What is the Task of MBJ and Who May he Be?
Who is MBJ (Messiah son of Joseph)?
See Also:
Different MBY? Varying understandings as to who the Messiah ben Yosef really is.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/mbjtoday/diffmbj.html
Contents:
1. What will MBJ do?
2. Zionism and MBJ.
3. MaHaRaL of Prague.
4. Messiah Son of Joseph and Zionism.
5. Excerpts from the Eulogy by Rabbi Kook of Theodor Herzl.
6. "Voice of the Turtledove."
7. Ramchal Reverses the Players. MBJ becomes MBD and Vice-Versa!
8. Rabbi Valle: The Ten Tribes needed to Reform the World.
9. Britain and the USA are the forces of Joseph!
10. Revelation in our Time. Where do we go?
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1. What will MBJ do?
MBJ as well as MBD (Messiah Ben David) represent real people who will one day appear as well as symbolizing historical processes that will precede them and enable their appearance. MBJ is associoated with rebuilding the Land of Israel and preparing its infrastructure for the future. Zionism may therefore be consdiered an aspect of MBJ even though the the actual persoange of MBJ has not yet appeared. By the same measure, British and Later American historical assistance to Zionism is also an aspect of MBJ. In some sources the Persian Emperor Cyrus who helped the Jews return to the Land of Israel from their Exile in Babylon also embodied an aspect of MBJ.
The future MBJ will lead the Ten Tribes (TTs) and Joseph. The TTs will have become like the Gentiles but have also uplifted and improved them. MBJ will initiate the return of the TTs and combine forces with MBD.
Initially MBD will lead Judah and then combine Judah with the TTs.
Meanwhile,
In addition to emanating from the LTTs and leading them MBJ will have helped the Jews resettle the Holy land and rebuild the country.
MBJ, leading the forces of Joseph, is destined to wage war against Edom. The forces of Joseph in general in the course of their Exile will have uplifted All Peoples of the World to some degree.
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2. Zionism and MBJ.
The different aspects of MBJ intermerge with studies of Joseph in the Book of Genesis and the symbolic importance of Joseph in general and the role of the Ten Tribes towards the End Times.
We thus have (1) Joseph the Patriarch; (2) the future Messiah son of Joseph, and (3) the Lost Ten Tribes. These three entities intermerge in Rabbinical Exegesis. Each one reflects on the other and aspects of one may be extrapolated to the other.
This may be seen from Rabbinical Commentary concerning any one of the Three Together with the others or standing on its own.
They also borrow from other streams of thought.
An instance of this may be seen in their application to Zionism.
By Zionism we mean building the Land of Israel and enabling the Jews to live in it and over it. This is actually the fulfillment of several Biblical Commandments and in one way or other was always a dream or ambition of Religious Jewry. It modern Secular non-Religious form is relatively recent.
The appearance of Modern Zionism in its secular form was forseen by the MaHaRaL of Prague
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3. MaHaRaL of Prague.
The MaHaRaL, Rabbi Judah Loew ben Betzalel ca.1525-1609, was born in Poland. He was a Talmudist, Kabbalist, chief rabbi of Prague, known for his works on Jewish Law, Jewish Philosophy and Jewish Mysticism. It is believed that the Maharal's family descended from the Babylonian Exilarchs. The Exilarchs were descendants of David. They were the religious and sometimes also the secular rulers of Jews in the East under the Babylonians and Persians. They possibly date from the Time of the Babylonian Exile, are definitely recorded in ca. 200 CE and lasted until ca. 470 CE. Remnants of this family were to be found throughout the Jewish Diaspora including that of Europe. The Maharal was descedned from them. The Maharal's company and advice was sought by kings and nobleman giving rise to many colorful legends. Elizabeth-1 of England sent an emissary, John Dee, to the Maharal. What transpired between them is not known. The Maharal spoke of the Ten Tribes returning in an unseen almost miraculous fashion. He foresaw that the LIberation of the Holy Land would begin by secular non-Religious forces among the Jews who would gradually give way to Religious ones.
