בס״ד
“But the sages of the Mishnah do not know the Faithful Shepherd. Elijah, an oath upon you in the Name Yud Hei Vav Hei and in the explicit Name, reveal him to all the leaders of the Mishnah sages so they will recognize him and he shall no more be violated, “But he was wounded (or: ‘violated’) because of our transgressions” (Yeshayah 53:5). You do not have to receive permission FROM THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, because I am a messenger from the Master of the Universe and I know that if you do that, the Holy One, blessed be He, will thank you for it and your descendants shall be exalted for it above and below. Do not tarry in doing it, neither a week nor a month, nor a year, but do it immediately.”
-The Holy Zohar, Ki Tetse 26:133
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Today, more than 4 billion descendants of Adam (a majority) believe that Yeshua of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah (Christians & Muslims). Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Asher Meza said that it is halachically (according to Jewish Torah Law) acceptable to believe in Yeshua as the Messiah and live fully as a kosher Orthodox Jew.
Halachic Question:
For example, if Rabbi Akiva believed that Shimon Bar Kokhba was the Messiah, Yaakov (Jacob) Avinu thought that Shimshon (Samson) HaGibor was the “King Messiah,” and most Chabadniks believe that about the Lubavitcher Rebbe, why would there be any Halachic problem with an Orthodox Jew believing not that Yeshua is equal to G-d (Heaven forbid, and something which he himself clearly denied), but that he is potentially the Messiah (being himself a 1st century Rabbi and physical descendant of King David)?
Answer From 2nd Orthodox Rabbi:
“Baruch Hashem
Shalom u’vracha,
Thank you for your thoughtful question. I want to answer with clarity and respect, because this topic requires both halachic precision and sensitivity to people on a spiritual journey.
First, it is important to state:
Believing your teacher or rebbe is Mashiach is not inherently a halachic problem, as we see openly in Chazal.
- Rabbi Akiva and Bar Kokhba – The Gemara says that Rabbi Akiva would carry Bar Kochba’s armor and refer to him as “Melech HaMashiach.”
Source: Yerushalmi Ta’anit 4:5; Eichah Rabbah 2:4.
When Bar Kochba was later killed, the Sages retracted, but the belief itself was not considered apikorsus or aveirah — it was a mistake within the boundaries of Torah. - The Rishonim regarding Mashiach who dies – The Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 11:4) writes explicitly:
“If he did not succeed, or was killed, it becomes clear that he is not the one.”
In other words, the halachic issue is not the belief, but whether the candidate fulfilled the Torah’s criteria in his lifetime. - Belief in a deceased potential Mashiach – The Gemara (Sanhedrin 98b) brings multiple opinions identifying Mashiach with different Torah figures who had already passed away (Daniel, Bar Nafli, Chezkiah).
This shows clearly that believing a past tzaddik could have been Mashiach is not kefirah. Chazal themselves entertained it.
So the category itself — “my teacher is Mashiach” — is not outside halacha. The issue is when that belief leads to rejecting Torah, introducing foreign theology, or refusing the authority of Chazal.
Now, regarding conversions and people coming from Christian backgrounds:
There is a major difference between:
• A Jew inside Torah who believes his rebbe may be Mashiach
vs.
• Someone coming from a Christian world with deeply ingrained ideas about Yeshua.
This is where Rabbi Asher’s experience is unique.
Rabbi Asher comes from the world of “Torah-positive Christianity.” He understands the “Nazarene” style groups who claim they want to keep Torah fully — Shabbat, kashrut, Taharat HaMishpacha, mitzvot — with the only exception being their attachment to Yeshua as a “rebbe” or “Mashiach figure.”
He has more than 20 years of hands-on experience guiding such people through conversion and halachic integration. Because of this, he knows something that most rabbis simply don’t:
Many sincere G-d-fearing seekers need a transition period.
They cannot drop everything in one day. If a rabbi pushes too hard at the beginning, the person often turns back to Christianity forever. But if you keep the doors of Torah open, teach them halacha step-by-step, and anchor them deeply in mitzvot and Chazal — most of them naturally shed their belief in Jesus on their own, once they are strong enough internally.
This is not theoretical. Anyone who works in this field knows it.
So the halachic requirement is simple:
When a rav performs a conversion, he must verify that the candidate accepts ol malchut shamayim, the full Torah she’bichtav and Torah she’ba’al peh, and the authority of the halachic system.
If the person says:
“My personal rebbe is Mashiach, but I fully submit to Torah and halacha,”
that is the same category as the cases mentioned above — and it is halachically manageable as long as the person is not introducing foreign concepts or rejecting the authority of Chazal.
