The Messiah Is Not Late – He Is Right On Time

Bava Basra 133

Our Gemara on amud beis records a dialogue between Rav Illish and Rav. Rav Illish made a mistaken ruling, which Rav corrected. Rav Illish, feeling embarrassed, was comforted by Rav, who read the verse, “I, the L-rd, will hasten it in its time” (Yeshayahu 60:22). Rav’s intent was to suggest that Divine Providence was at work, as he was present to correct Rav Illish before the mistaken ruling took effect.

This verse, as interpreted by the Sages, is an assurance from Hashem regarding the redemption of the Jewish people, even if they do not fully merit it (Sanhedrin 98a):

Rabbi Yoḥanan says: “The son of David will come only in a generation that is entirely innocent, in which case they will be deserving of redemption, or in a generation that is entirely guilty, in which case there will be no alternative to redemption.” He may come in a generation that is entirely innocent, as it is written, “And your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever” (Yeshayahu 60:21). Or he may come in a generation that is entirely guilty, as it is written, “And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no intercessor; therefore His arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness, it sustained Him” (Yeshayahu 59:16). Furthermore, it is written: “For My own sake, for My own sake will I do it; for how should it be profaned? And My glory I will not give it to another” (Yeshayahu 48:11).

Rabbi Alexandri quotes Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who noted a seeming contradiction in Yeshayahu 60:22 about redemption. The verse states, “In its time I will hasten it,” implying both a set time and the potential for acceleration. Rabbi Alexandri resolves this as follows: If the Jewish people merit redemption through teshuva (repentance) and mitzvos, the coming of Mashiach will be hastened. If they do not merit it, Mashiach will arrive at the designated time.

Rav Tzaddok HaKohen (Tzidkas HaTzaddik 50) offers a nuanced understanding, suggesting this does not imply that Mashiach will arrive regardless of merit. Instead, if we accumulate extraordinary merit, Mashiach will come before the destined time. Without such merit, at the appointed time Hashem will bring events that stir us to repent. This perspective reframes any sense of delay: Mashiach is neither “late” nor “delayed,” but we simply have not “earned” his early arrival. When he does come, it will be at precisely the right moment.

Our Gemara applies this verse to individual redemption, contrasting with the Gemara in Sanhedrin, which relates it to collective redemption. Rav Tzaddok sees this as meaningful, equating the two: Just as collective redemption may come early through exceptional merit, so too can individual suffering be preempted, where the cure arrives even before the ailment. Without such merit, Hashem waits for our prayers and growth, delivering both personal and communal salvation at the appropriate time.

The Echo Chamber Of The Evil Inclination

Bava Basra 135

Our Gemara on amud beis addresses a case where a deceased person’s will was found tied to his thigh, a way to secure important documents in that era. In Maaseh Shem (Avos 33), this principle is applied to Esav’s angel wrestling Yaakov and striking his thigh (Bereishis 32:26), as if intending to destroy the document representing Esav’s sale of the birthright to Yaakov.

This interpretation is clever, but there are other profound explanations for the angel’s attack on Yaakov’s thigh. Some Midrashic and mystical sources suggest that the thigh represents one’s descendants – perhaps due to its proximity to the reproductive organs or the fact that, metaphorically, children carry on their parents’ legacy, walking in their footsteps. Talmudic idioms such as “The son is the feet of the father” allude to children continuing their parents’ work. According to these sources, including Beis Yaakov al HaTorah (Vayishlach 30), Bereishis Rabbah (77:3), and the Zohar (Vayishlach 100-01), Esav’s angel could not harm Yaakov directly but was able to plant some form of spiritual “toxicity” in Yaakov’s lineage that would echo down through future generations.

The Kli Yakar offers a strikingly different interpretation. He points to Yaakov’s decision to return alone for “small vessels” he had left behind when Esav’s angel attacked him (see Rashi on Bereishis 32:25). Having just escaped his father-in-law Lavan with substantial wealth and possessions, Yaakov allowed himself to be swayed –perhaps unconsciously – by his assets, to the point of endangering himself for these minor vessels. The Kli Yakar uses this episode to illustrate the nature of the yetzer hara (evil inclination), comparing it to a fly: small, persistent, and able to exploit even the tiniest “crack” in one’s defenses. This comparison aligns with the Gemara’s description (Sukkah 52a) of the yetzer hara as constantly looking for even a minor lapse or vulnerability in one’s spiritual resolve. The Kli Yakar argues that Yaakov’s momentary lapse in judgment – his attachment to trivial objects – created the “crack” through which the yetzer hara could exploit him.

The symbolism of the thigh itself may hint at these “inflection points” in our engagement with the physical world where the yetzer hara can enter, as it is a large bone-and-socket combination that is used to ambulate in this world and takes much pressure between the body (the self) and the ground (the world). For Yaakov, his livelihood required working for Lavan and ultimately receiving compensation. This necessity, however, created a subtle but potent vulnerability, where his connection to wealth affected him. The thigh, then, is where one’s spiritual “legs” connect with the material world. The text describes their struggle as raising “dust” (Rashi, ibid.), suggesting the confusion the yetzer hara creates by distorting one’s judgment. The morning sunlight that shines on Yaakov after the struggle represents the clarity and self-awareness that follows self-reflection.

The narrative emphasizes that “Yaakov was left alone” (Bereishis 32:25). Here, the Kli Yakar comments critically, asking what person would risk life and limb for trivial objects? This isolation may hint at how the yetzer hara works: in an echo chamber, isolated from external feedback and the normal reality check of others’ perspectives. Yaakov rationalized retrieving the small vessels, but his reasoning was ultimately flawed – a symptom of the isolation and distorted thinking created by the yetzer hara.

The Kli Yakar’s commentary is powerful, both for its poetic approach and for its surprising critique of Yaakov’s actions, emphasizing how even great individuals can be momentarily affected by the yetzer hara. This account beautifully illustrates the yetzer hara’s subtlety, how it infiltrates unnoticed, distorting thought until clarity and rationality are restored.