Monumental Maimonides

Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon of the 12th century was the greatest philosopher of Judaism and one of the greatest and most influential religious legal scholars. He influenced messianism as well. However, I did not present so much of him in the series, because I viewed him as an extension of a marginalized messianic approach - in the Talmud, in Sanhedrin perek cHelek, the voice of Shmuel:

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: In their prophecies with regard to redemption and the end of days, all the prophets prophesied only about the messianic era, but with regard to the World-to-Come the reward is not quantifiable…

The Gemara notes: And this statement disagrees with the opinion of Shmuel, as Shmuel says: The difference between this world and the messianic era is only with regard to servitude to foreign kingdoms alone. 

(BT Sanhedrin 99:A)

Shmuel’s opinion is one end of two polarized views. One view sees everything in Scripture as messianic and everything in eschatological world changing or supernatural circumstances. The opposite view, represented by Shmuel, is a naturalistic, humanistic, and conservative view, asserting that the messianic everything is merely an advanced attainable set of political and religious circumstances that are relatively ideal, and realistic. 

Maimonides wrote two monumental works, one that is philosophical, Guide to the Perplexed, and one that is halacha, Mishne Torah. The reception of his halachic work had some opposition because of its authoritative or presumptuous tone, but was widely embraced - until today essentially. 

On the other hand, the other Maimonides, his philosophy, was criticized zealously in his day, sometimes as blasphemy. It is essentially Aristotellian philosophy, through sources and concepts of Judaism. So naturally, Maimonides’ take on messianism is rationalist, humanist, natural, minimalistic, and conservative.

Through the centuries, the view of Shmuel - Maimonides was very impactful. Cited by or otherwise directly influencing the works of great rabbis expounding on messianism, even though those who are impacted by Maimonides’ position do not stick to everything he said!

Of Kings and War

The great text by Maimonides on messianism is in Mishne Torah hilchot melachim, the edicts in regards to kings and wars, chapters 11-12. It is parallel to an Epistle to Yemenite Jews who were dealing with a messianic imposter who had misled and confused members of the community. Here are select portions of Maimonides on the Messiah, from Mishne Torah, sorting things out:

In the future, the Messianic king will arise and renew the Davidic dynasty, restoring it to its initial sovereignty. He will build the Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel. Then, in his days, the observance of all the statutes will return to their previous state… Anyone who does not believe in him or does not await his coming, denies not only the statements of the other prophets, but those of the Torah and Moses, our teacher…

This is a big statement, that faith in the Messiah is a necessary and exclusive creed. However, as masters of thought and writing and rhetoric sometimes do, this seems like a build up, indicating a compensation for what is to come next, which is relatively minimalistic messianism.

Reference to Messiah is also made in the portion of Bilaam who prophesies about two anointed kings: the first anointed king, David, who saved Israel from her oppressors; and the final anointed king who will arise from his descendants and save Israel…

This is quite interesting, in the context of everything we have learned, again, we have a solution to biblical verses that were first asserted as messianic prophecies and expectations, but they then seem incongruent. Maimonides provides a definitive simple and authoritative solution, in his typical fashion.

Here we have not one Messiah coming twice, nor 2 conditional manners in which the one Messiah would come, but 2 Messiahs, but not Son of David versus Son of Joseph, but rather 2 Davids - the original David, and a future Davidic king. 

One should not presume that the Messianic king must work miracles and wonders, bring about new phenomena in the world, resurrect the dead, or perform other similar deeds that fools say. It is not so, for Rabbi Akiva, one of the greater Sages of the Mishnah, was one of the supporters of King Bar Kozibah and would describe him as the Messianic king. He and all the Sages of his generation considered him to be the Messianic king until he was killed because of sins. Once he was killed, they realized that he was not the Messiah. The Sages did not ask him for any signs or wonders…

Pure and simple - if the man does miracles, it has nothing to do with being Messiah or not. So he tackles random flashy imposters, and Jesus of Nazareth and the Christian arguments. Even the great Sages thought Bar Kochva was the Messiah, or would be, but when he failed to do what the Messiah is to do and achieve, and died, then it was clear he was not Messiah.

If a king will arise from the House of David who diligently contemplates the Torah and observes its mitzvot as prescribed by the Written Law and the Oral Law as David, his ancestor, will compel all of Israel to walk in it and rectify the breaches in its observance, and fight the wars of God, we may, with assurance, consider him Messiah. If he succeeds in the above, builds the Temple in its place, and gathers the dispersed of Israel, he is definitely the Messiah.

