Judaism’s Dying & Rising Messiah

Rabbinic Judaism posits the appearance of two Messiahs, one of whom will be killed for the sins of Israel in order to make atonement for them. Rabbinic tradition calls him the Messiah Son of Joseph. The other messiah is the Son of David who comes and resurrects the slain Messiah.

Here is what one rabbinic source teaches in respect to these two Messiahs:

וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת – הֵם שְׁנֵי מְשִׁיחִים, וְנִקְרָא צִפּוֹר כִּי כֵן יִתְכַּנּוּ נְשָׁמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת כַּיָּדוּעַ. וְעוֹד מָצִינוּ שֶׁיִּתְכַּנֶּה הַגּוֹאֵל לְצִפּוֹר, וְזֶה לְךָ לְשׁוֹן הַזֹּהַר בְּפָרָשַׁת בָּלָק (במדבר כד:יז): וּמֵהַהוּא מְעַרְתָּא יִסְגֵּא חַד עוֹפָא רַבְרְבָא עִלָּאָה דְּיִשְׁלוֹט בְּעָלְמָא וְלֵיהּ יִתְיְהִיב מַלְכוּתָא וְכוּ׳ עַד כָּאן. וּמָצִינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה שֶׁשְּׁנֵי מְשִׁיחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֵם מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם וּמָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד, וּבַתְּחִלָּה יִתְגַּלֶּה מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם וְיָמוּת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתְגַּלֶּה מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד. וּכְנֶגֶד שְׁנֵי אֵלּוּ אָמַר ״וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת״, כָּל אֵלּוּ הַכִּנּוּיִים הֵם מַעֲלוֹת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה כַּיָּדוּעַ לְיוֹדְעֵי דַעַת. 

וצוה הכהן,

G'd will issue directives for two birds to be taken, etc. These two birds represent the two Messiahs, the Mashiach ben Yoseph and the Mashiach ben David. The reason the Messiah is called a bird is that this is a description for souls in the higher regions. The Zohar on פרשת בלק Numbers 24,17 quotes another example of the Messiah being called a "bird." We quote: "From this cave there emerges a very great bird which will rule over the world and the kingdom will be handed over to him." All these expressions are euphemisms for celestial forces as any student of the Kabbalah is aware of. We have found that the first Messiah will be from the tribe of Ephrayim who will nevertheless die while revealing himself; he will be followed by the Messiah descended from David. When the Torah speaks of G'd taking "two birds which are pure," these words are similes for the two kinds of Messiah.

וְאָמְרוֹ וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזוֹב – רֶמֶז לִזְכוּת שְׁלֹשָׁה אָבוֹת: עֵץ אֶרֶז הוּא אַבְרָהָם שֶׁהוּא הָאָדָם הַגָּדוֹל בָּעֲנָקִים, וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרוֹ ״אַל תִּירְאִי תּוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב״ (ישעיהו מא:יד), וְאֵזוֹב הוּא יִצְחָק שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַגְּבוּרָה, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ צֵרוּף זְכוּת שְׁלָשְׁתָּן. 

The words ועץ ארז ושני חולעת ואזב, "and the cedar-wood and the scarlet and the hyssop," are allusions to the merits of the three patriarchs. Abraham is represented by the word עץ ארז; He was a man of gigantic spiritual stature. Jacob is represented by the words ושני תולעת, seeing he is called by that "nickname" in Isaiah 41,14 i.e. אל תירא תולעז יעקב, "do not be afraid O worm Jacob;" Isaac is represented by the word אזוב, seeing Isaac symbolises the attribute of גבורה, strength, heroism. The Messiah will have to combine all those attributes within himself.

וְאָמַר וְשָׁחַט, כָּאן רָמַז לַהֲרִיגַת מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן אֶפְרַיִם, כְּמַאֲמָרוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ אֶל כְּלִי חֶרֶשׂ עַל מַיִם חַיִּים, פֵּרוּשׁ, בִּשְׁבִיל כַּפָּרַת הָעָם פִּדְיוֹן נַפְשָׁם. וְכִנָּה אוֹתָם כְּלִי חֶרֶס עַל דֶּרֶךְ ״וַיִּיצֶר ה׳ אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה״ (בראשית ב:ז) שֶׁהוּא כְּלִי חֶרֶס. וְהַכַּוָּנָה בָּזֶה, לְצַד שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרוּ כִּכְלִי חֶרֶס שֶׁעוֹמֵד לִשְׁבִירָה, לְצַד גֵּרְעוֹן הַתּוֹרָה הַמִּתְיַחֶסֶת לְמַיִם חַיִּים, עַל סִבַּת מַיִם חַיִּים שֶׁאֵין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹרָה, וְעַל זֶה תִּשָּׁחֵט הַצִּפּוֹר הָאַחַת. גַּם בְּאֶמְצָעוּת דָּבָר זֶה יִלְבַּשׁ ה׳ בִּגְדֵי נָקָם הֵפֶךְ מִדּוֹתָיו הָרַחֲמִים, וְיַעֲשֶׂה כָּלָה לַגּוֹיִם הַמְּרֵעִים. וּמִמּוֹצָא דָּבָר אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאִם יִהְיֶה בָּהֶם תּוֹרָה לֹא יָמוּת הַצַּדִּיק. וְתִמְצָא שֶׁכָּתַב הָאֲרִ״י זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְכַוֵּן בַּתְּפִלָּה הַקְּבוּעָה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל זֶה הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁלֹּא יָמוּת, פֵּרוּשׁ, כִּי בְּאֶמְצָעוּת הַתְּפִלָּה יִתְרַבֶּה זְכוּתוֹ וְיָעֳמַד חַי וְתִתְבַּטֵּל גְּזֵרַת מָוֶת מִמֶּנּוּ. 

