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In Standard Hebrew, the messiah is often referred to as מלך המשיח, (in the Tiberian Vocalization pronounced ), literally meaning "the Anointed King." Today, the various Jewish Denominations have sharp disagreements about the nature of the Messiah and the Messianic Age, with some groups holding that the Messiah will be a person and other groups holding that the Messiah is a representation of the Messianic Age itself. Traditional thought and current Orthodox thought has mainly held that the Messiah will be an anointed one (messiah) descended from his father through the Davidic line of King David who will gather the Jews back in the Holy Land , the Land Of Israel , and usher in an era of peace. Other denominations, such as Reform Judaism , perceive a Messianic Age when the world will be at peace but do not agree that there will be a messiah (king) as the leader of this era. HISTORICAL VIEWS Talmud "The Talmud nowhere indicates a belief in a superhuman Deliverer as the Messiah." (Cohen, 1949. Chap. XI, ''The Hereafter'', § I. The Messiah, p. 347) Rather, the Talmud mentions Moshiach and the Era of Moshiach as a period of freedom and peace, which will be the time of ultimate goodness for the Jews, and for all mankind. However, there are statements in the Talmud which describe a truly supernatural Era as well. These two concepts - involving a natural era of goodness, and a supernatural one which is beyond nature - can be understood to happen in two separate phases. The first period will bring the world to complete perfection. Specifically included among the events of this first period are the returning of Jews to Israel and the building of the Third Temple (although this is supernatural, since it is primarily built by God ). Moshiach will be the one to lead the world to that era, and will continue being the world's leader during that era. The second period will include a supernatural existence - that is, one extending beyond anything currently imaginable. As explained in numerous texts, one of the distinctive features of this second period is that the entirety of mankind will "know God" in a physical and "visual" sense. The Babylonian Talmud , tractate Sanhedrin , contains a long discussion of the events leading to the coming of the Messiah, for example: :R. Johanan said: When you see a generation ever dwindling, hope for him Messiah , as it is written, And the afflicted people thou wilt save. R. Johanan said: When thou seest a generation overwhelmed by many troubles as by a river, await him, as it is written, when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him; which is followed by, And the Redeemer shall come to Zion. :R. Johanan also said: The son of David will come only in a generation that is either altogether righteous or altogether wicked. 'in a generation that is altogether righteous,' — as it is written, Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever. 'Or altogether wicked,' — as it is written, And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor;31 and it is {Link without Title} written, For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it.B. Talmud Sanhedrin 98a Throughout Jewish history Jews have compared these passages (and others) to contemporary events in search of signs of the Messiah's imminent arrival, continuing into present times. Some , have suggested that the devastation among Jews wrought by the Holocaust may represent a sign of hope for the Messiah's present imminent arrival. The Talmud tells many stories about the Messiah, some of which represent famous Talmudic rabbis as receiving personal visitations from Elijah The Prophet and the Messiah. For example: :R. Joshua b. Levi met Elijah standing by the entrance of R. Simeon b. Yohai's tomb. He asked him: 'Have I a portion in the world to come?' He replied, 'if this Master desires it.' R. Joshua b. Levi said, 'I saw two, but heard the voice of a third.' He then asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' — 'Go and ask him himself,' was his reply. 'Where is he sitting?' — 'At the entrance.' And by what sign may I recognise him?' — 'He is sitting among the poor lepers: all of them untie [them] all at once, and rebandage them together, whereas he unties and rebandages each separately, [before treating the next], thinking, should I be wanted, being time for my appearance as the Messiah I must not be delayed having to bandage a number of sores .' So he went to him and greeted him, saying, 'peace upon thee, Master and Teacher.' 'peace upon thee, O son of Levi,' he replied. 'When wilt thou come Master?' asked he, 'To-day', was his answer. On his returning to Elijah, the latter enquired, 'What did he say to thee?' — 'peace Upon thee, O son of Levi,' he answered. Thereupon he observed, 'He thereby assured thee and thy father of [a portion in the world to come.' 'He spoke falsely to me,' he rejoined, 'stating that he would come to-day, but has not.' He [Elijah] answered him, 'This is what he said to thee, To-day, if ye will hear his voice.'B. Talmud Sanhedrin 98a Textual requirements Most of the textual requirements concerning the messiah, what he will do, and what will be done during his reign are located within the Book Of Isaiah , although requirements are mentioned by other prophets as well.
