09-08-2008, 01:04 AM
Part 4
Sending away the Mother Bird and the Ascension of Mashiach
Mashiach was born into a generation unprepared for his kingdom. Rather than immediately gathering the tribes back to their land, he desired to suffer, bearing the transgressions of the world upon his shoulders. The Zohar explains the need for Mashiach to give up his life in no uncertain terms, "Because this lower plateau lacks manifestation of G-dliness, this Mashiach must die...He will remain dead until this plateau receives 'life' from the higher plateau, at which point he will rise and come to life...(Balak 203)."
After having risen from the dead, Mashiach spent forty days strengthening his students, clarifying their understanding of his mission. Then, ten days before Shavuot, Yeshua was lifted into Heaven covered in a cloud. We have been awaiting his glorious return ever since. Questions arise," Why was the complete redemption delayed; why must we suffer further exile; and why did Mashiach have to leave us?" To better understand this, we search out one of the most obscure mitzvot, Shiluach Haken, "Sending Away the Mother Bird." The Torah obligates, "When one happens upon a mother bird nesting on her young in an un-owned place, one is forbidden to take the un-hatched eggs or the young birds until the mother is sent away."
The generation that witnessed the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash was saturated with baseless hatred. At this time even the very religious were often plagued by hatred for fellow Jews. A Heavenly judgment was passed and Israel was expelled from her land. Sadly, the remedy for this kind of hatred could only be found in exile. While exile creates difficulties regarding ritual observance, it promotes a true sense of ahavat Israel, love for every Jew. Living in dispersion encourages a longing for peoplehood and a desire to connect. To remove the blemish of hatred from the Holy Nation, Hashem chose to remove the children of Israel from their "nest." Mashiach, like the mother bird needed to first be sent away before His children were carried off into exile. The Zohar explains that when the mother bird returns to find her nest empty, she flies throughout the forest searching for her young. Mashiach is now searching for his children throughout the world, calling to them, desiring to gather them back to Himself.
Sending away the Mother Bird and the Ascension of Mashiach
Mashiach was born into a generation unprepared for his kingdom. Rather than immediately gathering the tribes back to their land, he desired to suffer, bearing the transgressions of the world upon his shoulders. The Zohar explains the need for Mashiach to give up his life in no uncertain terms, "Because this lower plateau lacks manifestation of G-dliness, this Mashiach must die...He will remain dead until this plateau receives 'life' from the higher plateau, at which point he will rise and come to life...(Balak 203)."
After having risen from the dead, Mashiach spent forty days strengthening his students, clarifying their understanding of his mission. Then, ten days before Shavuot, Yeshua was lifted into Heaven covered in a cloud. We have been awaiting his glorious return ever since. Questions arise," Why was the complete redemption delayed; why must we suffer further exile; and why did Mashiach have to leave us?" To better understand this, we search out one of the most obscure mitzvot, Shiluach Haken, "Sending Away the Mother Bird." The Torah obligates, "When one happens upon a mother bird nesting on her young in an un-owned place, one is forbidden to take the un-hatched eggs or the young birds until the mother is sent away."
The generation that witnessed the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash was saturated with baseless hatred. At this time even the very religious were often plagued by hatred for fellow Jews. A Heavenly judgment was passed and Israel was expelled from her land. Sadly, the remedy for this kind of hatred could only be found in exile. While exile creates difficulties regarding ritual observance, it promotes a true sense of ahavat Israel, love for every Jew. Living in dispersion encourages a longing for peoplehood and a desire to connect. To remove the blemish of hatred from the Holy Nation, Hashem chose to remove the children of Israel from their "nest." Mashiach, like the mother bird needed to first be sent away before His children were carried off into exile. The Zohar explains that when the mother bird returns to find her nest empty, she flies throughout the forest searching for her young. Mashiach is now searching for his children throughout the world, calling to them, desiring to gather them back to Himself.