The much hidden mysterious Figure of Messiah ben Yosef

Parashat Chukot provides us with further clues in our search for the mysterious Mashiach ben Yosef (MbY). This Parashah brings into perspective two main foundational elements – the two mainstays of HaShem’s Plan of Redemption for humanity, i.e. Torah and Eternal Life. ‘Chukot’ means ‘Laws,’ and Proverbs  3:18 defines the Torah as a “Tree of Life to those who embrace it.”

We shall first:

• investigate what MbY has to do with the 2 elements, Torah and Eternal Life, and then:
• Search for signs of His Presence or Appearance on the Stage of Redemption.

The Gaon of Vilna, more than any other Jewish Sage, has probably presented the most comprehensive and detailed notes and identifications of the MbY in his vision, ‘The Voice of the Turtle Dove”, Kol Hator. In his teaching, he specifies 999 “footsteps”  of MbY and 156 “characteristics, aspects, appellations, and special attributes of MbY.”

The Gaon, who lived In the 1700’s, claimed to have had a personal vision and encounter with MbY, Whom he defines as “the first Mashiach”. From the bottom of pg 2 of the book Kol Hator, we read: ”According to the Gaon, all the work involved with gathering in the exiles, building Jerusalem and broadening the settlement of the Land of Israel so that the Shechinah will return to it, all the principles of the work and all the major and minor details are connected to the mission and role of the first Mashiach, MbY. MbY is the miraculous power who will assist every act done when the awakening starts from below, in a natural manner, because he comes from the earth.” (Bold accentuation ours).

In his opening par. of Ch. 1 the Gaon emphasizes: “The steps, all the rules and details concerning the period from the beginning of the Redemption until its conclusion, which include the ingathering of exiles and settlement of the Holy Land – all these are the assignment of the first Mashiach, MbY”

With these clearly defined involvements and achievements of MbY, the question now arises: “If we have ample and miraculous evidence around us today, that the ingathering of the exiles of Israel has already started, that Jerusalem under Jewish control has already rocketed the Land and its nation into “top-10” international status since its reestablishment in 1948, just 70 years ago and that the Land of Israel has been resettled by the remnants of its ancient nation, then where is MbY who the Gaon claims will be wholly and solely responsible for its awesome occurrence?”

The same question also confronts NT believers who believe that MbY came 2000 years ago: How do they explain his involvement in the miraculous rebirth of the modern Jewish nation who, in just 70 years (since 1048), have rebuilt the Land and Jerusalem from a barren and infected wilderness into one of the Top 10 countries of the World?  This Jewish nation vehemently rejects the NT and its Messiah. And the majority of NT believers reject becoming part of this ‘Jewish Torah State’ under the influence of Rabbinic authorities “who enslave their nation with man-made-Laws,’ and despise their precious Messiah, etc. etc.  It just all does not make sense.

The Gaon repeatedly emphasizes that:  “…all this will occur especially during the footsteps of the Mashiach … For the Redemption of the Truth [which will be restored in the process] and sanctification of God are the goals of the Redemption along with the Ingathering of the exiles and the rebuilding of Jerusalem.”  Ezek. Ch 20 is explicit on how God will be sanctified before the Nations when He proves Himself to the nations through the Return of the exiles to the Land and to His Torah. All this will occur as part of “the footsteps of MbY” (pg, 120 – 122).

(Pg 6) “The general mission of MbY is 3-fold:

• The revelation of the mysteries in the Torah
• the ingathering of the exiles (… which encompasses building of Jerusalem … and fulfilling the Commandments dependent on the Land)
• removal of the unclean spirit from the Land.”

We thus learn that one of the identifying aspects of MbY will be His leading the regathering exiles to Torah, in the process of building Jerusalem and the Land towards Redemption: Ref. pg 13, the 11^th aspect (of 156 identifiers presented by the Gaon):

“Torah from Zion.  “for from Zion will the Torah come forth” [Isa.  2:3]. This refers to the revelation of the secrets of the Torah, whose principal source is Zion and Jerusalem. The Gaon wrote much about the fact that the Redemption depends on learning Kabbalism, for thus the teachings of our righteous Mashiach will be revealed gradually, which means the teachings of the Torah of Eretz Israel.”

The Gaon is also very explicit that the regathering of the exiles is a two-pronged issue for which he quotes from the main Prophecy in Ezek. 37. Here the reuniting of the two conflicting sectors of the nation of Israel is clearly prophesied (ref. aspect # 101 of the 156 defined by the Gaon)  “(Ez.  37:19) the wood of Yosef — This refers to Mashiach ben Yosef for the entire Redemption depends on the unification of the two pieces of wood: the wood of Yosef and the wood of Judah.  They are the two meshichim: Mashiach ben Yosef  and  Mashiach ben David, who at first, i.e., when the Redemption starts naturally from below, will be separate individuals in “your hand” [Ez.  37:17].  Afterwards, they will become one in “My hand” [Ez.  37:19], the hand of God.”

The publishers of this Newsletter and blog, the Kol Hator Vision (named after the Gaon’s Vision and teaching), are confident that the masses of non-Jews around the World who have been turning to Torah in an awesome Phenomenon over especially the last two decades are a clear fulfillment of the numerous prophecies regarding the End Time re-identifying and Return of the Lost 10 Tribes of the House of Israel. They will be united with the House of Judah as per these prophecies. The Gaon credits this accomplishment entirely to MbY.

In response to our question above:  Where is MbY if all these events are, in fact, already in process, we now have to consider the claims of these non-Jewish Torah Proponents. The majority of them are believers in the NT Messiah who are exiting the Church because of their newfound Jewish Torah principles, which Christianity rejects. However, the credentials that they apply to their Messiah are nowhere near the credentials of the MbY that the Gaon defines from Scripture according to 156 aspects and 999 ‘footsteps’ of the MbY. These 999 ‘footsteps’ are understood by the Gaon as ‘hints’ in the Torah to the MbY – because the Scriptures nowhere ever uses the definitive term ‘Messiah’ for such an exalted Personage Who will be involved in the Redemption, the Ingathering of exiles, Rebuilding of Jerusalem and the settlement and development of the Land of Israel.

If these non-Jewish masses that are swept away by a Global Torah revolution are indeed the re-awakening Giant of Ezekiel’s ch. 37 Dry Bones Prophecy, then they are totally misrepresenting or misunderstanding their ‘Messiah’ by following a NT Church-interpreted Messiah who is totally contrary to the Biblically presented MbY. The entire NT interpretation that Christianity and the greater majority of these Torah restorers proclaim makes him a Torah rejector. Resultantly they shun the higher Jewish Torah Proclamation of Jewish Halacha and the Rabbinic Sages’ “Oral Torah interpretation.”  In this way, they, therefore, also reject the True MbY Personage.

This now poses the explosive consideration that the true MbY may be well and Alive (a concept of ‘Yosef is Alive’ which the Gaon repeatedly emphasizes) and that BOTH Houses of Israel (i.e., Judah and 10-Israel who have been greatly divided for 2700 years now) have missed and misinterpreted MbY! If not, the question remains:  “Where is MbY on Whom rests ‘ALL the work involved with gathering in the exiles, building Jerusalem and broadening the settlement of the Land of Israel’” – that awesome Process that is no doubt in Process.

Parashat Chukot defines the true Torah Culture that Judah exposes and which the re-awakening Torah masses just do not possess and are shunning. To evaluate and clearly understand this exalted culture of Judah, please refer to the following 2 Parshat Chukat Commentaries by Aish:

Embracing the Torah

The Reasons for the Commandments