Here is the conservative natural Messiah profile, and this is commonly accepted, a normal man, of the line of David, who is observant and knowledgeable in Torah, and will lead Israel religiously and politically, and oversee the rebuilding of the Temple, he is objectively it. 

Jesus of Nazareth who aspired to be the Messiah and was executed by the court was also alluded to in Daniel's prophecies, as ibid. 11:14 states: 'The vulgar among your people shall exalt themselves in an attempt to fulfill the vision, but they shall stumble...'

Can there be a greater stumbling block than Christianity? All the prophets spoke of Messiah as the redeemer of Israel and their savior who would gather their dispersed and strengthen their observance of the mitzvot. In contrast, Christianity caused the Jews to be slain by the sword, their remnants to be scattered and humbled, the Torah to be altered, and the majority of the world to err and serve a god other than the Lord.

Maimonides felt it was relevant here to directly explain Jesus of Nazareth and Christianity, after mentioning Bar Kochva also. Objectively, the people of Israel were led away from national sovereignty and away from Torah observance and away from theological oneness, so this is the opposite of everything messianic. 

Nevertheless, the intent of the Creator of the world is not within the power of man to comprehend, for His ways are not our ways, nor are His thoughts, our thoughts. Ultimately, all the deeds of Jesus of Nazareth and that Ishmaelite who arose after him will only serve to prepare the way for Messiah’s coming and the improvement of the entire world, motivating the nations to serve God together as Tzephaniah 3:9 states: 'I will transform the peoples to a purer language that they all will call upon the name of God and serve Him with one purpose.' How will this come about? The entire world has already become filled with the mention of Messiah, Torah, and mitzvot.

These matters have been spread to the furthermost islands to many stubborn-hearted nations. They discuss these matters and the mitzvot of the Torah, saying: 'These mitzvot were true, but were already negated in the present age and are not applicable for all time.' Others say: 'Implied in the mitzvot are hidden concepts that can not be understood simply. The Messiah has already come and revealed those hidden truths.'

When the true Messianic king will arise and prove successful, his position becoming exalted and uplifted, they will all return and realize that their ancestors endowed them with a false heritage and their prophets and ancestors caused them to err.

This is a big idea, in essence not original to Maimonides, but espoused by him, that the spread of Christianity (and Islam), which is a false messianism, strategically ultimately prepares the nations for the true messianism and Torah knowledge and observance.

Do not presume that in the Messianic age any facet of the world's nature will change or there will be innovations in the work of creation. Rather, the world will continue according to its pattern. Although Isaiah 11:6 states: 'The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the young goat,' these words are a metaphor and a parable… Similarly, other Messianic prophecies of this nature are metaphors. In the Messianic era, everyone will realize which matters were implied by metaphors and allusions they contained.

Our Sages taught: "There will be no difference between the current age and the Messianic era except subjugation to kingdoms." Simple interpretation of the prophets' words appear to imply that the war of Gog and Magog will take place at the beginning of the Messianic age. Beforehand… a prophet will arise to inspire Israel to be upright and prepare their hearts, as Malachi 3:22 states: 'Behold, I am sending you Elijah.' He will not come… but to establish peace within the world as (Malachi 3:24 continues: 'He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their sons." 

There is no difference between this world and the world to come. In other words, there is no world to come. Anything that suggests otherwise in the Bible is metaphorical. This is one of the central interpretive methods of Maimonides for all the Bible, thus providing a naturalistic reading and removing anything about G-d that is human form or character. 

 He directly references Shmuel in the Talmud in Perek cHelek, and says that this is what our Sages taught. The problem with this presentation is that the voice of Rav was one end of the spectrum, and it categorically avoids the majority of opinions of the Sages in the Talmud!

A person should not occupy himself with Agada and homiletics concerning these and similar matters, nor should he consider them as essentials, for study of them will neither bring fear or love of God. Similarly, one should not try to calculate the end times…

During the era of the Messianic king, once his kingdom has been established and all of Israel has gathered around him, all will relate to him on the basis of his words and the Holy Spirit which will rest upon him…

The Sages and the prophets did not yearn for the Messianic era in order to have dominion over the entire world, to rule over the gentiles, to be exalted by the nations, or to eat, drink, and celebrate. Rather, they desired to be free to involve themselves in Torah and wisdom…

Maimonides urges the common people, legitimately so, to avoid trying to calculate the coming of Messiah, and avoid trying to understand the creative and fantastic Aggada folkloric sources in regards to Messiah, these are not halacha, these are not literal descriptions, and they do not develop character and piety. 

Finally, Maimonides says something profound and personal for him; the ultimate and realistic state of redemption is freedom to engage in Torah. This is what the people should aspire to and occupy themselves, one way or another.