from the teachings of the Rebbe on the Torah portion
The prophecy of the gentile, Bilaam, which appears in this week’s Torah portion, Balak, is one of the rare instances where the Torah alludes to the Final Redemption that will take place with the coming of Moshiach. The prophecy begins with Bilaam’s words: “Come--I will advise you against what this people will do to your people in the end of days,” and describes what will take place then.
About Moshiach, Rabbi Moses Maimonides wrote: “The chapter on Bilaam prophesied about the two Moshiachs, or anointed ones. The first was King David, who saved the Jews from the hands of their enemies. The second is Moshiach who will usher in the Messianic Age by rescuing the Jewish people from the hands of Esau.”
Why does Maimonides compare these two, aside from the obvious reason that Moshiach will be a direct descendant of his great-great-grandfather, King David? The Torah tells us that Moses “was the first and will be the last redeemer.” Would it not, then, have been more logical to liken Moses to Moshiach when speaking of the great deliverers of Israel? There must, therefore, be another underlying, fundamental connection between King David and Moshiach which must be explored.
Maimonides emphasizes in his writings that Moshiach does not have to perform miracles in order for us to recognize who he is. He will, however, restore the sovereignty of the House of David, rebuild the Holy Temple and gather in all the Jewish exiles. The significance of the rule of the House of David is that it symbolizes a perfection in Torah and mitzvot which is impossible today. Moshiach, through his actions, will enable the Jewish people to return to the full Jewish existence they enjoyed in former years, during the reign of King David.
The role of Moshiach, then, is the restoration of Jewish integrity, and this is reflected in the laws which govern how we will recognize him. Maimonides wrote: “If a king shall arise from the House of David, speak words of Torah, both Oral and Written, be occupied in mitzvot like his forefather David, bring Israel to the ways of the Torah and adherence to its laws, fight G-d’s battles, etc.” Such a person, we are told, is to be considered Moshiach. Once he has succeeded in vanquishing all the enemies of the Jews, has rebuilt the Temple and gathered in all the exiles--then we shall know that he is indeed Moshiach.
This, then, is the essential link between King David and Moshiach--the restoration of a completeness which we cannot experience while in exile. The coming of Moshiach, like King David’s rule before him, will remove our spiritual limitations and enable us to live a fully Jewish life.
