QUESTION:
1) Besides for King Chizikiyahu, were there any others throughout the generations who were eligible to be either Mashiach, and can the Rav name them?
ANSWER:
Certainly there were many examples of those who were worthy of being Mashiach, in every generation. There are great souls in every generation who are worthy of being Mashiach in that generation.
QUESTION
2) If a tzaddik has a neshamah that contains the soul of Mashiach, or even a “spark” of Mashiach in his soul, does that mean that this tzaddik is worthy of being Mashiach?
ANSWER
Not necessarily.
QUESTION
3) And by extension, we can also ask that every person has a spark of Mashiach in his soul, so that would make any person worthy of being Mashiach…?
ANSWER
Every person contains a personal spark of Mashiach, but it is only a private level of Mashiach in his soul. In order to be worthy of being Mashiach, a person needs to have a soul that contains the “collective” Mashiach, not just the “personal spark” of Mashiach.
QUESTION
4) Just as the greatest tzaddikim of history were accused of committing horrible sins (Moshe Rabbeinu and Yirmiyahu HaNavi were accused of rape), is it possible that Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben Dovid will also be accused of committing the worst sins? Or will Mashiach be so righteous that he will be above any possibility of controversy?
ANSWER
Yes [it is possible that they will be accused of sinning].
QUESTION
5) The Rav said that it’s possible that at first there will be controversy about Mashiach, but later the controversy about him will settle and he will be accepted by everyone. Can this controversy about Mashiach happen only before he arrives or even after he arrives? How can it happen after he arrives, when our emunah will be so clear?
ANSWER
When the doubts and arguments about Mashiach cease, that will be Mashiach’s complete arrival.
QUESTION
6) Is it possible that the false Messiahs of our history (Bar Kochba, Shabtai Tzvi, etc) were really worthy of being Mashiach, and it is just that they went bad because the generation wasn’t worthy yet of the Geulah?
ANSWER
When viewed from the perspective of our free will (bechirah), yes, there is such a possibility that they had been worthy. But from the perspective of the higher awareness (yediah) that Hashem is orchestrating everything, these individuals were not worthy of being Mashiach.
QUESTION
7) The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim discusses the process of Mashiach’s arrival and everything that has to happen in order for Mashiach’s arrival to be sanctioned. Why is it that he does not even say one word about Mashiach ben Yosef?
ANSWER
According to the Talmud Bavli (Succah 52a) Mashiach ben Yosef will be killed in the final war, and also because according to the simple understanding of the Torah, Mashiach ben Yosef is not the actual Mashiach [since he is followed by Mashiach ben Dovid].
QUESTION
8) The Rambam differentiates between a person who is “possibly Mashiach” versus a person who is “certainly Mashiach”, and that even if a great tzaddik gathers together all of the exiles and he builds the Beis HaMikdash (!!!) he is still not “Mashiach for sure”, until he wins the final war against Gog and Magog. If he dies in the final war, he cannot be Mashiach. This is astounding. How can it be that he might accomplish so much, gathering together all the Jews from all over the world and rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash, yet he’s still not Mashiach unless he survives the final war?!
ANSWER
If the tzaddik reputed to be Mashiach dies in the final war, he was a potential Mashiach, who couldn’t emerge completely as Mashiach. We are allowed to assume that he will be Mashiach from all of the accomplishments he has done so far (i.e. gathering together Jews from all over the world and building the Beis HaMikdash), but he is not yet “Mashiach for sure” until he wins the final war. He will only be “Mashiach for sure” when he completely emerges as the Mashiach, when he is not just a “potential” Mashiach, but a Mashiach that has fully utilized his potential as Mashiach.
QUESTION
9) How will we know who Mashiach ben Yosef is and who Mashiach ben Dovid is, when they arrive? Will Eliyahu inform us?
ANSWER
It will be just like how a person senses when it becomes day and when it becomes evening, which is a simple feeling that you just know about. That will be the case when Mashiach completely emerges from his potential state, from his hidden state to his revealed state. Mashiach ben Yosef will emerge when he fully utilizes his potential, whereas Mashiach ben Dovid will emerge when he stops being hidden and he becomes revealed.
QUESTION
10) The Chofetz Chaim wrote several sefarim on how to be worthy of the Geulah. Is that our entire avodah right now (to do what the Chofetz Chaim says about doing teshuvah before the Geulah) or is there anything else we need to do that isn’t mentioned in the Chofetz Chaim’s words?