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4. Messiah Son of Joseph and Zionism.
This idea of a secular materialistic beginning in the Redemption of the Holy Land was taken up by others.
It became associated with the Messiah son of Joseph.
The views of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865-1933).. The teachings of Rabbi Kook and his son Rabbi Tzvi Yehudi Kook (1891-1982).
form the ideological basis of the National Religious movement in our time. Rabbi Kook considered the Secular Zionists to be fulfilling the Secular Role of rebuilding the State predicted by the Maharal. He also identified this with the spirit of Messiah son of Joseph. He identified the Spirit of Joseph, MBJ, with secular Jews and Jews who assimilate to Gentile Culture and reform it from inside.
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5. Excerpts from the Eulogy by Rabbi Kook of Theodor Herzl.
"The Lamentation in Jerusalem On the death of Dr. Theodor Herzl," by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, with annotation by Bezalel Naor
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.machonso.org/uploads/images/13-D-10-lamentation.pdf
Excerpts:
# Just as in the beginning, Joseph was the provider sent by God to save many from starvation,10 who sustained Jacob and his sons materially when they came to Egypt looking for grain [so in future generations, the descendants of Joseph would develop the material side of Jewish national existence]. Joseph is paradigmatic in other ways as well: Joseph was swallowed up by the nations.11 He was also fluent in seventy languages.12 This last point symbolizes the contiguity between Israel and all the nations of the world. Despite this, Joseph knew the power of his holiness. It is for this reason that "Esau succumbs only to the children of Rachel (i.e. Joseph)." [Midrash Breishit Rabbah 73:7]. As the adage goes, "The ax handle that fells the forest is made of wood."
14. Comment by Bezalel Naor: [Talmud] Sanhedrin 39b. The Talmud employs this adage to explain the fact that Ovadiah who prophesied the destruction of Edom was himself an Edomite proselyte. By the same token, David who vanquished Moab, was himself descended from Ruth the Moabitess. Rav Kook's point is that Joseph's immersion in the society of the nations qualified him to be Esau's undoing. If it is Rav Kook's intention to reflect on the biography of Herzl, the latter was an assimilated Jew at home in European civilization.
# Judah on the other hand, symbolizes that which is distinctive about the Jewish People: 'Judah became His sanctified one.' [Psalms 114:2]. Whereas of Joseph the Psalmist says, 'Shiloh, a tent pitched among men.' [Psalms 78:60].
# The purpose of choosing the kingdom of David was that these two faculties be integrated, that they not cancel, but rather reinforce one another.
# At its nadir it was said, 'Ephraim is assimilated among the peoples; Ephraim is a cake readily devoured' (Hosea 7:8).
# When these two forces work at cross purposes as a result of the calamity of exile, shortsightedness and disarray, these are the 'birthpangs of Messiah,' or to be more exact, the 'birthpangs of Messiahs' (plural). The Psalmist writes: 'That Your enemies have defied, O LORD; that they have defied the footsteps of Your Messiahs.' [Psalms 89:52]. Two footsteps of two Messiahs.
# The Zionist vision manifest in our generation might best be symbolized as the 'footstep of Messiah son of Joseph'. Zionism tends to universalism (as opposed to Jewish particularism).
# It behooves us to take to heart, to try to unify the 'tree of Joseph' and the 'tree of Judah,' [Ezekiel 37:15-19]. to rejoice in the national reawakening, and to know that this is not the end goal of Israel, but only a preparation.
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The "Vilna Gaon,"1720-1797, may also have had similar views as quoted in the name of his followers by the work "Kol HaTor."
The book "Kol HaTor" (Voice of the Turtledove) appeared in recent times. It purports to be based on the writings of the Gaon of Vilna (Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman, "Vilna Gaon,"1720-1797) and those who followed him.
