In the Future, the Holy One Blessed Be He Will Appoint for Them Another David
עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַעֲמִיד לָהֶם דָּוִד אַחֵר
And now I will explain to you one teaching of our Sages (וְעַתָּה אֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ בָּזֶה מַאֲמָר אֶחָד שֶׁל רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה), in the chapter Chelek (Sanhedrin 98b) (בְּפֶרֶק חֵלֶק): “Rabbi Yehudah said in the name of Rabbi Ilai: In the future (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, עָתִיד), the Holy One, Blessed be He, will raise up for them another David” (עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַעֲמִיד לָהֶם דָּוִד אַחֵר), etc. (וְכוּ׳).p1-31
The foundation of the matter is as follows (יְסוֹד הָעִנְיָן): the Mashiach who will be the redeemer will not be called Yosef (כִּי הַמָּשִׁיחַ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַגּוֹאֵל לֹא יִקָּרֵא יוֹסֵף), but rather Ephraim (אֶלָּא אֶפְרַיִם). And this is the meaning of (Jeremiah 31:19) “Is Ephraim My dear son?” (הֲבֵן יַקִּיר לִי אֶפְרַיִם). And in the Midrash you will find (Yalkut Shimoni, Jeremiah 31, Remez 315) (וּבַמִּדְרָשׁ תִּמְצָא [יַלְקוּט שִׁמְעוֹנִי יִרְמְיָה ל״א, ר״מ שט״ו]): “Ephraim is My righteous Mashiach”p1-32 (אֶפְרַיִם מְשִׁיחִי צִדְקִי). And this is because there it speaks of the individual man (וְזֶה כִּי בָאִישׁ הַפְּרָטִי מְדֻבָּר שָׁם), and he is called by the name Ephraim (וְהוּא נִקְרָא עַל שֵׁם אֶפְרַיִם), though his Meshichut is the secret of Yosef (וּמְשִׁיחוּתוֹ הִיא סוֹד יוֹסֵף). But Mashiach ben David also must be called David (אֲבָל מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד גַּם כֵּן צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּקָּרֵא דָּוִד), for David includes both aspects together, as above (כִּי דָּוִד כּוֹלֵל שְׁתֵּי הַבְּחִינוֹת כְּאֶחָד כְּנַ״ל). And I will explain to you the meaning of (Sanhedrin, ibid) “Kaiser and half a Kaiser” (וַאֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ עִנְיַן: "קֵיסַר וּפַלְגוּ קֵיסַר), and it is the meaning of “Nasi” as it is written (Ezekiel 37:25) “And David My servant shall be their Nasi forever” (וְדָוִד עַבְדִּי נָשִׂיא לָהֶם לְעוֹלָם).
Know that the Meshichut will be received by whoever receives it (דַּע שֶׁהַמְּשִׁיחוּת יְקַבֵּל אוֹתוֹ מִי שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל אוֹתוֹ), and he will be the one who rules and leads Israel (וְהוּא יִהְיֶה הַמּוֹלֵךְ לְהַנְהִיג אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל). But the primary Tikkunim-such as David and Yosef (וּרְאשֵׁי הַתִּקּוּנִים, כְּגוֹן דָּוִד וְיוֹסֵף)-will remain standing in the aspect of Tikkun (הִנֵּה יִהְיוּ עוֹמְדִים לִבְחִינַת הַתִּקּוּן), and they will be known in Israel as those who are the masters of the Tikkun (וּנְודָעִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵם הֵם בַּעֲלֵי הַתִּקּוּן), and they are those who extend and sustain the power to the Meshichim themselves (וְהֵם הַמַּמְשִׁיכִים וּמְקַיְּמִים הַכֹּחַ לַמְּשִׁיחִים עַצְמָם). And therefore they are called Nesi’im and not kings (וְלָכֵן נִקְרָאִים נְשִׂיאִים וְלֹא מְלָכִים), for they are not to lead (כִּי אֵינָם לְהַנְהִיג), but rather to draw down the power-this is what is called a Nasi (אֶלָּא מַמְשִׁיכֵי הַכֹּחַ, וְזֶה נִקְרָא נָשִׂיא). And as for the leadership-he is like “half a Kaiser” (וּלְפִי הַהַנְהָגָה לֹא יִהְיֶה אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ "פַלְגוּ קֵיסַר), for he gives the leadership to his son (כִּי הוּא נוֹתֵן מְקוֹם הַהַנְהָגָה לִבְנוֹ), but he stands in the secret of a Nasi-father to the king himself (אֲבָל הוּא עוֹמֵד בְּסוֹד נָשִׂיא, אָב לַמֶּלֶךְ עַצְמוֹ).
And understand this well (וְהָבֵן הֵיטֵב), for the Patriarchs will be likewise in relation to the Meshichim (כִּי גַּם הָאָבוֹת יִהְיוּ כָּךְ אֶל הַמְּשִׁיחִים), they will be seated beneath them (תַּחְתָּם יֵשֵׁבוּ), for they give them place to lead (כִּי נוֹתְנִים לָהֶם מָקוֹם הַהַנְהָגָה), and they are those who draw down the power and establish the Tikkunim (וְהֵם הֵם מַמְשִׁיכֵי הַכֹּחַ וּמְקַיְּמֵי הַתִּקּוּנִים).
