Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

Despite the plethora of scriptural verses depicting the arrival of the Messiah and the age he would inaugurate, many of the rabbis following the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple learned to adopt a more realistic approach after being deceived by several pretenders who claimed to be the “real deal.”

One passage in particular comes to mind that many of you probably are already familiar with from our celebrations of the Tu Bi’Shevat[1] program. The first century Sage, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said: “If you should happen to be holding a sapling in your hand when they tell you that the Messiah has arrived, first plant the sapling and then go out and greet the Messiah.”[2]

An old Jewish story tells of a Russian Jew who was paid a ruble a month by the community council to stand at the outskirts of town so that he could be the first person to greet the Messiah upon his arrival. A friend said to him, “Why have you taken such a low-paying job?” Without missing a heartbeat, the man replied: “True, but the job is permanent” (especially in these hard economic times!)[3]

Maimonides’ comments are also well known, “And Ma’amin, I believe with a full heart in the coming of the Messiah, and even though he may tarry, I will wait for him on any day that he may come.” In the concentration camps, it is reported that many Jews chanted the Ani Ma’amin while walking to the gas chambers. Even in the face of despair and death, Jews affirmed the possibility of hope and redemption to a fractured world.

I would argue that R. Yochanan’s advice is imminently practical. The world will always be in need of saplings—that’s a certainty—but the arrival of the Messiah is more in the realm of an uncertainty. He was not the only scholar who felt that way. The fourth century Palestinian Sage, Rabbi Zera (290 – 320 CE) said, “Three things come when one least expects it: the Messiah, a found article and a scorpion.”[4] Maimonides clearly embraces the Talmudic realism regarding the Messiah in one of his best known Halachic passages pertaining to the Messiah:

• Do not think that the natural order of the world will be abolished or that some novelty will be introduced into nature; rather, the world will continue to follow its usual course. The verse in Isaiah, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard lie down with the kid” (Isa. 11:6) is meant only as an allegory and metaphor. Its meaning is that Israel will dwell in security with the wicked nations of the earth which are allegorically represented as ‘wolves’ and ‘leopards,’ as it says, “. . . a wolf from the desert shall destroy them. A leopard is watching against their cities” (Jer. 5:6). Those nations will eventually all adopt the true religion (dat ha-emet). They will neither rob not destroy; rather, they will eat permitted foods in peace and quiet as Israelites, as it says, the lion, like the ox, shall eat straw. All similar statements written about the Messiah are meant as allegories, and in the days of the messianic king everyone will understand which matters were allegories, and also the meaning hinted at by them.[5]

For Maimonides, the Messiah will not introduce new changes that overwrite the laws of nature. The world will remain much the same. However, the political differences will become more clear and noticeable. For the first time in her history, Israel will no longer experience the world’s animus directed toward her. This is for Maimonides, perhaps the greatest miracle that Israel as a people can look forward to in the Messianic Age.

One might wonder: What does Maimonides mean by “allegory” or “parable”? In Maimonides’ Commentary to tractate Sanhedrin, he explains his position regarding the questions regarding the Messiah, the Messianic Age, as well as the matter of the Afterlife.

• One class of thinkers holds that the hoped for good will be the Garden of Eden, a place where people eat and drink without bodily toil or faintness. Houses of costly stones are there, couches of silk, and rivers flowing with wine and perfumed oils, and many other things of this kind. . . . This set of thinkers on this principle of faith bring their proofs from many statements of the Sages, peace to them, whose literal interpretation forsooth accords with their contention or with the greater part of it.

• The second class of thinkers firmly believes and imagines that the hoped for good will be the days of the Messiah, may he soon appear! They think that when that time comes, all men will be kings forever. Their bodily frames will be mighty. . . . They also bring proofs for their statements from many remarks of the Sages, and from Scriptural texts which in their outward interpretation agree with their claim, or a portion of it.

