Q&A: Difficulty Believing in the Mashiah

Q: I have lately begun to pay more attention to the words of the prayers and understand them. Everything was OK until I got to the end of the morning prayer where it says, "I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Mashiah." I asked myself if I truly believe this, and I concluded that I don't really, and certainly not with perfect faith. So meanwhile I say, "I try to believe…"

My questions are: 1. Am I allowed to change the words this way? 2. How can I believe in the coming of the Mashiah, when no one knows who he is or when he will come? In addition, this whole thing seems to be just an optimistic forecast about "what could happen any day," when really we know that it's already been 2,000 years and it hasn't happened... Why should I believe that one day all the dead will rise to life, a building will descend from the sky, and all the enemies will die? Even with all my creative imagination, I don't see this happening.

P.S. Can you write me where it is written in the Tanakh [Bible] about what is supposed to happen when the Mashiach comes, and if not, who made this all up?

Mashiach by Israeli artist Yehoshua Wiseman

[Answered by by Rav Azaryah Ariel, https://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask]

A: 1. What's important is the faith itself, not how you express it. And so if you feel that you are now in a period of clarification, you are permitted to change the words temporarily. There is no Halakhic obligation to recite these principles of faith, and certainly not in the precise wording written in the Siddur; it is not a blessing instituted by the Sages.

2. "The coming of the Mashiah" is one detail in the Redemption process of the Nation of Israel – which includes some amazing stages: the national return to the Land of Israel and political independence, the construction of the Beit HaMikdash and the dwelling of the Divine Presence among us, and the resulting positive influence upon the entire world. Within this process is the presence of a leader - the Mashiach - who will be a descendant of King David and help the process along to completion.

3. You asked for sources. The Redemption of Israel is written clearly in the Torah, in Parshat Nitzavim: (30, 3-9)

וְשָׁב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ, וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר הֱפִיצְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה. אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם - מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ. וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ, וְהֵיטִבְךָ וְהִרְבְּךָ מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ. וּמָל ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת לְבַב זַרְעֶךָ, לְאַהֲבָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ. וְנָתַן ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵת כָּל הָאָלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וְעַל שֹׂנְאֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר רְדָפוּךָ. וְאַתָּה תָשׁוּב וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל ה', וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם. וְהוֹתִירְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ לְטֹבָה, כִּי יָשׁוּב ה' לָשׂוּשׂ עָלֶיךָ לְטוֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׂשׂ עַל אֲבֹתֶיךָ.

Then, the Lord your G-d will bring back your exiles... He will once again gather you from all the nations, where He had dispersed you. Even if your exiles are at the end of the heavens, G-d will gather you from there, and He will take you from there. And He will bring you to the land which your forefathers possessed, and you [too] will take possession of it, and He will do good to you, and He will make you more numerous than your forefathers... G-d will place all these curses upon your enemies and upon your adversaries, who pursued you. And you will return and listen to the voice of G-d and fulfill all His commandments that I command you this day. And G-d will make you abundant for good in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For He will once again rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your forefathers.

4. The coming of the Messiah is alluded to in the Torah (Bamidbar 24,17), and is written clearly in many places elsewhere in the Tanakh, for instance Yeshayahu 11:

וְיָצָא חֹטֶר מִגֵּזַע יִשָׁי, וְנֵצֶר מִשָּׁרָשָׁיו יִפְרֶה.  וְנָחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ ה', רוּחַ חָכְמָה וּבִינָה, רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה, רוּחַ דַּעַת וְיִרְאַת ה'... וְגָר זְאֵב עִם כֶּבֶשׂ, וְנָמֵר עִם גְּדִי יִרְבָּץ... לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ בְּכָל הַר קָדְשִׁי, כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת ה' כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים... וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יוֹסִיף אֲדֹנָי שֵׁנִית יָדוֹ לִקְנוֹת אֶת שְׁאָר עַמּוֹ אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׁאֵר מֵאַשּׁוּר וּמִמִּצְרַיִם וּמִפַּתְרוֹס וּמִכּוּשׁ וּמֵעֵילָם וּמִשִּׁנְעָר וּמֵחֲמָת וּמֵאִיֵּי הַיָּם. וְנָשָׂא נֵס לַגּוֹיִם וְאָסַף נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּנְפֻצוֹת יְהוּדָה יְקַבֵּץ מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ.

A shoot shall spring forth from the stem of Jesse [David's father], and a twig shall sprout from his roots. And G-d's spirit shall rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and heroism, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord... And a wolf shall live with a lamb, and a leopard shall lie with a kid... The land shall be full of knowledge of G-d as water covers the sea bed... And it shall come to pass that on that day, G-d shall continue to apply His hand a second time to acquire the rest of His people, those that remain from Assyria and from Egypt and from Pathros and from Cush and from Elam and from Sumeria and from Hamath and from the islands of the sea. And He shall raise a banner to the nations, and He shall gather the lost of Israel, and the scattered ones of Judah He shall gather from the four corners of the earth.

