Will the Real Messiah Please Stand Up? Dune, Kabbalah, and the Future.
By Miriam Racquel (Meryl) Feldman
“If someone could have told me while I was in Grinnell or while I was living in Berkeley rehabbing seals, that three years from then I’d be in a New York brownstone apartment building having the opportunity to look right into the face of the long-awaited Messiah who so much of the non-Jewish world waited for, I would have told them that they were in the looney bin. But it looked like I was the one in the looney bin. I had taken a leap of faith in believing that the Torah was true and this included a belief in the long-awaited Redeemer.
It was 1991 and Moshiach (the Messiah) was alive and well in 770, Crown Heights, Brooklyn.” (God Said What?! #MyOrthodoxLife, p.357)
Growing up as a secular Jew in Pomona, New York, I had no idea that the Messiah was a Jewish concept. I was very clueless about my Jewish faith, not having any idea if it was a culture, religion, or ethnicity.
All this ambiguity about my Judaism changed when I was 23 years old and hopped on a plane to Israel to rescue my boyfriend from the “cult” I thought he was in. My paradigm on life shifted, the axis of the world tilted in reverse, and I was thrown into the world of observant Orthodox Judaism that my atheist, hippy self would never have imagined.
Long story short, I drank the “koolaid,” and six kids and 30+ years later, I’m happily practicing the ways of my Jewish ancestors. I follow the Chabad Lubavitch sect of Orthodox/Hasidic Judaism.
If you google Chabad Lubavitch and Messiah, thousands of articles and posts pop up. Why? Because as I mentioned in my book, God Said What?! #MyOrthodoxLife, the Chabad Lubavitch sect recognized, and many still do!, their Rebbe, Menachem M. Schneerson as the Messiah, Moshiach in Hebrew. Learning about observant Judaism, the kind that dates back to the Mountain of Sinai (the truly dramatic Charlton Heston version), I was shocked to discover that the concept of the Messiah, a world-recognized Redeemer, stems from Judaism.
In fact, a Messiah is fundamental to the Jewish faith. The holy sage, Maimonides (the Rambam), codified thirteen principles that are foundational truths of the Jewish religion. Number 12 is the belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era. Number 13 — the belief in the resurrection of the dead was also a shocker for me, having heard none of this in my brief attendance of Sunday Hebrew school classes when I was 10 years old (I dropped out after 9 months).
In 1951, Menachem M. Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, took the mantle of leadership from his predecessor, Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, who had passed the year before. Moshiach and the Redemption (Geulah in Hebrew) — the Jewish prophesied time of peace for the world — was the driving force behind everything the Rebbe did. In addition, he encouraged his followers and anyone for that matter who came to him for blessings to herald the news that Moshiach is on his way and we must do everything in our power to bring him sooner.
What is the concept of Moshiach in Jewish sources (pronounced moe-shee-ah-chk)?
The concept of Moshiach revolves around kingship, which Jewish sources have specific laws and Kabbalah around. In Judaism, kingship is a concept of humble royalty in that it is receptive, not deceptive, overbearing, or cruel. A Jewish king was never supposed to be an evil or controlling despot, but a humble servant of G-d recognized and received by the people. King David was that and the line of the Moshiach comes from his heritage.
Jewish law also says that Moshiach is a scholar, an expert in all areas of the written and oral Torah, even wiser than the wisest of all Jewish leaders, King Solomon. He is a righteous person, fulfilling the mitzvahs (commandments) of the Torah, and a leader who is continually concerned with the spiritual and physical well-being of the generation. As a prophet and king, he acts lovingly towards all people with warmth, care, concern, and devotion.
Born to human parents, he would, as a result of all his righteousness and dedication, merit to receive the soul of Moshiach.
According to Rabbi Chaim Vital, an authoritative Kabbalist of the 1500s, “King Moshiach is certainly a human tzadik (completely righteous person ) born to human parents. One day, though when his accumulated righteousness achieves great magnitude through his virtuous deeds, he will merit to receive the soul of Moshiach. On this day, the time of the End (of Exile), the soul of Moshiach will descend from the Garden of Eden and go into the body of this tzadik. He thereby merits to be the Redeemer.” (Arba Meios Shekel Kesef, p.68)
In Orthodox Judaism, belief in Moshiach is on people’s tongues daily through prayers, psalms, and songs. And actions are taken to herald his arrival. This belief and these actions are ingrained and a source of hope, dreams, and intentions. His arrival is the culmination of the tikkun, the ultimate fixing of the world.
In the darkest of times, on the way to the gas chambers, Jews even sang this belief (Ani Maamim): “I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Moshiach; even though he may tarry, nevertheless, I wait each day for his coming.”
According to the Jewish timeline of the world, there are six millennia, corresponding to the six days of Creation. The seventh is beyond time and space.
Noon on the 6th day corresponds to October 1989 (the Jewish year, 5750). It was then that the Rebbe began pumping the belief in Moshiach and the Redemption out into the open for the whole world — Jewish and non-Jewish — to see. The words of the Rebbe are on billboards, in newspapers, and the Rebbe was even interviewed by CNN.