• The third class is of the opinion that the desired good will consist in the resurrection of the dead. . . . These thinkers also point for proof to the remarks of the Sages, and to certain verses of the Bible, whose literal sense tallies with their view. The fourth class is of the opinion that the good which we shall reap from obedience to the Law will consist in the repose of the body and the attainment in this world of all worldly wishes, as, for example, the fertility of lands, abundant wealth, and the abundance of children. . . . The holders of this view point for proof to all the texts of Scripture which speak of blessings and curses and other matters, and to the whole body of narratives existing in Holy Writ.
• The fourth class is of the opinion that the good which we shall reap from obedience to the Law will consist in the repose of the body and the attainment in this world of all worldly wishes, as, for example, the fertility of lands, abundant wealth, abundance of children. . . . The holders of this view point for proof to all the texts of Scripture which speak of blessings and curses and other matters, and to the whole body of narratives existing in Holy Writ.

• The fifth set of thinkers is the largest. Its members combine all the aforesaid opinions, and declare the objects hoped for are the coming of the Messiah, the resurrection of the dead, their entry into the Garden of Eden, their eating and drinking and living in health there as long as heaven and earth endure.[6]

Maimonides’ offers an interesting and truthful reflection of his personal views that are not so obvious from Maimonides’ other ideas. Much of Maimonides’ “Guide for the Perplexed” deals with the problems posed by poetic metaphors of the Bible, which tend to get read in literal rather than metaphorical terms. He further argues that the Sages spoke in a simple idiom aimed at making faith intelligible to the masses. Rather than criticizing the Sages for some of their more provocative statements, Maimonides takes aim his contemporaries who viewed biblical metaphors in the most literal fashion

• The worst offenders are preachers who preach and expound to the masses what they themselves do not understand. They ought to be silent about matters they do not know as it is written, “If you would only keep silent, that would be your wisdom!” (Job 13:5). It would be far more honest for them to admit “We don’t understand what precisely our Sages intended in this statement, we don’t know how to explain it.” Thinking that they do understand, they vigorously interpret to the people what they think rather than informing them of what the Sages actually said. They therefore give lectures to the masses on the Aggadic passages found in tractate Berakhot and chapter Helek [of Sanhedrin] which they interpret in the spirit of literalism. [7]

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Nothing threatens the closed Haredi (Ultra-Orthodox) communities like the world of the Internet. Many of us can remember a time when the Internet did not exist as an option for ordinary citizens to use.

Today, every man, woman, and child has access to a world of information that the ancients never imagined possible.

The lines that have traditionally defined the boundaries of religious communities are suddenly becoming increasingly porous. Walls that have long been intended to keep the “outsider” out, and maintain control over those who are “insiders,” are rapidly disappearing.

The Internet Age has made the hidden world of the Haredi/Hassidic communities even more visible to the outsiders. More seriously, the outside world and its enticements have penetrated the walls the Haredi ghetto, which has long been a terra incognita—an exotic realm that is full of endless possibilities and potential discoveries!

The reticence of Haredi communities to accept the Internet is understandable. The force fields that rabbis have constructed over the centuries are dissolving. The modern world is encroaching upon their territory . . . What’s a poor Haredi rabbi to do?

Perhaps an interesting solution can be drawn from history.

Legend has it that when Alexander the Great arrived at the Phrygian city of Gordium, there was a famous knot that nobody knew how to undo. For Alexander, the solution was simple and obvious: with one stroke of his sword, he cut the knot. Henceforth, to cut the “Gordian Knot,” is to make a quick and decisive decision that instantly resolves an issue.

More and more Haredi rabbis are resorting to the problems posed by the Internet by making a simple proclamation: Ban it! In some rabbinical schools, the rabbis have special parties for breaking any cell-phone that has wireless services.

According to the Yeshiva World News, one prominent Haredi rabbi, R. Chayim Kanievsky, wrote a letter admonishing his followers to prefer martyrdom than use the Internet.[1] Rav Kanievsky is quoted by the newspaper HaMevaser as saying, “There is no excuse to permit the Internet for those claiming it is essential for a livelihood since rabbonim (rabbis) have already ruled the threats that are associated with the Internet are simply too great and one must simply distance oneself from it . . . even after filtering has been installed, there is no permission for having access to the Internet in one’s home, even for a livelihood . . .” He warned “Anyone who brings Internet into one’s home brings the yetzer hora (evil inclination) into the home.”

