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Thank you for joining the 
Judaism demystified podcast 

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again, Professor, see skin. 
That's an honor to have you on. 

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You are one of the most 
requested guests to have on 

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again, so thank you for making 
the time. 

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Well, it's sure to be here and 
today I want to speak about 

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messianism and the concept of a 
messiah so let's face it. 

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We pray for the coming of a 
messiah every day and I want to 

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argue that judaism's two 
greatest contributions to World 

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Civilization, our first of All 
monotheism, but second of all, 

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this is going to sound funny, 
but hear me out the idea of a 

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future Judea Judaism is 
responsible in many ways for the

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concept of a future. 
Now what do I mean by that? 

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It isn't that, you know, 
alright. 

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Tomorrow is another day and a 
day after that and the week 

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after the money, everybody had 
that what Judaism gave us and 

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this is so important. 
Is the notion that the future is

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open may contain new and better 
possibilities? 

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What Judaism gave us? 
Is the idea that we are 

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justified in hoping for a better
future than what we have. 

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So, when you really come down to
it, what is belief in a messiah.

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It's the belief that no matter 
how bad things are now, Now this

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is not the way they have to be. 
And in the end it's not the way 

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they're going to be. 
So if I can put this in another 

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way, belief in the Messiah is 
the belief that the human 

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situation is not tragic somehow 
or other again. 

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As bad as things may seem right 
now somehow or other, we are 

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justified in hoping and working 
for a better future. 

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Future for something different 
than what we now have. 

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And to understand how important 
this is, we just refer to the 

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Dante in Dante's Hell, what is 
written over the passageway to 

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hell and what's inscribed, as 
abandon hope. 

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All ye, who enter Okay. 
Now what Judaism is telling us 

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is we shouldn't abandon that. 
This is an essential part of 

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what it is to be Jewish in the 
first place. 

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We're told, for example, that in
the death camps in World War 

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two, people were led to, to 
their desk, and many of them 

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asserted one of my mantras. 
Duties of principles. 

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I believe with perfect faith in 
the coming of the Messiah, 

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though. 
He may carry it. 

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I believe. 
And I don't think they thought 

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there was going to be some 
magical change, you know, all of

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a sudden you know, their citric 
is somebody would come in and 

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rescue thy that trivializes it. 
What I do think is that this 

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idea that this was not the end 
result Human existence gave them

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some measure of dignity as they 
face their death and belief in 

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the Messiah. 
I think has given Jews some 

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measure of dignity throughout 
our history. 

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And let's face it, we we've 
encountered a lot of tragedy but

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but again it's not the end. 
Now there is no reference to a 

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Messianic future in the Torah. 
So let's start there, in fact, A

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lot of people don't realize 
this. 

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If you think about the end of 
the Torah, the Torah pretty much

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ends on a sour note, Moses has 
been leading people through the 

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desert and they been provoking 
God and disobeying Moses the 

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whole way. 
And in the end when God says to 

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him, you know, behold, you're 
about to sleep with your 

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father's. 
And if you're about to die, 

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Moses, you can't enter. 
The promised land and God gives 

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him a picture and we would hope 
that picture would be, you know,

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people enter the promised land 
and return to God and celebrate 

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it. 
But in fact what God says is 

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that the new generation is going
to be a disaster. 

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If you know the passage 
Deuteronomy 31 a God says 

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they're going to provoke me even
more. 

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I'm going to hide my face from 
them and every conceivable 

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disaster. 
Her is going to befall them, 

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they're going to turn to 
idolatry, they're nothing but a 

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horn. 
Having the the rhetoric is 

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terrible that's more or less how
the Torah ends. 

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And that's why it's so important
that by the time we get to the 

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prophets, the great literary 
prophets. 

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What they're saying is no this, 
there's got to be something 

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more. 
There's got to be something. 

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We can't just have this end of 
this, this terrible. 

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The deter there's got to be 
something better than this. 

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And that's why they give us the 
idea of what they call the days 

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of the Lord, which are coming. 
It's going to set everything, 

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right? 
Or if you will, the coming of a 

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messiah. 
For those who don't know, 

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Messiah, just means the one 
who's anointed Kings and Priests

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were Anointed with oil in the 
ancient, right? 

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Even to this day, King Charles, 
The third, if you walk to the 

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coronation was anointed with 
oil. 

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So, the Messiah, maschiach is 
just means the Holy One, 

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Jeremiah says, surely the days 
are coming when the Lord will 

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raise up for David A righteous 
Branch, he shall reign as king 

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Messiah, will be a King deal, 
wisely shall execute Justice and

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righteousness in the And all 
right. 

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What is David doing here? 
Well, God had made a covenant 

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with David and David's Kingdom 
in effect was going to go on 

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forever and so the Messiah is 
supposed to be a descendant of 

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David will come from the House 
of David. 

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What is the Messiah going to do?
What? 

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We get a variety of suggestions.
Most important, the Messiah will

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restore. 
Our sovereignty to Israel. 

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If we're under the domination of
a foreign power, which we were 

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Babylonia Persia Rome. 
The Messiah will restore 

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sovereignty. 
The Messiah will rebuild the 

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Temple. by the time we get to 
rabbinic and Pharisees 

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literature, Messiah will bring 
about the resurrection of the 

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Dead. 
The Messiah will be preceded by 

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a cataclysm with the mountains 
will shake in the rivers will 

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dry up and there may be a final 
battle of good against evil, the

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battle of Armageddon. 
And eventually all of this, the 

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evil will be wiped out. 
And what will come in is a Of 

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Earthly Paradise. 
Well, that's an awful lot looked

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at philosophically. 
The belief that are the hope for

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a better future believe in the 
coming of Messiah gives us a 

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kind of paradox. 
It's been said, I think with 

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justification that the belief in
the coming of a messiah is 

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either Pandora's box or the 
elixir of life. 

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Okay. 
Now which one, what why is this?

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So paradoxical, it's the elixir 
of life again because if we 

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abandon hope, we've got nothing,
we abandon hope we. 

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All we have is despair. 
Then we have to say as bad as 

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things are, they're not going to
get better. 

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And there's no point in working 
and devoting ourselves to 

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straightening things out. 
And that to some extent, It's 

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sort of the nadir of human 
existence. 

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I would say there's no hope 
whatsoever. 

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On the other hand, why is that 
Pandora's box? 

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And the answer is because, 
historically, Messianic fervor 

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has led to a great deal of 
tragedy. 

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If you know about you wish 
history, then you know, there 

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were two revolts against the 
Roman Empire, both of them 

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turned out to be utter disasters
in the second revolt. 

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And there was a guy named Marco 
seba whose name was changed to 

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bar kochba. 
Which means son of the star. 

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No less than Authority Rabbi 
Akiba proclaimed. 

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Him the Messiah. 
We have revolted against Rome. 

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Once it didn't go well, and we 
revolted again, and the Romans 

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decided this time, they're going
to teach us a real lesson, and 

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more or less pursued, a 
Scorched, Earth, policy, 

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Jerusalem, destroyed, thousands 
of crucifixions of people led 

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off to slavery. 
So in the ancient world, 

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Messianic fervor gave rise to to
utterly disasterous revolts and 

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let's be honest, it gave rise to
a rival religion because a good 

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portion of Judaism thought that 
Jesus was the The Messiah in 

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fact, maschiach in Hebrew and 
translated into Greek is what 

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just Christos. 
He was the, he was the Christ. 

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He was the promised Messiah and 
I would say that practically 

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every age that Judaism has been 
beset by false Messiahs. 

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In many cases it's LED as I say 
it's led to death and 

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destruction and disaster in some
cases. 

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Has its led to her great, big 
hill of disappointment, Shabba 

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tights. 
Of e is converted to Islam in 

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order to save his life. 
So the problem is this, when the

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chips are down, when things are 
terrible, is when we are most 

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susceptible to Folly, And 
believe me there is a lot of 

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folly in our history. 
Unfortunately, on the other hand

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it's when the chips are down 
that we most need hope for a 

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better future. 
So that's why it's been called 

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both pants Forest box and the 
elixir of life. 

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Now faced with this history, 
what did the rabbi's do the 

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rabbi's early rabbinic 
literature should let's say they

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realize they had been burned 
badly again to revolts and 

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arrival religion. 
And so, I would say that in the 

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early part of rabbinic 
literature and the mishnah, 

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there's a tendency to sort of 
downplay, the importance of the 

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Messiah, they can't get rid of 
it. 

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They know that and yet it's in 
the profits. 

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And again, it's the elixir of 
Life, they can't just erase it 

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and the other And they know the 
price has been paid and it was 

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terrible. 
And so there's a tendency now to

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kind of do I would say, either 
ignore it or diminish, its 

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importance. 
There's always the question of 

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what is the Messiah going to be?
What is the model we have in 

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mind for a messiah? 
Is it going to be a warrior? 

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In the image of bar, kochba 
someone establishes Authority 

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and throws out the domination of
a foreign power or is it going 

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to be a Torah scholar? 
Well, these don't always go 

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together. 
So what exactly are we praying 

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for here? 
By the time you get to the 

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gemara their start speculation 
comes back to Messianics Babs. 

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Their Messianic speculation 
good, right. 

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But there is no settled 
Doctrine. 

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Professor may I ask. 
So you say in the mission of 

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there's a tendency to downplay 
for a few weeks. 

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You're right. 
It doesn't seem to me to be of a

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central Borden. 
So I'm making a generalization 

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the mission of the mishnah is 
relatively silent about it. 

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That's right. 
That's, that would be my plan. 

