More on the Messiah in the Talmud

מָשִׁיחַ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְנָחָה עָלָיו רוּחַ ה׳ רוּחַ חׇכְמָה וּבִינָה רוּחַ עֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה רוּחַ דַּעַת וְיִרְאַת ה׳ וְגוֹ׳״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַהֲרִיחוֹ בְּיִרְאַת ה׳״.

The Messiah was blessed with six virtues, as it is written: “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord” Isaiah 11:2; and it is written: “And his delight [vahariḥo] shall be the fear of the Lord, and he shall neither judge after the sight of his eyes, nor decide after the hearing of his ears” Isaiah 11:3.

אָמַר רַבִּי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִי: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהִטְעִינוֹ מִצְוֹת וְיִסּוּרִין כְּרֵיחַיִים. רָבָא אָמַר: דְּמוֹרַח וְדָאֵין, דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלֹא לְמַרְאֵה עֵינָיו יִשְׁפּוֹט״, ״וְשָׁפַט בְּצֶדֶק דַּלִּים וְהוֹכִיחַ בְּמִישׁוֹר לְעַנְוֵי אָרֶץ״.

Rabbi Alexandri says that the term hariḥo teaches that God burdened the Messiah with mitzvot and afflictions like millstones [reiḥayim]. Rava says that hariḥo teaches that the Messiah will smell [demoraḥ] and then judge on that basis, sensing who is right, as it is written: “And he shall neither judge after the sight of [lemareh] his eyes, nor decide after the hearing of his ears; and with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide equity for the meek of the earth” Isaiah 11:3–4.

בַּר כּוֹזֵיבָא מְלַךְ תַּרְתֵּין שְׁנִין וּפַלְגָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן: אֲנָא מָשִׁיחַ. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: בְּמָשִׁיחַ כְּתִיב דְּמוֹרַח וְדָאֵין, נֶחְזֵי אֲנַן אִי מוֹרַח וְדָאֵין. כֵּיוָן דְּחַזְיוּהּ דְּלָא מוֹרַח וְדָאֵין, קַטְלוּהּ.

The Gemara relates: Bar Koziva, i.e., bar Kokheva, ruled for two and a half years. He said to the Sages: I am the Messiah. They said to him: With regard to the Messiah it is written that he is able to smell and judge, so let us see ourselves whether he, bar Kokheva, is able to smell and judge. Once they saw that he was not able to smell and judge, the gentiles killed him. (Sanhedrin 93b)

״לְםַרְבֵּה הַמִּשְׂרָה וּלְשָׁלוֹם אֵין קֵץ וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם: דָּרַשׁ בַּר קַפָּרָא בְּצִיפּוֹרִי, מִפְּנֵי מָה כׇּל מֵם שֶׁבְּאֶמְצַע תֵּיבָה פָּתוּחַ, וְזֶה סָתוּם? בִּיקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת חִזְקִיָּהוּ מָשִׁיחַ, וְסַנְחֵרִיב גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג.

§ Apropos Hezekiah, the Gemara cites that which is stated: “That the government may be increased [lemarbe] and of peace there be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it through justice and through righteousness, from now and forever; the zeal of the Lord of hosts does perform this” Isaiah 9:6. Rabbi Tanḥum says that bar Kappara taught in Tzippori: Due to what reason is it that every letter mem in the middle of a word is open and this mem, of the word lemarbe, is closed? In the Masoretic text, the letter mem in the word “lemarbe” is written in the form of a mem that appears at the end of a word, closed on all four sides. This is because the Holy One, Blessed be He, sought to designate King Hezekiah as the Messiah and to designate Sennacherib and Assyria, respectively, as Gog and Magog, all from the prophecy of Ezekiel with regard to the end of days (Ezekiel, chapter 38), and the confrontation between them would culminate in the final redemption.

אָמְרָה מִדַּת הַדִּין לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, וּמָה דָּוִד מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאָמַר כַּמָּה שִׁירוֹת וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת לְפָנֶיךָ – לֹא עֲשִׂיתוֹ מָשִׁיחַ, חִזְקִיָּה שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ לוֹ כׇּל הַנִּסִּים הַלָּלוּ וְלֹא אָמַר שִׁירָה לְפָנֶיךָ – תַּעֲשֵׂהוּ מָשִׁיחַ? לְכָךְ נִסְתַּתֵּם.

The attribute of justice said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, and if with regard to David, king of Israel, who recited several songs and praises before You, You did not designate him as the Messiah, then with regard to Hezekiah, for whom You performed all these miracles, delivering him from Sennacherib and healing his illness, and he did not recite praise before You, will You designate him as the Messiah? It is for that reason that the mem was closed, because there was an opportunity for redemption that was thwarted.

