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I used to be a Christian but converted to Orthodox Judaism more than 32 years ago. I have a website called: "A Primer: Why Jews Can't Believe in Jesus" that should more than adequately answer your question (although I actually designed it for Jewish education and not to combat missionaries). But let me just touch on the basics:
Not only isn't Jesus the ...
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Rambam Hilchos Malachim perek 1 Halacha 5
"אין מעמידין אשה במלכות שנאמר עליך מלך ולא מלכה וכן כל משימות שבישראל אין ממנים בהם אלא איש."
women cannot become kings.
Also when the gemara discusses Mashiach they use the loshon "him" and Ben Dovid see Sanhedrin 98
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Just to note, Rambam (Mishna Torah; Hil. Melachim 12:2) writes that one should not over-contemplate the events that are to come about with the redemption, for the prophecies are intentionally vague and no one will know for certain their meaning until they come to be realized. Even the Rabbis of the Talmud only said about the redemption and the Messiah what ...
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I'm going to answer this question indirectly. I have had discussions with several Lubavitchers who have come up with some compelling (to them) reasoning how the Rebbe זצ"ל can be Moshiach, which leads inexorably to the conclusion that he must be Moshiach. I'm not going to attempt to express the arguments here, even though you have asked for them, because I ...
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Moses makes it clear that when the Jews enter the Promised Land, eventually one special place shall be chosen, and that will be the only place that animal sacrifices are authorized. That place is the Temple in Jerusalem.
Today the Temple does not stand; it's unclear exactly where on the Temple Mount area the altar stood; there are numerous uncertainties ...
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It is clear to the Jewish people that the Messiah has not yet come. For the Messiah to have come there would have to be, also a Messianic Era. The sure signs of the Messianic Era, among other things, are:
With the coming of the Messiah will be the physical ingathering of Judah from the four corners of the earth ( Isa. 11:12, 27:12-13);
That ingathering ...
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For a complete treatment of the subject, see a work like this. There are anti-missionary sites that certainly go through the various Biblical descriptions of the Messiah; these aren't hard to find if you google around a bit.
In brief, here's how Maimonides codifies the job description of the Jewish Messiah, in Chapter 11 of his Laws of Kings & their ...
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Here are the Rambam's instructions on how to recognize Moshiach: Melachim U'Milchamotahem 11
A Jewish King from the House of David who learns and observes the Torah (written and oral) and assures that Israel does as well can be presumed to be Moshiach.
If he does so and rebuilds the Beis HaMikdosh and gathers in the exiles he certainly is Moshiach.
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The Rambam (Teshuvah 9:2) says he will be a prophet almost as great as Mosheh Rabbeinu.
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Let me break this down by question:
1. Are there any documented halachik authorities that rule that the belief in a dead Messiah is beyond the pale of permitted Jewish belief and therefore would qualify as Kfira?
Short Answer: Yes -- and we do consideer it kfira in the case of Jews who adopt Christianity.
Rabbi Gil Student, in his book Can The Rebbe ...
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Not a complete answer, but the first step is to truly learn about Moshiach and the Messianic era. Understanding the fundamentals about why Judaism necessitates a belief in Moshiach in the first place.
Yoel Kahan wrote a Sefer (book) explaining why Moshiach and the Resurrection of the Dead are two of the Rambam's 13 principles of faith. Why does he consider ...
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No. See the following list from the Rambam of what Mashiach will/must do:
In the future, the Messianic king will arise and renew the Davidic dynasty, restoring it to its initial sovereignty. He will build the Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel.
Then, in his days, the observance of all the statutes will return to their previous state. We will ...
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Yonatan ben Uziel, Radak, Metzudat David, and Ibn Ezra say that the sign is outlined in verse 15.
Yonatan Ben Uziel says on verse 15 and 16 the child is used as a time stamp of sorts. Basically deliverance from the two oppressing monarchy will end and the land will prosper before the child matures, and can distinguish between good and bad. It is possible ...
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This answer demonstrates that the messiah must be human. See also Sanhedrin 98a in the Babylonian talmud, which -- in the midst of a discussion of signs that the messiah has come -- calls the messiah the "son of David" several times. "Son of David" -- that is, a Jewish man descended from King David. A man, not a supernatural being. From the Soncino ...
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See Gil Students tremendous treatment entitled "Can The Rebbe Be Moshiach?"
