16. Is It Permitted to Point to an Individual and Say They Are Moshiach?
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Believing in a living, identifiable Moshiach isn’t a radical idea. It’s basic Jewish law.
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The painful legacy of false messiahs throughout history should not prevent us from following a valid Moshiach candidate — history is not halacha.
📜 The key is to apply the Torah’s parameters when considering a candidate, not to abandon the belief that Moshiach walks among us today.
🗨️ Think about it: Can a bad historical outcome change what the Torah actually requires of us?
An Ancient Practice
Students revered their Rebbe so deeply that they would search Torah passages about Moshiach for verses hinting at his name, sometimes at the Rebbe’s own encouragement. That reverence is what led them to say: our Rebbe is the Moshiach of the generation.
Rav said it about Rabbeinu HaKadosh. Rav Nachman said it about himself.
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“And we, the Chassidim, follow in their footsteps, regarding our Rebbes, our leaders, and in particular the Frierdike Rebbe, Nasi of our generation, [Yosef] is his name, as it is written: ‘Hashem will add His hand a second time to gather the dispersed of Israel’; [Yitzchak] is his name, as it is written: ‘Then our mouths will be filled with laughter.’”
— Sefer HaSichos 5751, vol. 2, Parshas Tazria-Metzora, p. 497, n. 67
🗨️ Think about it: If someone came along who checked every box the Torah describes for Moshiach — would your hesitation come from what the Torah says, or from what happened in history?
Practical Applications
This isn’t history. Every Chassid is meant to feel this about their Rebbe, that their Rebbe is the Moshiach of their generation. That’s the practice.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe applied the same principle to our generation, saying the Previous Rebbe has the qualities of Moshiach, his name connects to the Torah’s descriptions of Moshiach, and we should say openly that he is Moshiach.³⁵
A Name in Every Era
💬 Think about it: If the greatest sages in history each believed there was a Moshiach candidate in their generation — what does that say about ours?
Rav, a prominent Amora of the first generation and disciple of Rabbeinu HaKadosh, asserted that the Moshiach of his time was none other than his teacher, Rav Yehudah HaNasi. Similarly, Rav Nachman remarked that a suitable candidate for Moshiach in his era would embody traits akin to his own character.
🌟 These insights highlight the enduring belief among esteemed sages that each period can yield an individual capable of fulfilling the role of Moshiach.
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Each period can yield an individual capable of fulfilling the role of Moshiach.
From Bartenura to Chasam Sofer
📜 Rabbeinu Ovadia Bartenura (on Rus) explains that in every generation there is someone born from the descendants of Yehudah who is worthy of being Moshiach for the Jewish people. The Chasam Sofer⁴ further clarifies that when the proper time arrives, Hashem will reveal Himself to that individual, send him, and cause the hidden spirit of Moshiach to shine upon him.
👑 The consistent theme is clear: in every generation there can be a person who is fitting to be Moshiach, identified by his righteousness, leadership, and actions. When the time comes, Hashem will reveal and empower him to fulfill that role.
When the time comes, Hashem will reveal and empower him to fulfill that role.
🧠 Test Yourself
Which statement best captures the core idea of this post?
A. In every generation there is a tzaddik who meets the criteria of Moshiach, and Hashem will reveal and empower him at the appointed time.
✅ Correct. The Rambam, the Bartenura, and the Chasam Sofer all teach that in every generation there is a tzaddik worthy of being Moshiach. That means there is someone you can point to in your own generation. When the appointed time arrives, Hashem will reveal Himself to that individual and empower him to fulfill the role.
B. Moshiach will only be identified after he has already begun the redemption process and his identity becomes undeniable.
✗ Not quite. The post teaches that Moshiach is identified by his qualities and righteousness even before the redemption begins, not that we wait for the process to become undeniable. The Talmud records sages who pointed to their own teachers as potential candidates for Moshiach in their generation.
C. The concept of Moshiach refers to a future era of peace rather than a specific individual in any given generation.
✗ Not quite. The post is explicit that Moshiach is a specific person, a real tzaddik, identified by the Torah’s parameters. The Rambam defines Moshiach as a king, a flesh-and-blood individual, not a symbolic concept or an era without a human figure.
Bottom line: yes, there is someone you can point to. In every generation, including ours.
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