The Rebbe's Rambam | Marking the completion of the entire set

Hilchos Melachim | Ch 11

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433

and the Holy One, blessed be He, did not issue a command ment in vain, thus, it must still occur in the future . The above discussion is only neces sary with regard to the five books of the Chumash , however, in the words of the prophets, the idea of Moshiach requires no clarification, for [121] all the books are full of this matter.

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 change; just as Hashem Himself states, “I, Hashem, have not changed,” 391 so is Torah inherently not subject to change. 392 This is the novelty of this third proof; not only is Moshiach a prophecy which will definitely be fulfilled (as demonstrated by the first two verses which the Rambam cited), it is also on the same level of eternity as Torah and mitzvos. However, this needs further elaboration: All prophecies in the Torah are eternal; if so, the earlier verses, although originally stated as a prophecy, should be sufficient to prove his point? This can be understood with the knowledge that although the rest of Torah remains eternal and ever lasting, it may sometimes be expressed in a spiritual form of eternity. The novelty of mitzvos is that they are eternal in the plain and physical sense as well. This is the advantage of the third proof; it demonstrates that Moshiach’s coming is a principle which must occur in the physical sense. This approach illuminates the Rambam’s series of proofs: it demonstrates that the Rambam brings evi dence regarding Moshiach from all types of verses in the Torah: a guarantee of the Torah, a prophecy, and a mitzvah. 393 This approach also broadens the Rambam’s con demnation of deniers of the Messianic belief, to include additional types of denial which were not necessarily included with the first proofs: If one denies Moshiach on the premise that Hashem can rescind his guarantee due to sin, 394 he would not necessarily be denying the written Torah, as this claim

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Pardes Hamelech

is based on a legitimate premise (albeit not regarding Moshiach); however, now that Moshiach is part of the mitzvos, which are truly eternal, the denier would be in this category of Torah-deniers. 395 Likewise, if one denies Moshiach and claims that the Torah is not to be understood literally, but rather in spiritual terms (which, by itself, may not necessarily be denying the written Torah, being that there are verses that are in fact interpreted as such) 396 — now that Moshiach is part of a mitzvah, which must be under stood literally, this would place him in the category of Torah-deniers as well. 397 Likkutei Sichos vol. 34 pg. 114 120. “Also regarding the cities of refuge…” Why was specifically this mitzvah chosen to incor porate Moshiach? 398 Moshiach resembles a city of refuge. In simple terms, just as the literal city of refuge is a place of refuge, Moshiach is a time of refuge. In spiritual terms, the cities of refuge represent a refuge from the yetzer harah , who is referred to as the blood-avenger. 399 Additionally, the cities of refuge also provide an atonement for the inadvertent killer, 400 which, in more broad terms, can refer to one who has performed any sin at all. Moshiach, too, will provide the ultimate refuge and atonement for every Jew. Likkutei Sichos vol. 34 pg. 121 121. “All the books are full of this matter” By stating that the books are “ mela’im, filled” with the topic of redemption, the Rambam indicates that .391 .å ,â éëàìî .392 .êìéàå 33 'ò â"ëç .êìéàå 182 'ò è"éç ù"å÷ì ¯ äæá äëåøàá äàø .393 .íù êìîä ñãøôá äàøå .á"ä ïî÷ìã ,èì÷î éøòã .394 'é÷æç éîéá åäåìëà øáëù ìàøùéì çéùî íäì ïéàù ììä 'ø úòã ã"òå éøáãá"å "åéìò äãéòä äøåúä"ù óà ,àèçä íøâù øáñù ,(à ,èö ïéøãäðñ) 'éñ ã"ç) æ"áãøä ú"åù äàøå ¯ "äæ øáãá íéàìî íéøôñä ìë .. íéàéáðä .åúìéçúá íéø÷éòå (çðø'à

.397 .äèîùäá â"ä ïî÷ì í"áîøä éøáãë .398 .êìéàå 573 'ò á"ç à"ùðú ù"äñ íâ äëåøàá äàø

.399 äðà" ú"ø ìåìàù íòèá) íéèôùî éô ì"æéøàäì íé÷åñôä 'ùå ú"ì äàø 380 'ò) á"ç ù"å÷ì äëåøàá äàøå .(âé ,àë íéèôùî Y "êì éúîùå åãéì äøåú éøáã" (à ,é úåëî) ì"æçîëå .êìéàå 297 'ò è"ç .(êìéàå 623 'ò .êìéàå .ãåòå ."ïéèìå÷ . . .400 ú"äò é"ùø äàøå .î"ëáå .á ,àé íù Y éãéî ä"ãåú .á ,á úåëî äàø .ä ,è çð

.395 .ç"ä â"ô äáåùú 'ìä í"áîøä ã"ñôë .396 .á ,çö ïéøãäðñ .à ,ã úåëøá äàø