Mashiach is a basic principle in Judaism, but what is the source of Mashiach in Judaism. It is not written in the Torah although our sages explain that in the prophecy of Bilam, his 4th prophecy is the link:
ืฉืืงืื ืืขืชืื ืืจืืืง ืฉืืื ืืขื ืืฉืจืื ืืฉืจ ืืืฉืื ืขื ืื ืืื ืืฉืืช: ืึถืจึฐืึถื ึผืึผ ืึฐืึนื ืขึทืชึธึผื, ืึฒืฉืืึผืจึถื ึผืึผ ืึฐืึนื ืงึธืจืึนื: ืึธึผืจึทืึฐ ืึผืึนืึธื ืึดืึทึผืขึฒืงึนื, ืึฐืงึธื ืฉึตืืึถื ืึดืึดึผืฉึฐืืจึธืึตื; ืึผืึธืึทืฅ ืคึทึผืึฒืชึตื ืืึนืึธื, ืึฐืงึทืจึฐืงึทืจ ืึธึผื ืึฐึผื ึตื ืฉึตืืช
โ ืกืคืจ ืืืืืจ, ืคืจืง ืโื, ืคืกืืง ืโื
This is the prophecy of Bilam and it is speaking of Mashiach. In this prophecy there is no mention of ben Dovid or ben Yosef, so where do we get these concepts? This is brought down in the Oral Torah, given to Moshe at Sinai, in the Gemara and the Zohar For example in Gemara masechet Sukah is discussed that Hashem will mourn at the end of times. Gemara gives two possibilities for this: the first is the Yetzer Hara,(a subject for another time) the other possibility is that Mashiach ben Yosef
will be killed by Armillus. We know there is a danger that Mashiach ben Yosef will die(G-d forbid). So the question is if Mashiach ben Yosef will die or live. The Arizaโl in Sha-re Hakavanot and another book, says that he took his student to the tomb of Shmiaya and Avtalon, they meditated there to connect to the souls of Shmiaya and Avtalon and it was revealed to them is that they need to pray that Mashiach ben Yosef will live and not be killed. The Arizaโl told Rav Chaim vital that when we pray
in Shemonah Esrei (Amida) in the prayer of Bonei Yerushalayim we say kiss Dovid Avdecha. This is the right place to meditate that he should live and not die.ย
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โฆืื ืืกืคืืื ืืื ืขืืืืชืื, ืคืืืื ืื ืจืื ืืืกื ืืจืื ื, ืื ืืืจ ืขื ืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ ืฉื ืืจื, ืืื ืืืจ ืขื ืืฆืจ ืืจืข ืฉื ืืจื, ืืฉืืื ืืืื ืืืืจ ืขื ืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ ืฉื ืืจื, ืืืื ื ืืืชืื ืืืืืื ืืื ืืช ืืฉืจ ืืงืจื, ืืกืคืื ืขืืื ืืืกืคื ืขื ืืืืื, ืืื ืืืื ืืืืจ ืขื ืืฆืจ ืืจืข ืฉื ืืจื, ืืื ืืกืคืืื ืืขื ืืืืขืืโฆ ืชื ื ืจืื ื, ืืฉืื ืื ืืื ืฉืขืชืื ืืืืืืช ืืืืจื ืืืืื ื, ืืืืจ ืื ืืงืโื ืฉืื ืืื ื ืืืจ ืืืชื ืื, ืฉื ืืืจ ืืกืคืจื ืื ืืืง ืืืโ, ืื ื ืืืื ืืืืชืื, ืฉืื ืืื ื ืืืชื ื ืืืื ื ืืืชื, ืืืืื ืฉืจืื ืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ ืฉื ืืจื, ืืืืจ ืืคื ืื, ืจืืื ื ืฉื ืขืืื, ืืื ื ืืืงืฉ ืืื ืืื ืืืื,
ืืืืจ ืื ืืืื ืขื ืืื ืืืจืช ืืืจ ืืชื ืื ืขืืื ืืื ืืืื, ืฉื ืืืจ ืืืื ืฉืื ืืื ื ืชืชื ืื ืืืโ. (ืกืืื ื ื ื)
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We have a concept here, that Mashiach ben Yosef is the throne of Mashiach ben David. This is a general understanding, we see it in many commentaries that Mashiach ben Yosef does the preparations, and Mashiach ben Dovid comes after.ย
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What is the goal when we speak of Mashiach? What is the purpose? I heard a funny but true point, that is said โWhy do many people wait for Mashiach? ...
