Thinking Talmudist Podcast · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:00 - Intro (Host)
You are listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of TORCH in Houston, Texas. This is the Thinking Talmudist Podcast.

00:14 - RAW (Host)
Alright, welcome back everybody to the Thinking Talmudist series. We are in middle of the discussions about Messiah in the Tractate Sanhedrin 98B, on the bottom. Last week we talked about what would Messiah look like, what type of person would he be? And, if you remember, we concluded last week with the phrase from Rav. Rav said if Messiah was among the living today, he would be someone like Rabben HaKadosh. Rabben HaKadosh, again, was the author of the Mishnah and the leader of the Jewish people. He was called the Prince of the Jewish people and, according to Rav, that's what it would look like. That's what Messiah would look like. He means Messiah and if he is among the dead, kagon Daniel Ischamudos, he is someone like Daniel the greatly beloved. He was such a special person. Now we have to understand the Messiah.

01:13
As the Talmud will later explain, messiah is going to be a very dynamic personality. It's going to be a personality that A has the power to bring God's light into this world. Number two, it's going to be a unifying personality. You see, we have people in politics, we have people in power who can be very, very polarizing. If you look at the recent American history recent as in the last two decades you'll notice that some of the personalities who were leading this country were polarizing personalities, not in the sense of necessarily being bad or having ill intentions, but there were some people who loved them and some people who absolutely hated them. It used to be like, whatever, it's not my preference, but we get along. It's become much more intolerable if it's not my candidate in office than people become irate and crazy because it's not only he's not my guy, he's the worst guy in the world, he's the people who have all these conspiracy theories about everyone. But either way, mashiach is going to be someone who's going to be a unifying force among the Jewish people. Mashiach will be accepted by everyone among the Jewish people.

02:34
The Talmud now continues here on the bottom of 98B in tract 8 Sanhedrin Amirav, yehud Amirav or Yehud Descendant in the Name of Rav, osir Akodeshborchul, l'hamid Loham, david Achir, the Holy One, god is destined to raise another David for them, for the Jewish people, we're going to have another King David, shenem Arva, avduis, hashem, elohayhem Veas, david Malkoma, she'okim Loham. They will serve Hashem, their God, and David, their King, whom I will raise up for them. I will raise up for them in the future tense, where David had already passed away, and now, I will still bring back another David. There will be another King David, a personality like David, heokim Loham. It doesn't say I raised, but rather Elohokim, I will raise in the future, which connotes the rise of someone else who will take the place like King David, who was an unbelievable force among the Jewish people. Now the Gomorrah asks Amalirah, papah Abaya or Papah ask Abaya.

03:41
Now, just interesting, we mentioned because we're doing the Thinking Tomatist series. What do we do here? We want to point out that Yehuda Amorav just said his opinion. He thinks that the Almighty will create another David. Well, you have to have a verse to back it up. It's not enough to just say things.

04:00
I had a lengthy conversation with a friend of mine this week and he said that unfortunately, too many people in our generation just say things from the pulpit without backing it up. It's my opinion, because that's what my opinion is. Don't argue with me, because I'm the rabbi. That's not Judaism. Judaism means that you can always ask for verification, that you can always ask for authentication. You can always ask for proof. When someone tells you something is Torah, when something tells you that something is a gift from God, when something is a message from God, you got to prove it, and I think it's very, very critical that we recognize this in our study of Talmud. The rabbis don't make up anything. They have no rights to it. Every word in the Talmud needs to be sourced.

04:52
Okay, now the Gomorrah asks, on a layer of papal abaya rabbapah asked abaya vahoxi vidavid avdi nosi lahem la olam. It says in Zikiel, it says the following verse my servant David will be a prince over them forever, which indicates that it is the original David who will reign over the Jews in the future. The Gomorrah says kagoun kesa, rapalgi kesa. The two Davids will be like an emperor and a half emperor, meaning they will be linked together. Not that it's the exact same person, but they'll be linked together. Okay now the Gomorrah cites a Tanaic teaching D'Arush Rai'v Simleih, rai'v Simleih expounded. It says mai d'ichsiv havu mis'avimis yom ha'shem lomo ze l'ochem yom ha'shem hu hoshech v'lo'or.

