The Mashiach and Meshichut

חֵלֶק שֵׁנִי – הַמָּשִׁיחַ וְהַמְּשִׁיחוּת

Introduction (פְּתִיחָה)

And this is part of this second discourse of mine (וְזֶה חֵלֶק מַאֲמָרִי זֶה הַשֵּׁנִי), proceeding toward the Rock of old (הַהוֹלֵךְ לִקְדַמַּת הַצּוּר), to remove the stumbling-block of the error of HaTzvi (מִכְשׁוֹל טָעוּת הַצְּבִי), as I promised you at the beginning (כַּאֲשֶׁר יִעַדְתִּי לְךָ בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה), until I set judgment as light, with the help of Heaven (עַד לְאוֹר אָשִׂים מִשְׁפָּט בְּסִי״עַ דִּשְׁמַיָּא), for the mouth of those who speak falsehood shall be stopped (כִּי יִסָּכֵר פִּי דֹּבְרֵי שָׁקֶר).p1-10

These are the words of the covenant (אֵלֶּה דִבְרֵי הַבְּרִית), a covenant of salt sealed for our holy Torah (בְּרִית מֶלַח כְּרוּת לְתוֹרָתֵנוּ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה), for which there is no replacement forever and unto all eternity (אֲשֶׁר אֵין חֲלִיפוֹת לָהּ לָעַד וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים). And the prophet, or dreamer of a dream, who presumptuously dares to touch even the edge of it (וְהַנָּבִיא אוֹ חוֹלֵם הַחֲלוֹם אֲשֶׁר יָזִיד לָנֹגַע בַּקָּצֶה), or even one precise detail among the scribal details (אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בְּדִקְדּוּק אֶחָד מִדַּקְדּוּקֵי סוֹפְרִים), we shall not assent to him, nor heed him (לֹא נֹאבֶה לוֹ וְלֹא נִשְׁמַע אֵלָיו), for he is deserving of death, because he has spoken rebellion against Hashem his God (כִּי בֶן מָוֶת הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר סָרָה עַל ה׳ אֱלֹהָיו). And even if he gives a thousand thousands of reasons for his words (וַאֲפִלּוּ אֶלֶף אֲלָפִים טַעֲמִים יִתֵּן לִדְבָרָיו), concerning them all it is said, as it is written: “You shall not listen to the words of that prophet…” (עַל כֻּלָּם נֶאֱמַר, כַּכָּתוּב: לֹא תִשְׁמַע אֶל דִּבְרֵי הַנָּבִיא הַהוּא כו׳) (Devarim 13:4).

And is this not enough and more to expose the wicked foolishness of the culture of these sinful men (וְהַאַף אֵין זֹאת דַּי וּמוֹתָר לָדַעַת רֶשַׁע כְּסִיל תַּרְבּוּת הָאֲנָשִׁים הַחַטָּאִים הָאֵלֶּה), who have been as thorns in our eyes (אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ לַשִּׁכִּים בְּעֵינֵינוּ), to drive a man of Israel away from serving Hashem (לְהַדִּיחַ אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֲבוֹדַת ה׳), with statutes not good that they invented from their own hearts (בְּחֻקִּים לֹא טוֹבִים אֲשֶׁר בָּדוּ מִלִּבָּם). And how can a human heart fall into the pit of Esav? (וְאֵיךְ יִפֹּל לֵב הָאָדָם בְּשַׁחַת עֵשָׂו) And a full verse cries aloud and says (וּמִקְרָא מָלֵא צוֹעֵק וְאוֹמֵר): “You shall not listen…” etc. “For Hashem is testing you…” etc. (לֹא תִשְׁמַע כו׳, כִּי מְנַסֶּה כו׳). But in order to save you from this evil path (אֲבָל לְמַעַן הַצִּילְךָ מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ הָרָע הַזֶּה), to save your soul from the pit (לְהַצִּיל נַפְשְׁךָ מִנִּי שַׁחַת), I shall instruct you and guide you how this evil came to be (אַשְׂכִּילְךָ וְאוֹרֶךָ אֵיכָה נִהְיְתָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת), from where it came (מֵאַיִן בָּאָה), and from which root sprouted the gall and wormwood (וְאֵי מִזֶּה שֹׁרֶשׁ פּוֹרֶה רֹאשׁ וְלַעֲנָה), which still dances among us in our many transgressions (אֲשֶׁר עֲדַיִן מְרַקֵּד בְּתוֹכֵנוּ בַּעֲוֺנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים):

