We mention in Shemone
Esrei in the beracha of ולירושלים עירך the reestablishment of the מלכות בית דוד as well. What does that have to do with the rebuilding
of Yerushalim? The Briskor Rav on
Tehillim Ch. 30 brings many proofs (and this is among them,) that part of rebuilding
Yerushalim is establishing מלכות בית דוד. Part
of the building of Yerushalim and the Beis Hamikdash is to have מלכות בית דוד.In this time of
year where we morn over the destruction of Yerushalim and the Beis Hamikdash,
we also must contemplate what we are lacking now that מלכות בית דוד
isn’t in power.
The Rambam in
Hilchos Melachim (11:1) says: וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַאֲמִין בּוֹ. אוֹ מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְחַכֶּה לְבִיאָתוֹ. לֹא בִּשְׁאָר נְבִיאִים בִּלְבַד הוּא כּוֹפֵר. אֶלָּא בַּתּוֹרָה וּבְמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ. שֶׁהֲרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הֵעִידָה עָלָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל, ג) "וְשָׁב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ" וְגוֹ' (דברים ל, ד) "אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם" וְגוֹ' (דברים ל, ה) "וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ ה'". The Briskor Rav points out that we see from
here that belief in the coming of Moshiach includes two things. 1) One must believe
that Moshiach will come. 2) One must yearn and anticipate his coming. Based upon this he explains the אני מאמין in the siddur ואע"פ
שיתמהמה וכו',
what is this question and answer? It’s a
second din. אני מאמין בביאת המשיח
is the first din, the second din is אחכה
לו. If one looks in the source of the אני מאמין in the Rambam in his commentary to the Mishna, last Ch. of
Sanhedrin, he says: להאמין ולאמת שיבא ולא יחשב שיתאחר, again we see its two obligations. The Briskor Rav added that’s the explanation of
the beracha in Shemone Esrei of את
צמח, we add כי לישועתך קוינו כל היום,
besides proclaiming our desire that Moshiach should come, we express our yearning
for Moshiach.
Before the words of
the Rambam that were cited previously, the Rambam says: המלך המשיח עתיד לעמוד ולהחזיר מלכות דוד ליושנה לממשלה הראשונה ובונה
המקדש ומקבץ נדחי ישראל וחוזרין כל המשפטים בימיו כשהיו מקודם מקריבין קרבנות ועושין
שמטין ויובלות ככל מצותה האמורה בתורה. Why does the Rambam open with these words describing
what Moshiach will do before telling us the obligation to believe in Moshiach? Furthermore, in the laws afterward, the
Rambam describes what will happen in the world in the times of Moshiach, why does
this have to be mentioned in a book of laws, it is great information, but what law
do I learn from it? The Rebbe has a sicha
in which he elaborates on the idea that all of this is Part of the belief in
Moshiach. To believe in Moshaich, one
must first know what is the cheftzah and geder of Moshiach. Moshiach isn’t Gandalf, riding down on a white
horse, coming to kill all the Orcs. Moshiach’s
task is to bring about the שלימות התורה, to enhance, perfect and teach Torah and
mitzvot. The knowledge of what is Moshiach, is first and foremost in the belief of Moshiach.
No comments:
Post a Comment