And also in Yeshayahu 2:

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר חָזָה יְשַׁעְיָהוּ בֶּן אָמוֹץ עַל יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם. וְהָיָה בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים נָכוֹן יִהְיֶה הַר בֵּית ה' בְּרֹאשׁ הֶהָרִים וְנִשָּׂא מִגְּבָעוֹת, וְנָהֲרוּ אֵלָיו כָּל הַגּוֹיִם. וְהָלְכוּ עַמִּים רַבִּים וְאָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַעֲלֶה אֶל הַר ה', אֶל בֵּית אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב, וְיֹרֵנוּ מִדְּרָכָיו וְנֵלְכָה בְּאֹרְחֹתָיו, כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר ה' מִירוּשָׁלִָם. וְשָׁפַט בֵּין הַגּוֹיִם וְהוֹכִיחַ לְעַמִּים רַבִּים, וְכִתְּתוּ חַרְבוֹתָם לְאִתִּים וַחֲנִיתוֹתֵיהֶם לְמַזְמֵרוֹת, לֹא יִשָּׂא גוֹי אֶל גּוֹי חֶרֶב וְלֹא יִלְמְדוּ עוֹד מִלְחָמָה.

The word that Isaiah, son of Amotz, prophesied concerning Judah and Jerusalem: At the end of days, the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills - and all the nations shall stream to it. And many peoples shall go, and they shall say, "Come, let us go up to the Lord's mount, to the house of the God of Jacob, and let Him teach us of His ways, and we will go in His paths" - for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and G-d's word from Jerusalem. And He shall judge between the nations and reprove many peoples, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Regarding the fact that Israel will have a future leader descended from King David, see also Yirmiyhahu 33, 14-26 and Yechezkel 37,25.

5. The concept of Resurrection of the Dead is also written several times in the Tanakh, though with less clarity and detail. For instance, in Daniel 12,2: "And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken – some for eternal life, and others for disgrace, for eternal abhorrence." The Bible does not say whether this will happen during or after the days of the Mashiach.

6. Regarding the belief in a "building that will fall from the sky," you were probably referring to the Third Beit HaMikdash. Like you, I also don't believe it will fall from the sky; this concept is not written anywhere in the Tanakh. Its source is in the commentary of Rashi (Sukkah 41a), but from the Biblical verses, most of the Sages' sayings, and Rashi himself, we learn that the Temple will be built by us mortals. See for instance Yechezkel 43, in his introduction to the Third Temple:

אַתָּה בֶן אָדָם, הַגֵּד אֶת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַבַּיִת... צוּרַת הַבַּיִת וּתְכוּנָתוֹ וּמוֹצָאָיו וּמוֹבָאָיו וְכָל צוּרֹתָו וְאֵת כָּל חֻקֹּתָיו וְכָל צוּרֹתָיו וְכָל תּוֹרֹתָיו הוֹדַע אוֹתָם וּכְתֹב לְעֵינֵיהֶם, וְיִשְׁמְרוּ אֶת כָּל צוּרָתוֹ וְאֶת כָּל חֻקֹּתָיו וְעָשׂוּ אוֹתָם.

You, son of man, describe the House to the House of Israel... the form of the House and its scheme, its exits and its entrances, and all its forms, and all its laws and all its teachings - and write it down in their sight so that they keep its entire form and all its laws, and will [know how to] do them [when the time comes].

7. There is an essential difference between the Resurrection of the Dead and the construction of the Third Temple: The first is a Divine promise - not a mitzvah that we must perform; the second is both a mitzvah for us to do and a promise that one day we will be enabled to fulfill it. Just like any mitzvah, we are required to do what we can to fulfill it, and not to wait for it to happen by itself, such as by falling from the Heavens. I happen to work at the Temple Institute, where we prepare utensils and make other preparations for the Temple to-be-built, guided by the principle that Israel must build it. If you want additional details on this topic, visit the Temple Institute in the Old City or its internet site.

8. In general, there are different approaches to precisely what will be during the period of the Messiah. The Rambam adopts the approach of those Sages who say that the world will run in its natural manner, and that the Mashiach will accomplish his goals via natural means. We don't expect any supernatural miracles during the times of the Mashiach, unless they are specified in the Bible, such as the Resurrection of the Dead. Even the famous verse "the wolf will lie with the sheep" is understood by the Rambam allegorically to mean that there will be peace among the nations.

9. The words in the Siddur that say "I will wait for him every day, that he will come" were not written by the Rambam, though they were based on his teachings; we do not know their author. In addition, in his Laws of Kings (11,1), the Rambam does not state that one must believe that Mashiach can come at any moment; rather, one must believe in general that he will come at some point. "I will wait every day" could mean simply that we believe every day in the coming of the Mashiach.