What makes Rabbi Asher unique is that he knows how to discern the difference between:
• someone who is still holding on emotionally but is really moving toward Torah
and
• someone who is still theologically Christian.
Most poskim simply do not have the background to make that distinction.
Rabbi Asher does, because he has walked this road for decades and has brought countless people all the way into a fully observant Jewish life.
From the perspective of kiruv, psychology, and halacha, his approach is sound:
meet people where they are, draw them into Torah, and let the unnecessary beliefs fall away naturally as they grow.
I hope this gives a more complete and nuanced picture.”
Open Letter
The Sages say that the Messiah will be a descendant of both David’s sons Shlomo and Natan (Zohar), born in Bethlehem (Talmud, Micah), revealed first in Galilee (Zohar), and a carpenter (Talmud, Zohar, Rashi) with no formal religious education (Midrash Rabba). The Sages say that Messiah son of Yosef will be killed on Friday afternoon in Jerusalem, his righteous death will atone for sins, and he will be resurrected (Ramchal, Sukkah, Shelah, Chida). They say that the Messiah came during the time of the destruction of the Second Temple and ascended alive to Heaven like Elijah and Hanoch (Talmud, Maharash, Alshich), from where he will have a second coming with the clouds (Zohar, Daniel). The Talmud and Zohar say that Yeshayahu 53 is speaking about the Messiah and that “the Sages of the Mishnah do not know” him, but he is falsely regarded as an evil person, a liar, “a hater of Israel,” and is a stumbling block to Israel (as Rambam wrote that Yeshua is). They say that he is like a leper imprisoned within the Kelipot at Rome and suffering Gehinom (Zohar, Sanhedrin, Ramchal). Rabbi Moshe David Valle said that Yeshua “was worthy to be Moshiach ben Yosef,” “was certainly the secret of Moshiach ben Yosef” (Sefer Likkutim), and the Baal Shem Tov said that “he had within him the spark of Moshiach.”
I’ve come to learn that what Christianity teaches about Yeshua is false and there have been many famous rabbis, especially the posek and Rabbi Jacob Emden (Yaavetz), who have said that the historical Yeshua was a kosher, Orthodox Jewish teacher of the Oral and Written Torah, who never claimed to be G-d. If that’s true, which I believe it is, and he fits the rabbinic qualifications of the Messiah better than anyone else, then why am I still not allowed to consider him as a potential Messiah, being myself an Orthodox Jew?
The Rambam says that we should not speculate or be convinced about the traditional expectations of the Messiah until they are actually fulfilled. More rabbinic qualifications have already been fulfilled by Yeshua than anyone else, including the Lubavitcher Rebbe, and it’s not even close. Yeshua fits the Rambam’s Laws for BeChezkat Moshiach and he even says that Yeshua is the reason for the whole world being rectified to worship the one true G-d, which he also says is the ultimate role of the true Moshiach. In the Rambam’s 13 Principles, which I believe in, he writes that “the Moshiach will have superiority, greatness, and honor beyond all kings who have ever existed,” and, “anyone who doubts his coming or diminishes his stature denies the Torah itself…” More than half of the entire world (a majority) currently believes that Yeshua is the Jewish Moshiach (Christians and Muslims), and the Mikhtav M’Eliyahu on Yeshayahu 62:11 says that the Nations can recognize and proclaim the Messiah even before Israel does.
Living my life for years as an Orthodox Jew, I’m utterly dedicated and devoted to the Torah, the Sages, and Halachah. More and more it seems that the story of Yeshua matches with Judaism’s very own teachings about Moshiach more than any other person. Judaism teaches that we can believe anyone is Moshiach within the parameters of Halacha, like Rabbi Akiva about Bar Kochba, Yaakov Avinu about Shimshon, or Chabadniks about their Rebbe, and I’m not trying to convince any other Jew that they must believe like I do. If anything, I want Christians, Muslims, and the entire world to recognize how Jewish their Messiah Yeshua really was in order that they also love Torah and Judaism as he did. Why does anyone have to be afraid that by sharing their genuine thoughts and questions about this, they have to worry about (G-d forbid) being put on a list, on the news, ostracized and shunned by a community that teaches Ahavat Chinam (unconditional love)? What am I missing?
Response From 3rd Orthodox Rabbi
“I also see some plausibility in the associations you wish to make between prophecy and words of the sages with Yeshua though I do not consider there to be any conclusive proof.
I have always felt that if there is any truth in the teachings attributed to him, it is because they can all be found to have roots in teachings found in the written and oral Torah.
