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 ื"ื, ืคืกืืง ื"ื
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 Ariza"l 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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...ืื ืื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 ืืืืขืื... ืชื ื ืจืื ื, ืืฉืื ืื ืืื ืฉืขืชืื ืืืืืืช ืืืืจื ืืืืื ื, ืืืืจ ืื ืืงื"ื ืฉืื ืืื ื ืืืจ ืืืชื ืื, ืฉื ืืืจ ืืกืคืจื ืื ืืืง ืืื', ืื ื ืืืื ืืืื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 ืื ืืื'. (ืกืืื ื ื ื)
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
What is the goal when we speak of Mashiach? What is the purpose? I heard a funny but true point, that is said "Why do many people wait for Mashiach? Because they want to say to others see I told you I was right!". This is a certain nature of humans who would like to confirm what we believe is true. What is the purpose for people to say, I told you? This is not The way to long for Mashiach. The reason for us to wait for Mashiach is that it is the way that Hashem
reveals his true purpose in the world. So truly Mashiach is not the purpose, rather it is the way to get to the goal! This is something I heard from Rosh Yeshiva Goldstein ZA"L that many people wait for Mashiach but what we really need to wait for is the revelation of Hashem in the world.
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The purpose is the revelation of the Hashem kingdom in the world. The way for us to see it is through the revelation of Mashiach.ย
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The Ramchal explains that Mashiach ben Yosef fights the wars and then Mashiach ben Dovid comes, but why does there need to be a war. The Ramchal explains that wicked people; the negativity that is connected to the darkness are jealous of the light. The principle of the revelation of
Mashiach, which represents Hashem who is parabled to light.
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ืจืื"ื
...ืืื ืืขืชืื ืื ืฆืื ืืขืื"ื ืืืื ืขื ืืื ืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ ืืืขืจ ืืจืข ืืืฉืจืื, ืืืืจ ืื ืืืื ืืฉืื ืื ืืื ืืืื ืืก ืงืืืฉื ืืืื ืืืฉืจืื... (ืคืจื ืฆืืืง ืืจืืฉืืช ืืืฆื ื)
ืื ืืคื ื ืืืืจ ืืืืื ืืืชืืื ืืจืืฉืื ื ืืื ืืืกืฃ ืขืื ืื ืืื ืืืฉืื, ืขื ืื ื ืชืงืฉื ืืืืื ืืืชืจ ืืฉืื ืืื ืืจืฉืขืื, ืื ืืขืืืจื ื ืชืงื ืื, ืืื ื ืืฆื ืื ืืืฉืจืื ืขืืืื ืืขืืื ื ืื ืคื ืืื, ืืืื ืืืืืช ืจืฉืข ืืืืง ืขื ื, ืื ืื ื ืขื ืืืชื ืืืื ื ืืืจ (ืืฉืื ื"ื) "ืืคื ื ืฉืืจ ืืืื", ืืืื ืืืืช ืืกืืื ืืืจืื ืขื ืืืื ืื, ืืื ื ืืืจ "ืืืืง ืขื ื", ืืืืื ืืืืช ืืื ืืื ืืฉืืื ื ืืฉื ื ืืืฉืืืื, ืื ืืืื ื ืงืจืืื ืื, ืืฉืืื ื ื ืืืจ ืื (ืชืืืื ื') "ืืื ื ืขื ื ืืืืืื", ืืฉืื ืื ืืื (ืืืจืื ื') "ืขื ื ืืจืืื ืขื ืืืืืจ", ืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ (ืงืืืช ื')
"ืืืฉ ืืกืื ืืื", ืืืกืืื ืืืืง ืืืจื ืื ืื ืฉื ืงืจื ืืฉื ืืื, ืื ืกืืฃ ืืืจ, ืืชืคืฉื ืืืืืืช ืื ืืฉืื, ืื ืื ืชืืขืฉื ืืื ืื ืงืื ืืขืชืื, ืืืชื ืืืจ ืฉืืขืช ืกืื "ืืื ื ืฆืื ืขื ืืืื" (ืืฉืขืื ืก"ื), ืื ืืืฉืื ืืืชืขืืืช ื ืืื ืืื ืืืื...