"Kol HaTor," in effect says that MbY [Moshiach ben Yoseph] is more of a spiritual phenomenon. MbY represents rebuilding the material infrastructure of the State of Israel. Anyone and any thing that helps in this direction participates in the spirit of MbY. The Vilna Gaon may also have thought in this direction.
See:
The Turteldove ("Kol HaTor")
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/messiah/turtledove.html
7. Ramchal Reverses the Players. MBJ becomes MBD and Vice-Versa!
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto also referred to as "Ramchal" (1707-1746) was a foremost authority. He gave an opinion that confusedly switches the identities!
He says that MBJ will emerge from Judah and MBD from the Ten Tribes! This however is a maverick view worth noting but nothing much more than that.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/messiah/mbjoseph.html#a3
8. Rabbi Valle: The Ten Tribes needed to Reform the World!
Rabbi Moshe David Valley, 1697-1777, was close to the Ramchal who at one stage attended the lectures of Rabbi Valle at the University of Padua, Northern Italy.
Rabbi Valle opines:
Hosea 14:2 Valley. # ... The impurity and debasement of the Ten Tribes was not their true nature. The Power of Repentance can elevate a Person to a greater height than he ever had before. The Israelites have an innate purity. They therefore do not have to try very hard to return to where they should have been if they had not sinned. .... #
The Ten Tribes needed to Reform the World!
Valley: # It is a known matter that Israel [i.e. Ephraim, the northern Ten Tribes] did not descend into the Realms of Pollution other than for the Need to Clarify his Destiny. He needed to fulfill the will of God and reform the world through redirecting its forces. When this is done they shall return to their Source. There will be no need to remain in that situation any more. This is the meaning of, "Ephraim shall say, 'What have I to do anymore with idols?'" (Hosea 14:8).
9. Britain and the USA are the forces of Joseph!
We understood MbY [Moshiach ben Yoseph i.e. Messiah son of Joseph] to represent the Lost Ten Tribes since several sources indicated that MBJ would emerge from the Ten Tribes.
The task attributed to MBJ paralleled that which we understood to be the work of Joseph.
Britain and the USA and the offshoots of Britain are the nations of Joseph.
Historically at different times Britain and the USA helped create and build the up the State of Israel.
The USA supported Israel and was her main ally for a good while, and still fulfills this role on the whole. The USA enabled the State of Israel to stabilize itself and stand on its feet. The USA still helps Israel. The USA itself benefits from this which is as it should be.
The best friends of Israel at different times have been Australia and Canada both of which are also nations of Joseph.
We thus find nations, whom we identify as Joseph, fulfilling the role attributed to MBJ. This does not mean that they come in place of MBJ but rather that if MBJ is to emerge from them (as may be so) then they are already preadumbrating his future undertaking. MBJ will give expression to their inner Israelite being.
10. Revelation in our Time. Where do we go?
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/16/return.html
The Period of the Prophets continued with Jeremiah through the Babylonian Conquest and Exile. The Babylonians conquered Judah and exiled the Jewish inhabitants. After 70 years the Persians conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews to return.
The last Prophets mentioned in the Bible are Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. All of these lived at the end of the 70-year Babylonian exile. [One opinion hold that Malachi and Ezra were one and the same person.] The Talmud (Sanhedrin 11a) states that Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi were the last prophets.
These Prophets were members of the Great Assembly. This was an expanded version of the Sanhedrin. Usually the Sanhedrin had 70 members, but the Great Assembly had 120. The Great Assembly marks the transition from Prophetical revelation to that of the Sages. ...Henceforth the Divine Will was to be revealed through study of the sources and received tradition. Divine Inspiration was still given but in a different way than previously. In the future Prophecy will be renewed.
At present, revelation is both intuitive and intellectual. It may be described as intuition emanating from both spiritual and intellectual effort. Unlike Prophecy it may be wrong on some points. It therefore needs correction and revision.
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97;a ("adarim, adarim") says that towards the End Times the truth will be scattered among different groups, a bit here, a bit there.
This however is what we have until Prophecy returns. We may take direction as we find it as long as we keep within accepted boundaries.