Answering the Rabbis

From Daniel Mann, a Jewish Messianic believer:

Today, the Rabbis claim that the "Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 is about Israel, and not Messiah. Doug Pyle wrote a book "What the Rabbonim Say about Moshiach" from which I gleaned the following regarding the opinions of the ancient Rabbis regarding this passage:

MOSHE KOHEN IBN CRISPIN (13th Century Spain): “I am pleased to interpret it [‘servant’], in accordance with the teachings of our Rabbis, of the King Messiah…This prophecy was delivered by Isaiah at the divine command for the purpose of making known to us something about the nature of the future Messiah who is to come and deliver Israel, and his life for the day when he arrives at discretion, until his advent as redeemer, in order that if anyone arise claiming himself the Messiah, we may reflect and look to see whether we can observe in him any resemblance to the traits described here…”

MAIMONIDES: “The unique phenomena attending his manifestation is that all the kings of the earth will be thrown into terror at the fame of him…that they will lay their hands upon their mouth; in the words of Isaiah, when describing the manner in which the kings will hearken to him, ‘At him kings will shut their mouth…’ (52:15) (58)

RABBI NAPHTALI BEN ASHER ALTSCHULER (16th C.): “I am surprised that Rashi and Rabbi David Kimchi have not, with the Targum, applied them to the Messiah likewise…The prophet [Isaiah] say he shall be ‘high and exalted and lofty’ [52:13], expressing the idea under various forms, in order to indicate that his exaltation will be something extraordinary. It is proof that the Parashah refers to our Messiah, that alluding to the future Deliverance, the prophet said before, ‘Break forth into joy, you waste places of Jerusalem’ (52:9), and ‘How beautiful on the mountains,’ etc. (52:7), and immediately afterwards continues, ‘Behold my servant shall prosper’ [52:13] etc.” (61)

Rabbi Moshe Alsheich [16th C.], interpreting this passage of Moshiach, reminds us that ‘our rabbis with one voice’ referred it to Moshiach also.” (Pyle, 61)