The word ושחט in this context is an allusion to the death of the first Messiah as G'd said אל כלי חרש על מים חיים. He will die as atonement for the sins of the people. The Torah speaks of כלי חרש, "a vessel made of earthenware," because original man was made of "dust from the earth" (Genesis 2,7); the entire human race was perceived as a כלי חרש, subject to irrevocable fragmentation, because man had not yet been given the Torah. Torah is compared to running water from a well, i.e. מים חיים. When there is no Torah in Israel it is no better than a כלי חרש, subject to total annihilation. This is why one of the two "birds" had to be slaughtered, i.e. would die. The death of that bird at the hands of the Gentiles, i.e. the death of the Messiah from the tribe of Ephrayim would give G'd a legal excuse to don His garments of revenge and to reverse His customary practice of wearing His "suit of mercy" by donning His "suit of retribution." As a result, He would dispose of all the wicked nations. Having been told what would happen if Israel would not practice Torah you can extrapolate that if they would observe Torah none of the afflictions alluded to in our portion as a national disease would have to occur, and the righteous (the first Messiah) would not have to die. The Ari Zal wrote that whenever we pray our regular prayers we must include the request that the Mashiach ben Yoseph should not die. Every prayer adds to the merit of that Messiah so that the collective prayers of the Jewish people may be sufficient to cancel the decree that he would die at the hands of the Gentiles.

וְאָמַר אֶת הַצִּפּוֹר הַחַיָּה שֶׁהוּא מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִד, יִקַּח אוֹתָהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וִיצָרֵף עִמּוֹ זְכוּת הָאָבוֹת, וִיצָרֵף נִקְמַת הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג. וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ ״יִקַּח אוֹתָהּ וְאֶת עֵץ וְגוֹ׳ וְטָבַל אוֹתָם בְּדַם הַצִּפּוֹר הַשְּׁחוּטָה״, וְיִתְגַּבְּרוּ הָרַחֲמִים מִזְּכוּת הָאָבוֹת וּמִמָּשִׁיחַ הַנֶּהֱרָג, וְיִתְכַּפְּרוּ כָּל הַדְרָגוֹת הַטֻּמְאוֹת וּמְנִיעוֹת דְּבֵקוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהוּא מַה שֶׁרָמַז הַכָּתוּב כָּאן בְּאָמְרוֹ וְהִזָּה עַל הַמִּטַּהֵר, פֵּרוּשׁ, עִנְיַן כַּפָּרָה, כִּי לְמַעַן זְכוּת הָאָבוֹת וּלְמַעַן אֶשְׁכּוֹל הַנֶּהֱרָג הוּא כּוֹפֶר וִיכַפֵּר עַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאָמַר שִׁבְעָה כְּנֶגֶד שִׁבְעָה הַדְרָגוֹת הַטֻּמְאָה אֲשֶׁר יִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי הֵם שִׁבְעָה כַּיָּדוּעַ, וְהֵן הֵנָּה הָרְמוּזִים בְּטֻמְאַת מֵת וְטֻמְאַת נִדָּה דִּכְתִיב ״כְּטֻמְאַת הַנִּדָּה״ וְגוֹ׳. וּבָזֶה וְטִהֲרוֹ, וְאָז וְשִׁלַּח אֶת הַצִּפּוֹר הַחַיָּה, כְּאָמְרוֹ בְּסֵפֶר הַזֹּהַר בְּפָרָשַׁת בָּלָק וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: וּמֵהַהִיא מְעַרְתָּא יִסְגֵּא חַד עוֹפָא רַבְרְבָא עִלָּאָה דְּיִשְׁלוֹט בְּכָל עָלְמָא וְלֵיהּ יִתְיְהִיב מַלְכוּתָא וְכוּ׳. וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ עַל פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה שֶׁהוּא עוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה שׁוֹלֶטֶת בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם. וְאָז וְכִבֶּס הַמִּטַּהֵר שֶׁהֵם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת בְּגָדָיו הֵם בְּגָדִים הַצּוֹאִים שֶׁהָיוּ מְלֻבָּשִׁים בְּנִשְׁמָתוֹ, כְּדֶרֶךְ אָמְרוֹ (זכריה ג:ד) ״הָסִירוּ הַבְּגָדִים הַצּוֹאִים״. וְגִלַּח אֶת כָּל שְׂעָרוֹ שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת צִמְחֵי הַחֹמֶר הֶעָכוּר, וְרָחַץ בַּמַּיִם הוּא הַתּוֹרָה בָּהּ יְטַהֵר מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו, וְאַחַר יָבֹא אֶל הַמַּחֲנֶה זֶה מַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם הַיּוֹרֶדֶת בְּנוּיָה מִלְמַעְלָה.  

