Thursday, May 30, 2013 | Aviel Schneider
A few months before he died, one of the nation’s
most prominent rabbis, Yitzhak Kaduri, supposedly wrote the name of the
Messiah on a small note which he requested would remain sealed until
now. When the note was unsealed, it revealed what many have known for
centuries: Yehoshua, or Yeshua (Jesus), is the Messiah.
With the biblical name of Jesus, the Rabbi and
kabbalist described the Messiah using six words and hinting that the
initial letters form the name of the Messiah. The secret note said:
Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah’s name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid.
This I have signed in the month of mercy,
Yitzhak Kaduri
The Hebrew sentence (translated above in bold) with the hidden name of the Messiah reads:
Yarim Ha’Am Veyokhiakh Shedvaro Vetorato Omdim
ירים העם ויוכיח שדברו ותורתו עומדים
The initials spell the Hebrew name of Jesus יהושוע .
Yehoshua and Yeshua are effectively the same name, derived from the
same Hebrew root of the word “salvation” as documented in Zechariah 6:11
and Ezra 3:2. The same priest writes in Ezra, “Yeshua (ישוע) son of
Yozadak” while writing in Zechariah “Yehoshua (יהושוע) son of
Yohozadak.” The priest adds the holy abbreviation of God’s name, ho
(הו), in the father’s name Yozadak and in the name Yeshua.
With one of Israel’s most prominent rabbis
indicating the name of the Messiah is Yeshua, it is understandable why
his last wish was to wait one year after his death before revealing what
he wrote.
When the name of Yehoshua appeared in Kaduri’s
message, ultra-Orthodox Jews from his Nahalat Yitzhak Yeshiva (seminary)
in Jerusalem argued that their master did not leave the exact solution
for decoding the Messiah’s name.
The revelation received scant coverage in the
Israeli media. Only the Hebrew websites News First Class (Nfc) and
Kaduri.net mentioned the Messiah note, insisting it was authentic. The
Hebrew daily Ma’ariv ran a story on the note but described it as a forgery.
Jewish readers responded on the websites’ forums
with mixed feelings: “So this means Rabbi Kaduri was a Christian?” and
“The Christians are dancing and celebrating,” were among the comments.
Israel Today spoke to two of
Kaduri’s followers in Jerusalem who admitted that the note was
authentic, but confusing for his followers as well. “We have no idea how
the Rabbi got to this name of the Messiah,” one of them said.
When we told Rabbi Kaduri that his father’s official website (www.kaduri.net)
had mentioned the Messiah note, he was shocked. “Oh no! That’s
blasphemy. The people could understand that my father pointed to him
[the Messiah of the Christians].” David Kaduri confirmed, however, that
in his last year his father had talked and dreamed almost exclusively
about the Messiah and his coming. “My father has met the Messiah in a
vision,” he said, “and told us that he would come soon.”
Kaduri’s Portrayal of the Messiah
A few months before Kaduri died at the age of 108,
he surprised his followers when he told them that he met the Messiah.
Kaduri gave a message in his synagogue on Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement, teaching how to recognize the Messiah. He also mentioned that the Messiah would appear to Israel after Ariel Sharon’s death.
(The former prime minister is still in a coma after suffering a massive
stroke more than a year ago.) Other rabbis predict the same, including
Rabbi Haim Cohen, kabbalist Nir Ben Artzi and the wife of Rabbi Haim
Kneiveskzy.
Kaduri’s grandson, Rabbi Yosef Kaduri, said his
grandfather spoke many times during his last days about the coming of
the Messiah and redemption through the Messiah. His spiritual portrayals
of the Messiah—reminiscent of New Testament accounts—were published on
the websites Kaduri.net and Nfc:
“It is hard for many good people in the society to
understand the person of the Messiah. The leadership and order of a
Messiah of flesh and blood is hard to accept for many in the nation. As
leader, the Messiah will not hold any office, but will be among the
people and use the media to communicate. His reign will be pure and
without personal or political desire. During his dominion, only
righteousness and truth will reign.
“Will all believe in the Messiah right away? No, in
the beginning some of us will believe in him and some not. It will be
easier for non-religious people to follow the Messiah than for Orthodox
people.
“The revelation of the Messiah will be fulfilled in
two stages: First, he will actively confirm his position as Messiah
without knowing himself that he is the Messiah. Then he will reveal
himself to some Jews, not necessarily to wise Torah scholars. It can be
even simple people. Only then he will reveal himself to the whole
nation. The people will wonder and say: ‘What, that’s the Messiah?’ Many
have known his name but have not believed that he is the Messiah.”
Farewell to a ‘Tsadik’
Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri was known for his photographic
memory and his memorization of the Bible, the Talmud, Rashi and other
Jewish writings. He knew Jewish sages and celebrities of the last
century and rabbis who lived in the Holy Land and kept the faith alive
before the State of Israel was born.
Kaduri was not only highly esteemed because of his
age of 108. He was charismatic and wise, and chief rabbis looked up to
him as a Tsadik, a righteous man or saint. He would give advice
and blessings to everyone who asked. Thousands visited him to ask for
counsel or healing. His followers speak of many miracles and his
students say that he predicted many disasters.
When he died, more than 200,000 people joined the
funeral procession on the streets of Jerusalem to pay their respects as
he was taken to his final resting place.
“When he comes, the Messiah will rescue Jerusalem
from foreign religions that want to rule the city,” Kaduri once said.
“They will not succeed for they will fight against one another.”