Because of their abundance and diversity, there are many names attached to the different areas of rabbinic literature. Below follows a brief definition of the ones we’ve included in this section.

Talmud

This is a compilation of the known traditions surrounding the Law in Torah. There exists two forms of this writing, i.e. the Babylonian and the Palestinian. The Palestinian Talmud was completed in approximately 400 CE, and the Babylonian some 100 years later. The Babylonian version is by the most exhaustive, and is deemed, consequently, more authoritative. This was the “Oral Torah” (Torah she-bal-peh) or the “hedge” placed around the written Law, in order to protect against the breaking of the commandments written in the Torah.

Midrash

The Midrash is thought to begin with the sopherim (scribes), and is consistent with the preaching of Ezra in Nehemiah 8:8; “And they read from the book of the Law of God, translating to give it sense so that they understood the reading.” As is recorded in the introduction to the Midrash Rabba; “Midrashic elements were assimilated into the Hebrew Scriptures. We find in Chronicles, passages which are Midrashic glosses, supplementing in many details the narratives in the Book of Kings mentioned in II Chronicles 24:27, while references to the Midrash of Iddo the Prophet is made in II Chronicles 13:22 We may thus suppose that we have in Chronicles the first elements of Aggadic Midrash handed down in the writing in their original form” Midrash Rabba (the Great Midrash) is the largest compilation of the midrashim. It is believed that the homilies in this Midrash were begun in 444 BCE, with Ezra.

Messiah As Having The Name Of God

One of the main points of contention in Judeo-Christian dialogue is Messiah’s relationship with God. Contrary to contemporary theories that portray the Messiah of the New Covenant as merely a good teacher, and a great man, his followers consider Him to be a great deal more. We are told that he is Lord, and he is one with God the Father. Modern Judaism denies this concept utterly, arguing that this would constitute a plurality of God, as opposed to that most basic tenet of Jewish faith found in Deuteronomy 6:4. This passage- the opening line to one of the oldest prayers found in the synagogue liturgy- states, “Hear O Israel, YHVH your God, YHVH is one”. However, with this thought in mind, let us examine the understanding of our rabbis concerning the relationship of Messiah to God. Rabbi Simeon, writing in the Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 21:3, states that God would “set his crown upon the head of King Messiah and cloth Him with His honor and majesty”. This thought is consistent with the teaching of Rabbi Hanna, who taught in the name of Rabbi Aha, when he states: “God will bestow a portion of His supernatural glory upon Messiah”. The Midrash continues with two divine designations of Messiah, stating that He is “YHVH, a man of war,” and “YHVH… our righteousness”. From this rendering we can see that Messiah is referred to by the four-letter name of God, and these are by no means isolated cases. The Midrash Aqah onLamentations 1:16, commenting on the verse, “For these things I weep; My eyes run down with water. Because far from me is the Comforter (Menachem), the one who restores my soul,” states that he is speaking of King Messiah, and asks the question, “What is the name of King Messiah?” 
Rabbi Abba b. Kahanna answers: “ His name is YHVH, as it is stated, ‘And this is the name whereby He should be called, YHVH is our righteousness’” (Jeremiah 23:6; Baba Bathraa 75; Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 21:1, and Aqah on Lamentations 1:16; Targum reads, “I will raise up for David the Messiah the Just”. It is from this passage that our rabbis determine the name of Messiah as, “YHVH our Righteousness.”) Rabbi Levi makes the same statement; however, he arrives at the conclusion from a different direction. He states, “A city should have the name of its king, and the king (Messiah) the name of his God.” With the understanding that many of our rabbis considered the name of King Messiah to be synonymous with that of God, let us examine more closely some other aspects of their relationship. 