05:43
The verse states wo, unto those who yearn for the day of ha'shem, what's the day of ha'shem? It's the day of the coming of Messiah. Why? Because God will be known to the entire world. We won't have any doubts. Anybody here have any doubts ever? Or questions Well, where's God? How can God let that happen?

06:03
People ask that about the Holocaust, people ask that about October 7th, people ask that about a lot of different world events we're like well, if there was a God, then he would have for sure limited that from happening or circumvented that natural event. No, no, no. We have to understand that God is in absolute power of the world and nothing happens in this world without God's say so. In fact, the Talmud even says that a blade of grass does not grow without God's say so. There's an angel that says grow, representing the Almighty's will for it to grow. There is nothing that happens.

06:43
So in that case, the question here that the Talmud is asking is why should you want the day of ha'shem? It is darkness and it's not light. What's going to happen? We said till now that it's going to be light, it's going to be a day of absolute clarity, absolute clarity. But here we brought a verse that says it's going to be a day of darkness. So what's going on here? Is it a day of light or is it a day of darkness? A day of light would mean a day of clarity, because when you have light that's why mourning is called boker Boker means levaker means to investigate you can see. You can see what's going on.

07:21
You do bikur holam is the same root word. When you do bikur holam, you're visiting the sick, you're inquiring about the wellness of the ill, you're inquiring about their well-being. So you have a light which gives you clarity. You have darkness. What happens when you're walking in the dark? You're feeling around, you're not sure where you're going. It's instability. So is the day that Mashiach is going to come? Is that going to be a day of clarity? Was that going to be a day of darkness, of confusion?

07:59
So the Gomorrah here asks he says let me tell you, answer your question with an analogy, moshal Letharna-Govat Aleph. Then an analogy is drawn to a rooster and a bat Shohi Mitzapin Lo'or. Both the rooster and the bat were both awaiting the light of dawn. Omri Letharna-Govat Aleph. The rooster said to the bat. He says Anim Mitzapin Lo'or, I am awaiting the light, sh'or Shalihi, because the light is mine. He says but you, the Atah lamalacha'or, why do you want the light? What's the question that's being asked here? The rooster is asking the bat. We know that the bat is blind, it doesn't see. So what does he want the light for? The light is irrelevant to the bat. What are you looking for light.

08:58
Our sages tell us this is the nations of the world and the Jewish people, the nations of the world, those who didn't repent, those who did not connect with the Almighty, those who did not bring godliness into this world. For them it's going to be a day of total darkness because that opportunity is gone. But for the Jewish people it'll be light, it'll be aura, it'll be light. The commentary say here the Jewish people await the day of Hashem, meaning the day of redemption, because it will bring them light. The idolaters, those who brought idolatry into this world, however, have no reason to await this day. To them, it will be darkness and not light. So that's the conversation between the rooster and the bat. The rooster representing the Jewish people because it loves the light.

09:49
What happens at the first crack of light? The rooster is going nuts, he's croaking, he's all excited because light is here. Light is here. To distinguish, to distinguish between light and darkness, is a. That moment is what we acknowledge as wisdom. To distinguish between darkness and light takes wisdom, but at the exact moment. That's why we say I shall not send to the devil to have a meeting between him and the devil. So what happens?

10:24
We're praising Hashem. I'll read it to you in the English every morning. In our morning blessings we say blessed are you, hashem, god, our God, king of the universe, who gave the heart understanding or the devil is also a rooster. Understanding to distinguish between day and night. And this is how it says. Just tell us. The word cechvi means both heart and rooster. In the context of this blessing, both meanings are implied. The rooster crows, but man's heart reacts and understands how to deal with new situations. So this is what we are recognizing with the days of Messiah. It's going to be a day of incredible, incredible light, because it will remove all doubts. It will remove all confusion in the world about who Hashem is. Some people think Hashem is this Hashem thinks. Some people think Hashem is that At the time of the coming of Messiah there will be absolute clarity. Okay, let's continue now.

11:31
The Gomorrah says Ve hainu da amalai, hahu minu lurabavu. And it was for this reason that when a certain heretic asked Rabavu, when will Messiah come, amasai'osi mashiach, when will Messiah come, amalai? He said to him l'chi chafay luhu ha'shocha lahanhu inchi. When darkness cover those people, amalai. The heretic then exclaimed to Rabavu meilaat calliitli, are you cursing me, amalai? He said to him, croxif.