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And, and if I'm understanding 
the direction, you're going to 

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go, It sounds like every 
generation has their own unique 

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relationship to the Messiah. 
Based on mitigating factors that

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they're going to actually 
physically roll. 

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Aha. 
So they so the. 

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So the so the town has the 
mishnah since it had a very bad 

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experience. 
Fresh bad experience. 

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The tendency is going to be 2. 
Don't play. 

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That's right. 
That's it. 

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Thank you for good reason. 
You have to understand what 

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these people. 
It was through the memories 

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still fresh in their minds. 
What happened? 

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By the time you get to later 
rabbinic, literature the 

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Spectrum khlyen Sanhedrin. 
Speculation starts to come by. 

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All right. 
When is the prayers for the 

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Messiah or there? 
When is the Messiah going to 

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come a when everything is just 
so rotten. 

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I mean, things just reach the 
absolute pits of what human 

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beings are capable of. 
God is going to look down and 

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they I better do something 
drastic. 

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I think I'm going to send the 
Messiah so that's one Theory. 

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Another theory is no, it's the 
Opposite it's when we finally 

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get our act together, it's when 
we repent it's when we start 

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doing Justice to the observation
of Shabbat and observing the 

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Commandments that we will be in 
effect rewarded. 

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The Messiah will be in effect. 
The icing on the cake, God will 

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look down and say, well now 
these people really deserve to 

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enjoy their Messianic future and
therefore this is The time to 

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send the Messiah. 
There's a theory that says the 

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Messiah has already come. 
The Messiah has come and 

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basically. 
Now, the only thing that's 

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really important, or basically, 
observance of The Commandments 

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and good deeds, and all of this 
Messianic speculation and 

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everything is really to beside 
the point. 

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That that's that's Hillel, who 
says that basically Messiah 

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came. 
It's over a Rob says that to, 

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basically, all the Messiah, Guys
have come and gone. 

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What remains are fulfillment of 
The Commandments and good. 

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Deeds. 
And you can understand why that 

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might be what, you know, 
somebody who you looking back 

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and all of this good say that 
there is a old tradition 

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actually, which I kind of like 
the Messiah is here right now. 

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The master which is we don't 
recognize him Messiah is a leper

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outside, the gates of Rome 
bandaging his wounds. 

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It's just that we're too 
occupied with other things to 

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recognize that he's he's here. 
Well, If you therefore if you 

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say what is the, what is the 
rabbinic doctrine? 

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00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:28,800
On the Messiah, there isn't one 
it's all over the lot. 

231
00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:35,000
And of course, again the prayers
are there, but exactly what are 

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we praying for unclear at least 
if we stick with the rabbinic 

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literature thus far. 
And of course, this leads opens 

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the door to what I do, which is 
Theology and philosophy because 

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there's a lot of stuff that has 
to be clarified. 

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You just leave this ambiguous as
it is or do you try to Introduce

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some clarity to this soap. 
I would say if you look at what 

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people have attempted to do, To 
clarify the doctrine. 

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You have basically five 
possibilities. 

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The first I'm calling inflation,
okay? 

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If you are in inflation assess, 
what you say is, look, here's a 

242
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long list of what the Messiah 
has to do. 

243
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Restore sovereignty, rebuild the
Temple, raise the Dead, all the 

244
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rest of this. 
And, unless all of this has 

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happened, or unless there's a 
final battle of good against 

246
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evil and all of the other 
Pathetic images were just going 

247
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to have to wait. 
So what you do you raise the bar

248
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of what the Messiah has to do is
so high and what that does is it

249
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gives you the right to reject 
false Messiahs. 

250
00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:10,000
So did Jesus restore 
sovereignty? 

251
00:19:11,300 --> 00:19:15,600
No, he did not. 
Did Jesus bring about a final 

252
00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,000
battle of good against evil? 
No, he didn't. 

253
00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:22,800
You can Jesus, you can reject 
shaba tights, to be, you can 

254
00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,900
reject Frank, you can reject all
of the false Messiahs in every 

255
00:19:27,900 --> 00:19:32,000
age of come along, because they 
didn't cross the bar because the

256
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bar is so, so difficult to cross
and therefore what you say, we 

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have to wait. 
And in fact, what you say is 

258
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waiting or patience is a virtue,
you should pray, and simply the 

259
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Messiah will come and God's 
goodness. 

260
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:54,800
Good time and we just simply 
have to wait for the professor. 

261
00:19:55,300 --> 00:20:00,800
Sorry to interrupt. 
So you mentioned earlier that 

262
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some of the rabbinic attitudes 
in the talmud involved, you 

263
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know, like a cataclysmic event 
and all that. 

264
00:20:09,100 --> 00:20:14,400
So are you trying to say that 
these sages in the talmud that 

265
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presented that idea of Messiah 
were We engaging in, in, in 

266
00:20:21,800 --> 00:20:25,800
inflating, the Messiah, the 
racing they make, they look, 

267
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they have provided a motive 
station and what they said, they

268
00:20:29,900 --> 00:20:35,700
have prophetic passages to back 
them up and they can say, for 

269
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example, especially as some of 
them did at the time, bar kochba

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was not the Messiah. 
He was a false Messiah. 

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00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:45,900
Jesus. 
Paul. 

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00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:50,100
So you've got a long list now. 
People, Who didn't do all of 

273
00:20:50,100 --> 00:20:53,600
this and you can reject them as 
false Messiahs. 

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00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:01,000
That's the advantage of the 
inflation of the inflation is 

275
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,800
position, though. 
Let's face it is relying. 

276
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Someone heavily on the, 
miraculous on the things that 

277
00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:15,600
are really Beyond, normal human 
control. 

278
00:21:16,100 --> 00:21:19,900
So those sages. 
So what happened? 

279
00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:26,300
And basically try to instill a 
certain direction of Messiah to 

280
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Essentially assure that these 
things won't happen again. 

281
00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:30,600
Yes. 
Gotcha. 

282
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:32,100
Okay. 
All right. 

283
00:21:32,100 --> 00:21:36,200
The other is deflation the 
opposite and the greatest 

284
00:21:36,700 --> 00:21:40,700
deflation is who ever lived in. 
Jewish history is Moses 

285
00:21:40,700 --> 00:21:44,200
maimonides in the mission of 
Torah. 

286
00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:52,500
He's very clear that don't 
expect miracles to happen, don't

287
00:21:52,500 --> 00:21:55,400
they? 
This stuff is Messiah is not 

288
00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,300
going to be called upon Upon to 
perform Miracles. 

289
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,200
What is the Messianic age going 
to be? 

290
00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:07,000
It's going to be an age. 
Yes sovereignty will be restored

291
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:11,600
when Israel is at peace with its
neighbors and the great thing 

292
00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,200
about peace is that we won't 
have to spend as much time 

293
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:18,900
preparing for war. 
We won't have to devote so much 

294
00:22:18,900 --> 00:22:22,800
of our resources, both time and 
money to War. 

295
00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:27,100
And the great thing about that 
is we will be able to Throughout

296
00:22:27,100 --> 00:22:32,200
most of what we do to what we 
are really best suited for which

297
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:36,400
is study. 
We're going to study the Torah, 

298
00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:38,500
the talmud we're going to study 
science. 

299
00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:40,200
We're going to study 
mathematics. 

300
00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:45,300
We're going to study astronomy 
and that's what the Messianic 

301
00:22:45,300 --> 00:22:49,800
age is all about. 
Well says maimonides. 

302
00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,200
Look, they're still going to be 
rich and poor in the. 

303
00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:56,300
It's not going to be an Earthly 
Paradise as some people imagine.

304
00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,300
Imagine they're still going to 
be rich and poor, they're still 

305
00:22:59,300 --> 00:23:02,000
going to be the sick. 
We're still going to have to 

306
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:06,700
care for the sick. 
You're still going to have to 

307
00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:11,800
help the poor. 
So all of this stuff is going to

308
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:16,000
be the same, the Torah will 
still be valid again. 

309
00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:20,100
We're going to do what we are 
best suited for and that's 

310
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,600
perfecting our intellect. 
So I have to say, whenever I 

311
00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,200
teach maimonides, I tell my My 
students. 

312
00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:32,600
If you want to see what the 
Messianic am, you're sitting on 

313
00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:37,000
a college campus, if you want to
see what maimonides Messianic 

314
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:39,200
age. 
Looks like when class is over, 

315
00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:43,600
just go out and walk her on 
campus Because if he's right, 

316
00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:48,400
the world will become a gigantic
Research Institute, there will 

317
00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,300
be libraries, there will be 
Laboratories, there will be 

318
00:23:51,300 --> 00:23:54,900
seminars, there will be 
tietjens, there will be books 

319
00:23:54,900 --> 00:23:58,700
there that's the my monody and I
do but there aren't going to be 

320
00:23:58,700 --> 00:24:03,000
any Any miracles? 
Okay, that's so that's. 

321
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:07,000
That's what I'm calling a 
deflationary messiah. 

322
00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:12,300
You know what's so interesting 
about about how you describes, 

323
00:24:12,300 --> 00:24:15,600
the rambam is vision of mushy 
athletes, because if you and I'm

324
00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,400
sure, you know, the professor 
knows when you go through the 

325
00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:24,100
Ramones writings, there is a 
clear, his entire his entire 

326
00:24:24,100 --> 00:24:27,800
philosophy of life, is 
essentially that life should be 

327
00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:33,800
spent learning and Knowledge of 
God, knowledge of physics and 

328
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,500
metaphysics. 
And the knowledge is really what

329
00:24:36,500 --> 00:24:38,700
life was for the rambam. 
That's right. 