ANSWER
Become connected to the shaar HaNun d’kedushah (the 50th level of holiness)!
QUESTION
2) If a tzaddik has a neshamah that contains the soul of Mashiach, or even a “spark” of Mashiach in his soul, does that mean that this tzaddik is worthy of being Mashiach?
ANSWER
Not necessarily.
QUESTION
3) And by extension, we can also ask that every person has a spark of Mashiach in his soul, so that would make any person worthy of being Mashiach…?
ANSWER
Every person contains a personal spark of Mashiach, but it is only a private level of Mashiach in his soul. In order to be worthy of being Mashiach, a person needs to have a soul that contains the “collective” Mashiach, not just the “personal spark” of Mashiach.
QUESTION
4) Just as the greatest tzaddikim of history were accused of committing horrible sins (Moshe Rabbeinu and Yirmiyahu HaNavi were accused of rape), is it possible that Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben Dovid will also be accused of committing the worst sins? Or will Mashiach be so righteous that he will be above any possibility of controversy?
ANSWER
Yes [it is possible that they will be accused of sinning].
QUESTION
5) The Rav said that it’s possible that at first there will be controversy about Mashiach, but later the controversy about him will settle and he will be accepted by everyone. Can this controversy about Mashiach happen only before he arrives or even after he arrives? How can it happen after he arrives, when our emunah will be so clear?
ANSWER
When the doubts and arguments about Mashiach cease, that will be Mashiach’s complete arrival.
QUESTION
6) Is it possible that the false Messiahs of our history (Bar Kochba, Shabtai Tzvi, etc) were really worthy of being Mashiach, and it is just that they went bad because the generation wasn’t worthy yet of the Geulah?
ANSWER
When viewed from the perspective of our free will (bechirah), yes, there is such a possibility that they had been worthy. But from the perspective of the higher awareness (yediah) that Hashem is orchestrating everything, these individuals were not worthy of being Mashiach.
QUESTION
7) The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim discusses the process of Mashiach’s arrival and everything that has to happen in order for Mashiach’s arrival to be sanctioned. Why is it that he does not even say one word about Mashiach ben Yosef?
ANSWER
According to the Talmud Bavli (Succah 52a) Mashiach ben Yosef will be killed in the final war, and also because according to the simple understanding of the Torah, Mashiach ben Yosef is not the actual Mashiach [since he is followed by Mashiach ben Dovid].
QUESTION
8) The Rambam differentiates between a person who is “possibly Mashiach” versus a person who is “certainly Mashiach”, and that even if a great tzaddik gathers together all of the exiles and he builds the Beis HaMikdash (!!!) he is still not “Mashiach for sure”, until he wins the final war against Gog and Magog. If he dies in the final war, he cannot be Mashiach. This is astounding. How can it be that he might accomplish so much, gathering together all the Jews from all over the world and rebuilding the Beis HaMikdash, yet he’s still not Mashiach unless he survives the final war?!
ANSWER
If the tzaddik reputed to be Mashiach dies in the final war, he was a potential Mashiach, who couldn’t emerge completely as Mashiach. We are allowed to assume that he will be Mashiach from all of the accomplishments he has done so far (i.e. gathering together Jews from all over the world and building the Beis HaMikdash), but he is not yet “Mashiach for sure” until he wins the final war. He will only be “Mashiach for sure” when he completely emerges as the Mashiach, when he is not just a “potential” Mashiach, but a Mashiach that has fully utilized his potential as Mashiach.
QUESTION
9) How will we know who Mashiach ben Yosef is and who Mashiach ben Dovid is, when they arrive? Will Eliyahu inform us?
ANSWER
It will be just like how a person senses when it becomes day and when it becomes evening, which is a simple feeling that you just know about. That will be the case when Mashiach completely emerges from his potential state, from his hidden state to his revealed state. Mashiach ben Yosef will emerge when he fully utilizes his potential, whereas Mashiach ben Dovid will emerge when he stops being hidden and he becomes revealed.
QUESTION
10) The Chofetz Chaim wrote several sefarim on how to be worthy of the Geulah. Is that our entire avodah right now (to do what the Chofetz Chaim says about doing teshuvah before the Geulah) or is there anything else we need to do that isn’t mentioned in the Chofetz Chaim’s words?
ANSWER
Become connected to the shaar HaNun d’kedushah (the 50th level of holiness)!
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