10. If you're looking for ways to strengthen your faith in the coming of the Mashiach, keep in mind the Biblical verses we quoted above – and remember that the Bible has been pretty exact in its predictions! All of Isaiah's prophecies of the exile and destruction, for instance, came true more than a century after his death; clearly he heard them from G-d Himself! Not to mention the prophecies of Moshe Rabbeinu, which also were fulfilled long after his death (Vayikra 26; D'varim 28; D'varim 32,25-30 referring apparently to the Holocaust; and more).

Let me cite just this one verse for now: "Even when they are in their enemies' land, I will not grow so disgusted or tired of them that I would destroy them and break My covenant with them, for I am Hashem their G-d" (Vayikra 26,44).  The Torah here promises that the Nation of Israel will exist forever, despite its Exile and dispersion to the four corners of the Earth. Every other nation in this situation would have long been extinct and forgotten, yet the People of Israel held on as a united nation for nearly 2,000 years of Exile – and was even able to then build one of the most thriving nations in the world! Can there be a better proof than that for the Torah's ability to predict the future?

Also keep in mind that the above verse from Daniel about the Resurrection of the Dead follows an entire chapter of detailed predictions of wars in and around Greece. Daniel lived during the Babylonian Exile, and some of these events took place 200 years after he died. (It's worthwhile to learn this Chapter 11 with the commentaries of the Malbim or Daat Mikra, which show in detail how the prophecies match up with what we know from the history books about the Greek wars.)  If Daniel knew about the wars in advance, why shouldn't we believe his words about the Resurrection of the Dead as well?!

11. And the main thing is: Look around you and see how our Redemption is progressing! Our country is becoming stronger, Aliyah is increasing, our lifespans are among the highest in the world, and our birthrate is the highest among the industrialized nations! I suggest that wherever you walk in Israel, ask yourself: What was here 150 years ago?! The answer will usually be: "Desolation." When you see someone on the street, ask yourself, "Where were his ancestors 100 years ago?" The answer will usually be: "In the Diaspora." In this light, take a look at Chapter 36 of Yechezkel:

וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִן הַגּוֹיִם וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל אַדְמַתְכֶם... וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶת פְּרִי הָעֵץ וּתְנוּבַת הַשָּׂדֶה... וְהוֹשַׁבְתִּי אֶת הֶעָרִים וְנִבְנוּ הֶחֳרָבוֹת. וְהָאָרֶץ הַנְּשַׁמָּה תֵּעָבֵד, תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה שְׁמָמָה לְעֵינֵי כָּל עוֹבֵר. וְאָמְרוּ: הָאָרֶץ הַלֵּזוּ הַנְּשַׁמָּה הָיְתָה כְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְהֶעָרִים הֶחֳרֵבוֹת וְהַנְשַׁמּוֹת וְהַנֶּהֱרָסוֹת בְּצוּרוֹת יָשָׁבוּ. וְיָדְעוּ הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׁאֲרוּ סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶם כִּי אֲנִי ה' בָּנִיתִי הַנֶּהֱרָסוֹת נָטַעְתִּי הַנְּשַׁמָּה, אֲנִי ה' דִּבַּרְתִּי וְעָשִׂיתִי. כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי ה': עוֹד זֹאת אִדָּרֵשׁ לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם, אַרְבֶּה אֹתָם כַּצֹּאן אָדָם. כְּצֹאן קָדָשִׁים כְּצֹאן יְרוּשָׁלִַם בְּמוֹעֲדֶיהָ כֵּן תִּהְיֶינָה הֶעָרִים הֶחֳרֵבוֹת מְלֵאוֹת צֹאן אָדָם וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי ה'.

I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you to your land... And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field... I will resettle the cities, and the ruins shall be built up. And the desolate land shall be worked, instead of its lying desolate in the sight of all that pass by. And they shall say, 'This land that was desolate has now become like the Garden of Eden, and the cities that were destroyed and desolate and pulled down have become settled as fortified cities.' And the nations remaining round about you shall know that I, the Lord, have built up the ruined places and have planted the desolate ones... I will yet be inquired of by the house of Israel to do for them; I will multiply them like a flock of sheep... like the flocks of Jerusalem on its festivals, so will these cities that are now laid waste be filled with flocks of men, and they shall know that I am the Lord."

Each detail here has been fulfilled, as well as many others!

Another good idea is to open some books of modern history and see how many amazing miracles took place over the past century to enable the fulfillment of these prophecies. It's amazing to live in a time when all this is happening – and continuing to happen every day and every year, in order to bring the Redemption process even closer to completion! If you would have lived 200 years ago, your questions would be quite strong; to believe then in the coming of the Mashiach required an extra level of inner strength and faith. But today, after so many of the prophecies have been fulfilled so wondrously, is this the time to start having doubts?!

Am Yisrael Chai!