Bar Kochva: Did Rebbi Akiva Really Think He Was Moshiach?

Okay, good evening everyone. Sorry to tell you the fast the fast is almost o over. You only have 30 minutes 27 more minutes. Fasts are great. You know, you don't have to eat. You have much more time. You know, most a lot a good chunk of the day, what are you going to eat? Preparing the food, getting the food, eating the food, dealing with the food. It's much it's a maya. It's a great day. Anyway, that's how I psych myself up for the fast. It's all a matter of perspective. Okay. Well, let's um tonight's share is in lie of the Wednesday night share. I don't have all the information in front of me, but the sha dedicated by the Zakim family Eloy Nishmas, Dr. Zakim's parents and Zakim, the Ghana. The Shir are also sponsored by Rabb Isaac Yasovski Lishmas's father Shabsi Ben Rablak Isaac whose yard was Tesv Sivan and tonight's share is dedicated by my dear friend Dr. Gdalia Schwarz in honor of the miraculous uh salvation of his son who is saved from an accident because he was wearing tits something to do with some of the shirim because we were learning. So his father told him to wear tits and he was to be saved. So Hashem should watch over and his Okay. So we're uh this is the third of the trilogy. Actually, we're going to have more than three shar on this topic of in the first shar we had last Sunday morning we spoke about the historical background of uh which was actually quite amazing because in the times of Hadrien Adarian Khazar he actually gave word to the Jewish people shortly after destruction of the second Ba Mikdash that Jewish people are given license to return and rebuild the bas mikdash. This is something that is really not known about that Hadrien gave permission for the Jewish people to rebuild the B mikdash but the early Christians the the minim says they tried to interfere they said why would you do that the Jews are just going to uh want independence they're not going to pay any taxes so therefore uh Hrien said what am I supposed to do I can't reneg I I already gave them permission so the minimum said no we have a very simple solution tell them They could rebuild the base of mikdash. They just have to bring it five amies to the north or five amies to the south and they'll never accept the deal because if you don't put the base of mikdash pink exactly where it needs to be, it doesn't have any meaning. And uh be through that hijin was able to retract. This past Wednesday night we spoke about the requirements to enter uh army. The US says you had to be able to bite off your thumb with your hand dripping and uproot cedar trees while you're riding on a horse. Otherwise, you're a wimp, you know, and you can't enter uh Bara's army. Today, we're going to speak about the opinion of Rebaka. Somehow, we're going to do the shir and we're not going to start Marav even 1 second late and you're not going to delay your eating even a millisecond. So we have to we have to accomplish all of that. Okay. So let's start with the Gmorra Makis. The Gmorra Makis tells us the famous account of Rab Gaml Rabbazaria Rabishua Rabaka. They're all going on the road and they heard the sound of victory coming from Rome and they heard it from very very far away and they all started to cry because they heard the Romans gloating over their victory and Rabika began to laugh. They said why are you always laughing? So Rabika said why are you crying? He said, "We're crying because the nations of the world, they bow down to a des. They're sitting in tranquility and we our temples destroyed." Rabbi Kea said, "That's exactly why I'm laughing. If this is the reward, in other words, if this is the success of those who violate the will of Hashem, imagine the success of Clal Israel." And then the Gar tells us the famous story. They were walking by the Harabayas and they saw a fox come out from the Shakadashim. They began to cry. Rabbi Kiba began to laugh. Rabika said, "Why are you crying?" They said, "Look, look how the Mak Mikdash is being defiled." Rabbi Kiba said, "That's why I'm laughing because I know that if the prophecy of doom and gloom came true, certainly the prophecy that you shall be rebuilt will come true." According to Talmedi, the story ends with the following words. They say four words. Aka, you've consoled us. Aka, you've consoled us. However, if you look at the Medish, the Medish has a different story. We're so used to the Garra, we think that's that's all that happened. But the Medish actually says it's said the following language. That's what the Bible says. And then they said, "You should be consoled by the feet of the one who heralds the Messiah." What exactly were they adding? They were saying, "You should be consoled by the feet of he who heralds the Messiah." So the Mashma says they figure this Aka must be laughing. Why is he always laughing? Every time we see the Romans