My own understanding is that over time many Jews forgot the centrality of the connection with the True Tzaddik in our service of God and for that reason in the latter generations Rebbe Nachman came to restore this connection to its true place. For this reason I think R’ Nachman’s way is the way of Mashiach and is perfectly consistent with any true teachings attributed to Yeshua. Jewish conversion to Christianity was a big issue for Baal Shem Tov and it seems to me R’ Nachman’s way is came to make a tikkun for this. (Likutey Moharan 1, 207).
I am familiar with R Valle’s teaching on the future tikkun of Yeshua and also with understanding. All very fascinating but the bottom line is for you and me to serve God as best we can according to the understanding He has given us. The main thing is not to be afraid.”
Connection Between Halacha and the Revelation of Messiah
“[On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month]… The L-rd then showed me four craftsmen” (Zechariah 1:7, 20). Who are these four craftsmen? Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said that Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida said: They are Messiah ben David, Messiah ben Yosef, Elijah, and the righteous Priest, who will serve in the Messianic era.
-Sukkah 52b:11
“‘four craftsmen’ – Carpenters who know how to saw the horns. And our Rabbis explained in tractate Sukkah (52b) who they are.”
-Rashi on Zechariah 2:3
In Judaism, there are four primary Messianic figures, based on the “four craftsmen,” or carpenters, of Zechariah (Yeshua was famously a carpenter). The “Two Messiahs” are each named after Joseph and David because their lives and mission pattern after each other. What do Joseph and David both have in common? Both were considered prohibited by Halacha until the prohibition was lifted.
Joseph’s Cherem
When Joseph was sold by his brothers to Gentiles, they made a ban (‘Cherem’) as an oath that nobody would reveal what happened to Joseph. Even G-d was bound by this ban not to reveal by prophecy to Jacob (Israel) what really happened to Joseph. This Cherem caused the Holy Spirit to be removed from Israel. This Cherem was only lifted once the brothers went to Egypt with the intention of redeeming their brother at whatever cost. Then, Joseph was revealed to his family and the Holy Spirit returned to Israel.
Samuel & the “Mamzer”
As with Rachel and Leah, Jesse’s wife secretly traded place with his maidservant one night, but the matter was not revealed immediately. Since David was also a descendant of a Moabite, David grew up being considered a halachic Mamzer (a bastard child). The Halacha at the time was that a descendant of any Moabite was considered an illegitimate Israelite, until the Prophet Samuel came and corrected the Halacha to only disqualify Moabite men, not women (especially David’s ancestress, Ruth). Once his Halachic legitimacy was confirmed, he was no longer considered a Mamzer and prevented from being anointed as G-d’s chosen king.
Pinchas & Jephthah’s Vow
According to the holy Arizal, the Prophet Samuel was a Reincarnation of Pinchas (Phineas) the High Priest (Shaar HaPesukim, Vaeira). Just as the Halachic prohibition on Joseph and David were lifted to reveal Israel’s redeemers, Pinchas also was tasked to nullify a vow…
According to Judaism, the highest level of the soul is called, ‘Yechidah’ (literally, ‘only’). This level represents sinless and absolute unity with G-d. This level was lost to Adam when he sinned. In Judaism, this level is directly identified with the Messiah. The Messiah represents the general Yechidah of the collective soul of Israel. The only time in all of the Hebrew Bible that the word, ‘Yechidah,’ appears is in the story of Jephthah’s ‘only’ (‘Yechidah’) daughter, who is unnamed.
Jephthah made a vow that he would sacrifice his ‘Yechidah’ daughter, foreshadowing the sacrifice of the Messiah son of Joseph (who is likened to the “only” son, Zechariah 12:10). It was the role and responsibility of the High Priest, Pinchas, to nullify the vow which Jephthah had made. Because he did not do this, the Sages say that he too lost the Holy Spirit like Jacob.
Elijah & The Cherem
According to the Sages, Elijah is a reincarnation of Pinchas. Elijah is introduced for the very first time in the Bible right after the verse describing how Hiel violated the Cherem that Joshua placed on the holy city of Jericho by building it (1 Kings 16:34). Hiel was the son of the Davidic King of Judah and his sons died as a consequence of violating this ban. Some translations say that Hiel is of Bethel, but it is actually written, of Beth “HaAli,” which has the exact same Hebrew letters as, “Elijah.”