330
00:24:39,100 --> 00:24:42,300
Looking for really mature, has 
really just a realization of 

331
00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:46,000
everything that he stood for, in
a sense. 

332
00:24:46,100 --> 00:24:49,200
That's exactly right. 
I mean, his his account of the 

333
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:54,100
Messiah, his the best account of
it comes at the climax of the 

334
00:24:54,100 --> 00:24:57,200
mission of Torah the last book 
of the mission of Dora and this 

335
00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,700
is sort of, I would say is a 
thief. 

336
00:25:00,800 --> 00:25:04,200
Imagine Attic and rhetorical 
Climax and now that you've got 

337
00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:07,000
all of Jewish law in front of 
you. 

338
00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:11,300
What is it going to lead to? 
And it's going to lead to eat 

339
00:25:11,300 --> 00:25:17,700
the things and hopes an age. 
When the study of this is not 

340
00:25:17,700 --> 00:25:22,200
just what we would call, sacred 
text, but bread, secular 

341
00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:26,400
subjects, math, astronomy, 
physics, biology, that's what 

342
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:29,600
we're going to do with ourselves
instead of preparing for war. 

343
00:25:31,000 --> 00:25:34,200
Ironically he also mentions the 
reason for the destruction of 

344
00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,600
the second temple. 
Was that your that we were 

345
00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:40,300
involved in stupidity? 
Like what gave up the study of 

346
00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:43,700
the sciences and that's why we 
lost the Romans. 

347
00:25:43,700 --> 00:25:46,400
I don't think that's true but 
that's what he said. 

348
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:49,500
Well really also we weren't 
behaving like a normal 

349
00:25:49,500 --> 00:25:53,000
sovereignty from would in 
preparing for war and strategy 

350
00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:55,000
and all that. 
That's right too much 

351
00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,000
Superstition. 
Yes too much distraction. 

352
00:26:00,700 --> 00:26:05,800
Okay, number three. 
Marginalization Which to some 

353
00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:11,400
extent we've already discussed 
if you want to marginalize it, 

354
00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:19,700
what you say is, look, observe 
the Commandments, help the poor,

355
00:26:19,700 --> 00:26:23,900
help the sick, help the 
bereaved, and as far as 

356
00:26:23,900 --> 00:26:28,500
messianism goes, it'll come when
it comes. 

357
00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:37,900
So I was once in a seminar and 
on messianism and a very noted 

358
00:26:37,900 --> 00:26:42,400
Jewish scholar basically said 
that, but look okay. 

359
00:26:42,400 --> 00:26:46,700
We pray for it. 
But it's still Judaism is and 

360
00:26:46,700 --> 00:26:51,000
always has been and always will 
be a question of performance of 

361
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,100
The Commandments and of good. 
Deeds. 

362
00:26:53,900 --> 00:26:59,000
And don't speculate, don't try 
to force gods. 

363
00:26:59,100 --> 00:27:03,200
And this is sort of the machine 
iock who what we said. 

364
00:27:03,900 --> 00:27:08,000
And also some of the rabbi's did
this that they don't get rid of 

365
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:12,600
it but they don't make it 
central to what they're doing 

366
00:27:12,900 --> 00:27:19,900
and they see the dangers that 
have come from a historical 

367
00:27:21,200 --> 00:27:27,600
number 4, and what I call 
internalisation The great Jewish

368
00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:32,300
philosopher. 
Emmanuel Lebanon has said that 

369
00:27:32,300 --> 00:27:36,100
all of these references to 
cataclysm and shaking of the 

370
00:27:36,100 --> 00:27:42,300
earth and disruptive changes. 
These all should be in effect 

371
00:27:42,300 --> 00:27:45,800
understood as what's going on 
inside of you. 

372
00:27:47,300 --> 00:27:54,600
It's you, who, if you understand
correctly, you're going to have 

373
00:27:54,700 --> 00:27:56,600
a change in become a different 
person. 

374
00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:58,700
You're going to become less 
selfish. 

375
00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:02,100
You're going to be more 
concerned with others, with 

376
00:28:02,100 --> 00:28:06,300
helping others, with giving your
life to others. 

377
00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:14,700
And this is in effect, a kind of
psychological cataclysm that's 

378
00:28:14,700 --> 00:28:16,900
going to go. 
It's not that much. 

379
00:28:17,100 --> 00:28:19,400
Mountains will shake and rivers 
will dry up. 

380
00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:24,100
Its how much you will change if 
you understand correctly? 

381
00:28:24,100 --> 00:28:28,200
With Judaism is really about 
very Hasidic view. 

382
00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:29,400
Yes. 
And it will. 

383
00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:33,000
He was heavily influenced by 
hasidism and at one point, he 

384
00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:37,700
says, you know, look the Messiah
who I'm the Messiah, never be 

385
00:28:37,700 --> 00:28:43,400
careful with this. 
Each of us in effect has a, we 

386
00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:50,000
might say the possibility of 
achieving a kind of Messianic 

387
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:55,500
Perfection. 
If we take off again, what what 

388
00:28:55,500 --> 00:29:04,000
the religion is asking us to do.
It's as if we're, if we we it 

389
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,500
isn't that the so much as 
historical. 

390
00:29:09,300 --> 00:29:12,300
Disruption as as a 
psychological. 

391
00:29:13,500 --> 00:29:17,500
And finally, there's the thief. 
What I call deferral to be 

392
00:29:17,500 --> 00:29:21,900
careful here. 
I'm thinking of Herman Cohen. 

393
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:27,000
Do understand cones view of the 
Messiah. 

394
00:29:27,100 --> 00:29:31,100
I'm going to have to take you 
back to your high school algebra

395
00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:36,000
class just very briefly, okay? 
So you remember your high school

396
00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,600
algebra class, remember the kid 
you had graph paper ever, you 

397
00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:46,700
had two axes vertical and 
horizontal axis. 

398
00:29:46,700 --> 00:29:49,600
Okay. 
And remember, sometimes, if you 

399
00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:55,700
graph a function, it would slope
down and it would approach say 

400
00:29:55,700 --> 00:29:59,900
the horizontal axis, but never 
quite touched, or if you would 

401
00:29:59,900 --> 00:30:04,300
touch it, only at Infinity keeps
getting closer and closer and 

402
00:30:04,300 --> 00:30:09,800
closer. 
Okay, Cohen, use that to 

403
00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:16,500
understand the Messiah that that
human beings are at best are on 

404
00:30:16,500 --> 00:30:20,600
the pathway to Perfection. 
But Perfection is an infinite 

405
00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:26,300
task and Humanity then and each 
of us individually is embarked 

406
00:30:26,300 --> 00:30:31,800
on an infinite task. 
We aren't going to achieve it in

407
00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,400
the sense that it's going to 
happen in. 

408
00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:37,200
Local time. 
It is something that we 

409
00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:43,700
approaches a limit. 
We can get closer but in effect,

410
00:30:43,700 --> 00:30:46,800
no cigar. 
You don't actually we don't 

411
00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:51,700
actually touch the axes. 
Now the advantage of Cohen and 

412
00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:57,500
he gets rid of all the false 
Messiahs, they're all and Cohen 

413
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:05,000
felt that questions like is the 
Messiah going to enter Jerusalem

414
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:09,500
for there were certain gate, you
know, where's the Messiah going 

415
00:31:09,500 --> 00:31:12,200
to stand? 
What is the Messiah gonna say? 

416
00:31:13,500 --> 00:31:16,800
Who is he? 
All of these questions now are 

417
00:31:17,500 --> 00:31:20,900
rejected. 
Are you familiar with your show?

418
00:31:20,900 --> 00:31:24,900
Yahoo leibovitz's dance. 
Not entirely, yes. 

419
00:31:25,100 --> 00:31:29,900
He know he said in Hebrew, but 
he said, nimah Amin shy, mushiya

420
00:31:29,900 --> 00:31:33,600
voice-over, Olam, meaning that I
believe that PSI will come 

421
00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:37,400
forever like for all time. 
Meaning, we, the moment you say 

422
00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,600
he's here, or he has an identity
then the, you know, that 

423
00:31:40,600 --> 00:31:43,700
person's a false Messiah. 
That's cool too. 

424
00:31:43,900 --> 00:31:47,700
Yeah, you could be Cohen's 
followers, Stephen Schwartz 

425
00:31:47,700 --> 00:31:54,400
styled my A great mentor used to
said Messiah will always be in 

426
00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:59,800
the process of coming, right? 
Will ever actually arrive will 

427
00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:02,500
always be coming? 
Yes, always be coming. 

428
00:32:03,100 --> 00:32:10,100
Now, people objected to that 
because well, the messiah's 

429
00:32:10,100 --> 00:32:14,000
never actually gonna come. 
Then if it is, the Messiah is 

430
00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:18,200
always in the process of coming 
of the Messiah is never 

431
00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:21,900
actually, Going to be here. 
And what does that do to our 

432
00:32:21,900 --> 00:32:26,600
concept of hope? 
So, you know, each of these 

433
00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:32,300
positions has its strengths and 
weaknesses. 

434
00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:40,600
It raises the question though, I
think is a deep question can 

435
00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:46,200
Arc, human beings capable of 
getting themselves out of the 

436
00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:50,200
moral and spiritual hole All 
that they've created for 

437
00:32:50,200 --> 00:32:53,500
themselves. 
I mean, just like the new 

438
00:32:53,500 --> 00:32:57,300
generation entering the promised
land at the end of the Torah. 