PRESENT-DAY POSITIONS Orthodox Judaism Most Orthodox Jews maintain that Jews are obligated to accept 13 Principles Of Faith as formulated by Maimonides in his introduction to Chapter ''Helek'' of the Mishna. One of these principles refers to the belief in the coming of the messiah. The 13 principles were reformulated as a formulaic incantation, starting in each case with the words Ani Maamin (I believe). Number 12 is the main principle relating to Mashiach. The Text is as follows: Ani Maamin B'emunah Sh'leimah B'viyat Hamashiach. V'af al pi sheyitmahmehah im kol zeh achake lo b'chol yom sheyavo. In English: I believe with full faith in the coming of the Messiah. And even though he tarries, with all that, I await his arrival with every day. Hasidic Judaism Hasidic Jews tend to have a particularly strong and passionate belief in the immediacy of the Messiah's coming, and a belief that their personal devotion and actions have spiritual properties that can hasten the arrival. Because of a Hassidic tradition that the Baal Shem Tov , Hassidic Judaism 's founder, was descended from King David , members of hassidic communities are sometimes inclined to regard their dynastic Rebbe s who are descended from him as potential candidates for Messiah. Conservative Judaism ''Emet Ve-Emunah'', the Conservative Movement's statement of principles, states the following:
The messiah in Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism generally do not accept the idea that there will be a messiah. Some believe that there may be some sort of " Messianic Age " (the World To Come ) in the sense of a " Utopia ," which all Jews are obligated to work towards (thus the tradition of Tikkun Olam ). In 1976, the Central Conference Of American Rabbis , the official body of American Reform rabbis, authored "Reform Judaism: A Centenary Perspective". While not an official statement of principles, it is meant to describe the spiritual state of modern Reform Judaism. In regard to the messianic era, it states: VIEWS OF MAIMONIDES One Jewish understanding of the messiah is based on the writings of Maimonides , (also known as ''Rambam''). His views on the messiah are discussed in his Mishneh Torah , his 14 volume compendium of Jewish Law , in the section ''Hilkhot Melakhim Umilchamoteihem'', chapter 11. Maimonides writes: :"The anointed King is destined to stand up and restore the will return your returned ones and will show you mercy and will return and gather you... If your strayed one shall be at the edge of Heaven... And He shall bring you" etc.( Deuteronomy 30:3-5)." :"These words that are explicitly stated in the Torah, encompass and include all the words spoken by all the prophets. In the section of Torah referring to 's" ( Obadiah 1:21)." :"And by the Towns of Refuge it states: "And if the Lord your God will widen up your territory... you shall add on for you another three towns" etc. ( Deuteronomy 19:8-9). Now this thing never happened; and the Holy One does not command in vain. But as for the words of the prophets, this matter needs no proof, as all their books are full with this issue." :"Do not imagine that the anointed King must perform miracles and signs and create new things in the world or resurrect the dead and so on. The matter is not so: For Rabbi Akiva was a great scholar of the sages of the Mishnah , and he was the assistant-warrior of the king Bar Kokhba , and claimed that he was the anointed king. He and all the Sages of his generation deemed him the anointed king, until he was killed by sins; only since he was killed, they knew that he was not. The Sages asked him neither a miracle nor a sign..." :"And if a king shall stand up from among the 3:9)." :"But if he did not succeed until now, or if he was killed, it becomes known that he is not this one of whom the Torah had promised us, and he is indeed like all proper and wholesome kings of the House of David who died. The Holy One, Blessed Be He, only set him up to try the public by him, thus: "Some of the wise men will stumble in clarifying these words, and in elucidating and interpreting when the time of the end will be, for it is not yet the designated time." ( Daniel 11:35)." Views on Jesus of Nazareth See Also: Judaism's view of Jesus In Judaism, Jesus of Nazareth is not considered to be a Messiah or savior. According to Maimonides : :"As for said that the Anointed One saves Israel and rescues them, gathers their strayed ones and strengthens their ''mitzvot'' whereas this one caused the Loss Of Israel By Sword , and to scatter their remnant and humiliate them, and to Change The Torah and to cause most of the world to erroneously worship a god besides the Lord. But the human mind has no power to reach the thoughts of the Creator, for his thoughts and ways are unlike ours. All these matters of Yeshua of Nazareth and of Muhammad who stood up after him are only intended to pave the way for the Anointed King, and to mend the entire world to worship God together, thus: 'For then I shall turn a clear tongue to the nations to call all in the Name of the Lord and to worship him with one shoulder.'" Although there remains this view of history, according to historical evidence, at that time the Sanhedrin did not have the power to sentence any to death, but reserved this act to be placed solely upon the Romans. It was illegal for a Jewish Court to place any to death at that time because the Sanhedrin had removed itself from the Temple Mount according to Torah Law. One of the other factors which made it impossible for a Jewish Court to place any to death was also because of the Sadducees which made the court invalid, since only an expert court could try him. As spoken of in the Mishnah Horayot with regard to Sadducees who rejected Oral Law which states, "since it is said, If something be hidden (Lev 4:13) something and not everything." :"How is this? The entire world had become filled with the issues of the Anointed One and of the Torah and the Laws, and these issues had spread out unto faraway islands and among many nations . But when the Anointed King will truly rise and succeed and will be raised and uplifted, they all immediately turn about and know that their fathers inherited falsehood, and their prophets and ancestors led them astray." SEE ALSO
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