Rumours of Messiah

Press, 4 January 1980, Page 5

Rumours of Messiah

NZPA-Reuter : Jerusalem The rumour is buzzing through the extreme Orthodox community of Is-, rael that the Messiah is coming. According to Israeli news renorts, three leading rabbi’s, highly respected for their learning in Jewish mysticism, dreamed on the. same night that the last great battle on Earth would be waged during April of this year, ushering in the Millenium. Some reports said the rabbis had dreamed the clash between the mythical monsters, Gog and Magog, would narrowly head off a nuclear holocaust between the superpowers. Others said the great clash had actually already taken place, and the Messiah would arrive peacefully. Kabbalists have been citing signs of the Messiah’s coming for the last year. The Hebrew expression for the Jewish year last year w’as an acrostic for the name of God, and mystical sources indicate that the footfalls of the Messiah were heard that year. The rabbis who dreamed the strange dream — Rabbi Israel Abu Hatseira, known as the Gate of Sali, Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi, and the sage known as the Lord and Teacher of Klauzenburg — could not be reached for comment. But Rabbi Ephraim Manella, when asked when the Messiah would come, responded with an! ancient Jewish proverb. "Those » who tell, don’t know: those who know don’t tell.”