Wednesday 18 October 2017

Sanhedrin 94: Chezkiya, Sennacherib and the Longing for Moshiach

Some basic points from today's daf:

  • if a person is afraid and does not know why, it is because his/her angel has seen something to be scared of
  • we might jump four amos, say the shema, or recite a charm: "the goat at the butchery is fatter than I am" to address the threat
  • Chizkiya might have been the moshiach; miracles were performed for him but he did not sing songs of gratitude
  • People longed for moshiach and wondered what would be required for moshiach to finally come
  • King Sennacherib is described in some detail as either good or evil, having exiled the ten tribes of Israel
  • King Sennacherib's fall is detailed
These stories are filled with action, intrigue and confusion.  It is difficult for me to follow many of the details. Particularly when I am looking for a larger, 'big picture' view, it is tough to separate the details from the themes.

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