Messiah As Being The Son Of God

The nature of the eternal relationship between God and his Messiah is expressed by the term “oneness”. There remains, however, the problem of how to explain or represent that condition in a manner comprehensible by man. The New Covenant does so by showing that all of the authority of God has been given to Messiah, and that he will minister through the power God has given to Him. This transferring of authority and power is further accomplished by declaring Messiah to be the “Son of God”. Let us re-look at Isaiah 9:6 (section on Tenach) to understand how this thought developed: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us. And the government will rest upon his shoulder, And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.” That our rabbis consider this passage as speaking of Messiah is well documented.(Applied to Messiah in the Targumim, and also the Midrash Bamidbar Rabba 11). Furthermore, it is evident that it is God who is giving us the child, i.e., a son, and that He will bestow His Glory and Honor upon the Son by giving Him His name. The Son will be addressed by the same titles as God. The second Psalm is treated as Messianic in its entirety. Commenting on verse two, there is an interesting scenario developed on the phrase: “Against the Lord and His Anointed (lit. Messiah)(Referenced in the Yalkut, vol. 2 p. 90a, also applied to Messiah in Pirque de Eliezer; Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 2, and 92:11; and the Midrash Bamidbar Rabba 11, as well as the Talmudic tractate Abodah Zarah.) The warring factions of Gog and Magog are seen in the light of a robber. The Midrash on this passage goes on to tell us that this robber stands defiantly behind the palace of the king and says: “If I shall find the son of the king, I will lay hold of him and crucify him, and kill him with a cruel death. But the Holy Spirit mocks him; ‘He that sits in Heaven shall laugh.’” Likewise, the king installed in verse six is referred to as King Messiah. Commenting on verse 7 which states, “ I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord. He said to Me, ‘Thou art My son, today I have begotten Thee,’” there seems to be little doubt as to who is being spoken of here. We are told: “The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the Messiah, the son of David, ‘Ask of Me anything, and I will give it to Thee,’ as it is stated, ‘I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of Me, and I will give the nations as Thy inheritance.’”(Sukkah 52a) It is obvious, in light of the comments made upon this passage, that many of our sages believed the “child” in Isaiah 9:6 was the Messiah. Therefore, being declared the “Son of God” and possessing His power and authority, the next question to be addressed would regard the position held by the Messiah in heaven.

Messiah To Sit On The Right Hand Of God

In the New Covenant, Yeshua states explicitly that He sits on the right hand of God, quoting Psalm 110:1 to support his claim. He asks the rabbis a simple question: “What do they say about the Messiah? Whose son is He?”   
They answer: “The Son of David.” Yeshua asks them why David then calls Him Lord, quoting Psalm 110:1: “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstook for Thy feet.’” He then asks them how Messiah could be the son of David, if David calls him Lord. The implication here is that the New Covenant indicates that our rabbis of that day believed this passage to be speaking of Messiah, and that He would sit at the right hand of God. There is corroboration for this thought in the Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 110- It states: Who fought all the battles? Could Abraham with only three hundred and eighteen men have fought against Amraphel and his hosts? It was the Holy One, blessed be He. He said to Abraham, ‘Sit thou at My right hand, and I will fight thy battles for thee,’ as it is said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at My right hand.’(Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 110 quotes Rabbi Elizar b. Pedat, in the name of Rabbi Hose b. Zimra; also applied to the Messiah in the Targum Jonathan.) Again in similar fashion, Psalm 45:6-7 reads: “The Throne O God is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated wickedness: therefore, God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of joy above Thy fellows.” Levi, in his translation of the Targum, states: “Thy Throne O God in Heaven, the Throne of King Messiah. A rule of righteousness is the rule of thy kingdom, O King Messiah.” These statements clearly indicates that our rabbis considered there to be at least a degree of unity between God and the Messiah, in that God is seen sharing his Throne (i.e., His Glory and Power), with King Messiah.

Messiah As Pre-Existing The Creation

Although it is clear that the Almighty will bestow upon Messiah His Throne and authority, there arises a question as to the time frame of his inauguration. Certainly there is enough evidence to suggest that Messiah would be no ordinary man, but will this power and Throne be given to Him after his arrival, or does He, as outlined in the New Covenant, pre-exist the creation of the world. The first mention of Messiah by our rabbis is in a discussion on Genesis 1:2, in the Midrash Bereshit. The passage in Scripture reads: “And the Spirit of God moved (or brooded) over the face of the deep.” The Spirit of God, in this instance, is explained as being the Spirit of King Messiah.(Bereshit Rabba 2) This clearly indicates the rabbinic understanding that Messiah was there in the beginning with God, and gives credibility to the thought that it was Messiah to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, was speaking to when he said,”Let us make man in Our likeness (Genesis 1:26) The pre-mundane existence of the Messiah is conveyed to us in a very beautiful Midrash. Here we are told: “From the beginning of the creation of the world, King Messiah was revealed; for He entered into the mind of God, even before the creation of the world.” (Pesiqta Rabbati 152a: This is not to suggest that Messiah is a created being. What is described here is the concept of Messiah, and that the Lord would manifest himself to man as a redeemer was brought forth.)

