It is very important to emphasize this confidence, because some, lacking faith, are frightened that the State of Israel will not endure, Heaven forbid.
HaRav Shmuel Eliahu is Chief Rabbi of Tzfat.
“For everything, Lord our God, we give You thanks.”
On Independence Day, we thanked God that we have returned to Jerusalem with mercy (Zechariah 1:16); that we have inherited the Land as God promised to the forefathers (Deuteronomy 30:5); that five of us chase away a hundred of our enemies (Leviticus 26:8, Genesis 22:17); that the desolate Land has become like the Garden of Eden (Ezekiel 36:35). We are grateful for the great abundance of blessing (Deuteronomy 7:13), for the wise children born here (Jeremiah 31), for all the wisdom that brings blessing to the world, and for the world’s understanding that Israel is the source of blessing (Isaiah 60:15).
Not one word will return empty.
We know that all of God’s promises will be fulfilled: “So will My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55). God does not do half a job: “Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery? says the Lord. Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery? says your God” (Isaiah 66:8-9). It is certain that all the prophecies of Redemption will continue to be fulfilled.
It is very important to emphasize this confidence, because some, lacking faith, are frightened that the State of Israel will not endure, Heaven forbid.
-They claim we will bring about World War III and destroy all that has been built in the State.
-They fear that when the religious and haredi population increases, women will become oppressed, science and the economy will weaken, research institutions and academia will collapse, and the State will falter under attacks from the Arab world.
A dictatorship called liberal democracy.
The people on the Left, knowing they have no majority now and that they certainly won’t in the future, seek to impose a dictatorship in which the progressive Left rules. They call it “liberal democracy,” a euphemism for a dictatorship where the minority rules the majority against its will. They annul laws and invent new ones to cancel out the power of the people.
Some people act out of malice – against them we must wage an all-out battle. Others act out of ignorance and foolishness -toward them we need to engage in education. We must show them that all their fears stem from ignorance. To dispel this ignorance, let’s discuss what the State of Israel would look like if governed by Halakha (Jewish law).
What would a Halakhic democracy look like?
In the days of my father and teacher, Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu, zt”l, Shlomo Hillel, then Minister of Police, complained to him about the enormous expenses of building and maintaining prisons. Rabbi Eliahu explained that in a properly run halakhic State, prisons are not used for incarcerating criminals where prisons become schools for crime. Instead, funds are invested in value-based education, reducing the number of criminals at large and the need for costly prison maintenance.
The minister asked: If tomorrow you were given control of the State, would you release all the prisoners? What about traffic laws? Would you abolish them? There would be severe traffic accidents, and the freed criminals would flood the country with theft and robbery. And would you abolish all the banks that charge interest? If you did that, the economy would freeze.
In a Halakhic State, the world goes on as usual.
Rabbi Eliahu answered that on the first day of running the country, he would gather all the Sages of Israel and rule that nearly all State laws would be upheld as Halakhic laws. Thus, traffic laws, the banking system, and the prison service would continue. Later, they would examine and fix economic regulations to prevent the banks from making billions off the public through exploitation. They would review and adjust traffic laws as needed. State funds and taxes would be invested in education that teaches values, not just math and English.
He explained this based on Maimonides (the Rambam), who wrote that in the days of the Mashiach, the world will function as usual: “Do not think that in the days of the Mashiach anything of the world’s nature will change, or that there will be new creations in the world; rather, the world will continue as usual. And what is said in Isaiah, ‘The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,’ is a metaphor and a parable, meaning that Israel will dwell securely with the wicked nations who are compared to wolves and leopards” (Mishneh Torah, Kings 12:1-2). Everything will be natural – without malice between people.
The Mashiach as prime minister.
Maimonides explains that the Mashiach is a natural leader: “Do not think that the King Mashiach needs to perform signs and wonders, or create new things in the world, or resurrect the dead or similar miracles. Rabbi Akiva, one of the great Sages of the Mishnah, was a supporter of Bar Koziba (Bar Kochba), the king, and said he was the King Mashiach until he was killed due to sins, and then they knew he was not. The Sages did not demand a sign or wonder from him.”
