commonly as רבינו בחיי, בראשית ב:ג Rabbeinu Bachya, was a Spanish us with what happened once and rabbi, scholar and Torah commen- with what will happen again. They tator. He authored multiple works, are symbolic of the 6000 years but he is best known for his brilliant that the universe will endure in its commentary on the Five Books present form, and the 1000 years of Moses. In his commentary he during which it will undergo a total draws on four main approaches to transformation. understanding the text: the simple reading of the verse, the hints and Rabbeinu Bachya, Bereishit 2:3 allegories that are found within the text, its deeper philosophical meaning, and its esoteric/mystical meaning. CHABAD.ORG/COURSES | 3 בס"ד APPROACHING MOSHIACH | LESSON 3 6000-YEAR ROADMAP The Jewish sages teach that the descriptions of the seven days in which the world was created are also descriptions of the way world history will unravel from the creation of Adam until the end of time. They correspond to the six millennia of history that humanity will experience. The seventh day—when G-d rested from creating, commemorated by celebrating Shabbat—corresponds to the seventh millennium, during which the world will experience an eternal and cosmic Shabbat, the coming of Moshiach. However, it is certainly possible for Moshiach to come earlier. The sages are merely saying that by the year 6000 (on the Jewish calendar) Moshiach will certainly have come, whether humanity is appropriately prepared or not. If the world community has fully prepared for Moshiach earlier, Moshiach will come earlier. The Lubavitcher Rebbe often emphasized that we can hasten the redemption through our own acts of goodness and kindness. TEXT 4 בעקבות משיחא חוצפא יסגא… ומלכות תהפך ,In the footsteps of Moshiach למינות ואין תוכחת… וחכמת סופרים תסרח… This tractate discusses the laws insolence will increase… the נערים פני זקנים ילבינו… of a sotah—a married woman government will turn to heresy and suspected by her husband, with גמרא, מסכת סוטה, דף מט: [there will be no one [to offer them strong circumstantial evidence, reproof… the wisdom of the learned of infidelity. She is brought to the will degenerate… youths will put old Temple and given to drink from men to shame. the “bitter waters,” and if she was indeed unfaithful, she miraculously Talmud, Tractate Sotah 49b dies. TEXT 5 ָאַמַר רִּבֵי יֹוסְי ּכַגְּוָונָא דְאּכִתיב )ישעיה ס( Rabbi Yossi said: [regarding the אֲִנְיה' ּבִעָּתּה אֲ ִחיֶׁשָּנַה. מְהּו ּבִעָּתְּה. ּבֵעת ה'. redemption] it is written: “I, G-d, will The ּבְ עִ ”.[ּתָ ּה] accelerate it in its time ְּדָתֵקּום מַעְפָרְא ּכֵדין אֲ ִחיֶׁשָּנה… The Zohar is the classic text of the ּבְ עֵ ת ה its time”] can read ּבְ עִ in“] ּתָ ּה word Kabbalah, compiled by the second- ּוְבִׁשְית מָאְה ׁשִנִין לְׁשִתָיתָאִה יְתַּפְּתַחּון ּתְרֵעי at the time of five,” alluding that G-d“] ְדָחְכְמָתְא לֵעָילַא ּומֵּבּועְי דָחְכְמָתְאלַתָּתא, century Mishnaic sage Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon will accelerate the redemption after ְוִיְתַּתַּקַן עְלָמְא לָאֳעָלִא ּבְׁשִביָעָאְה. ּכַבָרנׁש [.known by the acronym “Rashbi”) the fifth millennium) ְּדִמְתַּתַּקְן ּבָיֹומְא ׁשִתָיתָאֵה מִכָי עַרִב ׁשְמָׁשא lived in tumultuous times, when the In the 600th year of the sixth ְלאֲ ָעָלְא אּוף ּבַׁשַּבָּתָא. הִכָי נֵמיְ.וִסָימִניְך Roman government was executing millennium [5600 in the Jewish all the great Torah teachers. Rashbi calendar, corresponding to 1840 )בראִשית ז( ּבְׁשַנֵת ׁשֵׁש מָאֹות ׁשָנְהלַחֵּיֹי נַח ,had to flee Roman persecution C.E.], the gates of wisdom above, ְוִגו' נְבְקָעּו ּכַל מְעְיְנֹותּתַהֹום רָּבה. .and hid in a cave for 13 years During this time he received together will the wellsprings of זוהר בראשית, דפים קט"ז:-קי"ז. Divine inspiration, merited the wisdom below, will open up, and the revelation of Elijah the prophet, and world will prepare to usher in the composed the sacred Zohar. seventh millennium. Like one who begins preparations for ushering in the Sabbath on the afternoon of the sixth day, so too here. The hint for this is, “In the 600th year of Noah’s life… all the wellsprings of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, chapter 11 CHABAD.ORG/COURSES | 4 בס"ד APPROACHING MOSHIACH | LESSON 3 NOTES ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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