And behold, I am revealing before you great, wondrous, and exceedingly deep secrets (וְהִנְנִי מְגַלֶּה לְפָנֶיךָ סוֹדוֹת גְּדוֹלִים וְנִפְלָאִים וַעֲמוּקִים מְאֹד), which silence would have been far more fitting for them (אֲשֶׁר הַשְּׁתִיקָה הָיְתָה רְאוּיָה בָהֶם הַרְבֵּה), for therefore the wise one warned (כִּי עַל כֵּן הִזְהִיר הֶחָכָם), “The glory of God is the concealment of a matter” (כְּבוֹד אֱלֹהִים הַסְתֵּר דָּבָר) (Proverbs 25:2). But from elders I gain discernment (אֲבָל מִזְּקֵנִים אֶתְבּוֹנָן), for it is a time to act for Hashem-they have violated Your Torah (כִּי עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַה׳ הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ) (Psalms 119:126), and Hashem the Good will atone on behalf (וְה׳ הַטּוֹב יְכַפֵּר בַּעֲד), for this is a temporary ruling of exigency (hora’at sha’ah) (כִּי הוֹרָאַת שָׁעָה הִיא), for the breach has spread and the defilement has burst forth in the land (תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר רַבָּה פֶרֶץ לָהּ הַטֻּמְאָה בָאָרֶץ), and the land is corrupted on account of it (וַתִּשָּׁחֵת הָאָרֶץ מִפָּנֶיהָ).

And now we are obligated to close this breach as much as our hands can reach (וְעַתָּה צְרִיכִין אֲנַחְנוּ לִגְדֹּר אֶת הַפֶּרֶץ הַזֶּה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר תַּשִּׂיג יָדֵנוּ), for great is the wrath of Hashem upon Israel (וְרַב מִהְיוֹת חֲרוֹן אַף ה׳ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל). And were it not so, I would not have opened my mouth with these words (וְלוּלֵי זֹאת לֹא הָיִיתִי פּוֹתֵחַ פִּי בְּדְבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה), which are the furnace of the world (אֲשֶׁר הֵם כִּבְשׁוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם), concerning which we were warned with many and great warnings to conceal and hide them always (אֲשֶׁר הוּזְהַרְנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם הַזְהָרוֹת עַל הַזְהָרוֹת רַבּוֹת וּגְדוֹלוֹת לְכַסּוֹתָם וּלְהַעֲלִימָם תָּמִיד).

However, for everything there is a time and a season for every desire (אֲבָל לְכָל זְמַן וָעֵת לְכָל חֵפֶץ) (Ecclesiastes 3:1), and great is a transgression done for the sake of Heaven (וּגְדוֹלָה עֲבֵרָה לִשְׁמָה). And now you-stand and observe the wonders of God (וְאַתָּה עַתָּה עֲמוֹד וְהִתְבּוֹנֵן נִפְלָאוֹת אֵ-ל), and the cunning one will understand their path with clarity (וְעָרוּם יָבִין לְאָשְׁרוֹ), for the ways of Hashem are upright (כִּי יְשָׁרִים דַּרְכֵי ה׳) (Hosea 14:10).

Know, my brother, that when Israel sinned (דַּע לְךָ אָחִי, כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר חָטְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל), they caused the Shekhinah to become enclothed in the Klipot on their account (גָּרְמוּ לַשְּׁכִינָה לִהְיוֹת מִתְלַבֶּשֶׁת בַּקְּלִיפּוֹת בַּעֲבוּרָם), and this enclothement took place in a particular mode (וְהַהִתְלַבְּשׁוּת הַזֶּה נַעֲשָׂה בְּבְחִינָה פְּרָטִית), as I will yet explain to you with the help of Heaven (כַּאֲשֶׁר אֲבָאֵר לְךָ עוֹד בְּסִי״עַ דִּשְׁמַיָּא), for it must be in such a particular form that leaves place for the Sitra Achra to encircle and operate (כִּי צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא בְּבְחִינָה פְּרָטִית אֲשֶׁר תַּנִּיחַ מָקוֹם לִסְטְרָ״א לִהְיוֹת סוֹבֶבֶת וְהוֹלֶכֶת).

