Exactly what you need to know for the moshiach exam :-)
Rambam Hilches Melachim Perek Yud Alef -
Halachos Alef -Daled know inside
RAMBAM HALACHA GIMMEL
Question 1: What’s the connection between the beginning and the end of the Halacha? That Moshiach doesn’t have to make nissim and that whoever changes torah is an Apikorus.
You might think you could answer:
The connection is because the point of Rambam s to show that Osoh Ha’ish can’t be Moshiach, and both points prove this (no miracles & changed torah).
It’s not enough to say that because in the next Halacha the Rambam clearly speaks against Osoh Ha’ish and the Rambam never repeats.
Question 2:
If not making nissim is connected to not changing torah, then why by Rambam navi doesn’t he bring it?
A: they must not be connected.
A navi has to prove that he’s a navi. Moshiach doesn’t have to do any kind of prophecising etc. Why only by a navi? By a navi it doesn’t mention that he can’t change mitzvos, but by moshiach right away it connects that he doesn’t have to do nissim to not changing torah.
Intro – general question on hilchos melachim:
Why do the halachos of a king come at the end? When they come into eretz yisroel they have 3 mitzvos right away 1) appoint a king 2) destroy amalek 3) build the bhmk (the king should even be before the halachos of builing the bhmk since that came first and rambam is exact about his order).
A: Rambam wants to tell you that Moshiach is the ultimate of mitzvos, so at the end to prove that you do all the mitzvos and by moshiach it will be in the most fulfilled way.
A2: The job of a navi is not only about mitzvos, it’s about inspiration. They’re supposed to show the special connection between Hashem and us. 1) at that time, special message from Hashem at a special time (like the rebbe says koch zich in moshiach) 2)go for individual advice, - if you have a problem you go to the navi and he gives you advice from Hashem – that’s why he has to be able to tell the future.
Moshiach doesn’t have to say the future, it’s purely about mitzvos b’shleimus, not about inspiration.
A1: Since the whole point of moshiach is about mitvos, he doesn’t have to do nissim or say the future. You shouldn’t associate moshiach & nissim.
Mitzvos are forever, the same 613 mitzvos we will do bshleimus when moshiach comes.
Other sichos: The atler rebbe by kiddush levana – why couldn’t it just be a nes that he could say it? Mitzvos have to be done bderech hateva. The idea of mitzvos is to take the physical world as it is – teva- so we can make a dira.
Rabbi Akiva was such a great talmid chacham – how could he lower himself so much to carry the vessels of bar kochba?
There was a similar thing already in history. Dovid hamelech was a big talmid chacham, but he was shaul’s servant (even though he knew much more than him) – because he was king
Since Rebbi akiva thought bar kochba was the king – moshiach – he served him
It was pekuach nefesh – bar kochba was in charge of beitar, and he established a kingdom – the fight was against the romans, and he didn’t give in – Rebbi akiva knew that he had to serve him so that all the Jews would follow bar kochba because it was pekuach nefesh – if he wouldn’t show his support then a lot of Jews wouldn’t follow and the Roman’s would take over
As a result for 2 ½ years Jews could live in beitar and keep yiddishkeit with no problems from the romans – that’s why rebbi akiva supported him
The rayvid (reb avrohom ben dovid) – argues everything with the Rambam
ruziner - a grandson of the maggid said…
The rambam was a descendant of dovid and he personally thought that he was going to be moshiach – that’s why he wrote all these practical halachos of moshiach, bhmk, etc. in shamayim they saw it wasn’t time for geula, and sent the rayvid down to argue with him
The rebbe says also he had a tradition from his father that there’s a keitz for moshiach – and it comes out to around the times of rabmam
according to the gemara:
bar kochba himself said I am moshiach. Chachamam went to check out if he is morach vadon – if he could judge through smell. He failed the test, so chachamim said he’s not moshiach and killed him.
Based on this the raybid says 2 questions on the rambam:
1. you see that Moshiach does have to do some kinds of miracles! To smell and judge is a miracle!
2. how can rambam say the romans killed him? In gemara it says chachamim killed him?
Hakessef Mishna – There’s no argument here and one is right. It’s just 2 midrashim. Rambam’s source is a different medrash. The roman’s couldn’t fight bar kochba, but a snake came and killed him. (wasn’t killed by chachamim)
Q: How can there be an argument about a fact?
