There Is No Messiah—and You're It

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 dreamed possible." —from Chapter 1 The coming of the messiah is anticipated by millions of people of many faiths as the ultimate salve for our spiritual lives and as a way to finally make the world a better place. There Is No Messiah…and You’re It examines the history of messianic hope and anticipation, its evolution in Judaism and Jewish history, and other interpretations of “messiah” that shed new light on what it means to usher in the “kingdom of God.” This fascinating book is our call to see ourselves as the fulfillment of, not the anticipators of, messianic change. Drawing from the Bible, the Talmud, rabbinic sources, and modern-day scholars, Rabbi Robert Levine provides us with an accessible, fascinating understanding of messianic vision, as well as false messiahs throughout Jewish history. He challenges the powerful idea of messiah that has survived in the heart, soul, and ethos of the Jewish people, and reveals the immediacy of the messianic presence in our day—in our own lives. Compelling and controversial, There Is No Messiah…and You’re It inspires us to embody the noblest values of Jewish tradition—prayer, study, mitzvoth, and tzedakah—and embrace our own messianic potential to heal the world.

Rabbi Robert N. Levine is widely recognized as one of the most inspiring spiritual teachers of his generation. He is senior rabbi of the largest synagogue on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Temple Rodeph Sholom. A sought-after speaker and media guest, and an active participant in interfaith dialogue and teaching, he is also the author of Where Are You When I Need You?