The Jewish Messiah Trivia Quiz

Answer: Anointed one

The word "mashiach", which is translated into English as "messiah", comes from the Hebrew root that means to "anoint". It was the practice in Biblical times to anoint the heads of kings with oil. The same Hebrew root which forms the word "messiah" - so full of mysticism and faith - forms more banal words such as "tooth paste" and "shoe polish" in modern Hebrew.

Answer: The Prophet Micah

Interestingly, there are no references to the Messiah in the Torah, or Pentateuch. As a matter of fact, there are few direct references to the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. Much of the tradition surrounding the role of the Messiah is based on interpretations of the writing of the prophets, primarily of Jeremiah and Isaiah.

However, the much-loved imagery of "each man under his vine and under his fig-tree" comes from the Book of Micah 4:4.

Answer: There will be miracles surrounding his birth

In Jewish tradition, the Messiah is often referred to as "Mashiach ben David", the "Messiah, son of David". The notion that the Messiah will be a descendant of King David is firmly ingrained in Jewish belief. Additionally, the Messiah will be learned in Torah and Jewish law, and will be rigorous in his observance of the commandments. Jewish tradition also holds that the Messiah will not need to convince anyone of his role; his influence and power will be so obvious that he will be recognized immediately by all nations.

In Jewish tradition, there are no miracles or super-natural events surrounding the birth of the Messiah. In Isaiah 7:14, the mother of the Messiah is described as an "almah", which means "young woman" in Hebrew. However, Christian sources have usually translated this word as "virgin". (Information for this answer came from Judaism.101 and Jews for Judaism.)

Answer: False

Maimonides, undoubtedly one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of all time, was born in 1135 in Cordoba, Spain. Known as a "religious rationalist", the Rambam was a scientist and physician, and opposed superstition and mysticism. It is therefore significant that he included belief in the Messiah as the twelfth of his thirteen Articles of Faith.

The Rambam's Articles of Faith are probably the closest thing to a formal creed in Judaism. Belief in the coming of the Messiah is therefore an important component of mainstream Judaism. Belief in the coming of the Messiah is so deeply imbued in Jewish thinking that one of the most common delusions of Jewish men hospitalized in the Kfar Shaul psychiatric hospital in Jerusalem is that they are the Messiah.

There have been times when four out of twenty-eight patients in the admission ward believe they are the Messiah; thankfully, they are tolerant of one another!

Answer: "Speak of the devil"

If two Hebrew-speakers are discussing a third person and that person unexpectedly appears, they will say "Too bad we weren't talking about the Messiah". This can be understood on two levels. On the more simplistic level, this expression can be understood in the same way as the English expression "Speak of the devil!" is used.

But on another level, this expression contains a gentle reprimand - "if we had been speaking of holy matters, such as the coming of the Messiah, rather than engaging in idle gossip, then we might hasten his coming!"

Answer: The crash of the Israeli stock market

Israeli rocker Shalom Hanoch was born in 1946. Like most Israeli singers of his generation, he cut his teeth in an army band. Hanoch's hit "The Messiah Isn't Coming" describes the 1983 crash of the Israeli stock market, and portrays the Messiah as a stock-broker who has lost all, and jumps to his death.

The chorus of the song proclaims, "The Messiah isn't coming, and he isn't telephoning, either".

Answer: Wild boar and whale

The Midrash "Vikra Raba" describes a battle between the wild boar and "leviathan", usually translated as either "great fish" or "whale". The two beasts kill one another, but their deaths are considered "kosher", so that their meat can be consumed. This strange story has found a permanent place in Jewish folklore, since it is included in a song sung at the Sabbath table.

Answer: Tisha B'Av

According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will be born on the fast day of Tisha B'Av, which marks the destruction of both Temples, as well as the Expulsion from Spain. This tradition can be found in the Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 2:4. The belief that the Mashiach will be born on Tisha B'Av has given rise to another tradition, that the Mashiach will arrive on Tisha B'Av.

Some families prepare for the Messiah's coming by washing the floors and cleaning the house midway through the fast.

Answer: On a train to one of the death camps

The following story can be found on the web site called "Chabad.org". A cantor named Reb Azriel David Fastag, a follower of the Modzitz Rebbe, was on a train headed for one of the Nazi death camps. In the midst of his despair, Reb Fastag composed a haunting melody to the words of "Ani Ma'amin", (which is the twelfth Article of Faith as outlined by the Rambam) and began to sing it to himself. Little by little, all the people in the train joined in singing with him. Reb Fastag then announced "I will give half of my portion in the World to Come to whoever can take this melody to the Modzitzer Rebbe!" Two young men took up the challenge and managed to jump from the train. One, sadly, was killed, but the second managed to save himself and made his way to Israel, where he contacted the son of the Modzitzer Rebbe and presented him with the notes written by Reb Fastag on the train. Today, one can hear Reb Fastag's melody at Holocaust Memorial ceremonies throughout the world.