gloating, we cry. He's laughing. You know why he's laughing? Cuz he thinks Messiah is here. He believes in. So he thinks the whole thing is a joke. The Romans are laughing. What are they laughing about? It's only a matter of hours before will come and annihilate them. So the says the reason why the always asked, "Why are you laughing?" They suspected he was laughing because he thought Mashiach was here. So they tell him, "Aka, you're making a big mistake. Really? If Bar was a Messiah, where was Alahu? Why didn't he herald the Messiah? Doesn't Elio come before Messiah? Can't be the Messiah? Where where did Elio come?" So they told him according to the medish be consoled when the in other words don't mistakenly think you you could be consoled by who by look in the final words of the says will not come because it can't Why? There was no one to heralds before. Yeah, that's so again you see by the way we discussed on Wednesday what did the other hold? Remember the language of the Ramdam is all the rabbis felt was Msiah. The way the learns clearly not all the thought was Mashiach. The must be going like the Radvaz. Remember we said the Radvas argues on the Raam. The Radvas says many of the disagreed with Rabi. Clearly the way the learning this medish the other did not agree with Rabika they said it can't be that is Msiah because where is the Maser? Okay now we come to another Gar before we get to the really juicy stuff. The Gar says this is endless meaning it's speaking about when Msiah will come but it doesn't give us a finite date. What does the P say? It's a P in there's another vision about the appointed timeates it will talk about the end it will not lie if it delays wait for it he will surely come he won't delay says the Gmorrah not like the dar Daniel a time times and a half a time will come after time times and half a time not like you ate bread of tears and you drank tears and not like that dared In a little bit, I will quake the heavens and the earth. In other words, said that somehow Messiah was coming sooner. But rather says the Gmorrahim, the first Jewish autonomy was 70 years. That was during the times of the second B mikdash. During Herod's reign, the Kasham ruled for 70 years. Even though they ruled really for 103 years, but only 70 of the years were autonomous. During the time of Herod also they ruled 103 years, but the autonomous reign was 52 years. Ben and the reign the bar was two and a half years. So one simple question on this Gumarra huh what does the garra say? What does the garra mean? What did Rabi think and what is the true interpretation of the Pak comes to Marsha? The Marsha does not accept what Rashi says and therefore the Marsha learns that Rabaka den the Puk about Ben that he will be Messiah. As we learned on Wednesday night is so therefore the PK says no it's not Ben wrong guy it's not him not like you think reba now the rabbi learned as follows Rabika learned this p is talking about the gulahida. Does anybody know there's a man by the name of kag he lived in the 70 years between the bay and the bayeni and he said there's going to be another gulos after bayeni and rebaka interpreted that the gulos after bayeni would be very short. In other words, the big kasha is why in the world did Rabbi Aka think Mashiah? I thought we have to be in Gulas for a thousand years or 2,000 years. And Rabbi Kea thought uh shortly after um Raba thought 50 years after destruction of the second Bikash Msiah was coming. What happened to the long gulos? No. Rabbi interpreted this puk in kagai in number seven that there'll be another short gulus and then msiach will come that gulus would only last the gulus was called vespasian who is the emperor followed by titus followed by domission follow followed by some other guys traan and what was the guy I forgot his you'll forgive me followed by Hrien Rabika said the gulus will be very short and then the says if you look in the third mikdash will be on its way in other words interpreted there'll be a short gulos after whereupon hashem will rebuild the third ba mikdash and the garra is saying rab kiba you made a mistake what it means is the novi who's standing after says there'll be a greater bdash than the second one but it will be in a very long time. The first mus will be 70 years. The second mus 52 years will only last two and a half years. So interpreted the gulus will be short but the real interpretation in San says is the sovereignty of this king will be short. It doesn't mean the exile will be short. It means his rulership will be short. But this gives us a new understanding why thought would be mashia. Don't we have to be engulfed for a very long time? No, Rabika interpreted theim not that it will be a short sovereignty but rather it will be a short I'm sorry Rabika interpreted that it will be a short gulus but the real interpretation was that it will be a very short