The Concept of Redemption and Belief in Mashiach

Full Summary

Rabbi Zweig addresses the fundamental question of why belief in Mashiach is considered a cardinal principle of faith, exploring what we are truly anticipating beyond simple redemption or revenge. He begins by examining the theological problem of how the world can exist despite not reflecting God's will, tracing this back to Adam HaRishon's sin in Gan Eden. The shiur analyzes the verse "b'yom achalcha mimenu mos tamus" - that Adam should have died for eating from the Tree of Knowledge, which would have necessitated a new creation. However, God had already programmed into creation the possibility that the world could exist without reflecting His will, demonstrated when He commanded "etz pri oseh pri" (fruit tree making fruit) but the bark didn't taste like the fruit. This allowed the world to survive even after sin. Rabbi Zweig argues that our current world is fundamentally amoral - lacking correlation between righteousness and success. The righteous don't necessarily prosper while the wicked often do, creating a world that doesn't reflect God's justice. This presents an existential crisis: if the world doesn't reflect the Almighty, what connection does it have to ultimate reality? He suggests that without this connection, our existence is merely illusory rather than genuinely real. The Messianic age represents the time when the world will finally reflect God's will authentically. During Yemos HaMashiach, righteousness will correlate with success, moral actions will have visible impact, and the world will become a true reflection of divine justice. This isn't just about external changes - it's about achieving genuine existence. Only when we reflect the Almighty do we become truly real and connected to eternal being. Rabbi Zweig explains that even if we don't live to see the Messianic age, our moral actions and Torah (תורה) values transmitted to future generations will achieve reality when they live in that perfected world. Retroactively, this gives our current existence meaning and reality because we contributed to that ultimate redemption. The shiur concludes by examining a Rambam (רמב"ם) in Hilchos Krias Shema about why we say "Baruch shem kevod malchuso l'olam va'ed" after the first verse of Shema. The Rambam describes how Yaakov gathered his sons before death to discuss the unity of God and His ways - which the Rambam identifies as the essence of the Messianic age. The Messianic era means the entire universe will be unified and reflective of the Almighty, achieving the "achdus" (unity) that connects all existence to its divine source.