[Avodah] Moshiach Ben Yosef

[Arie Folger via Avodah]

R' Isaac Balbin wrote:
> Interestingly, the Gemora in Sanhedrin 92a says
>
> Three come when we are unaware (not focussed on them) The
> Moshiach, a found article (Yiush) and a Scorpion.
>
> How that Gemora fits into the Rambam's Ikkarim is very
> interesting, and I think it can if we follow Rav Y.H. Henkin's
> Tshuva in Bnei Bonim 3 Ma'amar 3, it is understood. He
> doesn't contend that we believe is that he will come every
> day, but rather that every day we believe he can come. A
> subtle but significant difference which he backs up.

I wonder, must we believe that mashiach can appear any minute? Since ani
verokhev 'al hachamor is be'ito, doesn't it rather follow that when
mashiach will come, it will be a slower process?

Doesn't the iqar of the Rambam (at least in the popular version) rather
read "I believe with complete faith he will come and I will wait every
day," meaning, waiting for the signs so we can join the wave, gather around
the mashiach as he becomes identified, but not that it is necessarily a
sudden process?

To begin the process, however, the candidate must first become a famous
person and engage in royal activities (not of the vanity of Rennaissance
European monarchs, I mean the real job of shoring up support, defending the
weak and downtrodden, protecting the oppressed, and generally gather
support necessary for establishing and / or being granted sovereignty.

Thoughts?
-- 
Arie Folger,
Recent blog posts on http://rabbifolger.net/

* Koscheres Geld (Podcast)
<http://rabbifolger.net/2016/02/15/koscheres-geld-podcast/>

* Kennt die Existenz nur den Chaos? G”ttliches Vorsehen im Jüdischen
Gedankengut (Podcast)
<http://rabbifolger.net/2016/02/14/kennt-die-existenz-nur-den-chaos-gttliches-vorsehen-im-judischen-gedankengut-podcast/>

* Halacha zum Wochenabschnitt: Baruch Hu uWaruch Schemo
<http://rabbifolger.net/2016/02/11/halacha-zum-wochenabschnitt-baruch-hu-uwaruch-schemo/>

* Is there Order to the World? Providence in Jewish Thought
<http://rabbifolger.net/2016/02/09/is-there-order-to-the-world-providence-in-jewish-thought/>

* What is Modern Orthodoxy (from a radio segment)
<http://rabbifolger.net/2016/02/08/what-is-modern-orthodoxy-from-a-radio-segment/>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.aishdas.org/pipermail/avodah-aishdas.org/attachments/20160314/cab173a3/attachment-0004.htm>