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

Hilchos Melachim | Ch 12

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447

book of Yeshayahu , [148] “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid-goat,” is a metaphor and parable. It means that the Jewish people will dwell securely together with the wicked idolaters, who are compared to wolves and leopards, as it states: “A wolf of the deserts shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities.” All will return to the true faith and will neither steal nor destroy. Instead, they will eat only what is permitted, in peace with the Jewish people, as it states: “And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.”

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 will be two stages in Moshiach’s arrival, initially an era when the sole change will be our emancipation “from our subjugation to the gentile kingdoms,” 481 followed by a time when the world will experience miraculous change, techiyas hameisim , and an unfathomable shift from our current reality. This resolves the Rambam’s choice of words in Hilchos Ta’aniyos : The Rambam writes that “all these fasts will be nullified in the Messianic era and, indeed ultimately, they will be transformed into holidays and days of rejoicing and celebration.” 482 This can be split into two parts. In the first stage of Moshiach’s times, when the world will finally be at peace, “all these fasts will be nullified.” The second part, “indeed ultimately, they will be transformed into holidays and days of rejoicing and celebration,” is something outside of the natural order. Transforming the day of sadness itself into a day of celebration will only occur during the second stage of Moshiach’s arrival. Likkutei Sichos vol. 15 pg. 417 147. “That which is written in the book of Yeshayahu, ‘The wolf shall dwell with the lamb’” Parshas Bechukosai states, “I will remove wild beasts from the Land,” 483 which seems to similarly speak of a change to the natural order in the times of Moshiach.

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Pardes Hamelech

Why does the Rambam choose to cite a verse in Yeshayahu, and not a verse in Torah? The answer lies in the correct understanding of the verse: The Ramban explains that “the wild beasts will not enter your land, due to an abundance of plenty and tremendous blessings the cities will be filled with inhabitants, and therefore no wild animal will enter.” In other words, the verse “I will remove wild beasts from the Land” is not a change from the nature of the world, but rather a natural outcome of new circum stances. Therefore, the Rambam cites the verse from Yeshayahu. Likkutei Sichos vol. 27 pg. 191 fn. 4 148. “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb . . . is a metaphor and parable” Although the Rambam interprets these prophecies figuratively here, he acknowledges in his Iggeres Techiyas Hameisim that “these words are not absolute . . . and if they are to be understood literally, they will be miraculous…” 484 Now, the Rambam certainly holds that miracles will occur during the era of Moshiach, as global peace seems otherwise elusive. Techiyas Hameisim will also occur when Moshiach arrives, and all other wonders pale in contrast with the revival of the dead. Perhaps it can be argued, in the light of Kabbalah’s

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