Messiah As The Creator

The first thought brought to light by the following verses is that of Messiah as being the vehicle through which creation was brought about. Proverbs 8:30 presents us with an intriguing idea: “Then I was beside Him as a master workman. And I was daily in His delight.” Then I (Messiah) was beside Him (God) as a master workmen. The architect of the entire plan was God, the builder was Messiah. We are also given insight as to whom this verse is referring by the words, “And I was daily in His delight” To find the identity of the person being spoken of, we must ask, “In whom does the Lord find delight?” The answer is given to us in Isaiah 41:1 “Behold My Servant, whom I uphold: My Chosen One in whom My soul delights.” This passage, as well, is believed to be speaking of Messiah: it being assigned to Him by all the Targumim, and the Midrash Tehillim on Psalm 2. Perhaps the most beautiful rendering of this concept of Messiah as the creator is portrayed to us in Isaiah 48:12-16: “Listen to Me Jacob, even Israel whom I have called. I am He. I am the first; I am also the last. Surely my hand founded the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens. When I call to them, they stand together. Come near to Me, and listen to this. From the first I have not spoken in secret, from the time it took place, I was there. And now the Lord has sent Me and His spirit.” Once again, the question arises as to whom the “Me” is referring. Verse 17 qualifies his identity: “This says your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” This is written to mean the Messiah in both the Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) and the Midrash on this passage. As we have seen, Scripture states clearly that the Spirit of God (Proverbs 3:19) and Messiah were the vehicle through which creation was brought forth. According to many of our rabbis, the Spirit of God is identified as the Spirit of King Messiah (Midrash Bereshit on Genesis 1:2)

Messiah As Redeemer

As stated before, the rabbinic interpretation of Isaiah 48:17 portrays Messiah as a Redeemer. That this redeemer is needed is clearly shown in 59th chapter of Isaiah, where it is stated: v. 2-“But your iniquities have caused a separation between you and your God. And your sins has hidden His face from you, so he does not hear you.” v.11- “We hope for justice, but there is none, for salvation, but it is far from us.” v.12- “For our transgressions have multiplied before Thee, and our sins testify against us.” These verses present us with a problem! Because we sin, we cannot have a relationship with God. According to the Talmud, refraining from sin where there is no desire for it shows little virtue. Rather, the temptation should produce a desire which is withstood, thereby developing the will to follow God. (Sifra 20:26) There is no difference in the seriousness of the sin committed. All sin is viewed as an act of rebellion against God and the Divine Will. Although practically, in terms of punishment, a distinction was drawn between different sins, in the eyes of the Lord, the breaking of one his Laws was as if you broke them all. It showed an unwillingness to do His will. We have seen that sin destroys man’s relationship with God in man’s earthly body, but what effect has sin on the eternal soul? We are told in Leviticus 19:2, “You shall be holy, for I YHVH your God am Holy.” Commenting on the word, “You shall be Holy,” our rabbis write: “Is it possible to imagine that man can be as holy as God? Therefore, the Scripture adds; ‘For I am Holy. My Holiness is higher than any holiness that you can attain.’” (Vayyikra Rabba 24:9) God’s viewpoint on sin, as envisioned by the rabbis, is given in a supposed dialogue between God & man: “Behold, I am pure, My abode is pure, My ministers are pure, and the soul I give you is pure. If you return it to me in the same state I gave it to you, then well and good. If not, then I will destroy it utterly before you.” (Vayyikra 28:1) God provides a solution to the problem described in the 59th chapter of Isaiah. This portion articulates His undying love for his creation, and his desire to regenerate His relationship with man; to free him from the abysmal pit of sin and death, and elevate him to his position before the fall of Adam: “And He saw that there was no man, and He was astonished that there was no man to intercede; then His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness upheld Him.” (The Messiah is indicated as “The Arm of the Lord” in the Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 53:1. The Scripture states: “Who will believe what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed. The Targum: “Who will believe what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord Messiah been revealed.”) We are told in the Talmud that the Lord does this for his own sake, and the sake of His name. (Sanhedrin 98b;Isaiah 48:11) In Isaiah 59:20 we are given the nature of that salvation, and the way in which it will be manifested: “And a redeemer shall come forth to Zion, and to those who turn from transgression in Jacob.” The verse is viewed as the Lord sending his Messiah to bring forth salvation. However, there is a stipulation placed upon the promise. The process of reconciliation is initiated by God and we must accept it in the form He has prescribed; accept through faith the redemption of Messiah, and in addition repent from evil. The meaning of the words ‘bruised for our iniquities’ (Isaiah 53:5) is, that since the Messiah bears our iniquities, which produce the effect of His being bruised, it follows that whosoever will not admit that the Messiah thus suffers for our iniquities, must endure and suffer for them himself. (Rabbi Simeon b. Yochai is quoted from the Midrash “Tanna debe Elliyyahu”. Isaiah 53:4-5 is also applied to the Messiah in the Targum Jonathan, in that he will intercede for us and be bruised for our iniquities.) There are many other references to the idea that Messiah would come to us as a “Redeemer”. To show the universal need of the redemptive and restoring power of Messiah, there is a rather remarkable Midrash that records a conversation between the Patriarchs and Messiah: “In the latter days, the Fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) will stand up in the month of Nisan (at the Passover) and say, ‘Ephraim the Messiah, our righteousness, though we are the Fathers, yet Thou art better than we, because Thou hast borne all the sins of our sons, and hard and evil measure has passed on to Thee, such as has not been passed either upon those before, or those after.’ Messiah tells them that he did this for their sakes and the sakes of their children. To this they reply: ‘Ephraim the Messiah, our righteousness, be Thou reconciled to us, because Thou has reconciled Thy maker to us’” (Pesiqta Rabbati 37:1)

