Ben Koziba

Ben Koziba was the name given by the Tanna Rabbi Akiva to Bar Kochba, about whom Rabbi Akiva himself initially said "Den hu malka meshicha" (This is the King Messiah). According to Chassidic teachings, the explanation for this is that Rabbi Akiva himself was ready for this according to his spiritual level and was worthy of the coming of Moshiach, but the people of the generation were not worthy of it.

His Life and Work

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Those Who Killed Him

Some say that The Jews killed Ben Koziba because he did not have the sign of "morach v'dain" (ability to judge by smell/intuition), and it became clear that he was not Moshiach. Some say that the gentiles killed him, and through this it was revealed that he was not Moshiach. And some say that the gentiles killed him after the hands of Israel were weakened when they saw that he was not the King Moshiach.

However, in light of the Rebbe's explanation that in the Messianic era there will be two periods (a first period in which "the world continues according to its natural order," and a second period in which all the physical prophecies that involve changes to the natural order will occur), the Rebbe explains that the dispute among the Rishonim is not about the identity of who killed Ben Koziba. According to all opinions, in actual practice, the gentiles killed him. The dispute is that according to the Raavad, from the beginning of the Messianic era there is a change in the natural order, and therefore, since Ben Koziba was not "morach v'dain," he had the status of a "rodef" (pursuer). He endangered the Jewish people with his war, and this is considered as if the Sages killed him, because by their ruling that he deserved death—he was already considered dead (though in practice the gentiles killed him). But according to the Rambam, who holds that at the beginning of the Messianic era there will be no change in the natural order, therefore the fact that Ben Koziba was not "morach v'dain" (which is a matter of changing the natural order)—is not sufficient to rule that he is not the Moshiach, and he was not liable for death, and his killers—even from the halachic perspective—were only the gentiles.

Signs of Moshiach

In response to the question of how Rabbi Akiva believed in Ben Koziba's messiahship when he did not have the signs enumerated by the Rambam: a king from the House of David who is immersed in Torah and mitzvot, etc., and compels all of Israel, etc., and builds the Temple, etc.—the Rebbe answered in 5732 (1972): "Rabbi Akiva's opinion regarding King Ben Koziba does not contradict what the Rambam wrote in Hilchot Melachim at the end of Chapter 11—because Rabbi Akiva initially thought that this was the beginning of his revelation period."

At first, he had the signs that the Rambam writes that the King Moshiach must have, but ultimately he did not redeem Israel in practice.

Regarding the reason why he did not redeem Israel, there is a dispute among the Rishonim. Some believe it was because of sins, and some believe it was because the generation was not worthy of it, and the Rambam rules according to the second opinion: "And he was like all the worthy kings of the House of David who died."

To the question of why Hashem caused such a situation where someone would be presumed to be Moshiach but would not be the actual redeemer, the Rambam writes that it was a test in which many were to stand.