The figure of Bar Kochba illustrates that the Mashiach is a human being like us, who manages the state correctly, liberates the Jewish people from foreign domination, and does not need anointing oil or miraculous qualities. He is a righteous, courageous, and decent leader.
Before the Mashiach’s revelation, there is a phase called the “days of the Mashiach,” when the Mashiach has not yet been revealed, but his spirit already influences the world encouraging the Jewish People to immigrate to Israel, improving the world, and making the Land of Israel flourish. Israel overcomes its enemies, the State of Israel is built up, and the Jewish People begin strengthening their spiritual talents in repentance.
Redemption is a process.
Even in the Messianic days and after the Mashiach comes, the world is in a process. Regarding the Exodus, even after the drowning of the Egyptians in the Red Sea, there were hardships on the way: the golden calf, the complainers, the daughters of Midian, and the tragedy of the Spies refusing to travel on to Eretz Yisrael. Even after entering the Land, it took time to detach from Egypt’s impurities.
Our Sages explained that Redemption comes in stages, a little at a time. In the Midrash it states: “Who is this that appears like the dawn… Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Shimon bar Halafta were walking in the valley of Arbel at the awakening of day. They saw the light break and Rabbi Hiyya said: Thus will be the Redemption of Israel – it begins little by little” (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 6:25).
On Pesach, many sing the poem: “Near is the day that is neither day nor night,” based on Zechariah 14:7. The Targum explains that before the complete Redemption, there will be no darkness like servitude, but also not the full light of Redemption. Rashi explains that Jerusalem will not yet be the world’s beacon or the source of global justice: “It will not be total Redemption, nor total exile; rather, Redemption will gradually grow” (Radak).
The elimination of global evil also doesn’t happen overnight. The Sages testify: “Five things last twelve months – the judgment of the generation of the Flood, the judgment of Job, the judgment of the Egyptians, the future judgment of Gog and Magog, and the judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom” (Eduyot 2:10).
The process of eliminating evil does not happen in a day, nor does Israel’s Redemption happen all at once: “You will not go out in haste, nor go in flight” (Isaiah 52), and “You will be gathered one by one, O children of Israel” (Isaiah 27). The ingathering of exiles was not immediate and still continues, and evil has not ended at once. Hitler fell eighty years ago and the Communist regime fell thirty-three years ago, Assad fell last year, Jordan expelled the Muslim Brotherhood last week, and this week giant ports are exploding in Iran.
Israel’s Arabs are leaving.
This past Nisan, 36,000 Arabs left Gaza for other countries. Someone in Gaza announced it was possible to leave and half a million Gazans signed up. In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Arabs have left, both from Judea and Samaria and from among Israel’s Arabs. This emigration continues the emigration of over half a million Arabs in Nisan 1948.
The Arabs are not leaving all at once: “I will not drive them out before you in one year, lest the Land become desolate and the wild animals multiply against you; little by little I will drive them out before you until you increase and possess the Land” (Exodus 23). In the future, many of the Arab residents will leave; some will remain as resident aliens who accept the seven Noahide commandments and who recognize the Jewish State.
A World Governed by Justice and Righteousness.
The Days of the Mashiach are, first and foremost, about justice. The prophet Isaiah explains in his opening prophecy that destruction and exile came about because of injustice toward the weak who received no help in the legal system: “Your princes are rebellious, companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and pursues rewards. They judge not the orphan, neither does the widow’s case come before them” (Isaiah 1; also Jeremiah 7, 22; Ezekiel 22).
The correction will come when the justice system is restored to judge righteously, as it says: “And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her repentant ones with righteousness” (Isaiah 1).
Of the Messianic king, it is said: “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins” (Isaiah 11:4).
The UN Declaration of Human Rights.