sovereignty okay so now the question is Rabbi was a smart man the gar says that even mosh Rabenu to a certain extent was was if we can even say such a thing. But the Gumarra says that even Mosh Rabenu did not have certain level of understanding that even Rabbi Kea had that when Hashem taught Rabbi Aaka, Moshraenu did not comprehend a certain level that Rabika comprehended. And we learned many times of the year that was what is called the Shaun. Yet in today's Gomarim, the Gom said that Mosenu only know 49 levels of wisdom. Rabi Ka had access to some extent to the Shaun. So how could he mistakenly think that this person was Mashiach? Now if Barak was Mashiach, did he come from David? It's not clear that he even came from David. So then he's certainly not Msiah. So how do we understand Rabaka's seeming misunderstanding or misinterpretation or wrong assessment of Barak? So we have two epic approaches of the Abarbanel. If the Abarbanel didn't say it, nobody could dare say such a thing. Even now that the Abarel says it, I'm still afraid to say it over. But I love the Abarel. If if there if let's say throughout history I can meet five people is on the listel I I haven't decided on the list but I I know that is on the list and the butel in wrote a trilogy on Msiah called Yeshua is mash and he asked this question he quotes the gar says that ruled two and a half years he told Msiach. We learned the Gumar last time that said, "If you're Mashiach, why can't you smell out a court case?" And he wasn't able to do it. And the Gumar says they killed him. Rabi was a great man. We can't even begin to comprehend the greatness of Rabbi. How did Rabaka make a mistake and think was Msiah? What about the fact that we had to be in Gulos x number of years? Wasn't it premature to say that was Messiah? How could he make such a mistake? And he really went for him. I mean, he was his weapon bearers. And even if you say it's lava, he was his weapon bears. But it means he he submitted himself. He humbled himself before hook line and sink. How could he make such a mistake? Especially this was 50 years after the destruction of the second base of M. Didn't we have to be in in gulas a certain amount of years? What about all the prophecies in that you know the 10 tribes will unite with Yehuda and that never happened. How could Rabika make such a mistake says? So first let me tell you what I says in the Arisad says you know throughout history many great rishum predicted when Msiah would come. Rashi, the Rambam, Rupadin, the Malbim, many many great people. And you know what all their predictions have in common? They all passed. So why did they do it? So I says that if the Jews 2,000 years ago knew that one day we would have to go to Cedarhurst, they would have called it a day a long time ago. If they would know what Gullis Cedarhus like looks like, not just Gullis Cedarhurst, Gullis Williamsburg, sorry, Galas my Galas Lakewood. If they would, they would see what kind of state the Jewish people would be 2,000 years later, they would have called it a day. an average that says if they would have known how long it would be they would have taken their life 2,000 years ago especially all the various persecutions we had to endure. So therefore whenever the had the opportunity to so to speak infuse hope in Israel they took up that cause and even says right after the he said he's mashiach he's mashiach why simply to strengthen the morale of the Jewish people if I didn't say this who could say such a thing but let's learn the approaches of the if you look on the top line on the left hand column in number nine he says the last words on the bottom right hand side going on to the top left hand side must have thought one of two things number one when he saw the success of our and all the wars that he waged he figured that even though maybe Hashem originally decreed that we should be engulfed for 2,000 years, but when he saw the supernatural successes of our he says it must be Rabika said God relented, God regretted and Hashem's going to take us and redeem us earlier. And and then says something very interesting and it's much easier for God to redeem us when we're still in the holy land before we were exiled. Once we go into exile, once we come to Cedarhurst, it's hard for him to pull us out. Once we go to Williamsburg, it's hard to yank them out of there. Once we go to Miy, it's hard to get out of there. But while we're still in Jerusalem, while we're still there, it's much easier for Hashem to bring the gula. So says uh theel just like initim we technically we should have been there 400 years but Hashem was madalim and he advanced the time by 190 years therefore raika said even though maybe technically we were supposed to be in g for at least a thousand years and the time didn't come but when Rabaka saw the great successes of he figured it must be that Hashem is advanc