This is a blog post for the Shabbos that corresponds to Gimmel Tammuz, this date is important for Chabad Chassidim and for us. It is a touching point where we come together to recognize, albeit different Messiahs, but the idea that Messiah can and will rise from the dead, be concealed and revealed.
There is a great book which is the source for much of my information. It is Butman's Shmuel Countdown to Moshiach. This book seeks to answer the questions about how the Lubavitcher Rebbe could still be the Messiah after his death. The Yahrzeit of which is this Shabbos, or 3 Tammuz. So this shabbos let us learn from Chabad Chassidim truths from the Rabbis about the resurrection of our Messiah, the concealed era of Messiah we live in, and how to bring the complete redemption, which is very close, to the beliefs we ourselves hold. The Talmud in Sanhedrin 98b states "Rav said if he is from the living then he is like Rabbeinu Hakodesh, if he is from the dead the he is like Daniel the delightful one". Shmuel goes on "According to Rashi the conditions for one to become Moshiach, besides being from king David, (Of whom our Moshiach Yeshua has a better Yichus, and proof of Yichus of being from that line) are that he experienced physical suffering based on the passage in the Talmud....quoting Isaiah 53:4. and that he be a perfect Saint." He also needs to be a leader of the Jews in his generation.- Our Rebbe Yeshua fulfills all these requirements.
Then Shmuel continues in his book "Based on the Talmud quoted above, the Sdei Chemed and encyclopedic work by the renowned Halachic authority Rabbi Chaim Chizkiya Medini quotes approvingly. (Pe'as HaSadeh, Maareches Ha'alef, 70) a long letter ...... where he explains among other fascinating points concerning the ultimate redemption that if we have sufficient merit, then Moshiach will be from the dead!" He continues- "The Midrash (Bamidbar 11:3) Says that the future redeemer will be revealed, then concealed, then revealed again. This is quoted by Rabbeinu Bachayei and by the Chasam Sofer on the Torah.....The latter writes: This is a great test that the redeemer is concealed (Moshe) and so it will be at the time of our Righteous Moshiach that he we be concealed after his revelation, as mentioned in the Midrash.
From the Zohar Shmos 8B...as explained in Zohar Harakiya and Shaar Hagilgulim, it is clear that the Moshiach is born naturally in this world then the should of Moshiach in the heavenly Gan Eden is bestowed upon him, ....then he becomes concealed, ascending to heaven, and only afterwards is revealed to the full extent. the whole Jewish people recognizing him as Moshiach. We see here 3 stages in the revelation of Moshiach a) revelation b) Concealment c) final full revelation. .....Note that Abarbanel....wrote this long after Rambam's aforementioned ruling concerning the identity and rise of the Moshiach, proving that he did not see that ruling as any contradiction to the possibility of Moshiach rising from the dead." This was much of Shmuel Butman's work, and much thanks to him. There are a few other Talmudic things that go beyond Shmuel's quotes in recognizing Moshiach- one very interesting quote brings me to why I believe it is Yeshua HaNotzri and not Rebbe Menacham Mendel Schneerson, In Sukkah 52a -"R Dosa and the Rabbis disagreed about it. One said that the eulogy would be for the Messiah descended from Joseph, who will have been killed in battle, while one said that it will be for the evil inclination that will have been killed eradicated at that future time.
It is understandable according to the one who said that the eulogy will be for the Messiah descended from Joseph who will have been killed that is why the mourning will be so bitter, as it is written" they will look on me whom they have stabbed they will mourn over him as one mourns over an only child. etc. but according to the one who said that the eulogy will be for the evil inclination that will have been killed does that warrant an eulogy?..." It continues and as Shabbos is so close to coming I will have to end soon, however, this is the two things that Rebbe Yeshua brings that the Rebbe Menacham Mendel Schneerson does not bring he was stabbed, albeit not in war but the Rebbe Menacham Mendel Schneerson also was not in a war of Gog and Magog, though Yeshua may have been Spiritually in such a war as Baal HaTurim defines Gog and Magog a bit non-literally. He was pierced, there was a mourning, and the evil inclination also began its death in those who attach themselves to Rebbe Yeshua HaNotzri adorneinu, Moreinu, v' Rabbeinu melech HaMoshiach l'loam vo'ed. Come experience the dying of the evil inclination in your own soul and taste the first stage of Guelah.
Have a Good Shabbos!