The world of the Messiah

Nachmanides (the RamBan), in a commentary about the Messiah, states that the coming of the Messiah is not just a political thing. Living in a world free of war, where the lamb lies with the lion, does not mean the Messiah is here.

He explains that when good things happen we say a blessing “Blessed is G-d, who is good and does good.” When bad things happen we say “Blessed is G-d, the true Judge.” We know the good and bad all come from G-d, and even if we don’t really believe it at the time that a bad thing happens, we know that G-d is the true Judge, and there is a reason for this bad thing.

RamBan says that when the Messiah comes, we’ll be able to look back on all these ‘bad’ things and say, “Blessed is G-d, who is good and does good.”. We will be able to look at all these “bad” things and see why they are really “good” things.

If we look back on the destruction of the Temple, and the Holocaust and say “I see why these things needed to happen”, then the Messiah has not come yet. When we are able to look back on them and say “Blessed is G-d, who is good and does good”, then we are living in the Messianic age.

Shabbat Shalom.