מִיָּד פָּתְחָה הָאָרֶץ וְאָמְרָה לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֲנִי אוֹמֶרֶת לְפָנֶיךָ שִׁירָה תַּחַת צַדִּיק זֶה, וַעֲשֵׂהוּ מָשִׁיחַ. פָּתְחָה וְאָמְרָה שִׁירָה לְפָנָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִכְּנַף הָאָרֶץ זְמִרֹת שָׁמַעְנוּ צְבִי לַצַּדִּיק וְגוֹ׳״.

Immediately, the earth began and stated before Him: Master of the Universe, I will recite song before You in place of that righteous person, i.e., Hezekiah, and designate him as the Messiah. The earth began and recited a song before Him, as it is stated: “From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs: Glory to the righteous. But I said, my secret is mine, my secret is mine, woe unto me. The treacherous deal treacherously; the treacherous deal very treacherously” Isaiah 24:16.

אָמַר שַׂר הָעוֹלָם לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, צִבְיוֹנוֹ עֲשֵׂה לַצַּדִּיק זֶה! יָצְאָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: רָזִי לִי, רָזִי לִי. אָמַר נָבִיא: אוֹי לִי, אוֹי לִי, עַד מָתַי? יָצְאָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: ״בֹּגְדִים בָּגָדוּ וּבֶגֶד בּוֹגְדִים בָּגָדוּ״. וְאָמַר רָבָא, וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי יִצְחָק: עַד דְּאָתוּ בָּזוֹזֵי וּבָזוֹזֵי דְּבָזוֹזֵי.

The angel appointed to oversee the world said before Him: Master of the Universe, perform the will of this righteous person. A Divine Voice emerged and said: “My secret is Mine, My secret is Mine”; this matter will remain secret, as I am not yet bringing the redemption. The prophet said: “Woe unto me,” woe unto me; until when will the exile continue? A Divine Voice emerged and said: “The treacherous deal treacherously; the treacherous deal very treacherously” Isaiah 24:16. And Rava, and some say Rabbi Yitzḥak, says: Until looters and looters of looters come, the Messiah will not come…

״לָכֵן יְשַׁלַּח הָאָדוֹן ה׳ צְבָאוֹת בְּמִשְׁמַנָּיו רָזוֹן״. מַאי ״בְּמִשְׁמַנָּיו רָזוֹן״? אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: יָבֹא חִזְקִיָּהוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שְׁמוֹנָה שֵׁמוֹת, וְיִפָּרַע מִסַּנְחֵרִיב שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שְׁמוֹנָה שֵׁמוֹת. חִזְקִיָּה, דִּכְתִיב: ״כִּי יֶלֶד יֻלַּד לָנוּ בֵּן נִתַּן לָנוּ וַתְּהִי הַמִּשְׂרָה עַל שִׁכְמוֹ וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ אֵל גִּבּוֹר אֲבִי עַד שַׂר שָׁלוֹם״. וְהָאִיכָּא ״חִזְקִיָּה״? שֶׁחִזְּקוֹ יָהּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״חִזְקִיָּה״ – שֶׁחִיזֵּק אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַאֲבִיהֶם שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם.

§ The verse states: “Therefore shall the Master, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones [mishmanav] leanness” Isaiah 10:16. What is the meaning of the phrase “send among his fat ones leanness”? The meaning is that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let Hezekiah, who has eight [shemona] names, come, and exact retribution from Sennacherib, who has eight names. The Gemara elaborates: The eight names of Hezekiah are as it is written: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name is called Pele Joez El Gibbor Abi Ad Sar Shalom” Isaiah 9:5. The Gemara asks: But isn’t there an additional name, Hezekiah? The Gemara explains: That was not a given name; rather, it is an appellation based on the fact that God strengthened him [ḥizzeko]. Alternatively, he was called Hezekiah due to the fact that he strengthened the devotion of the Jewish people to their Father in Heaven. (Sanhedrin 94a)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב נַחְמָן לְרַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִי שְׁמִיעַ לָךְ אֵימַת אָתֵי בַּר נַפְלֵי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאן בַּר נַפְלֵי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מָשִׁיחַ. מָשִׁיחַ בַּר נַפְלֵי קָרֵית לֵיהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִין, דִּכְתִיב ״בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אָקִים

§ Rav Naḥman said to Rabbi Yitzḥak: Have you heard when the son of giants [bar niflei] will come? Rabbi Yitzḥak said to him: Who is the son of giants? Rav Naḥman said to him: He is the Messiah. Rabbi Yitzḥak asked him: Do you call the Messiah son of giants? Rav Naḥman said to him: Yes, as it is written: “On that day I will establish the Tabernacle of David that is fallen [hanofelet]” Amos 9:11. That is why the Messiah is called bar nifli. Rabbi Yitzḥak said to him that this is what Rabbi Yoḥanan says: During the generation in which the Messiah, son of David, comes, Torah scholars decrease; and as for the rest of the people, their eyes fail with sorrow and grief, and troubles increase. And the harsh decrees will be introduced; before the first passes the second quickly comes. (Sanhedrin 96b)