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Miracles and Wonders (i)

ואל יעלה על דעתך שהמלך המשיח צריך לעשות אותות ומופתים

One should not entertain the notion that the King Mashiach must work miracles and wonders...

Mashiach is defined as one who brings about completeness in the observance of the Torah.2 If, therefore, he were required to bring about a change in the world, this would contradict the principle that585 “this Torah, with its statutes and laws, is everlasting.” Moreover, since Mashiach is not defined as such by virtue of miracles and wonders, it is obvious that this is not the test of his authenticity.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVIII, p. 280


Miracles and Wonders (ii)

Here, in Mishneh Torah, Rambam writes that “One should not entertain the notion that the King Mashiach must work miracles and wonders....” In Iggeres Teiman, however, he writes: “The miracles and wonders that will be seen through his agency constitute the testimony to his authentic origin.”

By way of resolving this apparent contradiction: It may be suggested that Rambam conceives of two periods within the era of Mashiach. At first3 “the world will continue according to its pattern,” whereas in the second period it will be conducted supernaturally, with wonders and miracles.4 Here he is speaking of the first period, and in Iggeres Teiman — of the later period.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVII, pp. 198-199


A Bearer of Arms

והוא ה' נושא כליו של בן-כוזיבא המלך

[R. Akiva] was a bearer of arms for King Ben Koziva

A precedent for this practice, and likewise a source to show that it is permitted for a distinguished sage to be a bearer of arms, may be found in no less a personage than King David, of whom it is written,5 “David came to Saul... and he was a bearer of arms for him.”

It will be noted that this war was fought in order to save the entire Jewish people and the Holy Land. Moreover, in the course of this war there was no doubt a life-threatening urgency to save many Jews from the decrees and killings of those times. This, then, was why R. Akiva was a bearer of arms for Ben Koziva, and not because “he would describe him as the King Mashiach.” (When the passage is seen in this light, this last quotation is to be understood as a separate statement, unconnected with the bearing of arms.)

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVII, p. 199


R. Akiva’s Contemporaries

וכל חכמי דורו...

And all the Sages of his generation considered him to be the King Mashiach

Like other authorities, Rambam too agrees that some of R. Akiva’s contemporaries held that Ben Koziva was not Mashiach. R. Yochanan ben Torta, for example, said to R. Akiva,6 “Grass will grow on your cheeks before [Mashiach] the son of David comes!”

As to Rambam’s expression, “and all the Sages of his generation,” this may also be understood as follows:

(a) At first, all the Sages of R. Akiva’s generation did in fact believe that Ben Koziva was Mashiach. With time, however, some of them concluded that he was not, because he was unable to judge according to his sense of smell7 — a criterion which Rambam does not accept.

(b) Alternatively: The majority of the Sages of Israel considered that Ben Koziva was Mashiach, or at least, to use Rambam’s expression elsewhere,8 “the most prominent Sages.”

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVII, p. 200


The Death of Ben Koziva

עד שנהרג בעוונות

..until he was killed because of [his] sins

In Hilchos Taaniyos,595 Rambam writes that Ben Koziva was killed by the Romans. Raavad, by contrast, writes9 that he was killed by order of the Rabbinical court: “The Sages dispatched people to test whether or not he could judge by his sense of smell, and since he could not, they killed him.”

It could be argued that there is no difference of opinion as to what actually happened, and that all agree that he was killed by the gentiles. The difference of opinion may be understood as follows:

According to the view of Rambam (following the view of R. Akiva), that Mashiach does not have to be able to work miracles and wonders, Ben Koziva was killed simply “because of [his] sins,” and not because he was unable to “judge by his sense of smell.”

According to the view of Raavad (following the view of the Gemara in Sanhedrin10 and the opinion of R. Yochanan ben Torta593), that Mashiach does have to be able to work miracles and wonders, Ben Koziva was liable to the death penalty because he was incapable of “judging by his sense of smell.” The rationale is as follows: The absence of this sign proved that he was not Mashiach; he battled against the gentiles (thinking that he was Mashiach despite his inability to judge by his sense of smell, because he held the view of R. Akiva); many Jews perished in these battles; accordingly, he was now liable to the death penalty as a rodef.11 Even though in fact it was the gentiles who killed him, they12 “killed a man who was already [sentenced by the beis din to be] killed.” Thus, too, Ridbaz13 quotes the Gemara14 (“Seeing that he was unable to judge by his sense of smell they killed him”) and explains: “This means that they dissociated themselves from him and the gentiles came and killed him.”

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXVII, p. 200


An Early Heretic

וכל המוסיף או גורע... והוציא הדברים של מצוות מפשוטם...

Whoever adds to [the mitzvos] or detracts from them, or misinterprets the Torah, implying that the mitzvos are not intended to be understood literally, is surely a wicked impostor and a heretic.

This is evidently a reference to “that man.”15

From a talk of the Rebbe