Moshiach: Setting the Record Straight
Transcribed and notated by Alexander
Zushe Kohn
In reaction to renewed
controversy and interest regarding the Lubavitch-Moshiach issue, a small panel
of prominent Lubavitch scholars and shluchim, utilized the medium of radio to
provide thousands of listeners with a clear picture of the Torah’s position on
Moshiach.
The following is Part 1 of a transcript of the program,
which aired Motzaei Shabbos Parshas VaYechi, on "Talk-line With Zev Brenner –
America’s Leading Jewish Program," WMCA, 570AM in New York, WAXY, 790AM in
Miami. "Talk-line With Zev Brenner" airs every Saturday night, midnight to 2:00
am.
"Talk-line With Zev Brenner" was preceded by another
program in which the same panel of rabbis introduced some of the basic ideas of
the belief that the Rebbe is Moshiach.
Part 1 of that transcript will appear next week, G-d
willing.
Zev Brenner: Live in
our studio is Rabbi Majeski. He is a lecturer, he is scholar, very articulate,
and he will continue the conversation, together with Rabbi Heschel Greenberg,
director of the Torah Learning Center of Buffalo, New York, and Rabbi Sholom Ber
Kalmanson, director of Chabad of Southern Ohio. We are going to explore some of
the issues that have been raised in the last number of weeks…
We are looking at part three of a series that we began a few
weeks ago dealing with Lubavitch, Moshiach, the controversy started by Dr. David
Berger in his article and also in a book that came out questioning what is going
on in the Lubavitch-Chabad movement - at least in the part [of Lubavitch] that
views the Rebbe coming back as Moshiach. He [Berger] compared it to
Christianity, and because of that he’d like to see the Chabad movement
ostracized and [deemed] beyond "the pale of the Orthodox Jewish community," in
his words.
With us right now, live in the studio is Rabbi Shloma Majeski…Rabbi
Heschel Greenberg and Rabbi Sholom Ber Kalmanson. I want to welcome you all to
the program. I know that a little while ago, in the previous program, a
presentation was made, articulating the positions of why you believe the Rebbe
is Moshiach. You’re quite clear about that.
So let me begin with you Rabbi Majeski. I know there are
sources quoted that Moshiach can come from the living, and Moshiach can come
from the dead. There are sources, obviously. But the majority opinion in Judaism
today holds that Moshiach will come from the ranks of the living. Even the
Lubavitch movement held this prior to [Gimmel Tammuz]. Once [Gimmel Tammuz took
place] there was a change in theology all of a sudden. For years they said the
Rebbe is Moshiach [and] the Moshiach comes from the ranks of the living. When
[Gimmel Tammuz happened] they changed the direction. Now all of a sudden they’re
quoting sources that the Rebbe can come back...as Moshiach.
Didn’t Lubavitch change its theology?
Rabbi Majeski: First of all, it’s not a change in
theology. Even these two opinions - whether he can come from the living or not -
are not two contradictory opinions; [rather] they are two possibilities. The
Gemara in Sanhedrin, daf Tzaddik-Ches, amud Beis, says:
One pasuk tells us that Moshiach is going to come "achishena," he
is going to be hastened; in another place it says that he’ll come "b’ita,"
at a designated time; in one place it says that he’s going to come on a cloud,
[while] in another place it says he’s going to come on a donkey. So the
Gemara answers [the contradictions by explaining that] both possibilities
can take place; it could happen one way [or] it could happen the other way. "Zachu"
- if they’ll be zocheh, it’ll be this way; "lo zachu" - it’ll be
another way. The same is also in the Ohr HaChayim on Parshas Balak, [on] the
pasuk that talks about Moshiach, [the pasuk] "Ar’enu v’lo ata."