Answer: All of these

Jewish tradition teaches that the Messiah will come at either of two times: when Jews are righteous and observant, and thus deserving of the Messiah, or alternatively, when Jews fail to behave humanely and are negligent in their religious duties, and thus in need of the Messiah! These two, mutually exclusive situations result in Jews being ever-hopeful that the Messiah is on the way. If someone performs an act of heroism, for instance, and endangers himself to save another person - a sign that the Messiah is on the way! And if someone commits some dreadful crime, harming innocent people and besmirching the good name of the community, then - the Messiah is on the way! However, one popular view (from the Talmud of Jerusalem) that has been espoused by the Chabad movement teaches that if every Jew, everywhere, will observe two Sabbaths, the Messiah will come.

Answer: Avraham Fried

Avraham Fried was born in 1959 in Brooklyn into a Lubavitcher family. Fried took his version of Jewish music, mixing traditional Hasidic style with rock and pop, out of the synagogues and wedding halls and packed concert halls in New York, Israel, France and South America.

In 1997 Fried released his album "Chazak" (Strong) with included a new version of the traditional words "I believe in a perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah . . ." . Rather than the haunting melody associated with the Holocaust, Fried's version is an upbeat "freilich" that could be heard blasting from radios for months in 1997, and is still popular at many Jewish events.

Answer: Shabtai Zvi

Shabtai Zvi was born in 1626 in Smyrna. Zvi became convinced at an early age that he was the Messiah, and in 1648, at the age of twenty-two, convinced Nathan of Gaza to crown him as Messiah. News of the Messiah's arrival spread quickly throughout the Jewish world, to communities in the East as well as more sophisticated communities in Europe. Shabtai Zvi preached that with his arrival, the old rituals and laws were no longer relevant, and encouraged his followers, called Sabbateans, to desecrate the most basic laws of Judaism.

The Sabbateans violated the Sabbath, ate forbidden food, and engaged in wild sexual orgies. In 1666 Zvi arrived in Istanbul, expecting to be crowned by the Sultan. The Sultan, instead, offered Zvi the choice of becoming a Muslim, or losing his life. Zvi, to the consternation of his followers, was quick to don the turban and adopt Islam. Needless to say, this threw the entire Jewish world into an absolute quandary. Most of the Sabbateans repented and returned to a traditional Jewish way of life, but a small community called "Donmeh" in Turkey continued to practice a band of Sabbateanism, some say, even to this day. To learn more about this extraordinary period in Jewish history, you can find interesting articles in the Jewishvirtualibrary as well as Wikipedia. For a more in-depth look, Kabbalah scholar Gershom Scholem wrote a history of Zvi in 1973 entitled "Sabbatai Sevi, the Mystical Messiah", and Yiddish writer Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote a novel entitled "Satan in Goray" based on the period of Shabtai Zvi.

Answer: Elijah

The prophet Elijah plays an important role in Jewish folk-lore. He visits Jewish homes during the Passover Seder and drinks from a special cup of wine; he is present at the circumcision of baby boys, and he will eventually announce the coming of the Messiah.

The prophets speak of Elijah thus; he is "...the harbinger who will proclaim peace, the harbinger of good who will proclaim salvation..." Malachi 3:23

Answer: Grace after meals

The Grace after meals, in both the Ashkenazic and Sephardic versions, contains the following verse - "May the Almighty make us worthy of the Messiah and life in the world to come". An observant Jew will recite this blessing after every meal containing bread!

Answer: Rabbi Menachem Schneerson

Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was born in 1902, and succeeded his father-in-law as the Rebbe of Lubavitch Hassidim in 1950. The charismatic rabbi was, without doubt, one of the most influential Jewish religious leaders of the twentieth century. The Rebbe was best known for his campaign to bring unaffiliated and non-observant Jews into the fold of Jewish observance. To this end, he sent emissaries to the four corners of the earth.

These young couples established centers for education and hospitality that served both local communities, and Jewish travelers.

It was such a couple, the Holzbergs, who were murdered by terrorists in Mumbai in 2008. Additionally, the Rebbe established a mitzva campaign to encourage Jews to practice the basics of their faith, and created the Noahide movement.

The Rebbe was honored for his work during his life-time by the US Congress, who declared his 80th birthday as "Education Day, USA" and after his death, when he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his work in education. During his life-time, many of his followers became convinced that the Rebbe, with his extraordinary charisma and moral force, must be the long-awaited Messiah.

The Rebbe neither denied or confirmed this belief. His death in 1994 left his followers in great confusion. Some of them were able to accept his death, while others found complicated metaphysical arguments to explain that the Rebbe was not dead, and was indeed, the Messiah. One can find large posters of the Rebbe in Israel, New York City and elsewhere proclaiming that he is the Messiah. (Information for this question came from Wikipedia, Chabad.org and Moshiach.com.)