Leibowitz’s opinion on the coming of the Messiah
See here https://youtu.be/Zz-QMDPW5RM (short video)
“Because every Messiah who comes is a false Messiah. The essence of the Messiah is that he will come.”
What on earth does Leibowitz want?
Does he mean that the expectation of the Messiah is itself the Messiah? So what exactly is he expecting if there is nothing in the end? Do you think Leibowitz truly believed in his heart in the coming of the Messiah?
Literally, he probably means to say that we should act as if the Messiah will come because it stimulates us to fix the world. But thinking that the Messiah has already come neuters the ability to act and is therefore a harmful belief. He probably sees belief in the coming of the Messiah as a belief that is tested by benefit and harm (I forgot the Maimonides’ term in the teacher’s guide to this), that is, a pragmatic belief.
Of course, this is not a simple matter, and a person with a little intelligence cannot act on the basis of an incorrect belief. But this is already a failure of Maimonides and other pragmatists, not just his. Maimonides apparently directs such beliefs to women and children (his expression for laypeople, unsophisticated people).
I assume he didn’t believe it. As part of his perception that faith does not include any factual dimension. And what about his belief in God Almighty? See column 513.
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