On October 20, 1991, a CNN crew came to 770 synagogue in Crown Heights, Brooklyn to interview the Rebbe on what is known as the Sunday dollar line. Starting in 1986, when there were just too many people requesting private audiences with the Rebbe, the dollar line began. The Rebbe, a man in his late 80’s, would stand for eight hours without a break to receive each person coming to him. Thousands of people came to receive a blessing and a dollar allocated to charity. When the Rebbe was asked how he could stand for so many hours, he smiled and said, “When you’re counting diamonds, you don’t get tired.” And that is how the Rebbe viewed each person — as a diamond.
As a woman who spent many a Sunday waiting on those lines for six plus hours, I can attest to the fact that the Rebbe never looked tired. Infused with a purpose for this generation, the Rebbe had energy beyond his physical age. And when you stood in front of him, you felt as if you were standing in front of a generous king who respected and cared for you as he did for the thousands that had passed before you and the thousands who would pass after you.
Not surprising then, when the CNN reporter with the mic leaned forward towards the Rebbe, the Rebbe had a confident and untiring smile.
Gary Tuchman, CNN National Correspondent: “Rebbe, could you tell us the message you have for the world about Moshiach, the message you have for the whole world about the Moshiach?”
The Rebbe: “It was printed in all the presses in all the countries, and if you want to repeat them, then repeat to them that Moshiach is ready to come now. That it is only from our part to do something additional in the realm of goodness and kindness.”
Mr. Tuchman repeated what the Rebbe said, “people should be doing goodness and kindness for him to come.”
The Rebbe emphasized, “at least a little more, then Moshiach will come immediately.”
And then the Rebbe handed Mr. Tuchman and all the crew dollars to give to charity, and words of blessings.
I know that 30+ years have passed since that CNN interview. And the world certainly doesn’t look like Moshiach and the Redemption came. World suffering and in particular, October 7th, shout this out loud and clear.
But, you see, as a woman of faith and someone desperate for world peace and an end of suffering, my eyes are open to any clue that the mundane world is revealing the truth to the Rebbe’s words, that we are in the Era of Moshiach. The movie, Dune, starring Timothée Chalamet (a nice Jewish boy, by the way), caught my attention because the Messiah theme runs strong throughout the production. One can say, it is the core theme.
But, unlike the way Frank Herbert chose to represent the concept of the Messiah, the Jewish-sourced Messiah is not a power monger or a potentially evil force of destruction. Just the opposite!
Perhaps in 1965, Mr. Herbert, the author of the Dune series of books, was wary and fearful, in the wake of WWII, of charismatic, murderous world leaders with cult-like followings. There is a difference though between them and Paul, Mr. Herbert’s protagonist. Paul struggled with the role being foisted upon him — that of the Messiah and world savior. He initially rejected his fate until circumstance “forced” him to assume the position of warrior and leader.
Similar to the Dune theme, the Jewish Moshiach is one who points the way and is too humble to declare himself as the Messiah. And he is mocked as well by many (as King David was, as the Rebbe was). But dissimilar to Mr. Herbert’s rather depressing scenario, the ascension of Moshiach will not bring bloodshed, nor a distortion of power. And to share more good news, there is no evil mother making everyone do her bidding by using a creepy voice.
While Dune is a Blockbuster Hollywood hit, it would be a terrible result to discourage people from believing in better times (the Redemption) and a wonderful Messiah. It behooves us to retreat from fear-mongering our youth, many of whom are in despair from the state of the world. People need to believe that humanity can come together as one. There is hope with the Jewish prophecy of Moshiach’s arrival rather than Dune’s bittersweet victory with everlasting conflict and suffering. We can push away a corrupt, failed Messiah message that fills minds and hearts with suspicion and dismay.
The Chabad Lubavitcher Rebbe, a righteous scholar and visionary, whose lineage is traced back to King David, a man whom Jews and non-Jews flocked to for blessings fits the Jewish law requirements of the righteous Messiah. A man who seemingly passed from the world in 1994, but has many visiting his kever (gravesite) daily to continue asking for compassionate assistance in their lives.
On the horizon, filling our moments with acts of goodness and kindness and with education, we can look forward to welcoming this strong, compassionate, and successful leader. And with him, the desired complete Redemption for humanity. As a benevolent king, the Jewish Moshiach does not force but compels people to do good through love, logic, and inspiration.
Through an awe-inspired desire to serve our Creator, we can all work together to usher in the time the Rambam describes in the Code of Jewish law: “There will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor strife, because goodness will flow in abundance and all delightful things will be available as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d.”
I, for one, look forward to this. So, will the real Messiah please stand up?!
BIO:
Miriam Racquel Feldman is a somatic healer, marriage coach, anxiety & trauma specialist, and award-winning author. She empowers women to trust the wisdom of their bodies and intuition. She once got her kicks from rehabilitating seals in California and now leads an adventurous life raising a bunch of kids along with her husband. If you meet her, be prepared to take part in philosophical discussions about the healing transformation of the world into a place of peace. Her award-winning memoir, “God Said What?! #MyOrthodoxLife” was #1 New Release in Kabbalah & Mysticism and #1 Best Seller in Women & Judaism. https://www.miriamracquel.com/
