7

Is there any statement by chazal or the poskim which precludes Moshiach from being a woman?

please remove my account
  • 3,863
  • 15
  • 36
  • 1
    I don't think this would suffice as a direct answer, but see R Nahman here, as well as Rashi on what he says. http://www.dafyomi.org/index.php?masechta=megilah&daf=14b&go=Go – Baby Seal Feb 07 '14 at 18:29
  • 1
    http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/37570 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/10599 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/26938 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/22271 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/22814 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/8857 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/13359 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/37585 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/35312 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/37449 http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/35296 – Baby Seal May 20 '14 at 19:59

2 Answers2

29

Rambam Hilchos Malachim perek 1 Halacha 5

"אין מעמידין אשה במלכות שנאמר עליך מלך ולא מלכה וכן כל משימות שבישראל אין ממנים בהם אלא איש."

women cannot become kings.

Also when the gemara discusses Mashiach they use the loshon "him" and Ben Dovid see Sanhedrin 98

sam
  • 41,686
  • 4
  • 80
  • 141
  • 2
    However there were female "kings" in the past (eg Melachim II 11). Your last sentence is of course irrelevant, since male pronouns are the default gender neutral option in Hebrew – Double AA Feb 06 '14 at 18:09
  • @DoubleAA your really bringing a proof from Atalya?! – sam Feb 06 '14 at 19:51
  • 2
    I really am. It's a proof that a women "king" has a chalot "king". – Double AA Feb 06 '14 at 20:09
  • 4
    @DoubleAA, Jeremia only tells us that she staged a bloddy coup and prolonged her reign of terror for 6 years. Do you have a source that calls her a king? Or that says she has a 'chalot king', as you say? – Baby Seal Feb 06 '14 at 21:04
  • 1
    @BabySeal Jeremiah says מלכת. Sounds like a king, no? He could have said משלת or רדה – Double AA Jun 13 '14 at 14:24
  • 1
    @DoubleAA affirmative – Baby Seal Jun 13 '14 at 14:30
  • 1
    @sam never mind Atalyah, how 'bout Salome Alexandra(Shelamzion in the DSS), Alexander Janneus' widow, mother of Aristobulus and John Hyrcanus II, and Queen for around a decade? Some info here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome_Alexandra – Gary Jun 22 '14 at 17:28
  • http://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt25a07.htm#18 – Double AA Dec 21 '14 at 04:57
2

In the question as posed it is not clear which of the 2 messiahs are under discussion. After a perusal of several sources I have not seen any statement from the sages of the talmud that Moshiach "ben" Yosef (Sukka 52a-b) needs to be male and cannot be female. Unlike Moshiach Ben David who is to have the status of a king and therefore according to halahic authorities such as Rambam is precluded from being a woman, Moshiach ben Yosef (MbY) does not seem to be viewed as a king but rather as a warrior.

Broadly speaking the term Moshiach (anointed) can be applied to persons who were not anointed with the שמן המשחה such as gentile Cyrus of Persia (Isaiah 45:1) and therefore need not imply MbY is actually anointed (implying kingship). Since MbY is by definition not of the tribe of Judah it would stand to reason this person will not be inaugurated as a king.

In terms of Poskim/Responsa - Rav Hai Gaon does mention MbY (Otzar Hageonim p.387) but does not comment on gender.

rikitikitembo
  • 14,079
  • 3
  • 22
  • 80
  • H. Melakhim 1:5 doesn't only apply to kings, but any position of authority אין מעמידין אישה במלכות--שנאמר "מלך" (דברים יז,טו), ולא מלכה; וכן כל משימות שבישראל, אין ממנים בהם אלא איש. Presumably a military leader that commands troops would be precluded (which is what MbY sounds like). What do you do with that Rambam? – Deuteronomy Mar 19 '23 at 21:22
  • What do you do with the distinctly gendered language of "ben"? Are there other occasions where you see a specific woman called the "son" of someone? – Deuteronomy Mar 19 '23 at 21:24
  • Cyrus of Persia was in fact a king... so not the strongest counter evidence of other usages of משיח – Deuteronomy Mar 19 '23 at 21:27
  • "Since MbY is by definition not of the tribe of Judah it would stand to reason this person will not be inaugurated as a king" There were non-Judahite/Davidic kings that were however accepted as king (e.g. the Hasmoneans). It's not the ideal, but it happens. – Deuteronomy Mar 19 '23 at 21:28
  • @Deuteronomy thank you for the important comments. To my mind, the discussion of whether women can serve as military leaders is certainly relevant if this were an appointed position rather than an assumed one. – rikitikitembo Mar 19 '23 at 22:21
  • There are quite a few sources (including the R. Saadia Gaon) that refer to MbY as מלך משיח בן יוסף (the King Messiah, son of Joseph). They see him as a king, in which case this position would be subject to the same considerations as MbY (i.e. only a male king may be appointed). – Deuteronomy Mar 20 '23 at 00:30
  • @Deuteronomy I'm not aware of those sources, but perhaps that would make for a great answer for you to post – rikitikitembo Mar 20 '23 at 01:30
  • 1
    personally I think peshat in the OP is that the Q concerned MbD (which is who the vast majority are referring to when they say "Moshiach") but insofar as you took the opportunity to answer about MbY, I felt it only proper to point out the flaws in your answer. Having done so, it seems like overkill to offer an entirely new answer here. – Deuteronomy Mar 20 '23 at 19:38
  • If you're curious though, see here and here for a couple of sources that refer to MbY as king. – Deuteronomy Mar 20 '23 at 19:38