Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 01:38:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Origins of Evil

QUESTION: WOn't the messiah deliver the world from sin?
<  <  ...The origin of sin is the rebellion that took place in the
heavenlies...Man (Adam and eve) joined in the rebellion. Man now images
both good and evil. Man, and all under him (which includes the physical
creation and all animals) is now under rule of the kingdom of rebellion.
That deliverer is the Messiah. In the interim, G-d has placed creation and
man under judgment. G-d promised a deliverer from the seed of woman who
would smash the head of the rebellion, and deliver mankind from the
dominion of darkness.>  >

ANSWER:
This is the Christian belief!

The essence of freedom is NOT the option of rebellion--the essence of
freedom is the ability of each person to chose between animalism and
spirituality.

Even in the time of the Messiah there will still be sin and sin offerings.
Indeed all commandments of our Torah will be operative in the Messiah's
time. In fact, one of the characteristics of the Messianic era is the
annexing of Territory to Israel which will require adding 3 more cities of
refuge for the accidental murderer (See Rambam Murder Chapters 8,9-- the
Rambam clearly derives this from explicit Biblical verses). Just as
accidental murder will happen in King Messiah's time so will accidental
desecration of sabbath and other sins happen then.

Rather the difference between the messianic era and our era is that in the
mesianic era there will be a great awareness of the ways of G-d (Cf Isiah
11). We will know how to 'cure' sin.

The most famous Messianic verse, Daniel 9:24 says that for the Messiah to
come we must (a) DESTROY rebellion (b) ATONE iniquity (c) COMPLETE sin.
Thus it is only rebellion that is destroyed. (Accidental) iniquity will
still be there. Similary 'sin' will be present but we can 'complete' it and
remove its causes.

I hope this clarifies this difficult topic. May the Messiah speedily come

Russell Jay Hendel; Phd ASA; Math RHendel@Towson.Edu
Moderator Rashi Is Simple