Editing Yemos Hamoshiach (section)

== Changing Nature in the Days of Moshiach ==
The belief in the Days of Moshiach is that of a good and perfect future, supernatural or almost supernatural, which will come after a turbulent period of revolutions in the world. There exists a disagreement between several poskim and commentators in defining the state of the Days of Moshiach as a natural or supernatural event. Part of the discussion in the definition also revolves around certain details about the figure of Moshiach and the events surrounding his coming, which are also disputed as to whether they will occur naturally or miraculously.

[[The Rambam]] believes in his book that there will be no change in the world's natural order, and these are his words:<blockquote>"One should not think that in the Days of Moshiach anything from the natural order of the world will be nullified, or that there will be any innovation in the act of Creation, rather the world will continue according to its natural order. And that which is stated in Isaiah 'The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat' is a metaphor and riddle. The meaning is that Israel will dwell securely with the wicked gentiles who are compared to wolves and leopards, as it is said 'a wolf from the plains will plunder them and a leopard watches over their cities,' and they will all return to the true religion and will not steal or destroy, but will eat permissible food peacefully with Israel, as it is said 'and the lion, like cattle, will eat straw.' Similarly, all such statements regarding Moshiach are metaphors, and in the Days of King Moshiach everyone will know what each metaphor was referring to and what they hinted at. The Sages said: There is no difference between this world and the Days of Moshiach except for the subjugation to other kingdoms alone."</blockquote>[[The Raavad]] challenged the Rambam, based on the verse "I will rid the land of wild beasts" which indicates a change in the world's nature, and therefore according to his approach, there will be a change in the world's nature in the Days of Moshiach.

[[The Radbaz]] distinguished between the Land of Israel and other lands, from the verse "They will not harm or destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled". He learned that in the Land of Israel there will be a change in the world's nature, but not abroad.

Rabbi Meir Gabai wrote in his book Avodat HaKodesh that the state of the world in the Days of Moshiach will be as it was during the six days of Creation.

The Rambam also describes the world in this period:<blockquote>"And in that time there will be neither famine nor war, neither jealousy nor competition. For good things will flow in abundance and all delicacies will be as common as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know Hashem. Therefore, the Jews will be great sages and know the hidden matters, and they will attain knowledge of their Creator according to the capacity of man, as it is stated 'For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea.'"</blockquote>

====== Two General Periods ======
However, the Rebbe explains that in truth, even those who hold that there will be no change in the world's nature, even according to them this will only be in the first period. While in the second period of the Days of Moshiach, there will be drastic changes, the main one being the resurrection of the dead, and likewise in Iggeret Teiman the Rambam writes that Moshiach performs signs and wonders, referring to the second period of the Days of Moshiach, after the period of "the world continues according to its natural order." But even in the first period, several prophecies will be fulfilled, such as non-fruit bearing trees in the Land of Israel producing fruit.

The Rebbe explains that the first period is not necessary, and it depends on the actions of the Jewish people: if they are in a state of "they merited," the second period will arrive immediately.

Therefore, the second period must also come, since in the first period the Jewish people will fulfill Torah and mitzvot completely, and will reach a state of "they merited" - and then they will merit the second period.

Based on the innovation that there are two periods in the Days of Moshiach, the Rebbe resolves many contradictory Gemaras and Midrashim, for example, whether the Temple will be built by human hands or by Heaven, and more.

Although the Rambam did not explicitly write about the second period in his book, the Rebbe finds a hint to this in the final law, where in the last two chapters the Rambam speaks about the complete knowledge of the Creator that will exist in the future from the human perspective, but that the world itself will be completely nullified to Hashem, this will only be in the second period. And to this the Rambam alludes in the final law, that from the world's own perspective there will not be relevant hunger or war, and therefore the nature of the world is to know Hashem, because "the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the sea," meaning the world becomes covered and nullified from its existence through the revelation of G-dliness that will be then.

====== Two Periods in the Revelation of Godliness ======
Expanded concepts – '''[[Techiyat HaMeytim - Resurrection of the Dead|Techiyat HaMeitim (Resurrection of the Dead)]], [[Olam Haba - The World to Come|Olam Haba (World to Come)]], [[Dirah B'tachtonim|Dirah BaTachtonim (Dwelling in the Lower Realms)]].'''

There are differences between the revelations that will be revealed in the first period and the revelations in the second period:

* In the nullification effect they will have on the world:

There are two ways in which Godliness is revealed in the world: a) The world exists as a reality unto itself without connection to Godliness, except that we have refined this reality and Godliness is revealed throughout the world. However, the world still remains a reality unto itself. b) It is revealed that the world is not a reality unto itself at all, and its entire creation was only for the sake of Godliness.

This is the difference between the two periods: In the first period, there will only be a revelation of Godliness in the world with no existence opposing Godliness. However, the world will still remain a reality unto itself, and therefore "the world will continue according to its natural order." In contrast, in the second period, the inner essence of the world will be revealed—that the world was only created for the revelation of Hashem, and consequently, the world is not a reality unto itself at all. As a result, the world will not remain as an independent reality; it will be nullified from its existence, and there will be a "change in the natural order of the world."

* In how created beings perceive these revelations, and consequently in the degree to which these revelations become integrated with the world:

In the first period, the revelation of Godliness will be in the form of seeing—but through intellectual vision. In contrast, in the second period, the revelation will be in the form of tangible, physical sight.

The explanation is: Even when revelation comes through seeing, as long as it is only intellectual vision, it does not become one with the person. The proof: if someone raises objections to a particular understanding, this understanding will be weakened for the person. Therefore, in the first period, when the revelation will be through intellectual vision—meaning an understanding that does not become one with the person or become his actual reality—the world's reality will still not change, and "the world will continue according to its natural order."

In contrast, in the second period, it will be in the form of tangible sight, and when a person sees something with his eyes, no questions will change the truth of the matter for him because it has truly become one with the person and has become part of the person's reality. Thus, when this is the level of revelation that will exist in the world—the revelation penetrates and becomes one reality with the world, affects the world, and changes its parameters. Consequently, there will be a "change in the natural order of the world."

* In the level of revelation: The revelation in the first period is the revelation of the Infinite Light ([[Ohr Ein Sof]]) that shone before [[The First Tzimtzum|the Tzimtzum]] (contraction). In the second period, a new revelation will be revealed—the Essential Concealment (He'elem Ha'atzmi) that was not revealed even before the Tzimtzum.