Will the Moshiah ben Yoseph Rebuild the Temple? (17 October, 2013, Cheshvan 13, 5774)
Contents:
1. Question from Katriel Porth on MBJ and Rebuilding the Temple
2. Answer from Brit-Am. Who is the Messiah ben Yoseph (MBJ)?
3. Wikipedia Entry on MBJ: The Dead Sea Scrolls; Apocrypha (Deuterocanon); Targum and Talmud; Midrash
4. MBJ and the Ten Tribes.
5. How Sure are we Concerning MBJ?
6. Why was David not permitted to Build the Temple?
7. Will MBJ Re-Build the Temple? What will the role of Edom be?
8. Possible Answers to the Question of Katriel Porth
9. Conclusion
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1. Question from Katriel Porth on MBJ and Rebuilding the Temple
Yair,
How is it that Mashiach ben Yoseph is suppose to lead the armies of the Kingdom of Israel to conquer the enemies
of Israel and entire nations, while as yet, he is to rebuild the Beith HaMikdash? Will his hands be stained with blood?
If so, how then is he permitted by Heaven to rebuild the Beith HaMikdash?
-Katriel
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2. Answer from Brit-Am. Who is the Messiah ben Yoseph (MBJ)?
Shalom,
The Mashiach ben Yoseph is not something expressly mentioned in the Bible. His future existence may be implied in some passages but no-where is he expressly mentioned.
The Wikipedia article
Messiah ben Joseph
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_ben_Joseph
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
gives the impression that the MBJ is an ancient concept.
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3. Wikipedia Entry on MBJ: The Dead Sea Scrolls; Apocrypha (Deuterocanon); Targum and Talmud; Midrash
The Dead Sea Scrolls
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, he appears in 4Q372 (c. 200 BCE) as a suffering righteous Joseph, who cries out to God in his death-throes as 'My father', citing Psalms 89 and 22, and predicts that he will arise to do justice and righteousness.[4] The poly-messianic Testimonia text 4Q175 (c. 100 BCE) presents him as a latterday Joshua, together with King Messiah, priest, and prophet figures.[5]
Apocrypha (Deuterocanon)
In the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs he is the spotless Josephite Lamb of God who destroys Beliar in dying for the ungodly (T. Benj. 3.8);[6] he forms a messianic trio with Judah and Levi, but his kingdom is temporary and he is borne heavenward from the Mount of Olives by a bull (T. Naph. 5:1-8; T. Jos. 19:11-12).
In the Animal Apocalypse of 1 Enoch (c. 165 BCE), he is the white firstborn bull who transforms the beasts and birds of the heathen nations into his own image, and is then himself transformed into a sovereign aurochs (1 En. 90.37-38).
Targum and Talmud
In the Targum Tosefta to Zechariah 12.10, Messiah bar Ephraim is slain by Gog. In the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan to Exodus 40.9-11, on the other hand, he vanquishes Gog. The solution to the apparent discrepancy would appear to be that his death effects the final redemption.
The same paradox is seen in the Babylonian Talmud (Suk. 52a), in the record of a dispute between R. Dosa ben Harkinas and other unnamed rabbis. R. Dosa takes Zechariah 12:10 to apply to the mourning for Messiah ben Joseph, while the rabbis think the mourning is for the evil inclination. In effect, both parties recognize two deaths in Zech 12:10, namely, the deaths of Messiah ben Joseph and of the Evil Inclination, but disagree over which death is mourned. The talmudic redactor sides with R. Dosa: the mourning is for Messiah ben Joseph. (Mourning the Evil Inclination, he adds, would be absurd.) The implication is that the death of Ben Joseph has opened the sin-purifying fountain of Zech. 13:1, slaying the Evil Inclination. The following passage (Suk. 52b) speaks of how Ben Joseph's death frightens Messiah ben David, so that he urgently prays for his life to be spared.
Midrash
Details about him are not found until much later, but he has an established place in the apocalypses of later centuries and in the midrash literature, in Saadia's description of the future ("Emunot we-De'ot," ch. viii.) and in that of Hai Gaon (" a'am Ze enim," p. 59). According to these, Messiah ben Joseph will appear prior to the coming of Messiah ben David; he will gather the children of Israel around him, march to Jerusalem, and there, after overcoming the hostile powers, reestablish the Temple-worship and set up his own dominion. Thereupon Armilus, according to one group of sources, or Gog and Magog, according to the other, will appear with their hosts before Jerusalem, wage war against Messiah ben Joseph, and slay him. His corpse, according to one group, will lie unburied in the streets of Jerusalem; according to the other, it will be hidden by the angels with the bodies of the Patriarchs, until Messiah ben David comes and resurrects him (comp. Jew. Encyc. i. 682, 684 [ 8 and 13]; comp. also Midrash Wayosha' and Agadat ha-Mashia in Jellinek, "B. H." i. 55 et seq., iii. 141 et seq.).[7]
Some of the above sources are of doubtful validity but they may be worth noting.
Our impression is that, only in recent times however has the MBJ been seriously considered in conventional Rabbinical thought.
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4. MBJ and the Ten Tribes.
Wikipedia tells us:
Later authorities
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messiah_ben_Joseph#Later_authorities
The Messiah ben Joseph, according to Rabbi Meir Leib ben Yechiel Michael Weiser ('MALBIM') (1809-1879 CE), will be the future leader of the Lost Ten Tribes when they return (see Malbim on Ezekiel 37 and Micah 5). The Messiah ben Joseph will initiate union with Judah who will be led by Messiah son of David. Later The Messiah son of Joseph is killed and Messiah son of David rules over all Twelve Tribes. Prior to the Malbim, it has been claimed, Messiah son of Joseph was not considered the future leader of the Ten Tribes, although twice it is mentioned that a part of the Ten Tribes will be found among those who will gather about his standard. The Book "Kol HaTor," attributed to followers of Eliyahu of Vilna, deals at length with Messiah son of Joseph and his role in bringing back the exiles and rebuilding the Land of Israel.