12:04
He says why it is a verse, a verse in Scripture that says kihine a'kosh'ch'ch'ch'ch'ch'ase''orets, ve'arofel, l'u'umim, ve'alai'ich yizra ha'shem ve'qvodo olav yiro'eh. He says for behold, darkness will cover the earth and thick clouds the people, but upon you ha'shem will shine and upon you will his glory be seen. So yeah, for those who believe in the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, it's going to be a day of absolute glory, a day of light, a day of clarity, while for those who believe in idolatry, the wrong God, for them, it's going to be a day of complete darkness. Okay, the Gemornell begins a new discussion on the topic of Messiah, about the length of the Messianic era. How long is that Messianic era going to be, tanya? We learned in the Bible. Rebeliezer says yamosa mash'iach harboim shona, the Messianic era will be lasting for 40 years. Now, again, based on what you got it On a verse, you got to back it up in a verse. Okay, just for those of you who may be new to our class, so, on the visual here on our thinking Talmudist broadcast online, and for those of you who are live in the center, those of you who are on the podcast, you're welcome to email me. I will happily send you this graph, but we have over here, just so that you understand over here.

13:44
These two are the two tablets that were given on top of Mount Sinai. What's in the two tablets is the Ten Commandments. What? The Ten Commandments are part of the Torah. Now we know the Torah is the written law, but there are actually 24 books in the written law the Torah, the prophets and the writings. And, as you can see here there are eight books of prophets, eleven books of writings, and that all are part of the Tanakh, the Torah, the Torah, the Neviim and the Ketuvim, the Torah, the prophets and the writings, the Bible, the prophets and the writings.

14:27
Then we have the oral Torah. The oral Torah is comprised of things that were transmitted orally from generation to generation. So that we not make a mistake, just so that it be clear, we're dealing also with things that were taught by Moses and Mount Sinai. I'll give you an example of some oral Torah that we'll all understand. Well, yeah, that kind of makes sense. We've brought these examples before.

15:01
The Torah commands us the written Torah commands us to put a mezuzah on our door, on our doorposts. Now, one thing that is failed to be mentioned in that same Torah that commands us to put a mezuzah on the door. It leaves out what is a mezuzah? Just a side little point, okay. It says in the Torah to put on totofot, which we know are to fill in on our arms and on our head every single day. One little point missing out in the details. It doesn't say what totofot are. It doesn't say what to fill in on our, it just says to bind them on your head, between your eyes. It doesn't even tell us where Putting it right here between our eyes is the wrong place. We know we put it up at the beginning of the hairline. We also know that we put it not on our heart but we put it on our hand, opposite our heart.

15:59
It also says in the Torah to slaughter an animal, a kosher animal, that you want to eat. You have a cow. It's a kosher cow. You want to slaughter it properly. It doesn't say how to slaughter it. The Torah says you have to slaughter it, but it doesn't say how to. So the Torah tells you what to do, but it doesn't tell you how to do. So how do we know what is the right or wrong thing to do? That?

16:20
We have the oral Torah, which was transmitted by Moses at Mount Sinai, teaching it to the elders, teaching it to the sages, teaching it to his children, and it is a direct transmission all the way down until we have the Mishnah, which we previously mentioned in this class, was written by Rabbena Akadosh, the great Judah, the Prince, and then, even while he was alive, the Talmud started being written to explain and decode the writings of the Mishnah. So all of this, the Midrash, the Kabbalah, everything you heard from the Zohar, everything you hear from Midrash Midrash is not just tales. I know they like to say that it's just tales, some Babameisa, it's not. If you want to know the rest of the story, you look at the Midrash. The Midrash is always the story that's behind the screen. You want to know what's going behind the scene? You look at the Midrash and again, it's not just conjecture, it's not just well, it's some rabbi's opinion, everything is sourced, okay, and we have the Talmud.

