Messianics

As I walked to give my Shabbos shiur recently, I spotted an older rabbi walking with his aide, headed in my direction. I knew he had developed dementia and is a shadow of the formerly vibrant and scholarly man I had once known. He saw me from a distance, and as we drew closer, he stopped and called out to me. At first, I didn’t hear him, but then I realized he was calling me, “Moshiach.” He called it out again and again, beaming at me and reaching out for me. I smiled at him and said that pretty soon, we would both greet the Moshiach. His aide seemed to not understand our exchange, and as I wished my elderly neighbor a “Good Shabbos,” I let my mind wander over this encounter.

He had called me Moshiach. Could it have been, perhaps, my white beard? Or maybe my Shabbos garments had triggered some impression in his mind? Or maybe he had a sixth sense, some spiritual intuitiveness, and he was trying to let me know something that I was unaware of. Was he perhaps hinting that I was in the running for the “position” of Moshiach? What if I was the Moshiach? Is that even possible?

I continued to muse over these thoughts using my imagination (not my ego). Clearly, this was not a chance encounter, because whether or not one is Moshiach, a Torah-observant Jew knows that no encounter is purely “by chance.” Every event, especially the strange and unexpected ones, serves some purpose if we search hard enough for it. As I made my way down the street, I continued to ponder this thought as I headed to my waiting students, and I decided to make use of this encounter in what seemed like a constructive manner.

I quizzed myself.

How do I know I’m not the Moshiach? According to the Rambam, the Moshiach will tackle the task of bringing peace to the Jewish people. I do some of that in my professional work and as a rabbi, but I do not feel equipped to do so globally. The Moshiach has prophetic clarity nearing that of Moshe Rabbeinu. That is a gift from Hashem and not one that I have received. The Moshiach will be devoted to the needs of the Jewish people and will be a devoted servant of Hashem. That is something that takes a lifetime of work, and I’m far from achieving that righteous status and exalted spiritual level. The Moshiach will be accepted and revered by all factions of Jewry. I cannot claim that degree of unanimous respect. The Moshiach will be a holy man, something which I have written about in this column but have yet to attain.

The Moshiach will be a leader. I tend to shy away from telling others how to live their life or what to do. The Moshiach will exemplify the fulfillment of interpersonal mitzvos and those involved in devotional service of Hashem. This is a lifelong work-in-progress with much ground still to cover. I contemplated further. While it was clear that I am not the Moshiach and that this rabbi was mistaken, would I like to be all those things associated with Moshiach? Would I like to live like a holy man, gain prophetic clarity, act with righteousness and lovingkindness at all times, and be entirely devoted to Hashem in the fullest sense while taking charge of setting the direction for Jews everywhere? Regardless of whether I would like this role or not, shouldn’t I strive to live with these values and ideals simply because that is how a Jewish person actualizes the Torah and fulfills his life’s mission?

As I rounded the corner to shul, I realized that I needed to put myself into the learning and teaching mindset and to pull back from my free associations and imaginative thoughts. But as I set aside all of that internal activity, I thought that this might actually be a good idea for Jewish people. From time to time, we might consider quizzing ourselves the way I did, exploring at any moment why we are or are not a candidate for the role of Moshiach. Shouldn’t we all strive to be potential candidates? n

Rabbi Dr. Dovid Fox is a forensic and clinical psychologist, and director of Chai Lifeline Crisis Services. To contact Chai Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis helpline, call 855-3-CRISIS or email [email protected]. Learn more at ChaiLifeline.org/crisis.