439
00:32:57,300 --> 00:33:03,200
God Is So pessimistic about it. 
Are we capable on our own of 

440
00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:10,700
getting out of this? 
The war, the disease, the prime,

441
00:33:10,700 --> 00:33:18,300
the deceit, the corruption or do
we need a Divine solution? 

442
00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:20,500
Do we need need something from 
heaven. 

443
00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:25,500
We can't do it on our own. 
Now, you can either say look, 

444
00:33:25,500 --> 00:33:30,000
let's be realistic over 
thousands of years. 

445
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:34,800
If we haven't done it we can't. 
And we need somehow or other for

446
00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:41,300
God to step in some kind of 
divine intervention for this to 

447
00:33:41,300 --> 00:33:45,000
happen. 
That's not my view, I think it's

448
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:50,500
a serious question. 
It's not the view that I take. 

449
00:33:52,100 --> 00:33:57,400
So the view that I take, I have 
a proof text for it, which I 

450
00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:04,100
hope I can read from Deuteronomy
30, an extremely famous passage.

451
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:07,600
Let me just read the passes. 
That is very relevant to the 

452
00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:11,000
question of a messiah or 
messianism. 

453
00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:17,800
And this is what what? 
Moses says in God's name 

454
00:34:17,800 --> 00:34:22,000
Deuteronomy 30, what I'm 
commanding you today is not too 

455
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,699
difficult for you or beyond your
reach. 

456
00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:29,100
There is, I think what he said, 
the, I take this to mean that 

457
00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:31,100
the Commandments are fulfilled 
level. 

458
00:34:31,300 --> 00:34:35,699
It may be hard to fulfill them, 
but the what God has asked of us

459
00:34:35,699 --> 00:34:39,600
is not too difficult for us or 
beyond our reach. 

460
00:34:40,199 --> 00:34:44,100
It is not up in heaven that you 
The ask who will Ascend into 

461
00:34:44,100 --> 00:34:46,600
heaven and get it and Proclaim 
it. 

462
00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:51,900
So we may obey it, it's not 
beyond the sea that you will 

463
00:34:51,900 --> 00:34:55,800
have to ask who will cross the 
sea to get it and Proclaim it to

464
00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:00,600
us so that we will obey. 
It know the word, the words of 

465
00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:05,900
the Torah is very near Q. 
It is in your mouth and in your 

466
00:35:05,900 --> 00:35:11,300
heart So that you may do. 
So I take this to me and I take 

467
00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:15,100
this to the central position of 
Judaism, not everyone agrees 

468
00:35:15,100 --> 00:35:19,100
with this, but I put it to you 
that. 

469
00:35:22,300 --> 00:35:28,300
Reaching satisfying, what God 
has given us and obtaining 

470
00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:40,100
Redemption of closing, the gap 
of doing what we said we were 

471
00:35:40,100 --> 00:35:44,300
going to do it. 
Sign on it's not infinitely far 

472
00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:47,900
up that that was the Cohen V 
when I don't know, it's not 

473
00:35:47,900 --> 00:35:50,400
something that we approach 
asymptotic. 

474
00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:55,900
It can be done, we haven't done 
it, but we may not even be going

475
00:35:55,900 --> 00:35:58,900
in the right direction. 
I don't know what it can be 

476
00:35:58,900 --> 00:36:03,000
done. 
And the coming of a Messianic 

477
00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,900
age is something that we are 
capable of bringing about. 

478
00:36:07,100 --> 00:36:09,800
I think if we put our hearts to 
it. 

479
00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:14,600
So if you say what is my 
position, it's a modified 

480
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:21,200
deflation as a maimana daeun, I 
accept a great deal of the 

481
00:36:21,300 --> 00:36:25,400
deflation maimonides believed in
the bill that rebuilding of the 

482
00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:26,800
temple. 
I'm not sure. 

483
00:36:26,800 --> 00:36:29,700
I do that. 
We create a lot of other 

484
00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:36,300
problems and my favorite 
rabbinic precedent for this. 

485
00:36:36,300 --> 00:36:43,900
This is my favorite position on 
the Messiah is, is this one Sage

486
00:36:43,900 --> 00:36:51,300
says The Messiah will come. 
When all of Israel celebrate. 

487
00:36:51,300 --> 00:36:56,500
Shabbat two weeks running. 
All right, what do I like that 

488
00:36:56,500 --> 00:36:59,500
so much? 
Well, one week, I mean. 

489
00:36:59,500 --> 00:37:02,100
Okay. 
You know, you might luck out. 

490
00:37:02,100 --> 00:37:06,800
And so they know the reason I 
like it is because celebrating 

491
00:37:06,800 --> 00:37:12,400
Shabbat two weeks running is, it
seems exactly right, we can do 

492
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:13,800
it. 
Yeah, you worked. 

493
00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:18,400
It isn't asking for something 
that is so far beyond. 

494
00:37:18,800 --> 00:37:25,100
Reach that we have to, you know,
need divine intervention to help

495
00:37:25,100 --> 00:37:28,000
us. 
We can we can all celebrate. 

496
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:31,400
Shabbat two weeks, run. 
It's not that hard to do. 

497
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:34,200
Let's face it. 
It's a day of rest. 

498
00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:39,700
It's within our possibilities. 
Within human ability to 

499
00:37:39,700 --> 00:37:42,400
celebrate Shabbat two weeks 
running. 

500
00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:47,100
It just isn't that difficult? 
Now, the other side of the coin,

501
00:37:47,500 --> 00:37:49,500
don't bet your mark. 
Kajal on it. 

502
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:54,200
There is a realism. 
Don't don't bet your mortgage on

503
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:59,100
it. 
In the one sense, the coming of 

504
00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:03,400
the Messiah. 
Ever more than two weeks off. 

505
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,100
Is it going to happen by the end
of June? 

506
00:38:08,100 --> 00:38:12,400
I don't think so, but it could 
now it's not that, I believe 

507
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,400
that if we all celebrate your 
brought, somebody once asked me,

508
00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,500
what do you say, we all get 
together and celebrate, Shabbat 

509
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:21,100
what's going to? 
It's not that Mountains will 

510
00:38:21,100 --> 00:38:23,700
shake. 
It's not that I'm not looking 

511
00:38:23,700 --> 00:38:27,500
for miracle. 
All I'm saying is that this is 

512
00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:32,300
teaching us a lesson and that 
lesson is, as I think 

513
00:38:32,300 --> 00:38:37,400
Deuteronomy 30 is telling us 
That Perfection is achievable. 

514
00:38:37,600 --> 00:38:41,900
It can be done. 
If we don't, it's our fault not 

515
00:38:41,900 --> 00:38:47,400
Gods, you know, Professor. 
I read that part of the book. 

516
00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:50,600
When you mention this, that is 
actually my favorite part in the

517
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:56,700
whole book because what hit me 
or what struck me with what you 

518
00:38:56,700 --> 00:39:02,500
said in the book and just 
reiterated right now that I got 

519
00:39:02,500 --> 00:39:05,800
da right of, you know, if 
Keeping Shabbat shakes going to 

520
00:39:05,800 --> 00:39:09,000
come though. 
Abused has been. 

521
00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:14,100
So misunderstood has been so 
sensationalized like as like, 

522
00:39:14,100 --> 00:39:18,600
you know as if the idea here is 
that by the time that it's the 

523
00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,700
by keeping to shabbat, like 
magically now, or whatever 

524
00:39:21,700 --> 00:39:25,300
Shabbat is, is going to like, 
you know, I don't know Creak 

525
00:39:25,300 --> 00:39:28,200
Creak this energy and bring some
magical Messiah down. 

526
00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:31,600
People have so many strange 
things to say about that. 

527
00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:37,000
I got that but what you said was
So perfect and it like I truly 

528
00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:38,400
believe that that was the 
intent. 

529
00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:41,200
Personally. 
Speaking that what you're trying

530
00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:45,500
to say is what they're telling 
us is hey, it's reachable, it's 

531
00:39:45,500 --> 00:39:50,100
doable, go and do it absolutely.
It's amazing to me that in all 

532
00:39:50,100 --> 00:39:53,900
my life and I've read so many 
commentaries on that, I got Don.

533
00:39:53,900 --> 00:39:57,900
I've heard it being used in so 
many speeches and lectures and 

534
00:39:58,300 --> 00:40:01,800
you know what you said it. 
I was like you know sometimes 

535
00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:06,400
the the best answer is the 
simplest one really So I just 

536
00:40:06,400 --> 00:40:16,000
wanted to make, let's try it. 
I mean what the heck, our 

537
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:18,200
community actually, you know, 
there's a lot of communities 

538
00:40:18,200 --> 00:40:19,800
that do the Shabbat project, 
right? 

539
00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:25,200
So I might do it two weeks and 
it's not going to hurt you. 

540
00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:28,100
You made in gu, you may even 
enjoy it. 

541
00:40:28,100 --> 00:40:31,300
That means it may lead to 
something better. 

542
00:40:31,700 --> 00:40:35,200
Let's try it. 
And we'll see exactly what Opens

543
00:40:36,500 --> 00:40:41,400
I don't see anything wrong with 
the attempt and her cat hurt. 

544
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:43,100
Exactly. 
Right. 

545
00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:48,000
So so the maimonides and view 
although it is definitely 

546
00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:50,300
something that is it's 
realistic. 

547
00:40:50,500 --> 00:40:52,800
It's a good thing at the same 
time. 

548
00:40:53,100 --> 00:40:56,300
It also makes us more 
susceptible to fall in a way to 

549
00:40:56,300 --> 00:40:58,900
the false messy. 
That's exactly right. 

