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Study beginning Tevet 14 (2009-01-10)Stephen Allenwww.haderek.ca
Two Messiahs in the Dead Sea Scrolls
Two Messiahs are mentioned in the Community Rule, the Charter of a JewishSectarian Association (1QS), one of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Here is the quote:“They shall govern themselves using the original precepts by which the men of the Yachad [Unity/Community] were first instructed, doing so until there come theProphet and the Messiahs of Aaron and Israel.” (9:10-11)A similar statement appears in the Damascus Document (another one of theDead Sea Scrolls, but also found in Egypt in the 19
th
century). “This is the rule for those who live in camps, who live by these rules in the era of wickedness, untilthe appearance of the Messiah of Aaron and of Israel” (12.23-13.1).And this is the exposition of the regulations by which they shall be governed untilthe appearance of the Messiah of Aaron and of Israel, so that their iniquity maybe atoned for (14.18-19).We see either two Messiahs (or one with a dual role); one of Aaron (kohen), andone of Israel, i.e. David.
Other References of Interest 
In
Pesikta de Rav Kahana
by Bernard Mandelbaum, 1962 as quoted in “TheJewish Tradition of Two Messiahs,” a publication of RBC Ministries,(http://www.rbc.org/uploadedfiles/Bible_Study/Discovery_Series/PDF/The_Jewish_Theory_Of_Two_Messiahs.pdf ), we read:“My beloved is like a gazelle” (Song 2:9). Rabbi Yitzhaq said, “Just as thisgazelle can be seen and then again hides itself, so the first Messiah [Moses]revealed himself to the Children of Israel and then again hid himself from them.”There are whole sections on the Two Messiahs in the
Zohar 
, one of the mostimportant works on esoteric Jewish subjects on Torah (“Kabbalah”) firstpublished sometime around the 13
th
century although attributed to Rabbi Shimonbar Yochai in the 2
nd
century.
•
Vol. 10: Misphatim, Section 18: Two Messiahs
•
Volume 20: Pinchas, Section 87: Moses, the Two Messiahs, the rainbowand Malchut
•
Volume 1: Bereshit A, Section 21: Moshe and the two MessiahsThis stuff is very deep and we won’t go into it here. If you want to study it on your own, you can access it athttps://www.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar .For those of you who want to wade through an English translation of the Gaon’smonumental work,
Kol HaTor 
regarding Mashiach ben Yosef, most of it appearsathttp://www.yedidnefesh.com/kaballah/kol-hator/index.htm.
 
Study beginning Tevet 14 (2009-01-10)Stephen Allenwww.haderek.ca
Rabbi Joel David Bakst , an orthodox Rabbi discusses the subject in detail in his2008 book entitled, “
The Secret Doctrine of the Gaon of Vilna, Mashiach ben Yoseph & the Messianic Role of Torah, Kabbalah and Science
”(http://www.chazonhatorah.org/kol-hator-call-of-the-turtledove.htm). Here aresome excerpts which are not too difficult to comprehend:“the one theme that runs throughout the entirety of 
Kol HaTor 
, as well as in theGaon’s school of Kabbalah, is a concept known as
Mashiach ben Yoseph
(lit.Messiah son of Joseph)Although foreign to the vast majority of people—Jewishor not (including scholars)—this concept is axiomatic to a deeper understandingof the history and destiny of mankind and especially to the Jewish NationYet,this foundation principle has remained strangely hidden from the world—even theorthodox Torah world.”“Hiddenness and unrecognizability are part of the essence of 
Mashiach benYoseph
. He is the master of the art of disguise. This is also the Torah’s intentionin the verse: ‘
Yoseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him’ 
 (Genesis 42:8).”“What makes
Mashiach ben Yoseph
such a complex subject is that it is only onehalf of a larger picture. The other half, which is more familiar to everyone, isknown as
Mashiach ben David 
, the King Messiah, or simply
the
 Messiah
Mashiach ben Yoseph
can only be understood together with itscomplementary force of 
Mashiach ben David 
. It is the symbiotic union—or antagonism—between these two cosmological forces that forms the hiddenlandscape upon which the drama of the entirety of the world history unfolds.”“These two ‘messianic’ forces were in existence potentially and manifestly notonly before the historical Yoseph, viceroy of Egypt, and King David, but evenbefore creation. Rather, Yoseph and David are specific constellations of theforces of the
Trein M’shechin
incarnating, as it were, in historical time and space.The historical Yoseph and David then reciprocally become prototypes for the
Trein M’shechin
from whence we derive many of the subtle yet crucial details of the phenomenon of the
Trein M’shechin
.”“What is the purpose off a
Mashiach
? The
Mashiach
is an individual who isresponsible for, and who, either overtly, or covertly, spearheads a collectiveprocess of 
tikkun
.
