Q&A: Belief in the Coming of the Messiah
Belief in the Coming of the Messiah
Question
Does the Rabbi believe in the coming of the Messiah?
Answer
I don't have a firm position. I hope so. If this were a solid tradition from Sinai, I would believe it. But it could be an idea that developed over the generations, and then it is just a conjecture like any other conjecture.
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Questioner (another one):
Isn't it critical for redemption that the Messiah come?
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Rabbi:
Whether or not it is critical, the question is whether it is factually true. Those are two entirely different questions. That is aside from the question of what redemption even is if the Messiah does not come (what does it mean to say it is not critical for redemption? The first question is whether there will be redemption at all).
Discussion on Answer
The words of the prophets are probably true, but the interpretation of their words is not clear. Many of their statements have been taken out of their plain meaning, not to mention the Torah itself. So here too, I do not know exactly what they meant when they spoke about redemption and the Messiah. It could be metaphorical in various ways. As I said, I do not know.
But doesn't this belief originate in the words of the prophets? The simple understanding is that "all the words of the prophets are true."