[Avodah] Rambam on False Messiahs

[Lisa Liel]

On 8/27/2013 6:36 AM, Zev Sero wrote:
> On 27/08/2013 12:08 AM, shalomyitz at comcast.net wrote:
>> In Mishneh Torah Melachim uMilchamot 11, the Rambam writes that if a 
>> ruler arises and
>> he isn't successful in building the mikdash and gathering the exiles, 
>> or he dies, then he
>> isn't the Moshiach, and "HKB"H caused him to arise only to test the 
>> many".
>>
>> But what, according to Rambam, is passing the test?  Do we pass the 
>> test if we don't
>> follow the Moshiach while he is alive, or if we do?
>
> I think the Rambam's meaning is clear -- we pass the test by following 
> him,
> and showing that we continue to seriously expect Moshiach.  Subjecting 
> him
> to excessive skepticism, rejecting his claim without adequate evidence 
> against
> it, would indicate that we don't really expect a Moshiach at all, and 
> we would
> have treated the real one the same way.

I think that's going too far.  I don't think there's anything here about 
a "claim".  A leader of the Jews is supposed to do certain things.  If 
he does the first part of those things, *we*, rather than he, determine 
that those actions made him presumptive Mashiach.  If we don't make that 
determination, or if we try and prevent him, we fail the test.  He might 
still continue and succeed in doing the remaining things.  Our failure 
doesn't mean everything ends.

I don't think there's any evidence that Bar Kochva himself claimed to be 
Mashiach.  Maybe he did, but we have no record of it.

Lisa