550
00:40:58,900 --> 00:41:03,500
If you lower the bar, If you 
keep lowering the bar and say we

551
00:41:03,500 --> 00:41:08,400
don't need Miracles and so on 
and so forth, then you don't 

552
00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:13,300
really have the wherewithal to 
eliminate false Messiahs because

553
00:41:13,700 --> 00:41:17,300
a false Messiah can simply say, 
all right, I didn't do this 

554
00:41:17,300 --> 00:41:20,800
miracle or that Miracle, but 
according to maimonides, I don't

555
00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:25,600
have to. 
Now, maimonides did, is sort of 

556
00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:29,600
get into an issue with the 
building of the second temple. 

557
00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:34,800
Why? 
Because the Torah he thought is 

558
00:41:34,800 --> 00:41:39,500
valid for all times. 
It says that about himself, and 

559
00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:44,300
we don't do animal sacrifice 
because we don't have a place to

560
00:41:44,300 --> 00:41:47,600
do it in anymore. 
And the temple was destroyed by 

561
00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:52,400
the Romans in 70 AD. 
We gave up animal sacrifice, and

562
00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:56,500
replaced it with prayer, study 
of the Torah and Good Deeds. 

563
00:41:57,200 --> 00:42:02,100
Well, if you rebuild the Temple,
And maimonides admits this. 

564
00:42:02,500 --> 00:42:06,000
You may not like it, but we 
would have to go back to 

565
00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:12,500
sacrifice the animals. 
Is somebody who is extremely 

566
00:42:12,500 --> 00:42:16,400
squeamish and pens to faint at 
the sight of blood. 

567
00:42:17,600 --> 00:42:24,300
I have to, I don't want to see 
this, but he does say again this

568
00:42:24,300 --> 00:42:29,400
may be distasteful to you, but 
in his principal, he stuck to 

569
00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:33,900
his principles and if the 
doctor, if there is a third 

570
00:42:33,900 --> 00:42:39,700
Temple, There would be no 
principled reason not to 

571
00:42:39,700 --> 00:42:44,500
sacrifice animals. 
I again, I don't want to see 

572
00:42:44,500 --> 00:42:49,800
this and that part of his 
position, I just assumed drop. 

573
00:42:51,500 --> 00:42:54,800
Professor may. 
I may I try to help you out with

574
00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:56,800
this one. 
I would love it. 

575
00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:00,200
If you did, you'd be doing me an
enormous favor. 

576
00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:02,900
Okay, I got him. 
I'm not saying what I'm saying 

577
00:43:02,900 --> 00:43:06,700
is true, but it's just an idea 
that I Yes, it's okay to float 

578
00:43:06,700 --> 00:43:10,700
out the the problem with the 
temple. 

579
00:43:11,100 --> 00:43:14,600
Everyone has something to say 
about this with cook even came 

580
00:43:14,600 --> 00:43:17,600
and said that, you know, it'll 
be replaced with vegetation 

581
00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:20,800
instead of animal sacrifice. 
And some people say like, oh 

582
00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:23,100
that's not gonna happen anymore.
And some people insistent that 

583
00:43:23,100 --> 00:43:26,800
it needs to happen and Central 
for it to happen, there's always

584
00:43:26,800 --> 00:43:31,800
going to be arguments about 
this, but from a philosophical 

585
00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:34,700
perspective, right? 
Which is up your alley? 

586
00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:42,100
A benefit of having the temple 
from and I'm taking this from a 

587
00:43:42,107 --> 00:43:45,100
bunch of things that I've read 
and learned and throughout the 

588
00:43:45,107 --> 00:43:46,700
podcast that we've done. 
You know. 

589
00:43:46,700 --> 00:43:51,400
I've learned a lot if we agree 
that idolatry is Alive. 

590
00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:59,900
And Well, if we agree that 
there's a lot of misplaced, you 

591
00:43:59,900 --> 00:44:05,200
know, people are praying at, you
know, Graves people are using, 

592
00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:11,900
you know, Weird incantations and
probably a lot of things that 

593
00:44:11,900 --> 00:44:16,500
have substituted that the 
temple, right, that people, 

594
00:44:16,500 --> 00:44:23,000
because they're drawn to that 
need of, of worship in a way 

595
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:25,100
that's concrete. 
Right? 

596
00:44:25,100 --> 00:44:27,900
Which was the reason in the 
first place for the sacrifices. 

597
00:44:28,300 --> 00:44:30,600
So, it's been replaced by a lot 
of strange things. 

598
00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:36,400
If we did establish a temple, 
and if we did If we establish 

599
00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:42,600
the temple, it would by default 
eliminate all of these problems 

600
00:44:42,900 --> 00:44:47,000
because now you have a 
centralized place of worship and

601
00:44:47,000 --> 00:44:50,400
you can't have an excuse to go 
do all these strange other 

602
00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:52,800
worships anymore. 
So from a philosophical point of

603
00:44:52,808 --> 00:44:55,600
view, it would actually improve 
mankind. 

604
00:44:57,000 --> 00:45:01,700
Yeah, I mean, that was the point
in large part of the book of 

605
00:45:01,700 --> 00:45:04,600
Deuteronomy was, right, relies 
worse. 

606
00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:10,100
At the temple in Jerusalem, 
write his own sacrifices that 

607
00:45:10,100 --> 00:45:13,900
you can't, you can't no more 
freelance sacrificing. 

608
00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:18,500
Well, I'm just exchanging that 
with the freelancing that goes 

609
00:45:18,500 --> 00:45:21,800
on today. 
In more modernized ways we're 

610
00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:24,700
not out of the woods, just 
because it's not with us with 

611
00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:28,500
animal sacrifice per se. 
Basically couple people today, 

612
00:45:28,500 --> 00:45:30,500
will argue that were beyond that
already. 

613
00:45:30,500 --> 00:45:33,400
We don't need, we don't have 
those Basic Instincts anymore or

614
00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:35,900
the Tendencies towards Those 
things, but the truth of the 

615
00:45:35,900 --> 00:45:39,900
matter is we've only just now 
idolatry has become a Dolce of 

616
00:45:39,900 --> 00:45:44,100
the mind so it's still relevant.
It's still something that we 

617
00:45:44,200 --> 00:45:47,300
have like mentioned been see, 
mentioned the great worship 

618
00:45:47,300 --> 00:45:50,200
copper, all these things people 
are they need that outlet still 

619
00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:52,800
we haven't really people. 
Human beings don't really change

620
00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:59,000
by Nature. 
That's exactly the purpose of 

621
00:45:59,000 --> 00:46:03,000
standardizing. 
The prayer book so you don't 

622
00:46:03,000 --> 00:46:09,600
have people saying whatever 
comes into their head, But we 

623
00:46:09,600 --> 00:46:12,500
don't so you don't you don't 
project, we won't project our 

624
00:46:12,500 --> 00:46:16,700
own language said that if you 
want to speak to God, there are 

625
00:46:16,700 --> 00:46:22,500
ways to do it there times to do 
it, their contexts in which you 

626
00:46:22,500 --> 00:46:26,500
can do it and it's more or less 
regulated. 

627
00:46:29,100 --> 00:46:33,400
But look, if you believe is, he 
does the Toros valid for all 

628
00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:39,400
time then you can't avoid the 
the issue of sacrifice. 

629
00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:45,100
You get, you have to do, you 
have to go back so that I 

630
00:46:45,100 --> 00:46:50,100
suppose you wouldn't give up the
prayers but you would still have

631
00:46:50,100 --> 00:46:55,200
a temple called That was doing 
the sakharine. 

632
00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:59,300
Still have a scapegoat on Yom 
Kippur etcetera. 

633
00:46:59,300 --> 00:47:03,700
Etc. 
Now the further question about a

634
00:47:03,700 --> 00:47:09,200
third Temple and here I'm I 
don't want to offend people but 

635
00:47:09,700 --> 00:47:12,800
I can't I have to be honest with
you. 

636
00:47:14,600 --> 00:47:20,700
A temple is still a structure 
built with bricks and mortar and

637
00:47:20,700 --> 00:47:27,600
stone and even if it's the 
temple in Jerusalem, it to me, 

638
00:47:27,600 --> 00:47:33,100
it's not a substitute for what 
goes on in our own minds. 

639
00:47:33,100 --> 00:47:37,400
And in our hearts it's still a 
physical thing is though. 

640
00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:43,800
It can Inspire worship, it can 
Inspire an attitude of 

641
00:47:43,800 --> 00:47:45,200
gratitude. 
Rooms. 

642
00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:49,900
Perhaps an attitude of 
repentance all of that's fine, 

643
00:47:50,600 --> 00:47:55,500
but it's still a physical thing.
And this is a religion. 

644
00:47:55,500 --> 00:47:59,200
Ultimately, its focus on 
something that's not physical 

645
00:48:00,400 --> 00:48:07,000
and can't be understood or even 
image in terms of brick stone 

646
00:48:07,900 --> 00:48:14,300
wood mortar. 
So I there is a part of me that 

647
00:48:14,300 --> 00:48:18,100
is against making things to 
concrete. 

648
00:48:19,800 --> 00:48:24,800
This is the, my monody and if 
you don't want to go, Too. 

649
00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:28,300
Too much in the direction of 
concrete. 