Some people just say there were 2 bar kochbas…but that’s kind of a cheap answer…
THE REBBE’S ANSWER:
In order to explain this – there was another person during that time – Reb Yochanan ben Torsa. He argued with R’ Akiva about Bar Kochba being Moshiach. Told him ‘grass will grow on your kever and still moshiach won’t come’.
Who sent to check if he can make miracles?
R’ Yochanan ben Torsa went to go check if he could do miracles. But R’ Akiva said there’s no need, we don’t even need to check if he does miracles.
The Rabmam holds like R’ Akiva – and the Rayvid holds like R’Yochanan.
Did Chachamam hold by Bar Kochba or not?
There was a machlokes. Some followed R’Akiva and some followed R’Yochanan.
Based on meforshim on the Rebbe:
The medrash says that bar kochba was so strong that the roman king said we should leave him. There was a lot of friction between the kusim & the jews – one kusi went to the roman king and told him don’t leave, pointed out r’ eliezer – bar kochba’s uncle who was always fasting that bar kochba should be successful. The kussi wanted to go speak to r’ eliezer – but beitar bas blocked by bar kochbas army – he went through the sewer pipes – so the people saw that someone was trying to speak to r’ eliezer while he was davening. So the people took him to bar kochba, and he said what did you say to my uncle? So he says ‘elizer wants to make peace with the romans without you.’ So Bar Kochba called over r’ eliezer and asked him what happened, and r’eliezer said he didn’t know what he’s talking about – he thought he’s denying the whole thing – so he kicked him & he died on the spot.
THIS was when they realized he couldn’t judge by smell – or else he would have known the truth! But R’ Akiva still thought he was moshiach – because according to him he doesn’t have to make nissim.
How was he killed?
Radbaz (one of the meforshim on Rambam): A lot of chachamim who saw this incident started backing off him – realized he’s not moshiach. Don’t support him. When he didn’t have the support of the soldiers, automatically he died in war. So because of the chachamim he died – but he died in war.
Rebbe: The gemara says that chachamim killed him – as in beis din – not just let him be killed. The group of chachamim with R’Yochanan decided that he deserves to be killed by beis din. If someone’s a rodef you have to kill him. Since he’s not moshiach and he’s making an army against the romans, it’s dangerous for the whole nation. There’s a halacha that if beis din decided to kill someone and they can’t do it, they can go to the goy police etc and have them do the job – so they so to speak called the romans to do the job.
What is the final halacha?
Rambam still says R’ Akiva was right – according to Halacha. He made a mistake on the person but halachically he could.
HALACHA DALED
If a king will stand from beis dovid, (doesn’t mean anointed like in the bhmk because obviously we’re talking about the times of golus – so it’s a leader) he studies torah, is involved in mitzvos like dovid who he comes from – he’s a tzaddik – in torah shebichsav & torah shebaal peh, he force all the yiddden to follow yiddishkeit and he’ll strengthen the ‘cracks’, he’ll fight the wars of Hashem (bruchnius & bgashmius) – he is chezkas moshiach (most probably, it makes sense – in court when you have witnesses come you have to assume they’re chezkas – most likely truthful) bchezkas moshiach means until you know otherwise you have to consider him Moshiach.
If he’s successful in these things (these words were taken out – vnitzach kol ha’umos svivov’ – won over all the surrounding nations)
He builds the beis hamikdosh in it’s place, and gathers all the yidden to eretz yisroel. Then he’s Moshiach Vadai. And he’ll influence that even the goyim together should follow Hashem.
What if someone was chezkas moshiach and he didn’t get to the stage of moshiach vadai? Of what if he was killed? He is not the moshiach that the torah promised will come, but he’s not a bad person. He’s like any other king from dovid who was good & kosher & died. So why would Hashem ‘fool us’ that maybe it’s Moshiach? It’s part of the procedure – Hashem want’s to challenge yidden and see if they will still believe.
So why did Hashem make this idea of x-ianity & muslims if they cause us so much trouble?
