Moshiach Questions
Real questions, submitted by actual OU Torah followers, with their real answers. NOTE: For questions of practical halacha, please consult your own rabbi for guidance.
Q. When moshiach comes will we only speak Hebrew? Will the world go back to how it was before the tower of Babel?
A. Thanks for your question. The book of Tzefanya (Zephaniah) 3:9 says, “For then I will turn the peoples to a pure speech so that all of them call upon the name of God and serve Him of one accord.”
The commentary Metzudas David says that this means that in Messianic times everyone will speak Hebrew rather than the language they currently speak. However, the Radak explains that it means they will only invoke the name of God and not those of their former idols. So maybe yes, maybe no. As with all things involving the messianic era, we don’t know all the details and will find out for sure when we get there.
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Q. The mosque of the Muslims is in the place where the third Temple is meant to be. If that’s the case, how will be the third Temple be built? Will a peace plan do the work?
A. Who knows when the messiah will come? Tomorrow? 600 years from now? If the messiah comes in 300 years or 500 years, will the mosque even still be there? When the messiah comes, it will be an era of worldwide peace so I assume there will be no opposition, but the details won't be known until they happen.
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Q. I'm hearing about Mashiach ben Yosef for the first time. Can someone explain this to me, please?
A. Moshiach ben Yoseif is kind of a pre-messiah. The arrival of the moshiach can play out in a number of different ways depending on what we deserve. In one of these scenarios, the Moshiach ben David (who is from the Tribe of Yehuda) will be preceded by the Moshiach ben Yoseif (who will be from the Tribe of Ephraim, one of the two Tribes descended from Yoseif.) The idea of Moshiach ben Yoseif is not overt in Tanach but there are some allusions. We don't know all that much about him other than that he's meant to lead the Jews in warfare as preparation for the moshiach's arrival and that he's destined to perish in battle.
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Q. I heard that there does not have to be a mashiach ben Yosef. If that is true, then why does there have to be a mashiach ben David?
A. A lot of things about the Messianic scenario are conditional. Will Moshiach arrive miraculously or humbly ("riding on a donkey")? Will we build the third Temple or will it descend from Heaven? Will Moshiach arrive at a preordained time or can we hasten his arrival through our deeds? A lot of it depends on us. Moshiach ben Dovid is a given – that's part of the equation that must occur. Moshiach ben Yoseif, however, is one of those conditionals. A person may or may not need to fill that role based on the scenario we have earned.
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Q. What will happen to the mitzvos in the messianic age? Do they change or cease?
A. Thanks for your question. The mitzvos are eternal and will continue to be in effect in the messianic era. I have written an article on that here: https://jewinthecity.com/2019/09/when-moshiach-comes-will-bacon-and-pork-be-kosher/
Rabbi Jack's latest book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.