Jewish tradition affirms that Moshiach will gain sovereignty over the land of Israel, gather the Jews there from the four corners of the earth, restore them to full observance of Torah law, and, as a grand finale, bring peace to the whole world.
How long will the messianic epoch last? Will people live forever? Will there be a radical transformation in nature? Will the Messiah die? What will life be like? This essay offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of Moshiach according to Maimonides.
A host of assertions of Maimonides pertaining to the messianic era are sharply contested by Nachmanides, Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman (1194 - c. 1270). Primarily, he contests Maimonides' allegorical interpretation of the messianic prophecies and the Maimonidean interpretation of the World-to-Come. Read about Nachmanides' view in this intense but fascinating essay.
The Talmud and Midrash are bursting with fantastic legends concerning the long-anticipated Messianic Era. It is safe to presume that in generations past many of these forecasts were viewed as implausible myths, the product of an overactive imagination. Ho
How is it possible that the material world will remain unchanged with all its natural laws and characteristics, and yet, at the same time, we will have a heightened sensitivity to spirituality and be able to perceive the G-dliness in all of creation?
The Messianic age will consist of two eras. In the first era, immediately following the coming of the Messiah, the world will remain in its natural state. In a later era the nature of the world will indeed change. Only then will all the supernatural pheno
It may cause dismay and serve as somewhat of a disappointment that, in the opinion of Maimonides, the messianic era will not be all that miraculous. This does not in any way lessen the magnitude of change that will embrace the world at that time. On the contrary, the Maimonidean theory provides a highly probable scenario in which the messianic era can easily follow the extraordinary changes that are already part of modern-day society.
The Livyatan, a giant fish which was created during the Six days of Creation, is mentioned often in the Talmudic and Midrashic literature: "The Holy One, Blessed be He, will make a banquet for the righteous from the flesh of the livyatan". What does the L
While Abraham was promised ten lands (Genesis 15:19-21), his descendants only received seven of them. The other three - Ammon, Edom and Moab - were temporarily given to the descendants of Lot and Esau, but will return to the Jews with the coming of the Me
Paradise and purgatory are one and the same. Paradise, for the righteous, is to bask in the radiance of G-d. This shall be their reward. And how will the wicked be punished?
There will be no temptation to do evil, as we will no longer have the inclination towards evil within us; however, we will have the ability of pushing ourselves to the limits or not. In the Messianic Era, “choice” will mean how high we want to
The Talmud sages debated whether wild beasts will exist when Moshiach comes. Rabbi Judah says that G-d will remove wild beasts from the world, while Rabbi Shimon maintains that G-d will neutralize their aggressive instinct. How does this apply to us today
The Era of Moshiach will usher in the ultimate pleasure - the pleasure of basking in G-dliness. Trying to comprehend what this is all about is like trying to explain colors to someone who is blind since birth. But one thing is certain: all othe
When Moshiach will come G-d will enable us to remove the external cover so that our true inner goodness will be allowed to surface. Hate, jealousy, laziness; arrogance, anger among all other human frailties which are in essence mere additions to our core
It's hard for us to grasp what life will be like in the Redemption. But that is perfectly normal, too. For the Messianic Era is something that no one has ever experienced before.