Yoshke thought he’ll be moshiach and he was killed by beis din (according to rambam beis din killed him because he’s an apikores – they told the romans to kill him) and Daniel said a nevua that speaks about him 400 years before: “a rebel in your nation will stand up and establish a future – say he’s moshiach, but he tripped…you don’t have a bigger failure than yoshke – moshiach has to 1) fight their enemies & redeem them 2) bring all the yidden to eretz yisroel 3) strengthen their mitzvos. And he did just the opposite! 1) many yidden were killed because of him 2) yidden had to leave eretz yisroel & spread out more places 3) and the changed the torah! And he also has to influence the other nations to worship Hashem, and he did just the opposite causing more people in the world to go away from Hashem.
THIS WAS ADDED
Why does moshiach have to be from bais dovid?
1. Hashem promised to Dovid that he’ll have the real kingdom forever
2. Yerushalayim & the BHMK were always associated with bais dovid
The alter rebbe – the 7th generation from the maharal – the maharal was for sure from bais dovid, it even says on his matzeiva –
The rebbe is 110 generations from dovid hamelech
Someone wrote to the maharal you should live forever, melech hamoshiach – he was the moshiach of the generation
The rebbe’s not ben achar ben from the alter rebbe? He’s ben achar ben from the tzemach tzedek, but the tzemach tzedek isn’t ben achar ben from the alter rebbe.
1. Moshiach could be from bais dovid through his mother – Rabbeinu hakadosh gemara says he could have been moshiach and he came from dovid through his mother
2. Besides from the maharal, the tzemach tzedek from his father’s side is from bais dovid – so anyway the Rebbe is ben achar ben bais dovid
There are plenty of people from bais dovid – so who can be chezkas moshiach?
Hogah btorah – someone that’s deeply into torah – he comes up with new explanations – part of the churban was because they didn’t study torah enough, so moshiach to bring the bhmk back has to be extra involved and deep in torah
Osek Bmitzvos – every yid has to do mitzvos – what's special about this?
If someone is busy with one mitzvah he’s patur from doing another mitzvah
Osek means mitzvos are your business – totally involved in it – mesiras nefesh for mitzvos
Yaamod Melech
It doesn’t have to be an actual KING
Q: What makes someone a king?
A: appointed by a navi or Sanhedrin.
Therefore – moshiach is not going to be a literal king – since there’s no navi or Sanhedrin during gollus to appoint him! He must be considered a king though, althoing he can only be a full king once he’s considered moshiach vadai – because then we’ll have a Sanhedrin, etc.
We see from bar kochba that Rabbi Akiva called him Melech Hamoshiach although there were no neviim in his time.
Nassi – usually head of Sanhedrin – highest authority in regards to torah. To one on top of him (besides Hashem, duh).
Melech/Nassi: No one in his ‘idea’ on top of him, highest authority in his specialty.
The story of the president of Israel: The rebbe didn’t write nassi in a letter to the president. You can’t give a person the title nassi unless they are one.
Chezkas moshiach: leilech bo ulichazek bidko –
Bedek – cracks in the wall of a house
Leilech bo – encourage even frum people to be stronger in yiddishkeit – the idea of chassidus, it’s for frum people but helps us have better avodas Hashem
Lchazek bidko – baalei teshuva – mivtzoim, being mekarev yidden, etc
Yarkuv bo – how did the rebbe force all the yidden?
