The signs are un- mistakable, and the duly constituted government of Israel dare not impede its progress. The Torah is a rich tapestry that has to be delved into constantly, with enough layers of meaning to keep us oc- cupied for many lifetimes. On occasion, reasoned dialogue turns into raucous diatribe when each side hurls accusations. Not that we don't believe, they say, but the last time the Jews were swept by messianic fever they caught pneumonia and nearly died.
Caution is better than passion.
An area to which major scholars have devoted lifetimes of research cannot be adequately covered in the confines of this article, but what I do want to point out is that the dream of redemption must be understood as the very cornerstone of our faith. Rashi agrees also providing a brief etymology for messiah's. Now if a gathering of the nations for the sake of peace is the first explicit description of the messianic period, it clearly suggests something natural, human, recognizable. And very likely Maimonides had this verse in mind in composing his Laws of Government. There in Ch.