One of the important actions of the early United Nations was getting most countries of the world to commit to justice, liberty, and education. This declaration is called the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” (at a time when “human rights” was not hijacked for bad causes). It was drafted by a Jew named Shimon Katzin, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work; the world knew him by his French name, René Cassin. These values, which he spread to all humanity, came from the Torah and the Ten Commandments.
This global declaration came as a counter to the Nazi culture, which claimed that “might makes right.” It declares that humanity’s guiding principles should be the values of justice written in the books of the prophets. It is no coincidence that this declaration was adopted in 1948, the same year the State of Israel was established.
Russia did not sign this document, but neither did it oppose it. At the time, Russia imprisoned its citizens and denied them freedom of movement and other liberties without trial. Over the years, this oppressive shell has largely fallen away, and the Russian regime has returned to declaring its belief in truth, justice, law, and peace. Although even today there are many injustices there, it is much better than it was under the Tsars and Stalin.
Advancing the Status of Women.
Part of repairing the world is advancing the status of women, who were cursed at the sin of Adam: “And he shall rule over you,” and humankind was also cursed. From then until today, the world has been repairing the damage caused by that sin, including the status of women. Therefore, Jewish Law states that a man should love his wife as himself and honor her even more than himself. “And it shall be on that day, says the Lord, that you will call Me ‘my husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘my master,’” out of love and youthful affection, not fear or dread.
World Peace
Without wars between nations, the vision of the Messianic era is one of global peace. As Isaiah prophesied: “And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2).
This trend toward peace will strengthen in the world, begun in initiatives such as the League of Nations after World War I and the United Nations after World War II. Once again, we are still in the midst of the process which unfolds gradually over time and has ups and downs.
The Prophet Zephaniah ties world peace to faith. The communists tried about a century ago to achieve world peace without faith, and they failed. The Russians then truly sought to advance global justice and equality, to achieve peace with progress and development – all while denying God. The result was the opposite: never before had such murderous leaders arisen as Stalin and Mao in communist China. It may also be noted that the Oslo Accords, which were made without faith, also failed. How fervently we appealed to the government’s leaders not to proceed with the treacherous plan, but arrogantly, they refused to listen.
It seems that freedom cannot be attained in the world without faith in God. In contrast, in the U.S., every declaration of freedom comes from a belief in God, and it has truly brought freedom. As we say in the High Holy Day prayers about all creatures: “And they shall all form a single band to do Your will wholeheartedly.” A united world – united in faith in the Creator.
Eradicating Idolatry.
The repair of the world is already underway. Today idolatry has almost disappeared. All the prophets foretold this over 2,500 years ago. As Isaiah says: “And the idols shall completely pass away.” Eventually, “A man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold which they made for themselves” (Isaiah 2). “And it shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord of Hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols from the earth, and they shall be remembered no more; and also I will remove the false prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land” (Zechariah 13:2).
The elimination of idolatry has prevented much bloodshed from human sacrifice, ended mass sexual immorality, and stopped the oppression of the masses. In the name of idols whose word was not to be questioned, tyrants in the East and West crushed all opposition, interpreting any dissent as rebellion against the beloved idol.
Faith Without Coercion.
The repair of faith in the Messianic era will not come through coercion, which has no spiritual value (Shabbat 88a). The Mashiach will compel the nations to abandon evil only with words: “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor… and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11). In the next stage, no one will need to teach another: “And they shall no longer teach each one his neighbor… saying, ‘Know the Lord,’” because “I will put My law within them, and upon their hearts will I write it” (Jeremiah 31). Therefore, Maimonides writes (Mimarim 3:3) that when people err unknowingly, we do not rebuke them harshly; rather, “it is fitting to bring them back to repentance and draw them in with words of peace until they return to the strength of the Torah.”
The Gates of Wisdom.
A major part of the world’s rectification is opening of the gates of wisdom, revealing the infinite wisdom of creation, which will bring great faith in God. Daniel prophesied many visions about the opening of the gates of knowledge in the end of days: “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12).