- forcing doesn’t mean with a whip – it’s the idea of not giving anyone a different choice – in a certain way the Rebbe forced everyone to follow Him – in the idea of kiruv – now misnagdim do kiruv too (forcing = even though it’s against what they want to do naturally, they do it)
fight the wars of Hashem: the Rebbe didn’t have an army…R’ Moshe Feinstein wrote in a teshuva that when Rambam doesn’t mean physical wars – he’ll accomplish what a king accomplishes with any army through his ruchnius peulos
(story purim tof shin yud gimmel – stalin died – the war stopped in the gulf after they gave out the maamer)
b’ruach sfasaf navis rasha – with the ruach of his lips he’ll make a rasha die
proof from dovid hamelech: dovid hamelech has a general – yoav ben tzruya (tzruya was his mother – she came from yehuda) – gemara says if not for dovid sitting and learning torah, yoav wouldn’t have won the wars
but still in tanach it says dovid hamelech made the wars, even though he didn’t do it practically
chaya sara nun beis: the rebbe says we have someone who’s chezkas moshiach – he’s already nitzach – says the nun hints to shnas nun (the rebbe was 90 years old)
end of shabbos shmos nun beis
things the rebbe fought for:
1. not giving land back to the arabs, at first everyone was laughing at the rebbe for fighting against it – now everyone agrees that we would have avoided so many problems if we had listened to the rebbe – even the president who’s very left said it was a mistake
2. mihu yehudi – now we see that it’s a problem, and they’re saying the rebbe saw it years ago
vov tishrei tof shin chof zayin – the yartzeit of rebbitzen chana – the rebbe said one of the things of moshiach is to fight against evil – againt communism – he said that moshiach will fight against it with spiritual power, and before moshiach comes the communist regime will fall and the person who fights it – that’ll be a sign that he’s bchezkas moshiach – even lubavitchers were laughing because communism was so strong, they thought it’s not possible for it to happen without geula coming first
story: the rebbe rashab said I can not see the end of communism (in my life) – a young person will stand up with torn shoes, and he’s going to end communism. The rebbe didn’t change his shoes for over 30 years. One erev shabbos in tof shin nun – the rebbe walked into 770 with new shoes. The next shabbos the rebbe spoke a whole sicha of how communism fell apart. There’s a letter where the rebbe send shoes to his father, and reb leivik wrote that shoes is connected with ‘I’ll throw the shoe on edom (eisav) – according to kabbalah the idea of destroying edom – communism – is the idea of shoes.
LEARNING INYONEI GEULA UMOSHIACH
Another explanation – lichyos im moshiach
The rebbe said were on the threshold of geula
Says in the medrash – in the year of moshiach being revealed – describes the persian gulf war – bnei yisroel get afraid – Hashem sends moshiach who tells them don’t worry, stands on the roof of bhmk & says anavim higia zman geulaschem
Torah has the power to change nature – learning about moshiach has the power to change your nature so that you’ll see moshiach
The outcome of the learning:
There are 2 types of learning – 1 about what will happen after moshiach comes, and 1 learning about how NOW is time for geula, things that are happening, etc
The main stress should be recognizing the stage we are in now – the threshold of the geula.
B’poel Mamosh:
You cant go around just talking about how moshiachs here – if you really believe it you’ll live with it, your daily life you’ll live according to halacha, shulchan aruch, chassidus, etc. moshiach is shleimus hamitzvos – so we should live as much as we can of that now.
The method of torah learning to get rid of tzoraas – that’s in a way of a segula
Learning about moshiach so it will lead you to live it is in a natural way, that’s the outcome – your seichel should be permeated with understanding and knowledge of moshiach – the siechel affects his feelings – he gets excited about moshiach and it affects his life so his machshava, dibbur & mayseh will be matching to this special time
We understand why bnei yisroel at the end of golus is compared to a metzorah, but why is moshiach called a metzorah?
Not every potential moshiach has bandages, etc. but every moshiach has this same concept, just expressed differently.
So what’s this idea?
He carries our sickness: we’re on the level metzorah, so moshiach is that level as well because he carries our sickness
The nimshal from the story:
1. moshiach is found during golus – proof: rav said rabbeinu hakadosh will be moshiach, because he had so much suffering
he’s already a king, he’s leading the yidden during golus (chezkas moshiach)
The person who is a potential Moshiach waits for the geula (that’s why he won’t change all his bandages at once)
Rabbeinu Hakadosh was a potential Moshiach.
Nassi – Yechida Klallis
Says in chassidus that in all the generations put together there were special neshamos of tzaddikim on a special level – there has been nefesh of bnei yisroel, ruach, etc.
Nefesh: Dovid Hamelech (does the action – a king rules the country)
Ruach: Eliyahu Hanavi (he went back to shamayim with a wind – the middos – he became a malach, they serve Hashem with middos)
Neshama: Moshe Rabbeinu (seichel – Moshe brought Torah)
Chaya: Adam Harishon before the aveira (above seichel)
Yechida: Moshiach (complete mesiras nefesh – when moshiach comes the whole world will be completely dedicated to Hashem)
Every generation is also divided into these 5 levels. The Moshiach of the generation, the nassi hador, is the yechida of that generation.
Every person also has all 5 levels.
