Posted on 12/09/2004 1:36:47 AM PST by M. Espinola
23:26 Dec 08, '04 / 25 Kislev 5765
In a dramatic but unpublicized move Monday, members of the newly established Sanhedrin ascended the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site.
Close to fifty recently ordained “samuchim,” members of the Sanhedrin, lined up at the foot of the Temple Mount Monday morning. The men, many ascending the Temple Mount for the first time, had immersed in mikvaot (ritual baths) that morning and planned to ascend as a group. Despite prior approval from the Israeli police who oversee entry to the Mount, the officers barred the group from entering the Mount together, saying they could only ascend in groups of ten.
The Sanhedrin, a religious assembly of 71 sages that sat from the time of the Holy Temple through 425 CE, was the highest Jewish legal-judicial tribunal in the Land of Israel. The great court used to convene in one of the Temple’s chambers in Jerusalem. On October 14, the Sanhedrin was reestablished for the first time in 1,600 years, at the site of its last meeting in Tiberius.
“There is a special mitzvah, not connected to time, but tied to our presence in Israel, to establish a Sanhedrin,” Rabbi Meir HaLevi (no relation), one of the 71 members of the new Sanhedrin, told Israel National Radio’s Weekend Edition. “The Rambam [12th century Torah scholar Maimonides] describes the process exactly in [his seminal work codifying Jewish Law] the Mishna Torah. When he wrote it there was no Sanhedrin, and he therefore outlines the steps necessary to establish one. When there is a majority of rabbis, in Israel, who authorize one person to be a ‘samuch,’ an authority, he can then reestablish the Sanhedrin.”
Those behind the revival of the Sanhedrin stress that the revival of the legal body is not optional, but mandated by the Torah. “We don’t have a choice,” says Rabbi Richman, “it is a religious mandate for us to establish a Sanhedrin.”
The Sanhedrin was reestablished through the ordination of a rabbi agreed-upon by the majority of prominent rabbis in Israel and approved as “fitting to serve” by former Chief Sefardi Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and leading Ashkenazi Rabbi Shalom Elyashiv. That rabbi, who is then considered to have received authentic ordination as handed down from Moses, was then able to give ordination to 70 others, making up the quorum of 71 necessary for the Sanhedrin.
“Even Mordechai HaYehudi, from the Purim story, was only accepted, as it is written, ‘by the majority of his brethren,’ not by everybody, because anyone who deals with public issues can not be unanimously accepted,” HaLevi explained.
The rabbis behind the Sanhedrin’s reconstitution claim that, like the State of Israel, the old-new Sanhedrin is a work-in-progress. They see it as a vessel that, once established, will reach the stature and authority that it once had.
The first members requested that their names not be published, so as to allow it to grow without public criticism of individuals,” HaLevi said. “We want to give it time to develop and strengthen the institution, giving a chance for more rabbis to join.” He added that each of the current members of the Sanhedrin has agreed to be a conditional member until a more knowledgeable rabbi joins, taking his place.
Rabbi Richman, also a member of the Sanhedrin, hopes the body will bring about a revolution in Jewish jurisprudence. Declining to discuss exactly what issues are on the Sanhedrin’s agenda, Richman said that one of the main long-term goals of the Sanhedrin, which includes members of Ashkenazi, Sefardi, Hasidic, National-Religious and Haredi communities, is to reunify Jewish observance in Israel.
“We Jews went into exiles all over the world,” HaLevi told INR’s Weekend Edition. “Every community established its own court. We are talking about more than 50 different legal systems developing apart from one another. Part of our return to Israel is the reunification of our Jewish practices.”
There is a tradition (Tractate Megillah 17b, Rashi) that the Sanhedrin will be restored after a partial ingathering of the Jewish exiles, but before Jerusalem is completely rebuilt and restored. There is also a Talmudic tradition (Eruvin 43b; Maharatz Chajas ad loc; Rashash , Sanhedrin 13b) that Elijah the Prophet will present himself before a duly-ordained Sanhedrin when he announces the coming of the Messiah, meaning that – despite common misconceptions - a Sanhedrin is a pre-, not post-messianic institution.
I think there are posts on the PROPHETIC SIGNS thread about the hefer. But I forget what number.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1274030/posts?page=940
I agree about the mosques. I've also heard about a fault under the Dome of the Rock.
I first heard about the red hefer a few years ago, I think.
That one developed some white hairs in her tail and was disqualified.
There is a very qualified and approved one living in Israel now. Some say some fancy breeding and genetic engineering were involved but I don't know about that. I do believe that there is a viable red hefer ready for the Biblical requirements when the time comes.
I don't know a website but you could Google for it.
Sorry Quix...
Just read through the thread you posted the link to. Thanks for the information.
Note to self...read thoroughly before posting questions.
Glad you can scan fast! That's a lot of reading otherwise!
Blessings,
Solomon's mistake wasn't in building the temple. God told David that Solomon "shall" build a house for Him.
