Mashiach Before the Election (Part 3)

11 Adar II 5779 

Recapped and continued from Part 2...

...G-d set ground-rules for [the Messiah]: "In the future, the sins of these stored away with you will place you under an iron burden. They will make you like this calf whose eyes have dimmed. Their burden will suffocate your spirit. Through their sins, your tongue will cleave to your palate. Do you wish this?" The Messiah asked, "Is that pain going to last many years?" and G-d answered, "I swear by My life and yours that it shall last no later than the year seven thousand [i.e., the latest possible end, as noted previously from Avodah Zarah 9a]. If you are unhappy with this, I will make them suffer starting now." The Messiah replied, "Master of the Universe! Joyfully do I accept it upon myself so that not one Jew be lost... It is what I want!"...

The rabbis said, "The week in which the Son of David comes, iron bars shall be brought and placed on his [MBY] neck until he is bent over, and he will cry out tearfully until his voice ascends to Heaven. He will say, "Master of the Universe! How long can my strength hold out? My spirit? My soul? My limbs? Am I not flesh and blood?"...

G-d will then reply, "Ephraim, Righteous Messiah! You undertook this from the Six Days of Creation. Now, your pain will be like Mine, for since the day Nebuchadnezzar went up and destroyed My house and burnt My sanctuary and exiled My children among the nations, I swear to you that I have never sat down on My throne; and if you don't believe Me, observe the dew that has settled on My head"... The Messiah will respond, "Master of the Universe!  Now, I am consoled.  It suffices for the slave to be like his master."

Here we learn several principles of global importance regarding redemption.  First, the Messiah spoken of here, namely Mashiach ben Yosef and not Mashiach ben David, is the chief redeemer, for he inaugurates redemption.  Second, his suffering all the years of the exile, through G-d's tormenting him, parallels that suffered by Israel.  Third, this suffering is grossly compounded, for were Israel to repent properly, he would be freed from his torment to go and save Israel, such that both he and they would be redeemed.  Fourth, Mashiach ben Yosef parallels G-d, for also the Divine Presence is in exile, and G-d, too, so to speak, suffers the Chillul Hashem of Israel's lowliness.  Fifth, (merely hinted at here), if repentance "in haste" does not arrive, and redemption "in its time" comes instead, redemption of grief and tragedy, G-d will send Mashiach ben Yosef to wage war against the nations.  In that case, the vast majority of Israel will still be unfit for redemption and will not recognize him and their own mission - to repent through deeds of faith and trust in G-d so that they sanctify G-d's name, the key to redemption.  Then Mashiach ben Yosef will go forth with minuscule remnants as inaugurator of redemption to provoke the nations, and the start of redemption will be accompanied by tragedies and Messianic birthpangs, as stated.  Even Mashiach ben Yosef will fall in this bitter period, until Israel's sins are purged and Mashiach ben David arrives.

Part 4.