650
00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:33,700
But what's available to end to 
the set, what we can see touch 

651
00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:42,600
here and cement, we have that, 
you know, we have dollar, you 

652
00:48:42,600 --> 00:48:47,100
know, we have what you can 
smell, what you can see what you

653
00:48:47,100 --> 00:48:54,800
can hear and synagogue, right. 
But these things are there, but 

654
00:48:54,800 --> 00:48:59,000
they're under control. 
It's not ultimately, this is not

655
00:48:59,000 --> 00:49:04,400
a Based on the physical senses. 
So I think to add to that, you 

656
00:49:04,408 --> 00:49:07,900
know today, what people turn the
Western Wall into is kind of 

657
00:49:07,900 --> 00:49:12,000
like in a way some people treat 
it like an idol and it with the 

658
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:14,100
writing notes in this body in a 
way. 

659
00:49:14,100 --> 00:49:17,300
I think we're a lot of people 
it, that's exactly. 

660
00:49:17,300 --> 00:49:19,800
What are your prayers are going 
to be more powerful if you're 

661
00:49:19,800 --> 00:49:21,000
standing there. 
You know, that's not even the 

662
00:49:21,000 --> 00:49:25,100
temple. 
This is not Judaism as I 

663
00:49:25,100 --> 00:49:27,400
understand it or would like to 
see it. 

664
00:49:27,400 --> 00:49:31,600
And in fact, you know there, Is 
a sign out in front of it. 

665
00:49:31,700 --> 00:49:34,100
That says. 
And I think a lot of people come

666
00:49:34,100 --> 00:49:40,400
to believe that God somehow 
dwells within these Stones. 

667
00:49:40,400 --> 00:49:46,600
Well, no, I'm afraid not God 
doesn't dwell in anything that's

668
00:49:46,600 --> 00:49:49,100
physical. 
That's the wrong way of 

669
00:49:49,100 --> 00:49:53,400
understanding Judaism, right? 
It's a place that we sanctify 

670
00:49:53,500 --> 00:49:58,100
for God's place, right? 
It's a place that has historical

671
00:49:58,100 --> 00:50:01,100
significance. 
If Sport, you're arguing clock. 

672
00:50:01,800 --> 00:50:07,000
It's a place that we can come 
together to understand and 

673
00:50:07,000 --> 00:50:12,300
remember our past, but the 
temple, the temple itself, which

674
00:50:12,300 --> 00:50:13,900
is obviously different than the 
kotel. 

675
00:50:14,900 --> 00:50:19,100
I think that, you know, the 
issue, the, the problem that it 

676
00:50:19,100 --> 00:50:22,100
would solve is, or should solve 
because, again, it didn't even 

677
00:50:22,100 --> 00:50:25,000
solve it back, then, a lot of 
the times, but it should solve 

678
00:50:25,000 --> 00:50:29,100
the issue of the leadership, or 
the kohanim, you know, should be

679
00:50:29,100 --> 00:50:31,900
able All to keep people in line 
for the most part. 

680
00:50:31,900 --> 00:50:34,500
That's the idea it's not just 
people going to a building and 

681
00:50:34,500 --> 00:50:36,000
worshipping the stones in the 
building. 

682
00:50:36,200 --> 00:50:38,300
They're at you're going to hit 
record of what else. 

683
00:50:59,500 --> 00:51:05,600
I think you can be as close to 
God, if you are standing at the 

684
00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:09,200
kotel. 
Or if you are standing in Times 

685
00:51:09,200 --> 00:51:13,800
Square or on State Street in 
Chicago, or Hollywood and Vine. 

686
00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:20,000
And but our anywhere else on 
this planet, it's a question of 

687
00:51:20,100 --> 00:51:23,900
what's going on in your mind and
in your heart. 

688
00:51:24,200 --> 00:51:28,600
It's not a question of where you
are physically, right? 

689
00:51:28,600 --> 00:51:32,500
Can't be. 
Yeah. 100%, that's a fact. 

690
00:51:32,500 --> 00:51:38,800
And, and your that's the truth. 
The question is, I am looking at

691
00:51:38,808 --> 00:51:42,200
it from two angles, actually one
and I'm actually I remember in 

692
00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:47,100
your book, no, other gods sort 
of touch upon this, how The 

693
00:51:47,100 --> 00:51:52,600
Human Condition where it's 
almost impossible for us to be 

694
00:51:53,100 --> 00:51:56,300
complete Angels, Enterprise 
Angels, I'm saying that you 

695
00:51:56,300 --> 00:52:00,300
know, right, lean, right. 
They're going to be always in 

696
00:52:00,400 --> 00:52:03,000
Aspect of human nature even at 
our best. 

697
00:52:03,000 --> 00:52:05,700
Maybe there's that, there's 
going to be an aspect of human 

698
00:52:05,700 --> 00:52:10,700
nature. 
That is going to Need that 

699
00:52:10,900 --> 00:52:13,000
right? 
Even though we shouldn't right 

700
00:52:13,000 --> 00:52:15,800
under like you know we should 
all it should be the way you're 

701
00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:21,000
saying it ought to be the way. 
I am very hard for me to have a 

702
00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:27,200
spiritual experience on in Time 
Square and that is that it's 

703
00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:32,800
much easier in a house of 
worship, which is there is 

704
00:52:32,800 --> 00:52:39,000
beauty, there's art and 
architecture the presence of the

705
00:52:39,100 --> 00:52:46,100
Dora the ability to provide our 
or take my Tha leave and kiss 

706
00:52:46,100 --> 00:52:50,100
the Thorin. 
So yeah, all of this is is 

707
00:52:50,100 --> 00:52:58,600
important to induce reverence 
hoodie all the things that this 

708
00:52:58,600 --> 00:53:00,800
religion says that it stands 
for. 

709
00:53:01,300 --> 00:53:08,900
But In the end. 
It's not a physical thing. 

710
00:53:09,600 --> 00:53:11,900
Yes, you mentioned in your in 
your book. 

711
00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:13,900
North of guys now that Ben's he 
reminded me. 

712
00:53:14,300 --> 00:53:18,400
I believe you said something to 
the effect of fighting idolatry 

713
00:53:18,400 --> 00:53:20,500
you. 
It's almost like you have to you

714
00:53:20,500 --> 00:53:24,800
take one step forward and then 
two steps backwards and yeah 

715
00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:28,600
writing adultery because like 
you have to some we have to do 

716
00:53:28,600 --> 00:53:32,600
rituals but then these rituals 
could become in a way like Like 

717
00:53:32,700 --> 00:53:35,700
adulteress. 
So we have to walk are used to 

718
00:53:35,700 --> 00:53:39,300
say, you know, when I was on the
board of directors in the 

719
00:53:39,300 --> 00:53:46,300
synagogue for the Torah service,
have we paid more attention to 

720
00:53:46,400 --> 00:53:51,600
the bringing the Torah out of 
the arc and the arc Optics 

721
00:53:51,600 --> 00:53:57,200
prating it around and kissing it
and vowing to it and putting it 

722
00:53:57,200 --> 00:54:02,100
back pack and Alder, have we 
paid more attention to that. 

723
00:54:03,000 --> 00:54:08,400
Then we have to the message that
the this week's Torah portion is

724
00:54:08,400 --> 00:54:14,400
supposed to be teaching us and 
if we have paid more attention 

725
00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:19,400
to the silver crowns and the the
robe, the way it's dressed in 

726
00:54:19,400 --> 00:54:24,600
the jewels and the. 
So if we've done that, we we've 

727
00:54:24,600 --> 00:54:26,800
missed it, it again. 
I don't want that. 

728
00:54:26,800 --> 00:54:28,800
I want to get rid of the Torah 
service. 

729
00:54:28,800 --> 00:54:31,600
Don't misunderstand, me, 
absolutely, of course. 

730
00:54:34,000 --> 00:54:39,300
It's important, let's keep it. 
But let's ask ourselves what the

731
00:54:39,300 --> 00:54:48,200
end of this is supposed to be 
supposed to be and your dreams 

732
00:54:48,200 --> 00:54:53,600
of learning of study irreverence
over again of repentance in your

733
00:54:53,600 --> 00:54:57,600
book and your book thinking of 
the editora, I believe that's 

734
00:54:57,600 --> 00:54:59,600
the book you were mentioning 
your think it was in the 

735
00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:02,300
introduction. 
You mentioned that the Torah is 

736
00:55:02,300 --> 00:55:08,900
a book of philosophy foremost, 
because it points to a any 

737
00:55:08,900 --> 00:55:11,700
record, philosophy has to point 
to an ideal, right? 

738
00:55:12,100 --> 00:55:17,600
And it has to point to kind of a
an age that you know, Idealistic

739
00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:20,600
age. 
So I think you really captured 

740
00:55:20,600 --> 00:55:22,600
that in what you presented 
tonight. 

741
00:55:23,000 --> 00:55:32,300
I hope I want to add one thing 
two things actually one I was 

742
00:55:32,300 --> 00:55:38,700
thinking about it right now, so 
you're you're correct, right 

743
00:55:38,700 --> 00:55:40,900
that the temple should not be an
end of itself. 

744
00:55:41,000 --> 00:55:43,500
And then itself, which is 
essentially what Professor. 

745
00:55:43,500 --> 00:55:45,500
I think you're trying to say, is
that a temple is not an end 

746
00:55:45,500 --> 00:55:47,000
within itself. 
Right. 

747
00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:50,500
And everything has to lead to 
the ultimate goal, but now I'm 

748
00:55:50,500 --> 00:55:53,400
actually thinking about it and 
what you said actually earlier 

749
00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:57,700
in the podcast, that for the 
rambam, the temple in isolation 

750
00:55:57,700 --> 00:55:59,700
is not what the Messianic age 
is. 

751
00:56:00,100 --> 00:56:02,500
You mentioned that for the 
rambam. 

