There Is No Messiah and You're It: The Stunning Transformation of Judaism's Most Provocative Idea

by Robert N. Levine and Rabbi Robert N. Levine

Book Overview

A challenge to each of us to take personal responsibility for repairing the world.

"We are taught that every one of us is created in the divine image. All of us can be holy through imitating God.... So, you don't have to look around or look away. You don't have to wait for someone to come and do what you were put on this earth to do in the first place. Judaism empowers you, as one of God's anointed ones, to do more than you ever...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 158023173X
• ISBN13: 9781580231732
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 1.02 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Each individual can bring about peace and justice

This book does not really posit a theory that hasn't been discussed many times before. The title of the book clearly states what Rabbi Levine's theory is: that we cannot wait for a great leader to usher in a messianic age, rather, that all of us, in our own way, must bring about a better world. Rabbi Levine does a nice job of surveying the idea of the Messiah in Judaism. He examines references in the books of the Prophets. He then gives a historical survey of messianism in Judaism, from the earliest followers of Jesus, to messianic figures such as Bar Kochba, Sabbatai Zvi and Jacob Frank. In times of turmoil, when the hopes of the Jewish community were at their lowest, many Jews found renewed hope in the belief that the Messiah has arrived. These hopes often had tragic consequences. Many of the Jews of Jerusalem, during the days of Roman occupation, followed the charismatic Bar Kochba into battle. With his fierce determination, there were early military victories but ultimately, the rebellion was crushed with devestating results. The tragic decimation of the Jewish community may have been the worst disaster suffered by the Jews until the onset of the even more horrific Holocaust of the 20th Century. Sabbatai Zvi and Jacob Frank, more than a millenium and a half later, also had rabid follewers who, believing each was the messiah, gave up strict observance of Judaism based on the blasphemous examples set by these false messiahs. The point of the book is that we cannot sit and wait for a messiah. If there was an actual Messiah, we should not wait for his appearance passively but instead, seek to better the world as we await the messianic event. If there is no messianic leader, then it is for each of us to bring about positive change in the world.

Great Idea, good Analysis, somewhat repetitive

The best part of this book is its title. Once you know the title, you pretty much don't have to read the book.Definitely, once you read the first chapter you have the main idea which is this: The messiah is not a specific individual who will save the world but rather a belief that every person, doing his or her part, together can save the world.The author does a good job exploring the evolution of the messianic idea in Judaism, although he is really just quoting from other books, mostly Gershom Sholem. His thesis is that the messianic idea has continually swung between viewing the Messiah as a saviour independent (or despite) of the Jews' behavior versus the Messiah as a saviour who inspires Jews to become more holy.The author obviously espouses the latter idea but takes it one step further- you don't need a specific person to inspire you, just do it now!This is a wonderful idea which at this point is definitely not in line with the traditional/Orthodox view of the Messiah. However, the idea is very powerful and perhaps will become the mainstream idea in the future.Definitely read this book to learn about this provative and inspring idea. However, to really understand the history of the Jewish Messianic idea, I would recomment more basic texts such as from Gershom Scholem.