Q&A: The Day the Son of David Comes
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
The Day the Son of David Comes
Question
Hello,
It is written in the Talmud (Eruvin): “Come and hear: If one says, ‘I am hereby a nazirite on the day the Son of David comes’—he is permitted to drink wine on Sabbaths and Jewish holidays, and forbidden to drink wine on all weekdays.” And so too Maimonides ruled (Laws of Nazirites, ch. 4).
What is “the day the Son of David comes”? After all, there is a long process of clarifying his identity, as Maimonides wrote in the Laws of Kings.
Answer
This is a question of what the person means, not of what will actually happen. With vows, we follow ordinary human language.
Usually, “when the Messiah comes” is used as a way of saying something that will never happen 😉
But practically speaking, when would he begin the thirty days of naziriteship?
It’s hard to assume that the Jewish law itself is based on a mistake in understanding the messianic idea.