Lev Kol Yisroel
Rebbe is ROSH bnei yisroel – why does rabmam bring out that the Melech is the LEV of bnei yisroel.
The Brain controls each limb individually and gives different messages to each limb. The heart gives blood and energy equally to all limbs, the energy to be alive.
The Rebbe treats everyone individually according to their nature and individual shlichus, but also sees that every yid has a neshama – a yechida which is a chelek elokah – since the melech is the yechida klallis – so he gives energy to us to discover our yechida. (as a dugma chaya, teaching us how to serve Hashem through chassidus, etc.)
Story of R’Zushe Partisan:
Someone asked him how could you say such a crazy thing that you need a rebbe to connect to Hashem?! The rebbe is yechida shebnefesh?! R’ zushe tells him to calm him down: you’re also yechida! Some people, like the rebbe, it’s more revealed. The rebbe has it in an ultimate way.
Hiskashrus
In our personal life it’s not possible to get to the level of bittul to Hashem the Rebbe has – we have a yetzer hara.
Hiskashrus: The Mashal of the Museum:
Every yid has a yechida, but its not possible for it to be revealed. We connect to Hashem by revealing the Yechida in us. But we can’t do that on our own – the Rebbe’s whole life is mesiras nefesh – he’s our brain and heart, the source of our energy – all our sparks of Yechida are connected to Hashem through the Yechida Klallis – everyone IS connected to the Nassi Hador, but some don’t feel it –
What’s the idea of doing certain things in order to be more mekushar to the rebbe?
It makes sense that a person should try to reveal his neshama – because is neshama is your connection to Hashem – The Rebbe is Rosh Bnei Yisroel – our neshama – we reveal our neshama through connecting to the Rebbe
mashal museum: a metal thing you put your finger on, sends a shock and see how long it takes to get the signal to your brain and back to your hand. One kid was paralyzed and could do it the longest – because his hand wasn’t connected to his brain.
Moshiach in Every Generation
We have to proclaim that the rebbe is moshiach. Where do we know this?
1. In gemara it says each talmid proclaimed his own rebbe as moshiach - the source is in the torah (they each brought pesukim from torah to prove that their rebbe is moshiach - shiloh, yanun, chananya, & MENACHEM)
2. It makes it more of a reality.
Chiddush of the Rebbe: Not only did the students say it, the rebbeim said about themselves that that's the name of Moshiach!
Moshiach stands for Menachem, Shiloh, Yanun, Chananya.
Mishpatim Nun Beis - Miyad = moshe, yisroel, dovid. In our generation it stands for moshiach (menachem), yosef yitzchak, dovber (the rashab). The rebbe says he wrote it in the order from closest to us to farthest.
Mamosh: the rebbe only hints to this in this sicha, mamash with all the perushim in mamish. The rebbe had said in a sicha that wasn't given out officially the rebbe including the roshei teivos of mamash, which he knew everyone was saying.
Are there going to be miracles when moshiach comes?
“the lion will eat straw like a cow”
rambam: you shouldn’t think that yemos hamoshiach will stop anything from the nature of the world – olam kminhago noheg – all these things are mashalim – that yiddin will live peacefully with goyim that are considered like a wolf – even the goyim will go back to the truth – and they wont steal/destroy things – when moshiach comes we’ll known what these things were mashalim for –
“theres no difference between now and yemos hamoshiach beseides that we won’t be under goyim”
“a lion will eat straw” – he’ll only eat things he’s allowed to – you don’t have to kill anyone to eat straw
the rayvid’s question on the rambam:
in parshas bechukosai Hashem says “I’ll take away all the bad animals”
can’t we just answer that its also a mashal?!
There’s a difference between chumash and nach – chumash says practical things – it makes sense to say that it means literally. Much of nach is like poetry.
So then how can rambam say there won’t be nissim?
Says in the gemara all barren trees in eretz yisroel will give fruit when moshiach comes
“ki eitz nasa piryo” since it doesn’t say a specific tree it must be referring to barren trees because that will be a chiddush that they’d give fruit
toras kohanim: how do you know that even barren trees will give fruit?
All the barren trees in the world are going to give fruit – not just the trees in eretz yisroel!
The bottom line: a 2nd question on the rambam: In halacha there’s a difference between trees that give fruit and trees that don’t – so how can rambam still say there’s going to be nissim?
