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December 24, 1999/15 Tevet 5760, Vol. 52, No.17
The messiah is waiting
Torah Study
RABBI SHLOMO RISKIN
Vayechi/Genesis 47:28-50:26
As we approach Jan. 1, 2000, we can divide the world into four main groups: those whose main concern in potential damage wrought by the Y2K computer bug; those whose eyes will turn toward heaven in anticipation of a Second Coming; those in the third world, whose lives have yet to be touched by the 20th century, let alone the 21st; and those who will keep the Sabbath on that day, for whom news of the impact of Y2K will have to wait until after havdalah (ceremony concluding the Sabbath).
Should the electrical supply be interrupted, halacha (Jewish law) will offer guidelines as to what to do with food being kept warm on an electric stove, or if trapped in an elevator stopped between floors. Y2K or not, the Sabbath must go on.
According to the Jewish calendar, this is the middle of the year 5760. This millennium change is for the Christian world, marking roughly 2,000 years since the birth of Jesus, whom Christians consider to be the messiah.
Judaism teaches the concept of a messiah who will usher in a long-awaited period of world peace and tranquility. Thomas Cahill points out in his best selling book, "Gifts of the Jews," that the people of Israel bequeathed to the world the idea of progressive history and the ideal of the ultimate perfection of humanity and human society, along with the goal of messianic peace.
Interestingly, the first biblical reference to the messiah appears in this week's portion of Vayechi, when Jacob blesses each of his 12 sons. The major issue for each of the patriarchs is to pass on the gift of the birthright, the mantle of the Abrahamic blessing for all families of the earth, the ultimate ingathering of the nations when universal acceptance of ethical monotheism ushers in a period of tranquility.
Jacob gives the prize to Judah: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until he comes to Shiloh and the homage of peoples be his" (Genesis 49:10).
The difficulty of this verse is in interpreting the word Shiloh. Modern translations understand it as shai loh, meaning "tribute to him," and translate the line, "so that tribute shall come to him." However, the second century biblical translation Targum Onkelos renders it as meshicha (messiah), leader of Israel during the period of world peace. Similarly, the Talmud in Sanhedrin states that Shiloh is a proper noun, the name of the messiah. The commentator Rashi also speaks of messianic implications of the word Shiloh.
The 12th century theologian Maimonides maintains that the messiah will bring about the millennium of peace in natural and normative ways. "Do not think that the king messiah must perform signs and miracles, and create new things in the world, or resurrect the dead," insists Maimonides. The natural way of things will continue even into the messianic age, when: "Nation shall not take up sword against nation; they shall never again know war" (Isaiah 2:4).
Normative Judaism knows of no first and second coming. Thus, the new millennium has no particular significance in Jewish theology. We must continue to prepare ourselves with repentance and good deeds, especially in the realm of interpersonal relationships, in order for the messiah to come; the messiah will arrive only when we are deserving.
A bookseller in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Mea Shearim once told me that the messiah was in Jerusalem. Despite my rationalistic bent, I found myself praying at the Western Wall, searching devout faces in the hope of identifying the savior. I returned to the bookseller, in frustration and perplexity, telling him: "You told me the messiah was in Jerusalem."
"Rav Riskin, you have it all wrong," he replied. "You think that we are waiting for the messiah. In reality, the messiah is waiting for us."
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the spiritual leader of the Jewish community in Efrat, Israel.
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