Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – Suffering Servant: The Messiah Texts – Raphael Patai

The Messiah Texts Raphael Patai

According to an ancient Jewish tale, God asked Messiah if he wanted to take upon himself the suffering for Israel’s sins.

The Messiah replied,
“With gladness in my soul and with joy in my heart I accept it, so that not a single one of Israel should perish; and not only those who will be alive should be saved in my days, but even the dead who have died from the days of Adam the First man until now.” {Raphael Patai, The Messiah Texts pg 112, citing Pesikta Rabbati, pp. 161a-b}

“The Fathers of the Wordl [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob] will in the future rise up in the month of Nissan and will speak to him: “Ephraim, our True Messiah! Even though we are your fathers, you are greater than we, for you suffered because of the sins of our children, and cruel punishments have come upon you the like of which have not come upon the early and the later generations, and you were put to ridicule and held in contempt by the nations of the world because of Israel, and you sat in darkness and blackness and your eyes saw no light, and your skin cleft to your bones, and your body dried our and was like wood, and your eyes grew dim from fasting, and your strength became like a potsherd.  All this because of the sins of our children.  Do you want that our children should enjoy the happiness that the Holy One, blessed be He, allotted to Israel, or perhaps, because of the great sufferings that have come upon you on their account, and because they imprisoned you in the jailhouse, your mind is not reconciled with them?
And the Messiah answers them: “Fathers of the World!  Everything I did, I did only for you and for your children, and for your honor and for the honor of your children, so that they should enjoy this happiness the Holy One, blessed be He, has allotted to Israel.”

Raphael Patai was a prominent Jewish writer of the 20th Century (Lived 11/22/1910-7/20/1996).  In 1936 he won the the Bialik Prize for Jewish thought.

Theses quotes come from a series of pictures being shared on facebook but due to request will be shared on this blog as well.  Click on the link if you want to comment there, or you can comment here on WordPress if you desire.

Previous posts:

Yahshua/Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – Rosh Hashana Machzor

Yahshua/Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – Messiah the LORD

Yahshua/Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – The LORD our Righteousness

Yahshua/Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – The Son of God

Yahshua/Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – Messiah born in Bethlehem

Yahshua/Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – King & Priest

Yahshua/Jesus from Rabbinic Sources – Suffering Servant

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