Apr 4, 2022 By: yunews
By Zvi Erenyi
Collection Development & Reference Librarian
Mendel Gottesman Library
Tuesday, March 29, 2022, capped off the Yeshiva University Libraries Book Talks as Rabbi Netanel (Nathaniel) Wiederblank (instructor of Talmud, halacha and philosophy at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary) discussed themes from his series Illuminating Jewish Thought (Maggid Books), currently in two volumes: Explorations of Free Will, the Afterlife, and the Messianic Era and the recently published Faith, Philosophy, and Knowledge of God.
In the first part of his lecture, Rabbi Wiederblank set out reasons, from a Torah perspective, to refrain from predicting whether the war in Ukraine conferred any meaningful signals about the coming of the Messiah. He noted past attempts to associate events with apocalyptic passages in the Bible and to arrive at predictions about end times. About this matter, according to Maimonides (Rambam), neither do relevant Biblical verses provide clear statements nor did our Sages possess firm traditions.
Furthermore, Maimonides considered this preoccupation of little cardinal importance or practical application and, simply, a waste of time that detracted from the duty of love of God. Additionally, it could be dangerous: when a calculation for the “birth pangs” of the Messiah’s arrival proved to be wrong, it could, and often did, lead to a loss of faith.
Nevertheless, Rabbi Wiederblank remarked that even notable sages, such as Rav Saadia Gaon, predicted dates because they felt that the dire contemporary circumstances of the Jews demanded this as a way of providing some hope. Maimonides emphasized that belief in the coming of the Messiah should not be a passive but an active longing because his coming will usher in a true restoration, an opportunity to achieve religious goals currently unattainable in our diasporic condition. The prophecy of the “Dry Bones” in Ezekiel 37 concerns not the physical resurrection of the dead but rather a spiritual rejuvenation that will allow a better understanding of God and Torah – something not possible at present.
Rabbi Wiederblank devoted the second, shorter, part of his lecture to remarks about Gog and Magog. “Is there a direction to history?” he asked. He cited English historian Sir Herbert Butterfield’s notion that there is, indeed, such a progression, even if slow, and an optimism that bad past events would not recur. However, argued Rabbi Wiederblank, events such as the world wars and more recent conflicts have put the lie to this notion.
“Who is Gog?” Rabbi Wiederblank asked. The various possibilities offered by commentators leave the answer unclear. We all agree, however, on the outcome: the magnification of God’s name and the manifestation of His unity. While the direction leading to this outcome remains unclear, we must hope, said Rabbi Wiederblank, for peace and the revelation of His name.
Tuesday, March 29, 2022, capped off the Yeshiva University Libraries Book Talks as Rabbi Netanel (Nathaniel) Wiederblank (instructor of Talmud, halacha and philosophy at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary) discussed themes from his series Illuminating Jewish Thought (Maggid Books), currently in two volumes: Explorations of Free Will, the Afterlife, and the Messianic Era and the recently published Faith, Philosophy, and Knowledge of God.
In the first part of his lecture, Rabbi Wiederblank set out reasons, from a Torah perspective, to refrain from predicting whether the war in Ukraine conferred any meaningful signals about the coming of the Messiah. He noted past attempts to associate events with apocalyptic passages in the Bible and to arrive at predictions about end times. About this matter, according to Maimonides (Rambam), neither do relevant Biblical verses provide clear statements nor did our Sages possess firm traditions.
Furthermore, Maimonides considered this preoccupation of little cardinal importance or practical application and, simply, a waste of time that detracted from the duty of love of God. Additionally, it could be dangerous: when a calculation for the “birth pangs” of the Messiah’s arrival proved to be wrong, it could, and often did, lead to a loss of faith.
Nevertheless, Rabbi Wiederblank remarked that even notable sages, such as Rav Saadia Gaon, predicted dates because they felt that the dire contemporary circumstances of the Jews demanded this as a way of providing some hope. Maimonides emphasized that belief in the coming of the Messiah should not be a passive but an active longing because his coming will usher in a true restoration, an opportunity to achieve religious goals currently unattainable in our diasporic condition. The prophecy of the “Dry Bones” in Ezekiel 37 concerns not the physical resurrection of the dead but rather a spiritual rejuvenation that will allow a better understanding of God and Torah – something not possible at present.
Rabbi Wiederblank devoted the second, shorter, part of his lecture to remarks about Gog and Magog. “Is there a direction to history?” he asked. He cited English historian Sir Herbert Butterfield’s notion that there is, indeed, such a progression, even if slow, and an optimism that bad past events would not recur. However, argued Rabbi Wiederblank, events such as the world wars and more recent conflicts have put the lie to this notion.
“Who is Gog?” Rabbi Wiederblank asked. The various possibilities offered by commentators leave the answer unclear. We all agree, however, on the outcome: the magnification of God’s name and the manifestation of His unity. While the direction leading to this outcome remains unclear, we must hope, said Rabbi Wiederblank, for peace and the revelation of His name.