17:29
All of this is known as the Oral Torah. And then we have Halacha. The Halacha is like the Ram Bam. The Ram Bam was the first complete writing of Halacha. Halacha is the conclusion after the discussions of the Talmud, and we get to a final conclusion of how we operate, how we conduct our lives properly according to the will of Hashem. In his Torah we have Halacha. Halacha is putting things in order how to wake up in the morning, how to wash our hands in the morning, how to pray, what to pray, when to pray, the time for Shema, everything you can imagine of monetary law, how to conduct our lives as Jews, whether it be laws of Shabbos, the laws of holidays, all of those everything is written in Halacha, and Ram Bam writes every single piece of that. The beliefs of a Jew are in the laws of the Rambam.

18:27
The Rambam wrote the Mishn Torah, which is called the Yad Ha'hazaka. Yad means a hand which had, very interestingly, in your hand you have 14 bones. Okay, I'll just count it right here for those of you who are looking online. We have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. This is your hand. The hand of the Torah is the fourteen books that the Rambam wrote in his Mishn Torah, which Mishnah means a review of the Torah. He wrote a complete review of the Torah. So the Rambam even writes that anybody who learns through his book and knows it well doesn't need to learn the rest of the Torah, because he got it all there. Rambam didn't leave anything out and the Rambam it's an incredible writing. The authorship is perfect.

19:26
Either way, the Rambam wrote the first book of Ha'alacha and then, a few hundred years later, was of Yosef Karo, who wrote together, who wrote the Shulchanoroch, which was later modified by the Ramah. The Ramah wrote the Ashkenazic customs of how things were done, because they were in different locations the Yosef Karo was in Syria and the Ramah was in Poland what today is Poland. And then you have, as late recently as the Chavachchayim, about a hundred years ago, wrote the Mishnaburah, making it even simpler for us to understand, so that a person today who wants to know how to conduct their life as a Jew can have absolute clarity. Today we have actually classes where we learn this, the Kitzushchonorch, which is the abbreviated Shulchanoroch. So it's like you know, without all the conversation, without all the discussion, just fact one, two, three, four, five. This is what you need to do, because many times people say I just just tell me what to do, I just want to know what to do, which is why we have a podcast dedicated to this, called Everyday Judaism. You can search it up, the Everyday Judaism podcast, where we go through Jewish law.

20:41
So, either way, what we see here is what we know as Mishorah, the tradition that is given from generation to generation. And if you look on the back of this magnificent sheet that we prepared for each and every one of you, we have over here from Moses receiving the Torah from God at Mount Sinai, teacher, disciple, teacher, disciple, teacher, disciple all the way down till yours truly and each of you sitting here today. So we have all the way down, you see, every single Rabbi and student, rabbi and student in the year that they passed away, all the way till each and every one of us here sitting here today, so that you know that the Torah that we're learning here together is not just me making up Torah. This is me learning it from my Rabbi, who learned it from his Rabbi. In every Rabbi, in order to be a Rabbi, needed to get Smecha, needed to get an ordination from their Rabbi, who received it from their Rabbi, from their Rabbi, all the way up till Moses and Mount Sinai. We're a direct link. Every single one of us are a direct link. So it's important for us to just put things into perspective, that the Torah and the teachings of the Sages.

22:03
They can't just say things in the Talmud that they just think it sounds like a nice idea. Why don't we just institute this? No, no, no, no, doesn't work like that. Give it a source in the Torah. You can't find a source in the Torah for it, it's out because we don't do the will of rabbis. We did do the will of Ha Shem, that's it. We're interested in doing, so what? That's why it's critically important in our class learning about Talmud for us to get down to the details of exactly the source for everything that we study. Every opinion that's given inside the Talmud is sourced. Okay, let's continue. So you most, how much?

22:46
She, a choralizer says that you most of the shea Habar Meshonah, the messianic era will last for 40 years. Shenem are, by my son, a coup d'or, as it states, for 40 years. I shall take a generation. Rebellizer Ben-Azeria. Rebellizer Ben-Azeria says that the messianic era will be for she Vim Shonah, 70 years. Why? Because he brings a different verse that says the whole year by Yomahu in ishqachas, or she Vim Shonah, came a malech, a hot. He says it shall pass. Come to pass on that day. That tire shall remain forgotten for 70 years, which correspond to the days of one king, a zoo malech me. You heard. Which unique king does the verse refer to? Have he Omar's a machine? This is the king Messiah commentary says. Hence, when the verse says 70 years, which correspond to the days of one king, it teaches that the Messiah will reign for 70 years, rebi Omar.