Isaiah says of the Mashiach that his role is to increase knowledge of the Divine Truth and to prevent wrongdoing: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11).
In the Zohar, written some two thousand years ago, Rabbi Yehuda says that the gates of wisdom will open to the entire world in the year 5600 (1840), a date that matches what indeed came to pass:
“In the sixth century of the sixth millennium, the gates of wisdom above and the fountains of wisdom below shall open, and the world shall prepare to enter the seventh millennium, as a person prepares himself on Friday for Shabbat. And the sign for you is ‘in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life… all the fountains of the great deep were broken up’” (Genesis 7; Zohar I, 116a).
The meaning is that Redemption will begin with the opening of the upper and lower gates of wisdom. This will prepare the world to elevate itself in the seventh millennium, just as a person prepares himself for Shabbat on Friday afternoon. This is the time of “its appointed hour.”
The Zohar’s year, 5600 (1840), indeed marked a period of immense global development. A tremendous outpouring of wisdom descended upon the world, coinciding with the rise of Jewish immigration to the Land of Israel. According to the Zohar, the entire Industrial Revolution is the result of the opening of these gates of upper and lower wisdom. This world repair is preparation for the world’s ultimate Redemption. This is because the opening of upper and lower wisdom creates an opening for the knowledge of God, especially for loving Him:
“When a person reflects on these matters and perceives all creatures… and sees the wisdom of the Holy One in all creation, his love for God increases, his soul thirsts, his flesh longs to love the blessed God…” (Maimonides, Laws of the Foundations of the Torah 4:12).
It is impossible not to be filled with infinite faith when one sees the endless wisdom within each of the trillions of cells in every human, animal, or plant. Wisdom is found in each of the billions of living creatures, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, trees, and ferns; in each of the molecules that make up all reality; and in each of the atoms that compose the vast universe of which we are a part. This immense wisdom makes atheism seem even more irrational than belief in idols. The more we know creation, the more the idea that the world created itself becomes an absurd belief, no less than the idolatry that worships wooden, stone, silver, or gold idols.
Health and Great Abundance in the World
The opening of the gates of wisdom has led to great development in medicine, the economy, agriculture, transportation, and more. As a result, the world has doubled its average life expectancy from 40 to nearly 80 years. The world’s population has grown eightfold. 180 years ago, there was only one billion people on earth. Following the scientific revolution, the global population has reached 8.3 billion. Where there were deserts, now there are orchards and fruit trees. Where there were wild beasts, now there are little children frolicking about with no fear. Where there were wastelands, now there are rustling fields of wheat, rice, and corn.
The Talmud states: “Rabban Gamliel was sitting and expounding: In the future, the Land of Israel will produce cakes and fine woolen garments, as it says, ‘May there be an abundance of grain in the land’ (Psalm 72:16). A certain student scoffed and said, ‘There’s nothing new under the sun.’ Rabban Gamliel said to him, ‘Come, I’ll show you an example of this in this world.’ He went out and showed him truffles and mushrooms, and a silk cocoon that produces fine wool” (Shabbat 30b). Maimonides (Laws of Kings, Ch. 12) interprets the prophet’s words as a metaphor for great economic abundance: “And at that time there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor competition, for goodness will flow in abundance and all delights will be as common as dust.”
We must note that in these areas of economic prosperity, the State of Israel is in a very good position. It leads the world in breakthroughs in science and the implementation of solutions. It is impossible to see the development of the world’s economy and science without the partnership of the Jewish People. As it says, “People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s wisdom, sent by all the kings of the world who had heard of his wisdom” (I Kings 5). For this is Israel’s mission: “And through you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
Will the Mashiach Have a Wife?
Certainly, he will have a wife, like Moses and Aaron, and like every High Priest. Her role is both spiritual, to complete the image of God within him, and physical, to assist him with counsel, holiness, and raising the children, as well as with all his needs. The Mashiach will also have a son to carry on his lineage. May he come soon.
