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What If Moshiach (the Messiah) Stood Us Up?

Dear Jew in the City-

I have read your blog many times and usually I enjoy it. I am very disturbed by one post in particular: Dirty, Money Grabbing Parasitic Vermin: Anti-Semitism Is Alive And Well. I am more disturbed by the passage from Deuteronomy than by the baseball-loving Jew hater. As a Jew from Ukraine, I have seen this hell and the curse upon the Jewish people. I don’t however see the lighter side as you seem to. If this is the infinite destiny of the Jewish people then there is no point to follow the laws and keep mitzvot. This curse may last forever even in your opinion. Even in Israel we have no peace. The waiting has become boring after over 3000 years. We have been stood up by our date and it’s time to face the sad fact. He isn’t coming. Having been stood up by men in the past, I’m familiar with the disappointment. You’ll get over it and find another date. My mother told me not to expect too much from a man and not to expect him to save me from my life. Perhaps we expect too much from Moshiach and knowing that he will disappoint, he just decided its better to stand us up than disappoint us in the future?

T

Dear T-

I’m sorry that this post was upsetting for you. I am fortunate to have not experienced the same level of anti-semitism that you have, and when I got this message from that woman, I felt that instead of erasing it and getting intimidated by it, I would put it out there for everyone to see in order to teach some Torah and show that her words weren’t going to send me into hiding. I used my humor to cut her venom.

In terms of your saying, “If this is the infinite destiny of the Jewish people then there is no point to follow the laws and keep mitzvot,” you’re actually incorrect on two counts: 1) this curse is not meant to last forever and 2) the exact thing that put us into galus (exile) and got us into the mess of 2,000 years of wandering and anti-semitism was that we left the mitzvot. Our nation, as a whole, is very disconnected from our heritage. We’ve forgotten who we are and where we come from, and God warns us in the Torah – much like a parent would do with his children – there are certain consequences to our actions. Also, although we have a state of Israel today, it is still considered the “exile” version of Israel, not the Messianic one – hence the lack of peace.

I know that you are “more disturbed by the passage from Deuteronomy than by the baseball-loving Jew hater,” but the passage in Deuteronomy, I believe, is actually a comforting one. Here’s why: when I saw that woman’s message, how she was “waiting” for her next chance to get us, it reminded me of one of the curses of exile that’s discussed in the Torah and when I found it, I realized that this curse, which was written about over 3000 years ago, was happening right before my very eyes.

One of our greatest sages, Rabbi Akiva, saw a curse in the Torah happen right before his eyes too and seeing it play out gave him comfort: there’s a story in the Talmud that talks about the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash (holy Temple) and how when Rabbi Akiva was at the scene of the destruction, he saw a fox emerging from the Holy of Holies – a place in the Temple that was so sacred, that no person (except for the high priest on Yom Kippur) could traverse, lest he die by a heavenly hand!

Upon seeing the fox, Rabbi Akiva began to laugh. When the other rabbis he was with asked him why he was laughing instead of crying, he explained that there were two prophecies in the Torah concerning the Temple – the first was that the Temple would be destroyed and the second was that the Temple would be rebuilt. Rabbi Akiva said that before then, he didn’t know if the first prophecy was actually going to come true, but now that it did, he knew the second prophecy would happen as well.

So, for me, seeing that the exile is playing out according to our tradition, it gives me hope that the redemption will as well.

I know it’s been a long time waiting, but just because human beings stand people up, doesn’t mean that God’s ultimate plan is “standing us up” too. As I mentioned in my post, the key to better times according to Jewish thought is acts of kindness and connecting back to Judaism. If you look at it that way – we don’t have to helplessly wait for someone to save us – we have the chance to bring the goodness about with our own actions.

All the best,

Allison

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  • Avatar photo Kathy says on January 14, 2010

    Allison wrote: “1) this curse is not meant to last forever..”

    Bravo for your wisdom. It brought a smile to my face to see you say that.

    Reply
  • Avatar photo kkcamino says on April 2, 2010

    I totally agree with you. if we all act in kindness, it’s bound to be returned, and then we will all give and create light during these hard times. Jews (and non-Jews) should stick together so that we can all work together to create light for eachother, and ultimately create one so bright that it overcomes all the darkness in the world so we can finally come to the Utopian era. It’s through giving up that we will sink deeper into the darkness. God gave us the ability to choose our actions, and through choosing the right ones, we can be rewarded. “we have the chance to bring the goodness about with our own actions.”

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Rennet Noel says on February 9, 2011

    Hi T

    To add to Allison’s reply

    The curse is not meant to last forever at all. In Isaiah 60 we read a time when the Light of Israel is going to Shine while the whole is in thick darkness and that all nations even the enemies will bring all their riches and wealth to Zion to God of Israel.

    And read Zechariah 8 where God says that He is going to turn the fast days into feast days and in the last verse
    Zechariah 8:23 Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.

    Do not loose heart for once the time of Gentiles is over the Glory of God will rise upon you.

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Davida says on July 26, 2011

    I believe he wants to come but the hearts of the people must be prepared. H-shem is looking into the hearts of his people saying,”you’ll keep the sabbath but refuse to hold out your hand to the needs of others. How many times do you ask his forgiveness for hurting another person, gossiping, slandering, coveting.If we have been waiting so long it’s not because of him, it is because of us. Seek God with all your heart he will send him in due time. Loveoneanother he is ready to send forth a blessing to those who love him, for he is a loving G-d.

    Reply
  • Avatar photo searchinmyroots says on January 8, 2013

    How many times are we told in the Hebrew bible

    “turn back to Me and I will turn back to you”?

    It’s time for some acrobatic 180’s!

    Reply
  • Avatar photo FLORA says on January 8, 2013

    “the exact thing that put us into galus (exile) and got us into the mess of 2,000 years of wandering and anti-semitism was that we left the mitzvot.”

    PLEASE EXPLAIN AND TEACH ON THIS. I HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE WENT INTO EXILE IN THE FIRST PLACE. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ELABORATE. THIS TO ME IF I MAY SAY SO COULD BE A GREAT AND COMICAL (YET SERIOUS) VIDEO MATERIAL BUT AN ARTICLE A RESPONSE ANYTHING!!!!!!

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Fashion-isha says on January 9, 2013

    Allison you are truly amazing. You’re so much more than just your videos you are educated and even if this is your opinion it is a bright and positive one. And that my friend, we all need!
    xo
    Sharon

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Abigail says on March 14, 2013

    So beautifully said Allison! I thoroughly enjoy reading all of your posts and they have added so much to my own observance and perspective on being a Jew. Thank you!

    In considering this reader’s question the quote from Rebbe Nachman comes to mind that “if you believe something can be broken you must also believe it’s possible to be fixed.” So an exile without an eventual redemption doesn’t make sense. To believe that we’re eternally doomed as Jews and bound by a curse with no remedy spins God as a cruel writer of fiction rather than a Father full of kindness who is disciplining us for the purpose of restoring us to obedience. A parent who only disciplines a child and never hugs them or loves them after they have been reproved would be abusive and God is no abuser. So we can have confidence that the same God who is allowing us to feel the consequences of our choices so that we return to the mitzvot is the same God who will keep His eternal covenants and follow through on His promises to restore Israel in all of her fullness.

    Reply
  • Avatar photo Ari Gold says on April 15, 2013

    “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” – Albert Einstein

    Reply

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