23:48
Rebi says sloshah Doros, the messianic era will last for three generations. She net, shenem are, as the verse states, you were who I'm shemesh, will will. If they Yorea are door, door him. May they fear you as long as the sun and the moon endure. For a generation and generations. Rebi Hillel, omar.

24:11
Rebi Hillel says ain lehen, moshiach leeserl, there will be no Messiah for the Jewish people. She far a clue be may his Gio, because they already enjoy the messianic era in the days of his Gio. Now, in the days of his Gio, hill maintains that King his Gio was the Messiah and that all the prophecies about a messianic King were fulfilled already in him. And Rev Hillel does not dispute that the Jews will be redeemed from exile. Rather, he maintains that the redemption will be wrought not by a human Messiah but by God himself. And the Gmora refutes Hillel's view. The armor of Yoseph, rev Yoseph says shorolay more a la lorra be Hillel. May his master forgive Rev Hillel. His Gio aim us have, he says. When did his Gio live by his reason?

25:05
During the first temple era, the illus a cario commis na bay by Shaney and Omar, now Zachariah. Zachariah, who was prophesying during the Second Temple Era, said Rejoice greatly, o daughter of Zion, shout, o daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you. Coming to you, future tense. He is righteous and victorious, yet humble, riding on a donkey, upon a cult, the foal of an ass. Zechariah, who lived long after Chiskiah, predicted the Messiah's arrival in the future right. It is evident, therefore, that Chiskiah was not the Messiah. In general, we have to understand that someone who has already passed from this world cannot be the future Messiah. They're past, finished, they're done. Messiah, according to the Talmud here, could have been Chiskiah, but because he had already passed away, he's no longer the Messiah.

26:30
De Gomorrah cites another Brisa that discusses the length of a Messianic era. Tanya, it was taught in another Brisa or, as it is said, yemos, the Messianic era will last for 40 years. This is derived as follows Ksiw. Here, in reference to the generation that wandered in the wilderness, it says Ve'i'a ancha, ve'i'a ibecha, ve'i'a chilcha. He afflicted you and let you go hungry and he fed you the mana. This is referring to the parshas that we are, the days that we're dealing with now in the Jewish people, in these weeks Torah portions this week's parshas, parshas bo, this week's parshas vo'era we have seven plagues. Next week's parshas will be parshas bo, where we will have the last three of the plagues, and then we have the Exodus from Egypt, where the Jewish people have the miracle, the splitting of the sea and they're in the desert. And then the next portion you have the fight with Amalek that tries to attack the Jewish people. What happens when the Jewish people are living in the desert for 40 years? What do they have? How do they eat? How do they sustain themselves? They have the mana, this mana that is going to fall from the heavens and be there for the Jewish people. He afflicted you and let you go hungry and he fed you the mana, v'kziv hosam. What does it say in our regarding the messianic era? What does it say? It says Samchenu kimos inisanush nosra inura Gladden us according to the days. You afflicted us, the days when we saw harm. How long were those days? 40 years. The Jewish people in the desert, because it uses the same terminology. We are allowed to do a hekesh, which is a comparison of the two, where we say if that was 40 years, this will be 40 years as well.

28:35
The second verse teaches that the messianic era will last as long as the days you afflicted us, which refers to the days of the years in the wilderness concerning which, it is stated, he afflicted you. Therefore, because the wandering in the wilderness was 40 years, the days of the era of Messiah will also be 40 years. Revdo seh says Revdo seh omer, arba meos shonah. The messianic era will last for 400 years. This is derived as follows Kziv hocho, in reference to the Egyptian exile.

29:10
It is written Arba meos shonah. It says, regarding the affliction that the Egyptians brought upon the Jewish people, that it was 400 years. Vixiv Haasom, and it is written there gladden us according to the days of our afflicted days. Just like we were afflicted for 400 years, so too the days of gladdening, the days of Messiah will also be 400 years. Revb yomer Revb. He says shlosh meos v'shishin v'chomeh shonah, it will be 365 years.