We actually supplied some of the information for this Wikipedia entry though others have added to it.
See:
Messiah son of Joseph
http://britam.org/messiah.html
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5. How Sure are we Concerning MBJ?
The Lost Ten Tribes will return. Scripture indicates that the Tribes of Joseph before the Return will endure Tribulations and fight wars.
It may be that certain scholars were inspired to personify Joseph as an individual future leader known as MBJ.
In effect MBJ may be primarily a personification of the Tribes of Joseph in general.
Since MBJ is not expressly mentioned in the Bible we do not have to take everything spoken about him literally.
See:
MBJ Queries. The Problem with Moshiach ben Yoseph
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/eph/mbj.html
This is probably the best article available on the subject.
We said:
# We do NOT however really need MBJ. I personally think that such a person may well appear but if he does not are position is not affected. It is enough that aspects of his predicted mission are already being fulfilled by members of the Ten Tribes without him. Belief in a Messiah son of David is all that is obligatory. #
Our sources concerning the MBJ are not all of the same genre. Some of them are problematic. They often contradict each other or otherwise seem doubtful.
The main interest we really having the subject is the link between MBJ and the Ten Tribes. The MBJ in some cases represents the LTTs lead by Joseph in general. If he will be a real person or not does not really matter to us.
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6. Why was David not permitted to Build the Temple?
David had wanted to build the Temple but was barred from doing so. David had shed blood and so the task was given to his son instead of him.
The Bible tells us:
1-Chronicles 22:
1 Then David said, 'Here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt-offering for Israel.'
... 6 Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. 7 David said to Solomon, ''My son, I had planned to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood in my sight on the earth. 9 See, a son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all his enemies on every side; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. 10 He shall build a house for my name. He shall be a son to me, and I will be a father to him, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel for ever.' ....
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7. Will MBJ Re-Build the Temple? What will the role of Edom be?
Some sources say that the Messiah son of Joseph will help build the Third Temple:
Messiah son of Joseph
http://britam.org/proof.html
God says that HE will send HIS messenger before HIM to prepare the way and rebuild the Temple (Malachi 3:1).
Malachi 3:
1 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the LORD whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
Rav Saadia Gaon (b. ca. 890 CE) and Iben Ezra (1080-1164 CE) said that the MESSENGER is the Messiah son of Joseph.
The Messiah son of Joseph, according to the Malbim (1809-1879) will be the future head of the Lost Ten Tribes when they return to re-unite with Judah.
http://britam.org/now/now150.html
At least one Midrash (Pesikta Zutratha Lekach Tov, Balak,
Numbers 24;17) says that the Messiah Son of Joseph will rebuild the Temple.
On the other hand:
Shlomo Scheinman.
http://britam.org/now/now500.html
Rabbeinu Bachiya on leviticus/vayikra chapter 11 felt that Edom [i.e. Christianity in general?] would in the future help us rebuild the Third Temple and that the forces in the past that were harmful to us would return together with other forces to help and support Israel...
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8. Possible Answers to the Question of Katriel Porth
This brings us to the question of Katriel Porth, i.e.
David because he had shed blood in warfare was debarred from building the Temple. The task, instead was given to his son Solomon.
MBJ will fight wars and also shed blood. How then can he rebuild the Temple? If David could not, why should he be allowed to do so?
Answer:
We do not really know.
Maybe MBJ will not directly build the Temple but only help bring it about?
Perhaps requirements concerning rebuilding the Third Temple will be different from those in the First?
King David prepared materials and plans etc for building the First Temple. His son, King Solomon carried the plans out and completed the project.
The Babylonians destroyed the First Temple.
The Second Temple was rebuilt on the foundations of the First. This happened in the time of Ezra from the Tribe of Levi and Shaltiel from the House of David of Judah.
Cyrus King of Persia had given permission and some material assistance for this. Cyrus was a Gentile but he may have been of Israelite Ancestry.
Biblical Proof
http://britam.org/proof.html
and Scroll Down to:
# 4 Cyrus
2. Was Cyrus an Israelite?
Cyrus came from the Royal Persian Tribe of the Pasargadai.
De Gobineau ("Histoire des Perses", Paris 1869) point out that Pasargadai in Aramaic may connote "Sons of Gad".
See Also:
Cyrus the Israelite? by Cam Rea
http://britam.org/cyrus.html
At all events Cyrus was a kind of prototype of MBJ who will be from Joseph.
See:
Biblical Evidence: The Joseph Aspect
http://britam.org/Proof/Joseph/joCush.html
Later we have King Herod who was an Edomite ruling Judah on behalf of Rome which was an Edomite Empire.
King Herod rebuilt the Second Temple transforming it completely into something much more impressive from what it formerly was.
We thus have the historical involvement of Levi, Judah, Joseph (or Gad), and Edom.
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9. Conclusion
We should believe in Messiah son of David. This is a Fundamental Principle of Judaism.
There may also be a Messiah son of Joseph. Sources concerning MBJ are not as clear not as authoritative as we might like them to be.
MBJ may lead the Ten Tribes when they return. He may also be instrumental in rebuilding the Temple.
We do not however have to believe in this.
It may be considered as optional and dependent on our own understanding Scripture and related sources.