Among the Ultra-Orthodox, the chief objection to the Internet is the problem of pornography. Still, one must wonder: Surely there are Internet filters that can block any questionable website! Why are they making such a fuss? For the Haredi, any woman who does not follow the traditions of tsniut (modesty for women as defined by the Halacha) is also in the category of “pornographic.” Beyond that, even displaying a girl’s face-whether she be 2 or 80, violates the laws of modesty.

This writer suspects there is a deeper motivation at work here: There are numerous websites that have exposed many a shortcomings of the Haredi and Hassidic communities; the numbers of websites that are critical continue to grow.

Problems pertaining to thievery, fraud, pedophilia, racketeering, murder, and extortion—are but a few of the problems the Haredi leaders wish to hide from public viewing. Why? There are several reasons: (1) there is a perceived perception that hiding a problem will make it disappear from the public (2) many websites critical of the Haredi lifestyle might cause many people in their community to recognize the degree of dysfunction that exists among their rank and file members (3) Being accused of committing a crime is embarrassing to the family and the community (4) The more people know about the outside world, the more likely members will decide to leave the insular world they grew up in (5) Closing all communication with the outside world ensures that its leaders will maintain control over the masses.

Indeed, after their followers have been exposed to the Haredi scandals on the Internet, many people have chosen to leave their communities. At the very least, the endless stream of scandals creates cognitive dissonance. How could it not? My father often said to me as a child, “The only kind of person, who runs away from a policeman, is somebody that has something to hide. Live the honest life, you have nothing to fear.” When religious leaders attempt to hide the truth about their social problems from their followers, the truth will come out sooner or later.

The real issue boils down to a matter of censorship. “Looking good and pious” is extremely important for these cloistered societies and their leaders will move heaven and earth to keep their dysfunction away from public view. From their perspective, the Haredi community cannot survive in a modern age without somebody being in charge of hiding their secrets. In some ways, the Internet ought to be viewed as a good development for the Haredi communities because it will force their members to really “walk their talk,” and live more exemplary lives.

To my Haredi friends, please consider the following advice: Haredi Jews are not the only ones who have problems with the Internet—many people of all faiths and backgrounds are concerned about such an open-access highway of information.

There are many websites you would never want your children to have access to. But is the solution to ban the Internet, or is the solution much simpler: teach your children values that enhance personal respect toward others. Yes, this is a “simpler” way of cutting through the Gordian Knot, but in a lot of ways, it is much harder. For one thing, parents need to supervise their children’s web activity and there are numerous software programs that can provide parents with that kind of information.

However, the real challenge involves teaching by example. When children see parents living a moral and respectful life, the odds are their behavior is going to make a lasting positive effect upon their children’s character. Teaching kids to respect the voice of conscience may sound like a guilt trip to many, but from a Kantian perspective—conscience is the Voice of God that speaks within our souls. Learning to get in touch with that Voice is an excellent thing to do.

More importantly, the more you tantalize the forbidden by making verbal proclamations against using the Internet, the more likely you are going to tantalize the forbidden.

Years ago, comedian Bill Cosby offered a brilliant interpretation explaining the straightforward meaning of the text in a way that is clearer than most rabbinic and non-rabbinic commentaries:

Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God’s omnipotence did not extend to God’s kids. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was, “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Adam replied.

“Don’t eat the forbidden fruit,” God said.

“Forbidden fruit?

We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve…we got forbidden fruit!”

“No way!”

“Don’t eat that fruit!” said God.

“Why?”

“Because I am your Father and I said so!” said God (wondering why he hadn’t stopped after making the elephants). A few minutes later God saw his kids having an apple break and was angry. “Didn’t I tell you not to eat the fruit?” God asked.

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