Answer of the radvaz on animals:
Radvaz was a mekubal even before the arizal – in eretz yisroel the animals wont kill anymore – min HA’ARETZ – referring to eretz yisroel
Umoloh ha’aretz deiah es Hashem – haaretz = eretz yisroel
The rambam is saying the whole world didn’t change, just there could be nissim in one place
Answer on trees: you could say the same about trees- that only the barren trees in ERETZ YISROEL will give fruit
Rambam: according to the gemara – “the trees of ERETZ YISROEL”
Rayvid: Toras Kohanim says all the barren trees
Questions on this answer:
1) if just eretz yisroel changes that’s also a nes!
2) the rambam says moshiach doesn’t have to do any nissim to prove himself as moshiach – proof: bar kochba – rebbi akiva considered him moshiach
Maybe you can answer:
In a sefer called avodas hakodesh – says when the world was created barren trees gave fruit, that was a natural creation its not nissim – so it will just go back to that world
when rambam says no nissim, it means completely not – going back to how it was before chet etz hadaas, it’s still a nes – rambam means the world will be the same
“lo yibatel davar” – nothing from the minhag in the world will be batul
“lo yihiyeh chidush” – there won’t be any chiddush in mayseh braishis
#1 means the normal world how we know it practically will stay the same
that’s why rambam added more words to clarify that it’s not that the world will go back to how it was by mayseh braishis
the bottom line: according to rambam the nature will be exactly how it is now
Question 3: What about techiyas hameisim? It’s for sure a nes!
Iggeres Tchiyas Hemeisim/Iggeres Tayman
Question 4: The Rambam himself wrote a letter to the Jews in Yemen to strengthen them, and he says that Moshiach will be someone to make nissim! He says, even thought I wrote in the book, it’s not for sure!!??
THE ANSWER: TWO TEKUFOS!
The first stage will continue our normal world but we won’t be under the yoke of the goyim
The 2nd tekufa will be all the nissim, techiyas hameisim, barren trees, etc.
Q: The rambam says that a wold lying with a lamb is just a mashal – why wouldn’t he just say that it’s in the 2nd tekufa?
A: The Rambam
If every pasuk that sounds like a nes is going to be in the 2nd tekufa, why does Rambam have to explain it as a mashal?
A: You have to look at the context. If its speaking about Moshiach coming, it can’t mean in the 2nd tekufa.
Here’s its talking about a branch that’s going to come from the branch of dovid, and he’ll do so many things, and one of the things he does will be a wolf will lie with the lamb- so that can’t refer to the 2nd tekufa.
V’hishbati - the context is yidden doing mitzvos and getting a reward – the reward will be that the bad animals wont kill, the barren trees will give fruit, etc. so it’s not associated with moshiach.
“Everything we said before is going to switch a little bit…”
Q: If geula is not connected to miracles, why would it switch to the 2nd tekufa when nissim will happen?
Hakdama – the contradiction from iggeres tayman –
Q: What is rambam saying in the letter that there’s going to be nissim, and that it’s not for sure that there won’t be nissim?
A: It depends on zachu or lo zachu! It’s not for sure = it depends on us!
Q:Why does the Ramam assume that there won’t be nissim?
A: Because that’s the minimum that you have to believe in – it could be that there won’t be nissim and you have to believe in that geula without nissim – it could be that there’s nissim but that’s not the basic halacha.
In fact, Rambam also believes there could be nissim – but he can’t write it in halacha because it’s not for sure.
After the first tekufa of us doing torah & mitzvos b’shleimus, of course we’ll be zachu of the nissim and we’ll have the 2nd tekufa.
Why doesn’t Rambam write that there’s the possibility of nissim?
The rambam wants to tell you the halacha that even if there are nissim that’s NOT moshiach, that’s NOT geula – geula is the ability to do torah & mitzvos b’shleimus – there could be nissim which are an extra thing based on us doing mitzvos, but that’s not the defenition of geula.
PRACTICALLY:
The rebbe says we’re zachu so in fact, even according to the rambam, we will have nissim right away!
3 things we accomplish through adding more mitzvos today:
-We can speed up geula
-We can make the geula better
-In an individual way each person will gain more personally
It’s an investment!
No comments:
Post a Comment