[Avodah] Moshiach Ben Yosef

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

To give a slight variant on Zev's answer....

The gemara in Sukkah (52a) desvribes a machloqes between R' Dosa and
the Chakhamim. One says that Zekharia refers to mourning the slaying of
Moshiach ben Yoseif, the other, the yeitzer hara.

We could describe it as the Rambam saying that R' Aqiva's support of
Bar Kokhva despite a lack of Moshiach ben Yosef shows that it was the
Chakhamim who held it will be the yh"r's funeral. And therefore the
Bavli is only describing a shitas yachid (R Dosa), rejected by the rabbim.

(BTW, R' Dosa was on of Hyrkanus's sons. His life must have overlapped
R' Aqiva's. I wonder if he was alive during BK.)

I know 52b mentions him again. And, while R' Aqiva clearly didn't
demans a MBY, the chakhamim are only arguing against a pasuq referring
to his death. They could still believe in MBY in general.

Still, the Rambam can "hold like" R' Aqiva. ("Hold like" in quotes,
since the question isn't necessarily halachic.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

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