Tikkun
is perhaps the single most important concept in all of JudaismThe word
tikkun
means ‘rectification’ or ‘mending.’ In the Kabbalah,
tikkun
also refers to a process of ‘elevation’ and ‘transformation.’ Whereas thesecond definition implies taking something that is already complete into a morerefined state, the first definition implies that something has broken, or becometorn, and the immediate goal is only to return it to its original state of completion.These are the processes, or modes, of 
tikkun
.”“The one who performs that act of restoration is said to be its redeemer (
goel 
),which is another quality and name for messiahTherefore, the Messiah is simplythe one who is responsible for the restoration—the
tikkun
—and the redemption of creation.”
 
Study beginning Tevet 14 (2009-01-10)Stephen Allenwww.haderek.ca
“The one who performs that act of transformation is said to be its redeemer, for he has released it from the bondage of its static level of completion. This type of redeemer is also a messiah.”“These two modes of 
tikkun
are referred to in Torah literature as the
TreinM’shechin
—the Two Messiahs.”“In general, the redeemer, whose mission is fundamentally one of restoration andpurification, is known as
Mashiach ben Yoseph
. The redeemer, whose mission isfundamentally one of elevation and transformation, is known as
Mashiach benDavid 
.”“The statement that there are two distinct modes and periods for each of the
Trein M’shechin
must now be qualified. In truth, there is much overlappingbetween the two. The
ben David 
mode is always present in the immediatebackground of the
ben Yoseph
mode and vice versa.”Quoting from a Rabbi Hillel Rivlin, we read, “the ingathering of the exiles, viathe awakening from below, comes through a process of reclamation andredemption. This follows from the verse, ‘God’s redeemed will return and they willcome singing to Zionthey shall obtain joy and happiness’ (Isaiah 35:10 and51:11). This redemption will take place under the leadership of 
Mashiach benYoseph
. It will involve a redemption from bodily subjugation and redemption fromthe subjugation of the soul. ‘God’s redeemed [plural] will return’ implies this two-fold process: ‘They will return to Zion’ in body [i.e., the material body of Israel],and ‘they will come singing to Zion’ [i.e., the religious spirit of Israel]. They willthen [both] return in
teshuvah
-repentance. This is implied in the continuation of the verse, ‘They shall attain joy and happiness.’”Continuing on in the writings of this Rabbi, we read,“all activities and all efforts—in all their particulars, down to the most minutedetails—that are directed to the ingathering of the exiles, the building of Jerusalem, the expansion and resettlement of the Land of Israel, and the returnof the Shechinah (Divine Presence), are dependent upon the mission and destinyof the Messiah of the Beginning, the first Messiah—
Mashiach ben Yoseph
. He isthe supra-natural force that aids every activity, which is ‘aroused from below,’through the natural occurring process. In this sense,
Mashiach ben Yoseph
isthat aspect of redemption that manifests ‘from the earth’ [i.e., from below], and
Mashiach ben David 
is that aspect that manifests ‘from the heavens’ [i.e., fromabove]In other sense,
Mashiach ben Yoseph
himself contains both of thesemanifestations. As the son of Rachel, he manifests ‘from the earth.’ As the son of Jacob, he manifests ‘from the heavens.’R. Bakst continues, “In other words, any human labor and pursuit involving theingathering of the exiled of Israel, the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the expansion andresettlement of the Land of Israelalthough appearing on the surface as part of a natural ‘man made’ process—is, in truth, being directed by a supra-naturalprovidential force—
Mashiach ben Yoseph
.”
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