ืืฆืจืื ืฉืชืืข, ืื ืขื ืื ืืขื ืื ืืชืื (ืชืืืื ืง"ื) "ืืืื ืืืืื ืืื ืืืืืช ืืืฅ ืจืืฉ ืขื ืืจืฅ ืจืื", ืืืื ืกืื ืืคืืจืคืืจื ืฉืฉื ื ืจืฉืืื ืืจืืื ืืืืืืืช, ืื ืืืื ืืชืขืืจืจ ืืืื ืืื ืืขืฉืืช ืืืขืฉื ืืื ืขื ืืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ, ืืื ืืืขืืืช ืืืื ืืืื ืฉืืืจืชื ืื, ืืื ืืืืฅ ืจืืฉ, ืฉืืื ืกืืื, ืืขื ืื ืืขื ืื ื ืืืจ (ืฉ"ื ื') "ื' ืืืชื ืืจืืืื", ืืื ืฉื ืื, ืกืืื ืืืขืื, ืืืื ืชืืชืื ืืืื... ืื ืืฆื ืืืืช ืฉืขืืื ืืฉืืื ืืจืขื, ืืื ืืคืืช ืกืืื ืืืืขืื, ืืืืืื ืืคืกื ืืจืฅ ืืืื, ืืื ืืชื ืขืื ืืืืื, ืืื ืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ, ืืชื ืขืื, ืื ืื ืืืืฉ ืชืืช
ืืจืืืืืก ืืจืฉืข, ืืืจื ืงืจื ืืฉืืื, ืืื ืืฉืื ืื ืืื, ืืืืืช ืืชืืงืื ืขื ืฉืืืืืชื. ืืืืืช ืื ืฉื ื ืืืฉืืืื ื ืงืจืืื ืืืฉื ืฉืชื ืงืจื ืื, ืื ืื ืื ืฆื ืืืืื ืื, ืฉืื ืฉืชื ืงืจื ืื, ืื ืืฉืื ืื ืืื ืืื ืืจืืฉืื ืืืืืืช, ืืขื ืื ืืืจ "ืืืจื ืงืจื ืืฉืืื", ืื ืงืจื ื ืจืื ืืงืจื ืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ, ืืกืื "ืื ืืจืืฉ, ืื ืืฉื ืืจืืฉ" (ืกื ืืืจืื ืง"ื)... ืื ืืืืืจ ืื ืืื ืืช ืืงืืื ืืคื ืืืืจืืื, ืื ื ืืืื ืื ืืืขืื ืืื ืืืื, ืืืฃ ืื ืืืช ืืื ืงื ืื ืืืื ืฉื ืื, ืื ืื ืืกืืจ ืืคื ืืืืจืืืช, ืืืืฉืืืืช ืื ืืขืืืื ืืฉืืืืช ืื ืืชืืชืื, ืืืืืช ืื ืืื ืืจืืื ืืืืืจืืช ืืขืืืื ืื, ืืืฉ ืขื ืืงืืื,
ืืืื ืืืฆื ืืืืืื ืืืืืจืืช ืืขืืืื ืื, ืื ืืฆื ืืฉืื ืื ืืื ืืจืืฉืื ืืืืืืช, ืืกืื ืืืืืืช ืืืฉ, ืืืฉืื ืื ืืืกืฃ ืืกืื "ืืืืกืฃ ืืื ืืฉืืื ืขื ืืืจืฅ" (ืืจืืฉืืช ื"ื), ืืืื ืื ืืื ืขืืฉื ืจืง ืืืืจ ืื ืืคืจืื, ืืื ืืคืจืื ืจืฆืื ืื ืืื ืืื ืขืืฉื, ืืืื ืืืจ (ืืืืงืื ื"ื) "ืืืื ืืืืืื ืืืื", ืืืื ืขื ืื ืขืืืง ืืืจืื ืืื, ืืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืืฉ ืื ืื ืืืขืช ืืขืื ืื ืืจืืืช, ืืืื ืืืื...
(ืจืื"ื, ืืืืจ ืืืืืื)
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For example, in masechet Sanhedrin, it says that Rabbi Chia, Raba, and Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta saw the light of the moon coming up. As they were watching the moon coming, they said this is the way of the redemption, it comes slowly, slowly like the transition of the sunrise. Similarly in the sunrise, there is in a sense a "war" between the light and the dark until finally, the light comes through.ย
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The Ramchal explains that at the end of days the angel of death; who is the minister of the negativity in the spiritual realms. We learn in the concept of 'gog u magog', that gog is a person and magog is the place were gog is from. Gog represents the negative side and he fights with Mashiach ben Yosef. In short, Mashiach ben Yosef will fight and kill gog. The Ariza"l says that there will be a fight with Armillus which is another part of the negative side and we
pray for Mashiach ben Yosef to succeed in this fight. Then the result when the war is finished is Mashiach ben Dovid!
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There is a very important point to mention here that although in the spiritual and physical realms there are positive and negative sides, and the minister of the negative side is the angel of death aka Yetzer Hara, he does not fight with Hashem! He is a minister of Hashem and does Hashems will. He cannot do anything that Hashem does not allow. There is no power in the universe that is comparable to Hashem. We need to always remember that we are all creations of
the creator.
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The Maharal brings more understanding, in the book โNetzach Yisraelโ he speaks about redemption, he writes "We have the 12 tribes of Am Yisrael and this is like a structure of a person like within a person there are 2 dominant organs,...
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