Tuesday, January 31, 2017

The Suffering Moshiach

The verse Yeshaya 49:7

כֹּה אָמַר-יְהוָה גֹּאֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל קְדוֹשׁוֹ, לִבְזֹה-נֶפֶשׁ לִמְתָעֵב גּוֹי לְעֶבֶד מֹשְׁלִים, מְלָכִים יִרְאוּ וָקָמוּ, שָׂרִים וְיִשְׁתַּחֲווּ--לְמַעַן יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמָן, קְדֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּבְחָרֶךָּ

and Chaggai 2:23

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם-יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אֶקָּחֲךָ זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן-שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל עַבְדִּי, נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ, כַּחוֹתָם: כִּי-בְךָ בָחַרְתִּי, נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת

share an idea. Hashem chose him, Moshiach ben David, Zerubavel. Chaggai stops here, but in Yeshaya he continues. Having called out to the Jews of Bavel (Yeshaya 48:20)

צְאוּ מִבָּבֶל, בִּרְחוּ מִכַּשְׂדִּים

they stayed, by and large, where they were. Therefore, in Yeshaya 50:6, he has a different message

גֵּוִי נָתַתִּי לְמַכִּים, וּלְחָיַי לְמֹרְטִים; פָּנַי לֹא הִסְתַּרְתִּי, מִכְּלִמּוֹת וָרֹק

detailing the insults he suffered in Bavel, which end in Yeshaya 53. Moshiach ben David, the one chosen by Hashem, becomes the suffering Moshiach, Moshiach ben Yosef. Who would believe our report? To who is the arm of Hashem revealed? Through Yeshaya 54, it gets clarified. With the help of Heaven, Moshiach ben Yosef will accomplish a Tikkun in the human heart.