Book About Moshiach Presents Ancient Support for “New” Idea

A recently published book is making waves in the Torah community, helping readers comfortably draw their own conclusions regarding a topic too often riddled with misinformation: Moshiach being someone no longer alive. The book includes haskamos from a variety of rabbonim.

By Aharon Loschak

A recently published book is making waves in the Torah community, helping readers comfortably draw their own conclusions regarding a topic too often riddled with misinformation. Short but powerful, Ofanei Bi’as Hagoe’l, by Rabbis Eliyahu Friedman and Menachem Borenstein, aims to present readers with one simple thing: sources. If you want to know what classic Gedolei Yisrael—spanning from the times of the Gemara until present day—said about the prospects of Mashiach being someone no longer alive, this book has it all.

Belief in Mashiach is, of course, one of the bedrocks of Judaism, enshrined by the Rambam as one of very few fundamental principles of our faith. Indeed, throughout our nation’s long, and oftentimes painful history, looking forward to a better tomorrow has fueled both hope and faith. Of course, for such an important and vast topic, there’s a plethora of information, and sadly—misinformation. And when it comes to the specific subgenre of “Can Mashiach be someone who is no longer alive and be resurrected?” it sometimes becomes a fraught topic.

No longer.

Instead of making any argument this way or the other, Ofanei Bi’as Hagoe’l doesn’t have any narrator’s voice at all. From the very beginning through its concluding fifty-fifth page, the Gedolei Yisrael quoted between the covers speak for themselves.

The project started organically several years ago. “I was genuinely curious about this topic, and I simply wanted to consult with the sources,” said Friedman. “I became somewhat obsessed about it, and my quest led me to many fascinating discoveries. I began sharing some of these finds with friends and after a while, people began encouraging me to share these captivating reads with others.”

That’s when Friedman’s co-author, Menachem Borenstein got involved. Like Friedman, he shared a passion about this topic, and he, too, was working on amassing material to eventually present to the public. When the two finally met one another and realized the similar path they were taking, it was only natural to merge their projects as one and work hand in hand to bring it to the finish line. Sure enough, they eventually collected enough material to put together a small sefer. And so, Ofanei Bi’as Hagoe’l was born.

Augmenting the sefer is an extensive introduction, taking the reader through the basics about believing in Mashiach, up to the point that according to Halachah, Mashiach isn’t just an era, but rather a person. From there, the reader is taken through a historical journey of how various Gedolei Yisrael demonstrated their anticipation and belief in this individual named “Mashiach.” Did you know that the Maharal flew a Mashiach flag outside his famed shul in Prague?

Another quite common way of demonstrating this anticipation was to look to an actual person as the protentional Mashiach of that time, a nominee-in-the-wings of sorts. This fact provides the launching pad for the book’s core discussion: can that person be someone no longer alive?

Brimming with haskamos and letters of blessings from Rabbinical authorities from across the frum spectrum, Ofanei Bi’as Hagoe’l is a true gift to the Jewish world. The authors invested significant time and energy presenting the sefer to as many respected Rabbanim as possible—both from within Chabad and far beyond—and the encouraging words published in its beginning demonstrate the great level of ahavas Yisrael this wonderful little book has engendered. The Bostoner Rebbe of Boro Park was one such gracious reviewer, smilingly telling Friedman, “I’ll do you a favor,” which he followed by promptly marking up the introduction, making critical amendments and additions.

So, if you ever wondered about this important question, take a look. There’s a source for everyone, so you’ll probably find just what you’re looking for.

The sefer can be purchased online at Amazon.com: https://a.co/d/cLSoSyx