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Nathan Lopes Cardozo

The Rabbi’s Gift and the Mashiach

When my oldest granddaughter, who is now the mother of many of my great grandchildren, became Bat Mitzva I wrote a book for her with advice and stories.

Some of the stories I authored, while others are based on the works of others.

Here is one such story, enjoy!


Once a synagogue had fallen on hard times. Only five members were left: the cantor and four others, all over 60 years old.

In the mountains near the shul lived a retired Rabbi. It occurred to the five to ask the Rabbi if he could offer any advice that may save the shul.

The cantor and the Rabbi spoke at length but when asked for advice, the Rabbi simply responded by saying, “I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that one of you is the Mashiach (Messiah).”

Returning to the shul, the cantor told the four other synagogue members what the Rabbi had said. In the months that followed, the elder synagogue members pondered the words of the Rabbi.

“The Mashiach is amongst us?”, they each asked themselves. As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one among them might indeed be the Mashiach. And, on the off chance that each member himself might be the Mashiach, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care.

As time went by, people visiting the shul noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small shul.

Without any apparent reason, more people began returning to worship at the old synagogue. They brought their friends, and their friends brought even more friends; within a few years the small shul had once again become a thriving congregation!

Indeed, each and every one of us is a potential Mashiach – and we can even start his work before he comes…

About the Author
Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo is the Founder and Dean of the David Cardozo Academy and the Bet Midrash of Avraham Avinu in Jerusalem. A sought-after lecturer on the international stage for both Jewish and non-Jewish audiences, Rabbi Cardozo is the author of 13 books and numerous articles in both English and Hebrew. Rabbi Cardozo heads a Think Tank focused on finding new Halachic and philosophical approaches to dealing with the crisis of religion and identity amongst Jews and the Jewish State of Israel. Hailing from the Netherlands, Rabbi Cardozo is known for his original and often fearlessly controversial insights into Judaism. His ideas are widely debated on an international level on social media, blogs, books and other forums.