The Midrash of the Messiah

The Messiah and His Meal in Midrash Ruth Chapters V, VII and VIII

The Dilemma of Midrashic Studies.

Risto Santala found Midrash Ruth while preparing his two main Hebrew books about the Messiah in the Old and New Testaments in the Light of Rabbinical Writings. Midrash Ruth reveals an eternal perspective on the Messianic banquet similar to the Holy Communion in the New Testament. The concepts as "to eat in this world, and in the Messianic age, and in the World to Come", "the bread of the kingdom", the Messiah, who "was wounded for our transgressions", the Messiah who will "rain down manna" upon his people, the discussion concerning Elijah recording our good deeds and "the Messiah and the Holy One subscribing and sealing them" provided imposing spectacles for studying other Rabbinical writings.

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315 pages.

Printed in Israel by Keren Ahvah Meshihit (Christian Brotherhood Fund), a publication run Jewish believers, dedicated to the reprinting of timeless Messianic classics.

AN ABBREVIATED TABLE OF CONTENTS:

THE PREFACE
The topic, its derivation and words of dedication

I INTRODUCTION
The formulation of the problem and its methodological aspects

II FUNDAMENTAL FACTORS IN MIDRASHIC LITERATURE
1. The concept of Midrash:
Midrash and its relation to Pesher and Targum
2. Midrash Ruth and its position in Midrashic literature
3. The literary methods of Midrash:
4. Choosing a proper method for Jewish studies:

III MIDRASH RUTH RABBAH
1. The various manuscripts and their literary evaluation
2. The content of Midrash Ruth Rabbah:

IV TRANSLATION OF THE "MESSIAH-PARASHIYOTH" IN MIDRASH RUTH RABBAH
The English text of Ruth Rabbah V,6, VII,2 and VIII,1 according to the standard Wilna edition

V INTERTEXTUAL AND CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE RESPECTIVE MESSIANIC PASSAGES
Specifications concerning Parashah V
1. The numerical pattern "six", . 85
2. "Come here" "near to the kingdom",
3. "The bread of the kingdom",
4. "Vinegar" and sufferings,
5. Does Isaiah 53 speak of the personality of the Messiah?
6. To be "satisfied", linked with "to eat in this world and in the Messianic age",
7. The first and the last Redeemer
8. "The kingdom taken from him for a time",
9. The "blessing in the stomach" of Ruth,
10. Recording of good deeds,
Specifications concerning Parashah VII
1. A concealed solution to the Messianic mystery
2. The secret of the "closed Mem"
3. The Song of Songs as a key-text for Messianic interpretation Specifications concerning Parashah VIII
1. The tainted descent of Ruth and the evil inclination in Jewish and Christian literature
2. Discussion concerning Perez,
3. The "ladders of princes and kings"
4. The genealogical tree of the Messiah linked with the New Testament

VI THE SAGES BEHIND THE MESSIANIC PARASHIYOTH IN MIDRASH RUTH
1. The Sages in the "Messiah-Parashiyoth"
2. The tradition of Midrash Ruth visualized in schemes

VII THE MESSIAH AND HIS MEAL IN RESPECTIVE JEWISH LITERATURE
1. The bridge to the relevant literature
2. The Messianic meal in the Dead Sea Scrolls
3. The Messianic meal in the New testament
4. The Didache and its Messianic banquet
5. The third meal in the tradition represented by the Zohar, the Talmud and the New Testament
6. The Messianic meal in the light of the Jewish prayer literature

VIII CONCLUSIONS CONCERNING THE MESSIAH AND HIS MEAL IN ITS JEWISH FRAME OF REFERENCE
1. Conclusions concerning the method and content of our study
2. Specifications about the Messianic idea in Midrash Ruth
3. New light on the Messianic meal
4. "What then shall we say", ?
5. The scheme of the content and the roots of our study

APPENDIX
It is difficult to grasp the nature of the main Hebrew sources. Therefore we give some extracts of them visualized as they appear in the original texts: 1. Midrash Ruth, 2. Mikraoth Gedoloth where RaSHI, Ibn Ezra, RaMBaN, RaDaQ and RaLBaG repeatedly appear, 3. the Talmud, 4. the Zohar, 5. Isaiah 53 at Qumran, 6. the Yalkut, 7. the Siddur, 8. the Mahzor, 9. the Messianic text of RaMBaM in Hilkhoth Melakhim, 10. the flylief of Mikr. Gedoloth. The only legitimate method in Midrashic studies is to lean on these Hebrew and Aramaic sources. They dovetail the Jewish selfunderstanding into the correct rabbinic frame of reference.

INDICES
LITERATURE CONSULTED