In Chapter Five called What Counter-proofs can be
Brought? Rabbi Student brings the arguments that many meshichist lubavitchers use to argue that the Lubavitcher rebbe was/is/will be Moshiach.
From the beggining of the chapter:
There are two types of proofs that are brought for ...
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In short, do Mitzvot. The Rambam writes (Teshuva 3:4):
Accordingly, throughout the entire year, a person should always look at himself as equally balanced between merit and sin and the world as equally balanced between merit and sin. If he performs one sin, he tips his balance and that of the entire world to the side of guilt and brings destruction upon ...
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Having lived and studied in Crown Heights for several months--before which I believed that a significant proportion of Lubavitchers, perhaps 40% or half, did not believe the Rebbe was Moshiach--I have been surprised to find that the notion that the Rebbe is the presumptive, if not actual Messiah is very dominant in Chabad. Chabad Houses and conferences and ...
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No, and I'll explain why:
First, as per this list, only 42.5% of world Jewry was in Israel in 2010, so "most" of the Jews are not in Israel.
Second, the exile is a function of lost spirituality, not just physical presence. The return to Zion will end the exile when god decides we are on the spiritual level for the proper return. Simply moving there, while ...
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I'll be honest. I'm a lazy, pampered and comfortable American Jew. As much as I'd like to make aliyah or somehow be part of shivat tziyon, I like the creature comforts of the ol' US of A (things like tuna fish, alumionum foil and English). It would be nice if I could stir my soul to want to move and maybe I should be praying to change my own attitude but ...
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Are the Jews still today waiting for the promised Messiah to come?
Yes - central to our prayers which we say 3 times per day is a prayer for the quick arrival of the Moshiach and the restoration of the Jewish monarchy, the House of Dovid. See also the Rambam (Maimonides) 13 principles of belief: "I believe completely in the advent of the Moshiach and I wait ...
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Absolutely not.
The Jewish messiah is a flesh-and-blood man descended from King David.
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A majority of Jews cannot bring a Pesach on Pesach Sheni. Only a minority can, and only if the majority brought theirs on Pesach Rishon. Pesachim (79a-80b).
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According to this article at Chabad.org, based on the teachings of the late Lubavitcher Rebbe zy"a, each generation builds on the achievements of the previous generation. So that even though we may be on a lower spiritual level, we are still furthering the cause of creation and bringing it closer to its ultimate goal. I think that this is similar to the ...
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Before or during Jesus's time, what other notable Jews claimed to be or hinted at being the Messiah?
Famously Rabbi Akiva thought that Bar Kochba was the Messiah but I don't know whether Bar Kochba claimed that title for himself.
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The idea is that if someone died or was killed before fulfilling his messianic mission, such as was the case by Bar Kochba, who was thought to be the mashiach until this happened, then he is at most like any other righteous king of Israel, but not the mashiach. This is spelled out in the Rambam, Hilchot Melachim, Chapter 11, as follows:
ח ואם יעמוד מלך ...
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R' Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz poses a very similar question and quotes the following answer from Mesillat Yesharim, Chapter 7. (I got the Hebrew here. The translation is the one quoted by R' Yaklowitz)
ואולם האדם אשר אין החמדה הזאת לוהטת בו כראוי, עצה טובה היא לו שיזדרז ברצונו, כדי שימשך מזה שתולד בו החמדה בטבע, כי התנועה החיצונה מעוררת הפנימית, ובודאי שיותר ...
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All of these things can help.
Most week days, you can/should say Psalm 137, (as opposed to Psalm 126), before Grace After Meals. Many booklets that contain Grace After Maals have this in them already. It is a very sad lament and it certainly gives one pause if one take a few seconds to contemplate the words.
Baal Halachot Gedolot brings down a series of ...
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The Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 9:2:) writes that Moshaich will be a prophet:
[These changes will come about] because the king who will arise from David's descendants will be a greater master of knowledge than Solomon and a great prophet, close to the level of Moses, our teacher.
See also Melachim uMilchamot 12:3, where he writes that Moshaich will have "...
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A demanding "tone" in prayer is deemed improper. Consider what Shimon ben Shetach said to Choni heMeagel after successfully demanding rain from Hashem (vowing not to leave a drawn circle until it was given, modifying the request multiple times):
שלח לו שמעון בן שטח ואמר לו, צריך אתה לינדות; אבל מה אעשה לך, שאתה מתחטא לפני המקום כבן שמתחטא לפני אביו, והוא ...
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