advancing the date and all the other they said you will die you will be buried grass will grow over your grave before this man is Messiah again these are not my words that's the words of the garra even though theel says if you look in the Z Rabika was once walking with his Rebi, Rebelar. And Rabbi Kea said, you know, why was man not created until the sixth day? Why didn't Hashem create man on the third day, the second day, the first day, the first hour? So his Rebi said, because man represents Messiah. Mashiach will not come until the sixth millennia knew from his Messiah will not come to the sixth millennia. But he he he said that if this man is having such supernatural victory then hashem must advance the cause. And then theel said something that if he wouldn't say it who could say such a thing very often in life even to wise people they think and they believe what they want to believe. And because Rabbi Aka had such a strong desire for the coming of Messiah, when he saw the successes of supernatural, he said, "It must be it must be that Hashem is advancing the date." Okay, I want to read to you these words. So, I don't want you to accuse me that I'm I'm uh editorializing here. He says, People believe what they want all the time. People, by the way, people see what they want. People say, "I was walking down the street and I saw and upon further cross-examination, they never saw it. They wanted to see it." So says Abnel, Rabbi Aka believed it because he so badly wanted it. And then Abanel says another approach because he says the first approach is predicated upon upon the fact that submitted that he's a scion of the Davidic dynasty otherwise how could he be a candidate to be Messiah. Number two. Number two is you know they they um they say about a lot of presidents this president he's Gamatria Mashiach Benavid. But one second first of all he doesn't come from the space David. He's not Jewish. What is you don't have to be Jewish to be Messiah. It sounds like a Joey Nukem song. You don't have to be Jewish to be Msiah. But I don't think that's one of the lines. Actually you do have to be Jewish to be Messiah. You also have to come from the mus. However, there is a very general term called Msiah. For example, Hashem tells the P says Hashem, so says Hashem to his anointed one, Kyesh. The Gamar McGill talks about it. Kesh is not Msiah. He's not even Jewish. The answer is people in this world who are appointed to bring about salvation for the Jewish people can be called the term Messiah. It doesn't mean you're you're the Messiah. You're not the guy that we say that you're just somebody who's appointed to bring salvation to the Jewish people. When the Gomorrah says Rabaka believed Bara was Messiah, it doesn't really mean he believed he's Messiah, he didn't believe he's Messiah. Messiah wasn't going to come for a very long time. It means when Rabika saw his supernatural victories, he believed that he was predestined and ordained and anointed from Shamayim to bring success to the Jewish people. And according to this approach, it could be that was not from the at all. Look, he didn't meet all the requirements of being Msiah. Did he did he inspire many people to learn Tory? Did he institute justice in the world? None of the above. He himself humbled himself before. Therefore theel says when kazal say that believed that was mash it just means that he believed he was pre-ordained to bring about special success and victory for the Jewish people. But let's end off with another comment makes that if he didn't say it nobody could say such a thing. I'm even afraid to say it, but I'm gonna tell it to you because all I am is a reporter. I hope I'm an accurate reporter. I'm just telling you what the Abbanel says. He says, and even according to this approach that Rabbi Yaka did not mistakenly think he was Msiah. He mistakenly thought he was appointed to help the Jewish people. I want to read to you these words, the final words. We know Rabbi Kiba was one of the 10 martyrs. But all of the 10 martyrs he he received the most severe death of all greater than a greater worse than Rabish. Why? What did Rabbi Ka do that he deserved this? Says Abaranel. We know we know what the Mikubam say. Mikubam say that maybe he's a Gilgal of Shim and he played the greatest role in says Abarbanel. Who knows? Maybe because of the sin of Rabaka's wrong and erroneous assessment of he was punished with a misa kasha than any of the other harugas. But even so, he never thought he was Msiah. So that is uh the Abbanel's two approaches to uh what took place. We still you this requires a lot of study but this is uh I think an accurate just translation of what the barbell says. We still we're going to have a shir on what happened to Barl and the final sh before tishab will be about the the war and the tragedy of bet and the the tick of the of the last of for yada there.