There’ll come a point some time after this when G-d will lovingly say to the Moshiach, “Ask Me for anything and I’ll grant it to you!” But seeing Moshiach ben Yoseph lying dead on the ground, he’ll only say, “G-d Almighty, I only ask the gift of life from You!” — that is, the ability to bring Moshiach Ben Yoseph back to life (Sukkah 52A).

Ramchal informs us at *this* point, though, that Moshiach Ben Yoseph will come “from Edom in crimsoned garments” –i.e., garments stained with blood as a consequence of his battles, “from Bozrah” which is Edom’s great city; that he’ll be “glorious in His apparel” — i.e., in victory; that he’ll “march in great strength” (Isaiah 63:1); and that he’ll “trample upon the winepress” (v. 3) and thus completely undo his opponents.

Now, we’d spoken about Moshiach Ben Yoseph in passing already, in connection with a number of battles our people will fight as the redemption progresses, and we know that he’ll be the ultimate Moshiach’s predecessor, but let’s learn more about Moshiach Ben Yoseph.

First off it’s important to know that he isn’t cited explicitly in any of the books of the Bible and is only known to us from oral traditions. We’re thus taught there that he’ll come upon the scene some 40 years before Moshiach Ben Dovid himself will, his name will be Nechemiah Ben Chushiel; and that he’ll gather the dispersed and reconnect individuals with their family-lines, build up Jerusalem and broaden the settlement of the Land of Israel, reveal the mysteries of the Torah, remove the unclean spirit from the land, reinstitute the service in the Holy Temple, and then establish his own kingdom.

Ramchal will eventually discuss other things about him, too.

Text Copyright © 2006 by Rabbi Yaakov Feldman and Torah.org.