But it was not to God's specifications.
Ops4 God Bless America!
Is there a tradition that Mashiach will be recognized as such before he does anything?
Interesting article. I'm curious to see how this all turns out.
Since nothing remains of it, how could you possibly know this?
Scripture would seem to indicate otherwise. God gave David the plans for His house, David gave them to Solomon, and Solomon built it according to the plan's specifications.
Then David gave Solomon his son the plan of the vestibule of the temple, and of its houses, its treasuries, its upper rooms, and its inner chambers, and of the room for the mercy seat;
and the plan of all that he had in mind for the courts of the house of the LORD, all the surrounding chambers...
All this he made clear by the writing from the hand of the LORD concerning it, all the work to be done according to the plan. (1 Chronicles 28:11-12;19)
And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its parts, and according to all its specifications. (1 Kings 6:38)
It seems to me that, prior to fulfilling all the messianic prophecies, he would only be a candidate for moshiach. It is the fact the he is the one who fulfilled all of the prophecies which would confirm his identity. Rabbi Akiva thought that bar Kochba was moshiach, but he was wrong.
Then no one can dogmatically say that the Sanhedrion may not be reinstituted or the Temple rebuilt or a king anointed because Mashiach hasn't come, correct?
Not of which I am aware. Or not exactly. The immortal words of Rambam:
3. One should not entertain the notion that the King Moshiach must work miracles and wonders, bring about new phenomena within the world, resurrect the dead, or perform other similar deeds. This is [definitely] not true.[A proof can be brought from the fact that] that Rabbi Akiva, one of the greatest Sages of the Mishnah, was one of the supporters of King Ben Koziva, and would describe him as the King Moshiach. He and all the Sages of his generation considered him to be the King Moshiach until he was killed because of [his] sins. Once he was killed, they realized that he was not [the Moshiach]. The Sages did not ask him for any signs or wonders.
[Rather,] this is the main thrust of the matter: This Torah, with its statutes and laws, is everlasting. We may neither add to them nor detract from them.
4. If a king will arise from the House of David who delves deeply into the study of the Torah and, like David his ancestor, observes its mitzvos as prescribed by the Written Law and the Oral Law; if he will compel all of Israel to walk in [the way of the Torah] and repair the breaches [in its observance]; and if he will fight the wars of G-d; - we may, with assurance, consider him Moshiach.
If he succeeds in the above, builds the [Beis Ha]Mikdash on its site, and gathers in the dispersed remnant of Israel, he is definitely the Moshiach.
He will then perfect the entire world, [motivating all the nations] to serve G-d together, as it is written [Zephaniah, 3:9], "I will make the peoples pure of speech so that they will all call upon the Name of G-d and serve Him with one purpose."
Logically, that is correct.
Ping for interesting article and comments. :)
A true Sanhedrin can only be convened in the Lishkas Hagozis (stone chamber) of the Temple.
The members of this Beit Din are reserving their places.
Then no one can dogmatically say that the Sanhedrion may not be reinstituted or the Temple rebuilt or a king anointed because Mashiach hasn't come, correct?
Logically, that is correct.
That seems to be the only logical conclusion. Which makes it even more puzzling why anyone would object to starting the Sanhedrion, rebuilding the Temple, etc., because "Mashiach has not arrived" when he will only prove himself by doing these very things. It is for this reason that I do not understand the absolute passivity of some people. Even if a great Tzaddiq like the Rebbe (zt"l; zy"`a) ruled that the Sanhedrion could not be built fifty years ago because Mashiach had not arrived, how could the non-arrival of Mashiach be invoked perpetually against doing these things? This would prevent Mashiach from doing them, G-d forbid.
Alouette may have hit on a way to explain this in her latest post. Perhaps the Rebbe was saying that a true Sanhedrion cannot be convened in our day because they cannot meet in Lishkat HaGazit, but one day someone will restore Lishkat HaGazit to the Sanhedrion and this person will be Mashiach. Until then, we have the restoration of semikhah and this Beit Din.
The question of the Sanhedrin and Mashiach is also dependent on the recognition of true prophecy, which can only take place when a majority of Jews in the world live in the land of Israel. I believe that if the majority of Jews did indeed live in the land, there would be enthusiasm for establishing a true Sanhedrin.
And there are opinions that, strictly speaking, the Temple isn't needed for these things to happen, but that the finding of the Ark of the Covenant, etc, will suffice.
Is there a ping list for evangelical Christians who want to track the fulfillment of Scripture as regards end times?
At any rate, we live in most interesting times indeed. Other than that, you of course have much more knowledge than I about these things.
There is a small intriguing book by Bezalel Naor available from OU (believe it or not) called LIGHTS OF PROPHECY. The book descibes the relationship and balance between true prophecy and avodah zarah. It's amazing!
I have a small anti-evolution book published by NCSY, so I suppose such a thing is possible!
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