Q&A: Leibowitz’s View Regarding the Coming of the Messiah
Leibowitz’s View Regarding the Coming of the Messiah
Question
See here: https://youtu.be/Zz-QMDPW5RM (a very 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 waiting for if there is nothing at the end? In your opinion, did Leibowitz really believe in his heart in the coming of the messiah?
Answer
Literally, he probably means to say that we should act as though the messiah will come, because that spurs us on to repair the world. But thinking that the messiah has already arrived cripples the ability to act, and therefore such belief is harmful. He probably sees belief in the coming of the messiah as a belief that is judged by its benefit and harm (I forgot Maimonides’ term for this in the Guide), that is, a pragmatist belief.
Of course, that is not the plain meaning of the matter, and a person with a bit of intelligence cannot act on the basis of a false belief. But that is already a failure of Maimonides and the rest of the pragmatists, not only of Leibowitz. Maimonides probably directed such beliefs to women and children (his expression for ordinary people, unsophisticated people).
I assume he did not believe this. As part of his view that faith includes no factual dimension whatsoever. And it still requires further examination what this means regarding his belief in the Holy One, blessed be He. See column 513.