Elijah is first introduced as withholding the rains, symbolizing Elijah’s specific power of being able to withhold or release from Heaven the Messiah. The Hebrew word for ‘teacher’ is also used for ‘rain,’ as written by the Prophet Joel,
“Be glad then, you children of Zion,
-Joel 2:23
And rejoice in the L-RD your G-D;
For He has given you the teacher of righteousness, And He will cause the rain to come down for you— The former rain,
And the latter rain in the first month.”
This is why Elijah must come first before the Messiah. Just as there are two seasons of rain in the year, there are two comings of Elijah and the Messiah.
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the L-RD comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse (“Cherem”).”
-Malachi 4:5-6
Whereas the last words of the Christian “Old Testament” are, “else I will come and strike the earth with a Cherem,” Judaism did not want to end even a book of the Hebrew Bible with the word, “curse,” so they simply repeated twice the previous verse about the coming of Elijah at the end, prophetically alluding to two comings of Elijah (and therefore, the Messiah).
In the Talmud, there are several places where it says that Elijah has the ability to declare Temple offerings as ritually pure and fit for use, when previously their purity status was uncertain (Pesachim 15a, 20b, 34a, Berakhot 33b, 34a), and he also has the ability to declare whether someone is authentically Jewish or not.
”Abaye said: We too learn in the mishna (Eduyyot 8:7): There was a family known as Beit HaTzerifa in Transjordan, and a person called ben Tziyyon forcefully distanced it and proclaimed that its lineage was flawed, although its lineage was unflawed. There was another one that ben Tzion forcefully drew near, although its lineage was flawed. The mishna adds: Known families such as these, Elijah comes to declare impure and to declare pure, to distance and to draw near…”
–Kiddushin 71a:8
What is the prohibition that Elijah must lift in order to release the Messiah? It is the prohibition of Yeshua to the Jews. According to Torah and Jewish law, it is forbidden for Jews to receive Yeshua, who was sold and belongs to the Priests (Cohanim) and therefore, G-d, in Heaven. In Judaism, Yeshua is cursed and called a “mamzer,” just as his paternal ancestor King David was. Just as Joseph was sold to the Nations, for their salvation, and under a ban to his brothers, Yeshua is under a ban to his brothers until the proper time when the spirit of Elijah will release that ban by declaring Yeshua kosher again. The cherem (‘ban’) will then be transformed into the rechem (‘womb’), which shall birth the full Redemption, and the chamor (‘donkey’), an unclean animal which is redeemed as a vehicle for the Messiah.
In Judaism, they changed the ending of the Book of Malachi, so that it would not end with the word, cherem (‘ban’). Instead, it now ends with the words, “the great and terrible day of the L-rd.” In Hebrew and unlike English, the adjectives come after their noun in a sentence. This means that the last words of the Jewish Book of Malachi are actually, “the great and terrible” (‘HaGadol v’HaNora’). This phrase in Gematria equals ‘Yeshu’ (‘Jesus’), exactly (316). When cherem was removed from the ending by adding Elijah’s second coming, we received Yeshu instead! When Yeshu is no longer cherem, by the working of Elijah’s spirit, the Jewish people will receive not only the Yechidah of unity and peace, but also the full, glorious Geulah (redemption)!
The Talmud says that Yeshua was wrongfully “pushed away with both hands,” but Rabbi Moshe David Valle writes that “in the last generation, he is not pushed away,” and the rectification for this mistake is to “draw near” with both hands – the work of Elijah.
“It is such as these that Elijah will come to pronounce unclean or to pronounce clean, to put away or to bring near. Rabbi Judah says: to bring near, but not to put away. Rabbi Shimon says: to conciliate disputes. And the Sages say: neither to put away nor to bring near, but to make peace in the world, for it is said, “Behold I send to you Elijah the prophet”, etc., “and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 3:23-2.”
-Mishnah Eduyot 8:7
It’s not hard to see how for Elijah to “bring near” Yeshua will also “conciliate disputes” and “make peace in the world.” The undoing of this Cherem by Elijah will bring the Holy Spirit, the full redemption, and the resurrection of the dead.
“Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair says, “Heedfulness leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to purity, purity leads to separation, separation leads to holiness, holiness leads to modesty, modesty leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to piety [chasidut], piety leads to the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the dead comes from Elijah, blessed be his memory, Amen.”
-Mishnah Sotah 9:15
“And they asked him [Yeshua], saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
Then he answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that he must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? But I say to you that Elijah has also come [John the Baptist], and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.””
-Mark 9:11-13
In Judaism, sometimes the Prophet Elijah is called, “High Priest,” like Pinchas was. Yochanan (John the Baptist) was also Elijah and a Priest (Cohen) who heralded Yeshua as the Messiah. Yochanan was originally going to be named, ‘Zechariah,’ after his father the priest.
