Our Jewish life is filled with practices that may seem peculiar, if not outright strange, to outsiders. Let's consider a few examples:
On Saturday evenings, as religious Jewish return from synagogue, the whole family sings together: "Peace be upon you, ministering angels..." .Although no one sees these angels, we all firmly believe that they escort us on the way home from the synagogue and then depart.
During a circumcision ceremony, a special chair is prominently placed for the prophet Elijah, who lived over two millennia ago. No one sees him either, but without his greeting, the child's entrance into the covenant of Abraham does not begin.
When blessing the new moon, all Jews collectively declare: "David, King of Israel, lives and endures forever."
Given these traditions, why should it be surprising that two years ago, approximately one hundred rabbis issued a halachic ruling stating that the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the King Moshiach, lives in a physical body in our world?
If you find this concept challenging to accept, consider: can you readily explain the three examples mentioned above?