752
00:56:02,700 --> 00:56:09,400
The Messianic age is a time of 
learning of studies of of, of 

753
00:56:10,500 --> 00:56:16,700
men devoting their time towards 
using their their capacities. 

754
00:56:16,800 --> 00:56:20,900
Towards knowledge of God if that
is going on, simultaneous with 

755
00:56:20,900 --> 00:56:25,100
the temple, then actually the 
risk of the temple is by 

756
00:56:25,100 --> 00:56:28,700
default. 
Neutralized agree, if that's 

757
00:56:28,700 --> 00:56:33,100
going on our bird. 
Keep in mind though that for the

758
00:56:33,100 --> 00:56:40,200
rambam, the temple is an instant
of mods. 

759
00:56:40,300 --> 00:56:45,400
It's make God is making a 
concession to human fallibility.

760
00:56:46,600 --> 00:56:50,800
Okay. 
So, for example, the in the 

761
00:56:50,800 --> 00:56:54,800
Torah, the mishkan, you know, 
raise the question of, why does 

762
00:56:54,800 --> 00:56:59,100
a monotheistic God need all this
gold? 

763
00:56:59,800 --> 00:57:05,500
All this jewelry silver. 
Fine linen. 

764
00:57:05,600 --> 00:57:10,300
Sealskin, you know why does it? 
Why does a monotheistic God? 

765
00:57:10,300 --> 00:57:16,700
Need all of these accouterments 
to channel our energies to be I 

766
00:57:16,700 --> 00:57:21,500
mean, you know, Moses, but let's
be clear on. 

767
00:57:21,800 --> 00:57:25,600
Moses didn't need that when he 
was alone with God, on the 

768
00:57:25,600 --> 00:57:29,300
mountain didn't need a house of 
worship, didn't need gold and 

769
00:57:29,300 --> 00:57:34,700
jewels and fine linen or 
anything of the sort. 

770
00:57:35,900 --> 00:57:41,300
The the guy who's going to put 
on the, the jewelry and the 

771
00:57:41,300 --> 00:57:45,700
Rings and the turbine, and there
is Aaron not Moses. 

772
00:57:46,800 --> 00:57:53,600
Okay, so you have even in the 
Torah, this idea of pure 

773
00:57:53,600 --> 00:57:58,900
worship, which not every human 
being and achieved and God in 

774
00:57:58,900 --> 00:58:01,700
the sense, making a concession, 
okay? 

775
00:58:02,800 --> 00:58:06,700
You knew in Egypt. 
The gods were worshipped in 

776
00:58:06,700 --> 00:58:11,800
these luxurious places. 
Therefore, if we want to worship

777
00:58:11,800 --> 00:58:17,200
me, I'm going to give you the 
blueprint for a luxurious place 

778
00:58:17,200 --> 00:58:21,200
as well. 
Similarly, with Solomon's. 

779
00:58:22,700 --> 00:58:26,100
But these are these are 
concessions to human fallible, 

780
00:58:26,100 --> 00:58:28,400
right? 
After the golden calf, they 

781
00:58:28,400 --> 00:58:30,900
build the mishkan. 
And that's a way of got that 

782
00:58:30,900 --> 00:58:34,200
goes with maimonides thinking. 
That God gave like kind of 

783
00:58:34,300 --> 00:58:36,700
channeled. 
Our energies towards he 

784
00:58:36,700 --> 00:58:39,200
understood. 
You can't eliminate this need. 

785
00:58:39,300 --> 00:58:42,600
Let's transfer it towards you 
know, something positive. 

786
00:58:42,700 --> 00:58:48,400
Exactly under the golden calf is
by definition is made of gold. 

787
00:58:49,500 --> 00:58:53,800
But look, when we get to the 
description of the mishkan, look

788
00:58:53,800 --> 00:58:56,800
at how much growth been 
estimated that to build this 

789
00:58:56,800 --> 00:59:01,500
thing would require two thousand
pounds of refined gold. 

790
00:59:02,100 --> 00:59:07,100
So, Old plays, a central role in
Boca in the one case we have the

791
00:59:08,200 --> 00:59:12,900
ultimate form of idolatry which 
angers God, and in the other 

792
00:59:12,900 --> 00:59:16,900
case, what we have is the place 
in which God wants to be 

793
00:59:16,900 --> 00:59:24,700
worshiped. 
So you got to be careful here, 

794
00:59:24,800 --> 00:59:29,200
it's can't be turned into a 
golden calf. 

795
00:59:29,200 --> 00:59:34,500
It can't end yet. 
There is the possibility of 

796
00:59:34,500 --> 00:59:37,300
doing that. 
If I think this these passages 

797
00:59:37,300 --> 00:59:40,400
of the book of Exodus, make 
clear, I think I think some of 

798
00:59:40,400 --> 00:59:44,000
the problems that persist today 
is that people are always trying

799
00:59:44,000 --> 00:59:46,000
to kind of crown the next 
Messiah. 

800
00:59:46,200 --> 00:59:49,400
We see that with habad, we see 
that with there's some people 

801
00:59:49,400 --> 00:59:50,900
who are starting this guy in 
Israel. 

802
00:59:50,900 --> 00:59:54,800
The Anouk has heard of him 
professor system, I don't know. 

803
00:59:54,800 --> 01:00:01,900
But I will tell you, I was on 
television in Chicago Ones They 

804
01:00:01,900 --> 01:00:05,900
asked me whether the rebbe the 
other schneerson was the 

805
01:00:05,900 --> 01:00:08,800
Messiah. 
And I said, look, he's a great 

806
01:00:08,800 --> 01:00:13,400
Rabbi and he's a learned man and
you know, there's much to learn 

807
01:00:13,400 --> 01:00:18,400
from but the Messiah know. 
Ryan, all of his followers were 

808
01:00:18,400 --> 01:00:20,500
happy with that. 
Yeah. 

809
01:00:21,100 --> 01:00:25,000
And you know, I think, I think 
one of the things that people do

810
01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:28,900
today also which is I see it 
often whenever there's a tragedy

811
01:00:28,900 --> 01:00:33,400
that hits, you know, Community. 
A lot of people will cry out for

812
01:00:33,400 --> 01:00:38,400
the Messiah but they'll conflate
the Messianic age with 

813
01:00:38,400 --> 01:00:43,100
resurrection and Olam Haba. 
It's like one big mishkabobala, 

814
01:00:43,100 --> 01:00:58,300
love ideas that that they'll 
just be And the days of the 

815
01:00:58,300 --> 01:01:02,000
Messiah, again he thought the 
Torah is still valid. 

816
01:01:02,100 --> 01:01:05,500
Her is valid for all. 
In fact, the whole point of the 

817
01:01:05,500 --> 01:01:09,700
Messianic age is now we can 
observe the Torah fully who 

818
01:01:09,700 --> 01:01:13,800
without interference, right? 
In all of them. 

819
01:01:13,800 --> 01:01:17,500
How bought the Torah Is no 
longer valid. 

820
01:01:17,500 --> 01:01:20,600
I mean, there's no eating, 
there's no drinking, there's no 

821
01:01:20,600 --> 01:01:29,600
sexual contact in Olam Haba. 
So the Torah is not a valid lien

822
01:01:32,200 --> 01:01:36,000
literally low Basham. 
I'm he you know, assure my a 

823
01:01:38,700 --> 01:01:47,500
professor before we go I wanted 
to just mention That the whole 

824
01:01:47,500 --> 01:01:50,200
second half of this convo. 
I know that a lot of people 

825
01:01:50,200 --> 01:01:52,100
listening something like you 
said, you didn't want to offend 

826
01:01:52,100 --> 01:01:54,500
people, and I know that like, 
you know, some people are going 

827
01:01:54,500 --> 01:01:58,000
to be listening and they'd be 
like, oh, shouldn't need a 

828
01:01:58,008 --> 01:01:59,400
temple. 
We do need the temple. 

829
01:01:59,400 --> 01:02:04,300
And, you know, I always I I want
to go back to statement from 

830
01:02:04,300 --> 01:02:08,000
Rabbi Jonathan sacks, which I 
think is really important 

831
01:02:08,200 --> 01:02:13,800
because there is a tendency that
we have to sometimes suppress 

832
01:02:13,900 --> 01:02:19,400
our Inner sensibilities. 
We every single person has an 

833
01:02:19,400 --> 01:02:23,900
inner sensibility, right? 
Your inner sensibilities, you 

834
01:02:25,300 --> 01:02:27,100
you don't see why they would be 
a need for a temple. 

835
01:02:27,100 --> 01:02:30,500
It's an inner sensibility that 
you have that that's developed 

836
01:02:30,500 --> 01:02:33,300
within you, right? 
We all have that in different 

837
01:02:33,300 --> 01:02:39,100
Realms and different aspects of 
Torah and okay, so I think that 

838
01:02:39,100 --> 01:02:41,700
a lot of people are so focused 
in suppressing, the inner 

839
01:02:41,700 --> 01:02:46,400
sensibilities, Rabbi Jonathan 
sacks said something, Is my mind

840
01:02:46,400 --> 01:02:49,400
brilliant because he's actually 
letting you know that you don't 

841
01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:51,300
have to suppress your 
sensibilities. 

842
01:02:51,600 --> 01:02:56,000
And and that's not a problem 
because what he says is Faith is

843
01:02:56,000 --> 01:02:59,900
living without faith is living 
with them. 

844
01:03:00,800 --> 01:03:05,600
Which means that that that the 
our inner sensibilities, 

845
01:03:05,600 --> 01:03:09,200
sometimes are going to doubt 
certain things which our very 

846
01:03:09,200 --> 01:03:14,300
faith is gravitating us to 
understand to believe and 

847
01:03:14,300 --> 01:03:17,000
understand. 
And and that contradiction is 

848
01:03:17,000 --> 01:03:19,900
not a problem. 
That is what faith is the faith.

