Tag Archives: Bar Kochva

Mashiach: Now or Never

How has the coming of Mashiach been understood throughout Jewish history? Are we long overdue for the arrival of the Messiah? How might we understand Mashiach ben Yosef, Mashiach ben David, and their adversary “Armilus”?

Find out in this class, where we also discuss whether a Jew is required to believe in the notion of a messiah, how long the Israelites really spent in ancient Egypt, and explore mysterious figures like Zerubbabel and Nehemiah ben Hushiel.

More End of Days secrets from Nistarot d’Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai here.
For a list of fulfilled prophecies, see here.
For a brief bio of the intriguing life of Abba Hillel Silver, see here.

Who is Mashiach? (Video)

What are the 5 key qualities that Mashiach must possess? What is the true role of the Messiah, and how can we properly identify this person? And who were the 5 major figures in Jewish history that had a messianic movement associated with them? Find out in this class, where we also explore Jacob’s transformation into Israel, the spiritual power of music, the greatness of King David, and the timeline of events in the forthcoming Messianic Age.

The Puzzle of Pinchas ben Yair

This week’s parasha, Pinchas, begins by praising Pinchas, grandson of Aaron, for slaying the wicked Zimri and Cozbi, and describes God’s eternal reward to him. In the past, we have already explored in depth how Pinchas became Eliyahu. In addition to this, Kabbalistic texts note that smaller soul-sparks of Pinchas went to several other people in history. One of these people is the Talmudic sage Pinchas ben Yair, who is featured even more prominently in the Zohar. The Talmud seems to state that Pinchas ben Yair was the son-in-law of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, while the Zohar makes clear that he was his father-in-law. The contradiction has puzzled many in the past. How do we make sense of this, and what does the Biblical Pinchas have to do with it all? Continue reading →