And behold, I have already strayed from the main matter (וְהִנֵּה כְּבָר יָצָאתִי מֵעִנְיַנִי), but only in order to explain the wording of the Ma’amar precisely (אֲבָל רַק לְפָרֵשׁ לְךָ לְשׁוֹן הַמַּאֲמָר הֵיטֵב), and to remove from your mind the difficulties or doubts (וּלְהָסִיר מִדַּעְתְּךָ הַקֻּשְׁיוֹת אוֹ סְפֵקוֹת), regarding that which I am explaining to you (עַל אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מְפָרֵשׁ לְךָ). And you have already understood (וְכְבָר הֵבַנְתָּ), that the intention of the holy Rashbi, may his memory be blessed (כִּי כַוָּנַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ רַשְׁבִּ"י זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה), is very far from what the crooked of heart and the deficient of mind have imagined (רְחוֹקָה מְאֹד מִמַּה שֶׁחָשְׁבוּ עִקְשֵׁי לֵב וַחֲסִירֵי הַשֵּׂכֶל), for all his words are holy of holies (כִּי כָל דְּבָרָיו קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים), and in truth there is in them nothing perverse or twisted (וּבֶאֱמֶת אֵין בָּהֶם נִפְתָּל וְעִקֵּשׁ).
Notes
See Sanhedrin 98b (רְאֵה סַנְהֶדְרִין דַּף צ״ח, ב׳): Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav (אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב): The Holy One, Blessed be He, is destined to raise up for them another David (עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַעֲמִיד לָהֶם דָּוִד אַחֵר), as it is said (שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר): “And they shall serve Hashem their God and David their king whom I will raise up for them” (Jeremiah 30:9) [יִרְמְיָה ל׳, ט׳] ("וְעָבְדוּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֵת דָּוִד מַלְכָּם אֲשֶׁר אָקִים לָהֶם). It does not say he raised up (הֵקִים לֹא נֶאֱמַר), but rather I will raise up (אֶלָּא אָקִים).
See Pesikta Rabbati, Parashah 36 (רְאֵה פְּסִיקְתָּא רַבְּתִּי פָּרָשָׁה ל״ו): “And God saw the light, that it was good” (Bereshit 1:4) [בְּרֵאשִׁית א׳, ד׳] ("וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב)-this teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, foresaw the Mashiach and his deeds before the world was created (מְלַמֵּד שֶׁצָּפָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּמָּשִׁיחַ וּבְמַעֲשָׂיו קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם), and He concealed him and his generation under His Throne of Glory (וְגִנְּזוֹ לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְדוֹרוֹ תַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד שֶׁלּוֹ). The Satan said before the Holy One, Blessed be He (אָמַר הַשָּׂטָן לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא): Master of the Universe, the light that is hidden beneath Your Throne-for whom is it? (רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אוֹר שֶׁנִּגְנַז תַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד שֶׁלְּךָ לְמִי), He said to him: For the one who is destined to return you and disgrace you with shame upon your face (אָמַר לוֹ: לְמִי שֶׁעָתִיד לְהַחֲזִירְךָ וּלְהַכְלִימְךָ בְּבוּשָׁה פָּנִים). He said before Him: Master of the Universe, show him to me (אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הַרְאֵהוּ לִי), He said to him: Come and see him (אָמַר לוֹ: בּוֹא וּרְאֵה אוֹתוֹ), and when he saw him he trembled and fell on his face (וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאָהוּ נִזְדָּעֲזַע וְנָפַל עַל פָּנָיו), and he said: Surely this is the Mashiach who is destined to cast me and all the princes of the nations into Gehinnom (וְאָמַר: בְּוַדַּאי זֶהוּ מָשִׁיחַ שֶׁעָתִיד לְהַפִּיל אוֹתִי וְאֶת כָּל שָׂרֵי אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְגֵיהִנֹּם), as it is said (Isaiah 25:8): “He will swallow up death forever, and Hashem Elohim will wipe away tears from every face” ("וּבִלַּע הַמָּוֶת לָנֶצַח וּמָחָה ה׳ אֱלֹהִים דִּמְעָה מֵעַל כָּל פָּנִים). At that moment the nations trembled (בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הִתְרַגְּשׁוּ הָאוּמּוֹת), and they said before Him: Master of the Universe, who is this one into whose hand we are to fall? What is his name? What is his character? (וְאָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מִי הוּא זֶה שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ נוֹפְלִים בְּיָדוֹ מַה שְּׁמוֹ מַה טִּיבוֹ), He said to them: He is the Mashiach, and his name is Ephraim My righteous Mashiach (אָמַר לָהֶם: הוּא מָשִׁיחַ, וּשְׁמוֹ אֶפְרַיִם מְשִׁיחִי צִדְקִי), and he elevates the stature of his generation (וּמַגְבִּיהַּ קוֹמָתוֹ וּקְוֹמַת דּוֹרוֹ), and illumines the eyes of Israel (וּמֵאִיר עֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), and saves his people (וּמוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת עַמּוֹ), and no nation or tongue can stand against him (וְאֵין כָּל אוּמָּה וְלָשׁוֹן יְכוֹלָה לַעֲמֹד בּוֹ), as it is said (Psalms 89:23): “No enemy shall deceive him, nor shall the son of iniquity afflict him” ("לֹא יַשִּׁיא אוֹיֵב בּוֹ וּבֶן עַוְלָה לֹא יְעַנֶּנּוּ), and all his enemies and oppressors are shattered, as it is said (ibid. v. 24): “And I will crush his foes before him” ("וְכַתֹּתִי מִפָּנָיו צָרָיו).