Shimon Bar Kokhba was a Jewish Warrior. He Fought Wars. He was unusually successful in his campaigns. He was so successful that Rabbi Akiva thought that he was Messiah.
His success got to his head. He thought that it was because of his own strength and wisdom that made him win. It was really Hash-m who was giving him success. One time, he said to Hash-m / G-d basically “Let me handle the fighting. You can take a rest.” G-d did as he said and he was miserably defeated and unfortunately killed.
When Rabbi Akiva saw this – he said he was not Messiah, because he was killed.
If a person who claims to be Mashiach – dies without accomplishing the requirements, then we know that he was not the Messiah.
Many criteria exist for a Person to be the Real Messiah. The Rambam / Maimonides – in His Work the Mishne Torah (Hilchot Melachim / Laws of Kings – Perek/ Chapter 11) – explains the requirements of Messiah.
The Messiah has to have created peace in the world – meaning he must make peace among all nations of the world. He has to make Hash-m – the G-d of the Jews and humanity – the only G-d that is worshiped in the world. He has to have brought the kingship back to the Jewish people. He has to be a tremendous Torah Scholar, as great as Moses.
He hast to have fought wars and won them. He has to have built the 3rd Holy Temple in Jerusalem. If he dies without accomplishing all of this – he was not the Messiah.
The Requirement of Having Children
Someone told me that there is a verse in Tanach that says that the Messiah will leave an inheritance of a field to his child. If this is so – there seems to be another indicator of a person to be the Real Messiah – that he has to have children.
All the people who claimed to be Messiah – at least the ones we know about – did not have children.
Could Bibi Be Messiah?
In his current status Bibi could not be Messiah? Why? Although he did make wars, he did not create wold peace. He did not build the Holy Temple. He is not as Great as Moses in Torah Learning.
Though in his present state Bibi cannot be messiah. If he learns much Torah and he brings all Jews to Israel. And he reestablishes Torah Law and the Kingship in Israel and he makes world peace and rebuilds the Jewish Holy Temple in Jerusalem. And he makes everybody in the world worship Hash-m. – he could fulfill some of the requirements of being Messiah.
A challenging task – for no one in the world did this so far.
Can a Dead person be the Messiah?
In the Talmud – someone asks a Great Rabbi – what is Messiah like. He said “If you are talking about the living – he is like me.” If you are talking about the Dead, he is like so and so.
Some people improperly interpret this that the Messiah could come back from the dead. But this is obviously not so for 3 reasons:
- Rabbi Akiva said since Bar Kokhba died he could not be the Messiah.
- If I ask someone – who is the best tailor? He answers me “If you are talking about the living – it is Shlomo Cohen” But if you are talking about the dead also “It is David Levy.” Obviously David Levy is not coming back to life to receive the the best tailor award. The person meant by his answer that Among all the people dead or alive he was the best tailor.
- If a dead person would could come back to life to complete his mission of creating peace in the world – every single dead person could thus be potentially messiah. Because any person could come back to life and accomplish what was not accomplished yet – of the things mentioned above that the Messiah must accomplish. So why pick Jack over Jake?
To see the requirements of being the Messiah – one may read “The Real Messiah by Rabbi Arye Kaplan” or one can look at the laws laid down by the Rambam / Maimonides who tells you of the requirements.
Don’t Try to Get into a Discussion with a Missionary
Don’t try to refute a missionary. They are not interested in truth. They are interested in spreading their religion. Spewing their version of “the Bible”. The Torah is not the Bible. The Torah is the 5 Books of Moses, The Neviim / Prophets and the Ketuvim / Writings.
What Only Judaism Has that Proves its Veracity – The Oral Torah.
Jews have something that no other nations have – the Talmud. The Talmud is the Oral Torah written and elucidated. When G-d gave the Jews the Torah – he gave us the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. The Oral Torah is to explain the Written Torah. Logically there must be an Oral Torah for anyone to understand the Written Torah. If there is no explanation of the Written Torah – then anyone can interpret the Verses of the Torah the way that they would like. Which is commonly done by religions other than Judaism.
I was talking to someone of another faith. He was explaining concepts of the “Bible” in the way that suited him – to the point it was ridiculous.
Here is an analogy to how he was talking – You know the Car Jack? The reason why it goes up is because it wants to grow like a plant. And You know why it is called Jack – because it wanted to be like Jack and Jill that went up the hill. And that is another reason why the car Jack rises – because it wants to be like Jack that went up the hill.
We know that a Jack rises because a person puts energy into cranking or pushing up a lever that will little by little lift up the Jack.
This is why the Torah states “Wisdom of the Nations Believe. The Torah (Religion) of the Nations – do not believe.” Because it is not sourced or based upon the word’s of G-d – it is based on words of men.
Missionaries take things out of context and claim it is a proof for their religion. I told the person “The Second Commandment of the 10 commandments – says that you should not make an image out G-d – otherwise that is idolatry. Attributing any form to G-d is limiting Him. That is an insult to G-d for he is infinite.
Idolatry – An Insult to G-d
Once I think it was Turnusrufus asked Rabbi Akiva – why does G-d get angry when people compares Him to an Idol. Rabbi Akiva said come back tomorrow and I will answer you. When the Emperor came – Rabbi Akiva Called out “Turnusrufus! Isabella!” and two dogs came out. R. Akiva named his dogs Turnusrufus and Isabella. Turnusrufus was raging mad. He said – you dare to call your dogs by the name of the emperor and queen? How dare you! Rabbi Akiva answered – Yesterday you asked me why Hash-m / G-d gets angry when people worship or call him by the name of a human being, an animal or and idol. This is your answer.
Be truthful. Be Honest. Pray to Hash-m to help you find truth. Consult Your LOR (Local Orthodox Rabbi) and you’ll be one step closer.
G-d Does Not Change His Mind
Most Religions accept that G-d gave the Torah to the Jews – but he changed his mind because the Jews sinned. That is pretty illogical. Firstly because G-d knows the past present and future. He is not going to choose a nation that will not be able to fulfill his laws. He will not make laws that a person cannot fulfill.
The Basic structure of the laws of the Torah are there are laws for all types of people. For Jewish Men, Jewish Women, for Cohanim, for Leviim / Levites. For Jews – the 613 Commandments – and For Gentiles – The 7 Noahide Laws – of the Torah.
G-d doesn’t expect a Gentile to observe the Shabbat – even more it is forbidden for a Gentile to observe the Shabbat.
G-d doesn’t expect a woman to put on Tefillin. The Torah laws are based upon the nature of the individual, his or her capabilities, his or her role in life and his or her soul. Thus we have laws that pertain to various categories of people.
The Messiah will come when all people regard Hash-m as their G-d. That is what the verse states “On that day G-d will be One and His Name will be One.”
The Vilna Gaon – the Genius of Vilna / Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, an 18th-century rabbinic sage – said that the Jewish people need to wear Shabbat clothes when the Messiah is about to arrive.
A friend came up to me on Shabbat. “I am really upset – This person treated me like a bum. My aide and I were sitting quietly and he told me that we don’t sit here like a bum.”
My friend is a traveling salesperson. He sells yarn to retail stores. He told me that one Knitting Club had a sign posted: “No Political Discussions Here.” I heard many offices and schools apply the same creed.
