Mashiach as a King

The centrality of Mashiach’s role in the Redemption can be understood by explaining his primary title, Melech, or King Mashiach.11 This appellation will provide insight into the nature of Mashiach’s leadership and explain why his role is crucial to the final Redemption. In fact, although global society has largely moved past the ideal of a monarchy, it is this specific description of Mashiach that is perhaps most relevant to the world that he is set to perfect.12

In introduction: While a monarch’s persona is usually characterized by authoritarian governance or charismatic leadership, a Jewish king utilizes his superiority in a drastically different manner.13 Being selected primarily on account of his faith and reverence of G‑d,14 a Jewish king personifies humility and subservience to G‑d.15

The Jewish king is seen as a conduit of G‑d’s kingship, as his ultimate dedication to G‑d does not allow him to perceive his rulership as his own.16 Thus, in place of using his exalted office to arrogantly impose his royal decrees upon the people, his humble sovereignty inspires the nation and strengthens their faith in G‑d.17

The Heart of the Jewish People

In this spirit, the king is seen as carrying a defining role in the very character and soul of the nation. The Rambam describes the Jewish king to be “the heart of the entire Jewish people,”18 implying that the king is more than a typical executive leader. Just as life itself would be impossible without the function of the heart, so too, the Jewish king sustains the nation, infusing them with the very essence of their character.19

This is because the aforementioned humble dedication to G‑d displayed by the king is actually inherent to the yechidah of every Jew. As explained in the previous chapter, the Jewish soul contains several layers relating to the various elements of character.20 The fifth level, the yechidah, is the core identity of the soul, which is constantly bound in complete oneness with G‑d. While for most Jews, the yechidah element of the soul is hidden deep within their psyche, the Jewish king clearly embodies the yechidah, and constantly lives in dedicated oneness with G‑d.

Therefore, the Jewish king is analogous to the heart of the people, as the yechidah is most related to the heart.21 The heart is more Jewish than the mind; while the mind can merely be conscious of the Divine, it is the heart that cannot budge from its supra-rational connection with G‑d. Thus, it is the rousing inspiration of the king which awakens the yechidah within his people that earns him the designation: “The heart of the Jewish People.”

Mashiach as the Yechidah

This explanation of the nature of Jewish kingship aligns perfectly with the Kabbalistic classification of the stature of Mashiach, the ultimate Jewish king.22 While each Jewish king personifies the yechidah connection with G‑d, it is Mashiach who is characterized as the yechidah of all generations.

Kabbalah explains that while each individual soul is a composite of all five levels, on a macrocosmic level there are five people who serve as a particular soul-element for all of existence.

In the words of the Arizal: “David HaMelech merited the revelation of the level of nefesh, Eliyahu the level of ruach, Moshe the level of neshamah, Adam the level of chayah, and Mashiach the level of yechidah.”23

This insight explains why Mashiach is primarily titled “king.” No, it is not a reference to a power-wielding monarch.24 Instead, it is the appellation “king” that expresses the core soul-nature of Mashiach, the heart of the Jewish nation, the yechidah of the world.