[Avodah] The Rambam and Eliyahu haNavi

[Joel C. Salomon]

On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 4:15 PM, Ben Waxman <ben1456 at zahav.net.il> wrote:

>  ----- Original Message ----- From: "Micha Berger" <micha at aishdas.org>
>
>>
>> Mashiach ben Yosef is discussed on Sanhedrin 98b. So if the Rambam
>> doesn't include it on his list of rabbinic speculations that may or
>> may not be born out le'asid lavo, does that mean the Rambam considered it:
>>   - so far out he didn't need to list it,
>>   - so mesoretic it's not speculation, or
>>   - the list simply isn't an attempt to be complete?
>>
>

 And yet the Rambam felt the need to list the requirements for Moshiach ben
> David, and that one must believe that he is coming. Therefore his silence on
> Moshiach ben Yosef is quite loud.
>

 Loud, maybe; clear, no.

Put it this way:  Our *nevi’im* have prophesied about the re-establishment
of *malchus beis dovid* and the coming of Eliyahu haNavi.  We also have a
very obscure *masora* about someone called “Mashiach ben Yosef”.  Rambam
gives the rules for identifying a *navi* and Mashiach ben David, but how
would you *possibly* positively identify Mashiach ben Yosef, and what
halachic significance would this identification have?

--Chesky
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