Messiah To Come Twice

The majority of Scriptural and rabbinic passages that are considered messianic, refer to Messiah as a glorious King, i.e., one who would unite the tribes of Israel, and reign over the earth in peace. There are, however, those passages that portray a rather pitiful character. A Messiah who would come and suffer greatly, eventually dying for the transgressions of his people. The most descriptive picture of the anguish of this “Suffering Messiah” is portrayed in Isaiah 53. Although both Rashi and Eban Ezra (ca. 1000 CE) bestow the rather ugly fate of the person spoken of in Isaiah 53 on Israel, i.e., the Jewish people, our sages prior to that time considered this passage a reference to the Messiah. The idea of a second Messiah finds its greatest expression in this chapter of Isaiah. There are many names given to this ‘Suffering Messiah;’ most of them indicating his taking upon himself the weight of Israel’s oppression, or the comfort he would ultimately bring them. Undoubtedly, the most heart-rendering rabbinic account of the “Suffering Messiah” is recorded in the Midrash Pesiqta Rabbati 36. The conversation takes place in heaven between God and the Messiah. Messiah is being informed by God of what awaits Him below, on the earth: Their sins will be upon You like a yoke of iron. They will choke your spirit. Because of their sins, Your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth. Do You accept this? If not, I will remove the decree from You. Messiah: “Master of the Worlds, how long will this last?” God: “Ephraim, My true Messiah, ever since the six days of creation You have taken this ordeal upon Yourself. At this moment, Your pain is my Pain.” Messiah: “Master of the Worlds”, I accept this with gladness in My soul, and joy in My heart, so that not a single one of the House of Israel should perish. Not only for those alive, but also the dead. It is enough that the servant be like the Master. But why did Messiah have to die? Would God require a human sacrifice? These questions have been major points of contention in all dialogue. The answer lies in the Levitical system of atonement and what role the Messiah is to fulfill in that system. The Lord has given us a set of instructions to follow, and it appears that He has chosen to stay within the framework of those instructions Himself. We read in Isaiah that the Messiah gave Himself as a guilt offering (asham). The guilt offering had to die: For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood, by reason of the life, that makes atonement. (Leviticus 17:11) Without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sin. Substitutionary atonement is the most essential principle of the Levitical system, and lies at the center of the Temple rites of worship. We have always been allowed to substitute the blood of certain animals for our own, for certain sins. This same principle is brought forth concerning the Messiah. He was to be sacrificed in our place, as a vicarious atonement for the sins of His people to whom the stroke was due. We are again told of the death of the first Messiah in Bemidbar Rabba 11:2 “Like Moses, Messiah will be revealed, then hidden (killed), then revealed again. (Also occurs in Ruth Rabba 2:14; 5:7 commenting on Daniel 12:11-12. We are also told of 2 Messiahs in the Targum Jonathan on Songs of Songs 4:5 and 7:4) We conclude with one last thought from the tractate Sanhedren 98a: Rabbi Yoshua met Elijah standing at the entrance to cave of Rabbi Simeon b.Yochai and said to him: “When will the Messiah come?” Elijah responds: “Go and ask Him yourself.” R.Yoshua: “And where does He reside?” Elijah: “He abides among the poor, the sick and the striken.” R. Yoshua went and met Messiah and said: “Peace be unto You, my rabbi and my Lord.” Messiah replies: “Peace be unto you, son of Levi.” R. Yoshua asks the Messiah: “When will You come my Lord?” Messiah: “Today!” Upon returning to the cave, Elijah asks him: “What did he say to you?” R.Yoshua: “He said, Peace be unto you, son of Levi.” Elijah explains to him that the Messiah has assured both him and his father of the World to Come” R.Yoshua perplexed says: “But He deceived me, in that He said He would come today, and He has not come.” Elijah replies: “By the word ‘Today’, He meant, if you but hear My voice!”