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

Hilchos Melachim | Ch 12

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446

[146] the world will continue to function in its usual manner. [147] That which is written in the

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 of Faith is the belief in the resurrection of the dead, something far removed from the natural order. We must therefore say that according to the Ram bam there will be two distinct stages in the times of Moshiach: there will be an initial phase brought on by Moshiach’s arrival, when the world will indeed con tinue to function normally. Then a separate stage will follow, where will the world truly transform. The lack of change during this first stage of Moshiach’s times can be deduced from a separate ruling that the Rambam discusses regarding the nature of Moshiach himself. The Rambam writes in the previous chapter: “Do not let it enter your mind that the King Moshiach must perform signs and wonders… For, Rabbi Akiva was a great sage among the Sages of the Mishnah, [yet] he would carry the clothes of Kozvah the King [Bar Kochba], and say about him that he is the King Moshiach… The Sages did not [ever] ask him for a sign or wonder.” 477 Through the Rambam explaining to us that “The Sages did not [ever] ask him for a sign or wonder.,” he is in essence providing proof for his later opinion that nothing in the natural order will actual change. The era set in motion by Moshiach’s arrival must mirror the characteristics of Moshiach himself. If the times of Moshiach were meant to herald an era full of supernat ural phenomena, it would stand to reason that a qualification for being Moshiach would be to “work miracles and wonders.” Now that the Rambam has proven that Moshiach need not work miracles, it follows that the times brought about by his arrival will similarly follow their normal patterns. Therefore, with regard to prophecies which don’t directly pertain to Moshiach as an individual or the impact his arrival has on the world, the Rambam understands them literally — as referring to the later stage of Moshiach. This resolves the seeming contradiction in the Rambam’s opinion. When he said that the natural order will continue, he was referring to the first stage of Moshiach. And when he ruled that the world-to-come will be a greater, more spiritual revela

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Pardes Hamelech

tion than the (initial) times of Moshiach, he was referring to the second phase. However, if the natural order remains unchanged in the initial phase, why must we say that another stage will follow? And what exactly will trigger the transition into the second stage, the stage of transformation? To understand this, we must preface with the fa mous passage in the Talmud: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raised a contradiction regarding Moshiach’s man ner of arrival; one verse says that he will arrive riding on the clouds, 478 and the other states that he will arrive “lowly and riding upon a donkey.” 479 Rabbi Alexandri explained: “If the Jewish people merit redemption — with the clouds of heaven,” i.e., Moshiach will come in a miraculous manner. “If they do not merit redemp tion, Moshiach will come lowly and riding upon a donkey.” 480 This explains why the Rambam was compelled to introduce this second phase: Moshiach will inevitably arrive, even if the Jewish people will not be meritori ous. In such a circumstance, his arrival will fit with the natural order of the world, “lowly and riding upon a donkey.” But as the Jewish people acclimate to their new Moshiach reality, a world free of distraction and worry, with every opportunity to involve themselves in Torah and mitzvos, they will merit true redemption! This will then automatically bring about the second phase of the times of Moshiach, “with the clouds of heaven,” a world filled with miracles and a complete change from the natural order. Therefore, when the Rambam discusses Moshiach from a strictly halachic perspective, he explains that “the world will continue according to its pattern.” But through conducting ourselves in a meritorious manner after leaving exile, we will surely see wonders immedi ately, just as we experienced upon our exodus from Egypt. Likkutei Sichos vol. 27 pg. 191 146. “The world will continue to function in its usual manner” As explained above, the Rambam holds that there

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