It says the same thing - that there is a possibility that he can come this way
[i.e., min ha’Shamayim, and there is a] possibility he can come that way
[i.e., in a natural manner]. So number one, both possibilities are
possibilities. Secondly, Chabad is not changing their position. Chabad is
consistent. Chabad said [that] the words of the Rebbe are that Moshiach is the
Nasi of this generation. And from the talks of the
Rebbe it’s clear that Moshiach is already revealed; that Moshiach, as the Rambam
describes, [is] a human being, who is a descendent of King David, a leader, a
Torah scholar, who will be engaged in a project of bringing all the Jews back to
their roots and to observe Torah and mitzvos. [This indeed has already
occurred.]
Then, this [- Gimmel Tammuz -] occurred, [and] we see
from all these sources that there is a possibility that Moshiach can also be
hidden, concealed, and then come back and completes the process. So this not a
change. This is a continuation of what was begun.
[Transcriber’s explanation: Lubavitch has not changed
its theology. Lubavitch follows the Torah’s theology, and the Torah recognizes
both scenarios. It’s a matter of emphasis. Before Gimmel Tammuz, it would have
been unreasonable to emphasize the current scenario. Now that it has come to
pass, however, there can be no denying that the Torah clearly speaks of such a
possibility].
Rabbi Kalmanson: Zev, if I may break in, this is Rabbi
Kalmanson -
Z. Brenner: Go ahead, Rabbi Kalmanson.
R. Kalmanson: You know what the irony is? That not Chabad
changed its philosophy, or ideology, but the rest of the world did. While
Lubavitch was saying for years that the Rebbe is Moshiach and [that] the
Moshiach will come from the living - because obviously [as R. Majeski pointed
out], the Rebbe was there and nobody wanted to talk about anything later [i.e.,
a Gimmel Tammuz scenario] - the entire world was ostracizing Lubavitch by
saying that Moshiach is going to come from "Cloud 9" somewhere, not from the
living, but like an angel. And now, all of a sudden, the world is screaming, "he
must be from the living!" So the world changed policy over here, not
Chabad.
[Transcriber’s explanation: The antagonists of
Lubavitch are guilty of the very thing they accuse Lubavitch of doing, i.e.,
changing their ideology. Before Gimmel Tammuz, they insisted that Moshiach
cannot be a person living in our times, as per the anti-Lubavitch "Public Alert"
publicized in the name of a prominent rosh yeshiva, and other similar "Public
Alerts." Now, after Gimmel Tammuz, they have changed their line of argument,
opposing us instead on the grounds that Moshiach cannot be from the dead, but
only from the living. This strongly suggests that their opposition to Lubavitch
is not the result of sincere concern for upholding the truths of Torah, but
rather represents opposition for the sake of opposition.]
Z. Brenner: But Chabad kept saying that Moshiach will
come from the ranks of the living-
R. Kalmanson: That’s correct. As a kid to a father, you
don’t want to discuss, G-d forbid, what will happen to your father after [a
hundred and twenty.] You want your father alive and well. The Rebbe was around,
here with us, we saw him with the naked eye, so to speak. Obviously, [under such
circumstances,] we are going to emphasize that part [i.e., aspect] of Moshiach
discussed by the Rambam. We hoped that we would merit [to avoid] whatever [it
was that] facilitated [the occurrence] of that so-called Gimmel Tammuz.
However, now that Gimmel Tammuz did occur, and we do not see the Rebbe in
front of our face, we cannot discount the fact that it is said in the
sifrei kodesh that Moshiach can be prepared, facilitate everything, and then
be hidden, if you will, and then come back.