The Torah goes on to speak about the צפור החיה, the surviving bird, i.e. the Mashiach ben David whom G'd will take and to whom He will attach the merits of the Patriarchs plus the right to avenge the murder of the Mashiach ben Yoseph; this is why the Torah writes: "He will take it together with the cedar-wood, etc., and dip it in the blood of the bird which has been slaughtered." This means that the combined power of the attribute of Mercy will outweigh the power of the attribute of Justice so that all the impurities of the Jewish people will be atoned for. When the Torah speaks here about the seven sprinklings to be performed on the מטהר, this is an allusion to the seven levels of impurity. Israel will be cleansed of one level of impurity by each of the seven sprinklings. Once this has been accomplished the "bird" will emerge from the cave mentioned in the Zohar, etc. The words על פני השדה, refer to this present world, and the message is that the Messiah will then rule over the whole world. After that, וכבס את המטהר, He will bathe Israel and its clothes, i.e. the sins which have formed its dirty garments and have stained its soul. The removal of the "dirty clothing" may be compared to the vision of the prophet Zecharyah 3 where the angel is described as removing the sin-stained clothing from the High Priest Yoshua in a similar simile describing the redemption from the exile in Babylon. וגלח את כל שערו, "and he will shave the hairs off his entire body;" these words are hyperbole for the removal of unworthy mental outgrowths. The words ורחץ במים are hyperbole for Israel immersing itself in Torah. This latter procedure will purify Israel's thought processes also. ואחר יבא אל המחנה, "After that he can enter the camp;" this is a reference to the camp of the שכינה, i.e. Jersualem on earth which will descend to earth having been built in Heaven. (Or HaChaim on Leviticus 14:9, Eliyahu Munk, Lambda Publishers, 1998; emphasis mine)

The Talmud interprets Zechariah 12:10, which speaks of YHWH God himself being physically pierced by the Jews,

“and I will pour out on the house of David and on those living in Yerushalayim a spirit of grace and prayer; and they will look to me, whom they pierced. They will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son; they will be in bitterness on his behalf like the bitterness for a firstborn son.” Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

As prophesying the slaying of the Messiah son of Joseph:

Apropos the eulogy at the end of days, the Gemara asks: For what is the nature of this eulogy? The Gemara answers: Rabbi Dosa and the Rabbis disagree concerning this matter. One said that this eulogy is for Messiah ben Yosef who was killed in the war of Gog from the land of Magog prior to the ultimate redemption with the coming of Messiah ben David. And one said that this eulogy is for the evil inclination that was killed.

The Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who said that the lament is for Messiah ben Yosef who was killed, this would be the meaning of that which is written in that context: “And they shall look unto Me because they have thrust him through; and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son” (Zechariah 12:10). However, according to the one who said that the eulogy is for the evil inclination that was killed, does one need to conduct a eulogy for this? On the contrary, one should conduct a celebration. Why, then, did they cry?…

The Sages taught: To Messiah ben David, who is destined to be revealed swiftly in our time, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: Ask of Me anything and I will give you whatever you wish, as it is stated: “I will tell of the decree; the Lord said unto me: You are My son, this day have I begotten you, ask of Me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession” (Psalms 2:7–8). Once the Messiah ben David saw Messiah ben Yosef, who was killed, he says to the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, I ask of you only life; that I will not suffer the same fate. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to him: Life? Even before you stated this request, your father, David, already prophesied about you with regard to this matter precisely, as it is stated: “He asked life of You, You gave it to him; even length of days for ever and ever” (Psalms 21:5). (Sukkah (52a); emphasis mine)

A sixteenth-century rabbi Moshe Alshekh wrote the following in respect to Zech. 12:10:

I will yet do a third thing, and that is, that “they shall look unto me,” for they shall lift up their eyes unto me in perfect repentance, when they see him whom they pierced, that is, Messiah, the son of Joseph; for our Rabbis, of blessed memory, have said that he will take upon himself all the guilt of Israel, and shall then be slain in the war to make atonement in such manner that it shall be accounted as if Israel had pierced him, for on account of their sin he has died; and, therefore, in order that it may be reckoned to them as a perfect atonement, they will repent and look to the blessed One, saying that there is none beside him to forgive those that mourn on account of him who died for their sin: this is the meaning of “They shall look upon me.” (Quoted by David Baron in The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah (Kregel, Grand Rapids, MI, repr., 1972), p. 442; emphasis mine)

These traditions refute the assertion of anti-Christian Jewish polemicists that neither the Hebrew Bible nor Judaism speaks of a dying and rising Messiah, especially when who is killed for the express purpose of making atonement for the sins of the world.

Further Reading 

Rabbinic Judaism’s Belief in 2 Messiahs

Leading Rabbi Exposes Jewish Polemics