The Arizal says that the Prophet Zechariah was also a reincarnation of Elijah. Yeshua was sold for thirty pieces of silver according to the amount foretold by the Prophet Zechariah, who as a Priest requested the money. Instead of the money going to the Priest for the redemption of Yeshua, the money went to Judas (Yehuda) for the sale of Yeshua to the Priests. Whatever belongs to the Priests is called Cherem to the Jewish people. This is why the Righteous Priest is one of the four Messianic figures alongside Elijah and Messiah son of David, in order to initiate the redemption of Messiah son of Joseph, who was sold away like Joseph. This is now what Ariel (same Gematria as, ‘Zechariah’) Cohen Alloro is attempting to do, with the help of G-d!
Yavetz
The Holy Arizal also said that Yavetz (1 Chronicles 4:10) was a reincarnation of Elijah (Shaar Pesukim, Vaeira). Amazingly, ‘Yavetz’ is also the famous acronym of Rabbi Yaakov Emden ben Tzvi, arguably the greatest Halachic authority to speak so favorably about Yeshua…
“Therefore you must realize—and accept the truth from him who speaks it— that we see clearly here that the Nazarene [Yeshua] and his Apostles did not wish to destroy the Torah from Israel, G-d forbid… It is therefore exceedingly clear that the Nazarene never dreamed of destroying the Torah…
… The writers of the Gospels never meant to say that the Nazarene came to abolish Judaism, but only that he came to establish a religion for the Gentiles from that time onward. Nor was it new, but actually ancient; they being the Seven Commandments of the Sons of Noah, which were forgotten. The Apostles of the Nazarene then established them anew…
Certainly, therefore, there is no doubt that one who seeks truth will agree with our thesis, that the Nazarene and his Apostles never meant to abolish the Torah of Moses from one who was born a Jew…
It is therefore a habitual saying of mine (not as a hypocritical flatterer, G-d forbid, for I am of the faithful believers of Israel, and I know well that the remnant of Israel will not speak falsehood, nor will their mouths contain a deceitful tongue) that the Nazarene brought about a double kindness in the world. On the one hand, he strengthened the Torah of Moses majestically, as mentioned earlier, and not one of our Sages spoke out more emphatically concerning the immutability of the Torah. And on the other hand, he did much good for the Gentiles (provided they do not turn about his intent as they please, as some foolish ones have done because they did not fully understand the intent of the authors of the Gospels. I have recently seen someone publish a book, and he had no idea about what he was writing. For if he had understood the subject, he would have kept his silence and not wasted the paper and ink. There are also found among us foolish scholars who know not their right from their left in the Written and Oral Torahs and cause the people to err with their pompous pronouncements. But there are true scholars among the Christians, just as there are the chosen few among Torah scholars; and there are few of the truly great.) by doing away with idolatry and removing the images from their midst. He obligated them with the Seven Commandments so that they should not be as the beasts of the field. He also bestowed upon them ethical ways, and in this respect he was much more stringent with them than the Torah of Moses, as is well-known…
If certain Christians who consider themselves scholars would understand this secret, who believe that they are commanded to abolish the Torah of Moses from the seed of Israel, they would not engage in such foolishness. The people listen to their self-conceived words, something which was never intended by the writers of the Gospels. Quite the opposite, they have written clearly that they intended the contrary.
Because of these errant scholars, hatred has in- creased toward the Jews who are blameless of any guilt and proceed innocently to observe their Torah with all their heart, imbued with the fear of G-d. They should instead bring their people to love the ancient Children of Israel who remain loyal to their G-d, as indeed commanded to Christians by their original teachers. They even said to love ones enemies. How much more so to us! In the name of heaven, we are your brothers! … You, members of the Christian faith, how good and pleasant it might be if you will observe that which was commanded to you by your first teachers; how wonderful is your share if you will assist the Jews in the observance of their Torah. You will truly receive reward as if you had fulfilled it yourselves…”
-Rabbi Jacob Emden, SEDER OLAM RABBAH
VEZUTA
Besides Yavetz, many of the famous orthodox Jews and rabbis who have spoken out so positively about the historical Yeshua as a kosher Jewish rabbi share many names of the Biblical figures which we discussed above, including Rabbi Shmuley (Samuel) Boteach shlit”a, Rabbi Elijah Tzvi Soloveitchik z”l, and Dr. Pinchas Lapide z”l.
Responses to this open letter may be made to:
RabbiElijah@FacingEachOther.com
Eye To Zion 