Z. Brenner: Now, I’m not sure if it was you Rabbi
Kalmanson, or Rabbi Greenberg - or maybe it was you Rabbi Majeski - who
quoted different sources [to the effect that] if Moshiach comes from the ranks
of the living then it’s such-and-such, [and] if he comes from the ranks of the
dead, most of the authorities that you quoted said [it would be] Dovid
HaMelech. In fact, when I think of Adam [it brings to mind that] Moshiach is
Adam, Dovid, Moshiach. That’s what we believe is one of the
acronyms that Adam stands for. There is even a Midrash that Adam, the
first Man, was supposed to live a thousand years, and he gave seventy years [of
his life] to Dovid HaMelech; not that he gave it, but [that] he actually
came back as Dovid HaMelech - that’s what some authorities hold. This is
Moshiach. So if you’re going to look at it that way, [and that] this is a core
belief in Judaism, why not say as the sources you quoted say: instead of
saying the Rebbe [is Moshiach], why not say that Dovid HaMelech, King David,
will come back as the Messiah? You yourself quoted the sources.
[Transcriber’s explanation: The panel is quoting
sources to the effect that Moshiach can be from those who have passed on. The
very same sources, however, name tzaddikim other than the Rebbe - like Dovid
HaMelech, for example. If you are going to rely on those sources, then don’t you
have to be consistent and state that Moshiach will be Dovid HaMelech, or
whatever other tzaddik is mentioned in the sources that you quote?].
R. Majeski: First of all the Rebbe himself - as mentioned
in Likkutei Sichos, cheilek Lamed-Hei, Parshas VaYigash, the first
page in that sicha - the Rebbe asked this question, [namely] why can’t it
be Dovid HaMelech himself. The Rebbe’s answer is that based on how the Rambam
describes Moshiach, [and the Rambam] is halacha, Moshiach will be a
person who, prior to bringing about the total Redemption, will already have
begun certain activities related to Redemption - in that time [period],
which is the time of Redemption, in that generation. And therefore, what
we’re saying is - and again this is based on the fact that the Rebbe had already
said in his sichos, and I mentioned the references before - that Moshiach
is the leader of this generation.
The Rebbe clearly spoke about himself [as Moshiach] in the
sichos. The Rebbe said, in many places, "Menachem shmo." This
can be looked up, and I can give the sources in the Seifer HaSichos, Tav Shin
Nun-Beis. So once it’s been established - we’re talking now of Lubavitcher
Chassidim - by the Rebbe, that he is going to take us out of Galus,
[then] this has been established, and there’s no basis to say that anything has
changed, because what’s going on now is perfectly consistent with the sources
that say that there’s a possibility that Moshiach will come, be concealed, and
then finally, bring the final Redemption. And I must add that the Rambam in "Hilchos
Melachim," the "Laws of Kings," writes that nobody knows exactly the order
[of ] how it’s going to be, and therefore, we can’t really put so much [weight]
on the order of things. But these [views] are clearly written in Torah sources,
as I just mentioned. So this is a continuation of everything that’s been said
until now - it’s not a change.
[Transcriber’s explanation: Three points are made: 1.
The Rebbe explains that according to the Rambam, Moshiach must do certain deeds
in the time period immediately preceding the Redemption. These deeds,
which make him "B’chezkas Moshiach" must continue to transform the world until
it is ready for the Beis HaMikdash to be built, and for the exiles to be brought
back to Eretz Yisroel. The deeds of Dovid HaMelech and the other tzaddikim of
the past did not accomplish this. The Messianic deeds of the Rebbe on the other
hand, are clearly and unequivocally, growing in impact, and at an astounding
rate. So, while it is clear from the Torah sources that Moshiach may be from
those who have passed on, it is at the same time clear from the Rambam that he
must be someone from that very time period. As for the sources which refer to
Moshiach as Dovid HaMelech, Moshe Rabbeinu, etc., the meaning of these
references will be discussed in future installments. 2. The Rebbe made it clear
that he himself is going to take us out of Galus. Gimmel Tammuz cannot change
the Rebbe’s words; Gimmel Tammuz is perfectly consistent with Torah sources. 3.
One cannot call others heretics simply because the order of events doesn’t suit
him. This is particularly unacceptable in light of the Rambam’s statement that
no one will know the order of events until they will actually occur.]
(To be continued.) |