Judaism has a rich and complex answer to that feeling, and it involves not one, but two Messiahs.
That's right, two! As it says in Zechariah 4:14, they are the "two anointed dignitaries, who attend the Lord of all the earth." Think of them as a divine tag team, each with a crucial role to play.
The tradition tells us of Messiah ben Yosef, Messiah, son of Joseph, and Messiah ben David, Messiah, son of David. One is a figure of earthly sacrifice, the other a kingly redeemer waiting in the wings. It's a powerful and fascinating concept, isn’t it?
Messiah ben Yosef, according to tradition, will be recognized as the Tzaddik (righteous one) of his generation. But his path is paved with sorrow. He will, in essence, sacrifice his life so that the coming of Messiah ben David can be heralded. The land itself will mourn his passing. It's a heavy burden, this role of paving the way. Sources like B. Sukkah 52a hint at this difficult destiny.
Now, where is Messiah ben David during all of this? He makes his home in Paradise, in a heavenly palace, patiently awaiting the signs that the time for redemption has arrived. Imagine him there, surrounded by divine light, preparing for his ultimate mission.
So, what exactly are their respective roles? Messiah ben David, as we find in sources like Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, is tasked with redeeming the Shekhinah – the divine presence – along with all the holy sparks scattered during the six days of Creation. Think of it as gathering all the lost pieces of God's light and bringing them back into wholeness.
Messiah ben Yosef, on the other hand, focuses on a different kind of redemption. He will redeem the souls that fell through sin and transgression, those souls that were transmigrated into inanimate objects, vegetables, animals, and even other humans! It’s a concept that appears in texts like Megillat Setarim, this idea of souls scattered across the whole of creation. He will even free the souls of the righteous that were transmigrated into fish, raising them up to a higher spiritual plane.
Essentially, we have two primary conceptions of the Messiah: the earthly Messiah, a descendant of Joseph, embodying righteousness and sacrifice; and the divine Messiah, a descendant of David, who serves as the instrument of ultimate salvation.
And here's the really interesting part: eventually, these two conceptions began to merge into a single myth. The earthly Messiah, the son of Joseph, prepares the world, clearing the path for the arrival of the divine Messiah, the son of David. One prepares the way through earthly deeds and even sacrifice, and the other brings about the ultimate redemption. It’s a powerful illustration, isn’t it?
What does this duality of Messiahs mean for us today? Perhaps it speaks to the multifaceted nature of hope, the need for both earthly action and a belief in a brighter future. Perhaps it reminds us that redemption is not a single event, but a process, a journey paved by sacrifice and ultimately fulfilled by divine grace. As we find in Bereshit Rabbah, the seeds of redemption are planted even in the darkest of times.