849
01:03:19,900 --> 01:03:23,500
That, you know, I have a certain
as he says the courage to live 

850
01:03:23,500 --> 01:03:26,400
with uncertainty actually. 
Sorry, I apologize the courage 

851
01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:27,700
to live with uncertainty. 
I call it. 

852
01:03:27,700 --> 01:03:31,600
I didn't get that hard 
absolutely with you on this 

853
01:03:32,600 --> 01:03:39,100
unfortunately, for some people 
Jews included Faith, becomes a 

854
01:03:39,100 --> 01:03:43,300
question of dogmatism of 
close-mindedness of an event of 

855
01:03:43,300 --> 01:03:47,800
intolerance. 
Now, that's really not what it's

856
01:03:47,800 --> 01:03:50,200
supposed. 
I don't always like the word 

857
01:03:50,200 --> 01:03:56,300
base. 
You know, let's go back to 

858
01:03:56,300 --> 01:03:59,800
maimonides. 
Again, it's Masterpiece is 

859
01:03:59,800 --> 01:04:02,100
called the guide for the 
perplexed. 

860
01:04:03,700 --> 01:04:09,400
But what a lot of people don't 
understand is that he a says, 

861
01:04:09,400 --> 01:04:11,700
quite clearly. 
He cannot resolve every 

862
01:04:11,700 --> 01:04:13,200
perplexity. 
He can't. 

863
01:04:13,200 --> 01:04:16,200
Nobody can't no human being 
Europe. 

864
01:04:16,200 --> 01:04:21,100
Every perplexity and in fact, 
there are several pages of 

865
01:04:21,100 --> 01:04:25,200
places in that book where he 
himself, says I'm perplexed. 

866
01:04:26,000 --> 01:04:30,700
I don't believe I've worked 
myself into a problem and I 

867
01:04:31,000 --> 01:04:35,000
tried to show you what can be 
said on both sides and here's 

868
01:04:35,000 --> 01:04:38,100
the evidence. 
And so, out of the group text, 

869
01:04:38,300 --> 01:04:42,600
but to resolve this whole thing 
he can't. 

870
01:04:43,000 --> 01:04:49,000
So I think what he's trying to 
say here is pretty much what you

871
01:04:49,000 --> 01:04:53,700
you said. 
We're not going to resolve 

872
01:04:53,700 --> 01:04:57,200
everything. 
We don't have to, and we 

873
01:04:57,200 --> 01:05:02,400
couldn't even if we wanted to, 
there is room for da, he had 

874
01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:07,600
doubts, your Bertrand. 
Russell Bertrand Russell has a 

875
01:05:07,600 --> 01:05:11,100
great quote that the whole, the 
whole problem with the world is 

876
01:05:11,100 --> 01:05:13,100
that fools and Fanatics are 
always. 

877
01:05:13,100 --> 01:05:16,400
So certain of themselves and 
wiser people or so full of 

878
01:05:16,400 --> 01:05:17,900
doubts. 
That's right. 

879
01:05:20,500 --> 01:05:23,100
Why? 
According to maimonides is Moses

880
01:05:23,100 --> 01:05:28,700
the wisest person who ever lived
and at one point says because 

881
01:05:28,700 --> 01:05:33,300
Moses more than any other human 
being recognized the limits of 

882
01:05:33,300 --> 01:05:40,100
human and saw that there were 
limits to what we could do. 

883
01:05:41,700 --> 01:05:45,800
And of course, there's also he 
refers to divide thing a little 

884
01:05:45,800 --> 01:05:49,700
more time. 
Famous rabbinic parable. 

885
01:05:51,200 --> 01:05:58,800
For rabbis who enter our days. 
I don't know how you would the 

886
01:05:59,200 --> 01:06:03,500
Garden or the orchard. 
Yeah, Orchard Orchard, Garden 

887
01:06:03,500 --> 01:06:07,600
Orchard, whatever. 
What happens? 

888
01:06:08,100 --> 01:06:14,300
One goes insane. 
One commits suicide. 

889
01:06:14,300 --> 01:06:21,800
One becomes an apostate. 
Only Akiba goes in and out and 

890
01:06:21,800 --> 01:06:25,800
holds himself together. 
Why does the rambam? 

891
01:06:25,800 --> 01:06:29,700
Why is that? 
Because only Akiba recognize the

892
01:06:29,700 --> 01:06:32,300
limits of what he had and stayed
with? 

893
01:06:33,400 --> 01:06:36,500
He didn't look Moses Moses, 
famously turns away from the 

894
01:06:36,508 --> 01:06:42,800
burning bush. 
The Elders of Israel and Moses 

895
01:06:43,400 --> 01:06:46,400
with his usual. 
Humility, look the other way. 

896
01:06:46,500 --> 01:06:50,700
Absolutely. 
Yeah, nothing wrong with doubt. 

897
01:06:50,700 --> 01:06:52,600
There's nothing wrong with 
humility. 

898
01:06:53,100 --> 01:06:55,500
There's nothing wrong with, 
recognizing that there are 

899
01:06:55,500 --> 01:06:58,500
questions that we can't fully 
get an answer to on the 

900
01:06:58,500 --> 01:07:00,800
contrary. 
There's everything right with 

901
01:07:00,800 --> 01:07:06,400
them the way I see it. 
Yeah it's amazing professor 

902
01:07:06,600 --> 01:07:09,300
before we go. 
Can you maybe blog committing to

903
01:07:09,308 --> 01:07:12,100
plug you want to tell anybody 
about any books coming out or 

904
01:07:12,100 --> 01:07:17,200
that are out right now? 
Well, the latest one was the 

905
01:07:17,200 --> 01:07:23,400
thinking about the prophets. 
I am a supposed to attend a 

906
01:07:23,400 --> 01:07:27,600
conference in Germany in 
October. 

907
01:07:29,400 --> 01:07:34,300
Where I'm going to present, a 
make a presentation on the 

908
01:07:34,300 --> 01:07:39,500
Jewish conception of happiness, 
that was the idol, and I'm going

909
01:07:39,500 --> 01:07:42,300
to say in the first trigger, 
maybe this should be the Jewish 

910
01:07:42,300 --> 01:07:49,600
conception of unhappiness. 
And I prepared a long essay on 

911
01:07:49,600 --> 01:07:51,700
this. 
I will be published probably 

912
01:07:51,700 --> 01:07:58,000
somewhere in Europe but that my 
next project is the questions. 

913
01:07:58,000 --> 01:08:01,000
Also a good question. 
What does it really mean to be? 

914
01:08:01,000 --> 01:08:07,100
Happy taking Judaism, seriously.
What what what is involvement 

915
01:08:07,100 --> 01:08:11,500
has his limits? 
The act of of is this, our 

916
01:08:11,500 --> 01:08:15,300
ultimate goal is to be happy or 
is our ultimate goal, something 

917
01:08:15,300 --> 01:08:18,600
else. 
How do we define happiness of? 

918
01:08:19,700 --> 01:08:24,500
Can I be happy without you being
happy, all kinds of questions. 

919
01:08:26,800 --> 01:08:32,800
That that sounds amazing. 
Please keep writing Professor, 

920
01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:37,399
please, please keep writing 
because no, because because 

921
01:08:37,399 --> 01:08:40,300
Professor you have a certain 
style of writing, it's very 

922
01:08:40,300 --> 01:08:44,600
unique and that you can take 
difficult abstract Concepts and 

923
01:08:44,600 --> 01:08:48,399
explain it in a way that 
everybody can understand. 

924
01:08:48,399 --> 01:08:53,800
And that is missing. 
So keep writing and we always 

925
01:08:53,800 --> 01:08:55,800
appreciate you. 
We hope to have you on. 

926
01:08:56,600 --> 01:09:01,000
Of All Times God. 
Willing and may we live to 

927
01:09:01,200 --> 01:09:04,399
eventually figure out what 
exactly is going to happen with 

928
01:09:04,399 --> 01:09:10,100
that Temple usual. 
It's my pleasure. 

929
01:09:10,100 --> 01:09:13,100
This is thank you so much. 
That's the sort of thing I love 

930
01:09:13,100 --> 01:09:16,600
to do. 
Thank you. 

931
01:09:21,300 --> 01:09:23,100
Hey guys. 
Thanks so much for tuning in to 

932
01:09:23,100 --> 01:09:25,100
the Judy's and demystified 
podcast. 

933
01:09:25,300 --> 01:09:28,000
We really appreciate all 
Supporting your feedback. 

934
01:09:28,700 --> 01:09:31,300
If you want to help us grow the 
podcast. 

935
01:09:31,399 --> 01:09:34,600
Keep spreading the word, share 
it with your friends, family, or

936
01:09:34,600 --> 01:09:37,700
whoever you think would be 
interested, we also opened a 

937
01:09:37,700 --> 01:09:41,600
patreon, so you can become a 
patron, contribute any small 

938
01:09:41,600 --> 01:09:44,700
amount you'd like which would 
really help us grow the show. 

939
01:09:45,500 --> 01:09:52,500
Our patreon is www.a tree, 
on.com slash Judaism, pretty 

940
01:09:52,500 --> 01:09:55,200
easy. 
To remember, thank you again and

941
01:09:55,200 --> 01:09:57,600
we hope to keep putting out. 
Rachel's for you guys. 

942
01:09:56,600 --> 01:09:57,600
Rachel's for you guys.