29:46
Kmininim m'sahchamo, corresponding to the number of days in a solar year. Why? Because it verse states kiyom n'okam belibi v'shnas gu'uli ba'o. It states for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my people's redemption is coming. So what do we see here? That the amount of days we have will correspond to the amount of years of this incredible time of Messiah. So it will be 365 years, according to Rebbe.

30:21
The G, g, the G, g, theg. Theomon interprets this first revealed it to my limbs, meaning to my people. God did not express the date of the redemption. He kept it hidden in his heart and did not say it aloud so that his limbs could hear it, limbs referring to his people, meaning that we do not know the time of when Messiah is going to come. A different interpretation Rabishim ben-Lakish says leli be gilisi, lemalacheh asharis lo gilisi. I revealed the date of the redemption to my heart, but I did not reveal it to my angels.

31:16
Okay, now the Gomorrah continues about the length of the Messianic era. Tony Avimi, beray d'Rabavau. Avimi, the son of Rabavau, taught the following Braysi Emosa, mashiach, lee, yisrael Shivas, al-affim Shana. The Messianic era will come less than 7,000 years for Israel. What does that mean? We know that this world will exist for up to 6,000 years, right? So, as the Gomorrah says here, the Messianic era will last 7,000 years. For Israel, sorry, it will last 7,000 years. What does that mean? Sh'nem arum m'sos chos an'al khalo k'in yosis alayich ha'shem elokachah, as it states, as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride, so will ha'shem, your God, rejoice over you. We know that the verse compares the joy of the Messianic era to the joy of a bridegroom and a bride which is celebrated for seven days, since a day of God equals 1,000 years. This verse teaches that the Messianic era will last 7,000 years. Every day of a bride's groom and a bride's celebration equals 1,000 years in God's life, god's world, not God's life. God doesn't live in the same context that we do.

32:43
The Gomorrah cites two Amarayic opinions Rabbi Yehuda Amershmuah, rabbi Yehuda Mashooah. Rabbi Yehuda said, in the name of Shmuel Yimos, ha'mashiach k'in yom sh'inivrah ho'olom ve'adach shov, the Messianic era will last as long as the time that has elapsed since the day of the world was created until now. Okay, the Messianic era will last as long as the time that has elapsed since the day the world was created until now. Shenemar kimayah, shamaim ala oretz, like the days of the heaven on the earth. Rehmanachman bayi tschok says. Rehmanachman, the son of Yitzchok says kimay nach adachshov, the Messianic era will last as long as the time that has elapsed since the days of Noah until now. What is that, shenemar white? The verse states kimay Noah, zoos li asher nishbati. This is like the waters of Nahr to me, regarding which I swore so.

33:54
Here we see the different opinions about the length of the days of the coming of Messiah. According to many opinions, it's going to happen before 6000 years, which we count. So in the 7000th year is the years of Messiah, and according to that calculation, because we are in year 5784, 5784 since the creation of Adam and Eve, on that incredible Friday of the sixth day of creation, which is 5784 years ago according to the way we count as Jews so in that case, we have only not many years, 216 years till the coming of Messiah, which is pretty remarkable. There are opinions that say it's less. There's no question and this we need to be very, very clear about there is no question whatsoever that we are in the days of the travails of Messiah.

35:06
Look at the world we're living in.

35:07
We're living in a world which is not so simple.

35:10
We're living in a world that is in turmoil and in desperate need of clarity, and this cloud that is sitting upon the world today is a cloud that we hope and pray every single day.

35:31
That will be removed with the light of the coming of Messiah. So Hashem shall bless us all, that we should all merit to see and witness the coming of Messiah, because together with that blessing of the coming of Messiah comes the clarity that will come with it, and that clarity will be the greatest gift for us to be able to have no more doubts, to have no more questions, no more questions of why. We will have a very, very clear understanding that Hashem is the one who's in control of everything that goes on in the world, and that will be a day of tremendous joy, a day of tremendous happiness and, of course, most of all, a day of absolute connection with the Almighty, because there will be no more barriers. When you have absolute light, there's nothing that interferes with that light because you have clarity. Hashem should bless us all with that clarity. Have an amazing Shabbos and thank you all so much for joining us. Thank you.