And behold, this place is a place of great danger (וְהִנֵּה הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה מָקוֹם סַכָּנָה הוּא מְאֹד), for in it the Sitra achra can seize the eyes which have not been fully opened (כִּי בּוֹ יְכוֹלָה הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא לֶאֱחוֹז הָעֵינַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא נִפְקְחוּ הֵיטֵב), to confuse them between sacred and profane (לְהַחֲלִיף לָהֶם בֵּין קֹדֶשׁ לְחוֹל), and between profane and sacred (וּבֵין חוֹל לְקֹדֶשׁ), and to show them the bitter as sweet and the sweet as bitter, by nearness of appearance (וּתְרַאֶה לָהֶם הַמָּרוֹ לְמָתוֹק וְהַמָּתוֹק לְמָר מִקְרָבוֹת הַדְּבָרִים). And of this place it is said, “And Moshe fled from before it” (וְעַל הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה נֶאֱמַר "וַיָּנָס מֹשֶׁה מִפָּנָיו) (Exodus 4:3), for it is the matter of the staff turning to a serpent, and from serpent back to staff (כִּי הוּא עִנְיַן הַמַּטֶּה, הַמִּתְהַפֵּךְ מִמַּטֶּה לְנָחָשׁ, וּמִנָּחָשׁ לְמַטֶּה), as I will explain to you in detail with the help of Heaven (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲפָרֵשׁ לְךָ בְּסִי״עַ דִּשְׁמַיָּא אֶת הָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה הֵיטֵב). And when the Sitra achra prevails because of our sins (וּבְהִתְגַּבֵּר הַסִּטְרָא אָחֳרָא מִפְּנֵי חֲטָאֵינוּ), it gains power to ensnare the crafty (עָצְרָה כֹּחַ לָצוּד צַיִד נַפְתָּלִים), to present to them in this place things which are not so (לְהַרְאוֹת לָהֶם בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא כֵן).

And in their harlotry after her, they made for themselves these laws which they made (וּבְזָנוֹתָם אַחֲרֶיהָ עָשׂוּ לָהֶם הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ), to be a snare for Israel, due to our many sins (לִהְיוֹת לְמוֹקֵשׁ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בַּעֲוֺנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים). And I have already said: regarding these matters, it would have been better for us to close our mouths and not inquire at all (וְכְבָר אָמַרְתִּי: בַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה טוֹב לָנוּ לִבְלוֹם פִּינוּ וְשֶׁלֹּא לַחְקוֹר כְּלָל). But what shall I do? Even though the judgment says not to speak, the moment requires it (אֲבָל מַה אֶעֱשֶׂה, אַף שֶׁלֹּא הַדִּין כָּךְ, אֲבָל הַשָּׁעָה צְרִיכָה לְכָךְ), to save the souls of the poor and needy from the hand that is stronger than they (לְהַצִּיל נְפָשׁוֹת הָעֲנִיִּים וְהָאֶבְיוֹנִים מִיָּד חָזָק מֵהֶם). And Heaven is my witness, that in dread and awe and great trembling I set forth these matters before you (וַאֲנִי בַּשָּׁמַיִם עֵדִי כִּי בְּאֵימָה וּבְיִרְאָה וּבְחֲרָדָה גְּדוֹלָה פוֹרֵשׂ אֲנִי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה לְפָנֶיךָ).

And now, likewise, clothe yourself in trembling (וְעַתָּה כְּמוֹ כֵן חֲרָדוֹת תִּלְבַּשׁ), and be in awe before the great fire, before Hashem your God (וְתִהְיֶה יָרֵא מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ הַגְּדוֹלָה מִפְּנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ), for He is a consuming fire (כִּי אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה הוּא). And with trembling and sweat, return the Creator to His throne (וּבְרַתֶּת וּבְזֵיעָה תָּשִׁיב יוֹצֵר עַל מְכוֹנוֹ), to love Him and to cleave to Him (לְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ וּלְדָבְקָה בוֹ), and do not sin (וְלֹא תֶחֱטָא):